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JULESMCKOOLS

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mixtapes

JULESMCKOOLS

about

JULESMCKOOLS is a Brooklyn-based selector originally from San Diego, with a sound rooted in deep house and minimal techno, with influences from disco and funk. Moving between vinyl and digital, her sets blend warm grooves, playful rhythms, and unexpected selections to curate her own atmosphere. Her background as a harpist and pianist has shaped her musical ear and fostered a lasting appreciation for music and the community built around it.

spotlight

  1. When did you start DJing/producing? What sounds or scenes shaped your taste early on? What keeps you coming back to sound as a medium?

    Growing up in San Diego, I feel like my early electronic sound was shaped by rave and festival culture in Southern California. Later, the electronic music subculture in Pittsburgh, where I went to college (shoutout to Hot Mass!), introduced me to entirely new dimensions of electronic music and gave me a healthy appetite for all the different flavors of house and techno.

    I bought my first controller in college, but I didn’t really get invested in DJing until I started meeting people through workshops at my neighborhood record store, Superior Elevation, in early 2025. From there, I kept meeting so many fabulous and vibrant people within NYC’s community of music lovers and performers, which really pulled me in.

    I also grew up as a musician, playing harp and piano, and I noticed that I always loved playing music so much more in ensembles, whether in duos or in the symphony. I think the way I feel most connected to music has always been through connecting with people first, and I still feel that’s true today.

  2. What’s something you’ve learned about vulnerability — behind the decks and on the dance floor?

    Putting anything out creatively and declaring yourself is such a vulnerable experience (which for me is lowkey like ripping off my skin), but as a human being, I think it’s such a necessary and cathartic cycle. I struggle a lot with feeling like I haven’t reached exactly the point where I can metaphorically stand on a stool, pull out my megaphone, and yell, “THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO SAY.” But I’ve come around more to the idea that you might never feel ready to do that, and you should yap anyways.

    It’s kind of like that idea that life is a dinner party and when you show up as truly yourself, whether behind the decks or on the dance floor, that’s already something awesome to bring to the table.

  3. When people listen back to your radio set, what do you hope stays with them?

    Overall, I hope they come away with a song or two that they really like! I got into DJing in large part because I just really loved showing people music that I was into, and I feel like I’m still just as excited when someone asks me about a track I played as I was in high school, bumping my music on aux in the car for my friends.

    The creative message behind most of my sets is usually pretty abstract, but also very specifically a vibe, and this one will be no exception. In general, after I play anything, all I want to ask someone is: “But did it evoke?”

    I know that really does not make a lot of sense, but I think if you listen in, you might be like, “It did! And this is my take on what that was.”

  4. When you’re not playing, where do you go to get inspired?

    This is going to sound a little broad, but literally anywhere outside! I draw a lot of musical inspiration from seeing, hearing, and talking to people across the musical spectrum and in every medium.

    Going out in NYC is especially formative for me because music is such a uniquely immersive experience in the city. I listen to music across a lot of different genres, and I get a ton of inspiration from live music and the energy around it.

    And anytime I’m feeling stuck in my selections, a trip to the record store is usually enough to bring me something that makes me excited again.