Jeremy Glenn

[NU]-BOOGIE NIGHTS

Jeremy Glenn has gone full circle with his musical career. His passion for music and club culture started when he was just a kid in high school. “Just grabbing records that I couldn’t find anywhere else but in a record shop,” is how Jeremy describes that time. Like most of us, his musical tastes changed as he got older. Once Jeremy started listening to his brother’s house music records, he started building to being the artist that he is today.

His love of vinyl continued through college, as he began playing live shows as a DJ. “It’s easier to get samples and promo stuff for free digitally. I still prefer vinyl as a medium. I like to play it better. I think it sounds better. It’s just more tactile,” says Glenn. I then brought up the obvious fact that it’s quite a bit harder to take vinyl records out on tour though. “Yea, that’s the other thing. I was on tour recently and lost a bag. If that was records...If I lost my records I’d be heartbroken,” admits Glenn.

Much like his career as a musician has evolved over time, so has the house music genre Glenn loves. “House music now is starting to sound more like it did when I was getting into it. So, I’m finding some of my older records are getting into my set now. It is this weird, constant cycle.” With this in mind, I ask Jeremy if there was any old or obscure track that has been making an appearance in his shows lately. “That’s a good question. Uhhh, not sure if it is one track or record in particular, but lately it has been a lot of early nineties stuff.”

He wouldn’t let me in on some of those tracks he goes to during his sets, but Glenn did open up about a new track he has been working on. “It’s an edit of ‘Living in a Box.’ I literally finished it in the hotel room today & we’ll see how it goes. I like doing that kinda stuff. It’s the best way to test it out.” This simple fact alone is a prime example of how far the live DJ scene has changed. Glenn was learning and growing as a DJ during all of these advancements and changes.

From milk crates full of vinyl, to folders of digital tracks on your desktop. From blending other artists tracks to creating his own. Just like the way the music is made has changed, so too have the venues fans go to see the DJs. It used to be only Top 40 at the ‘clubs,’ while the house music fans went to raves. Now, in most major cities, you can find the ‘house music’ club, the ‘hip hop’ club, and the ‘drum & bass’ club. “I wanna get back into playing the dark, 4AM, underground kinda club gig. Now I see a lot more loft and warehouse parties have started up. I love going to those, to play or just to party. They are more informal. People are there for the music.”

Not to make it sound like Jeremy Glenn doesn’t like doing club gigs. “Drake Underground (Toronto) is a great venue for sound. The vibe can often be really great in that space. It just depends on the venue and the night. Who decided to show up, not where you are.” Getting to talk to Jeremy, as well as listen to his music, I was excited to hear that he used to play with a live band. “I used to have the band (on tour). I’d really like to get the band together, and tour with them again. But for now it just makes more sense financially to just do the DJ touring.”

Despite being a one-man show on the road these days, Glenn brings several layers to his sets. “I didn’t initially intend on singing. It just sort of became something that I did.” Many of Jeremy’s songs feature his vocals. If you have ever been to a rave, or even a house music club, you’ll agree that sometimes the live mic isn’t always an option. “Each show there is a chance I might slip in some vocals. Depending on how the set goes and what I’m feeling like, if there is a chance for me to sing on something then I’ll try to do that live.” In the studio, Glenn works again as a one-man show. “I guess you can say I’m like a one stop shop. I went to those (audio production) classes, kinda for the reasons of making and producing music. Unless it has been a collaboration, any of the remixes and productions I’ve done have all been done by me.”

All of these changes that have happened to Jeremy Glenn as an artist - whether they be in his own live performances, or the house music genre itself - have lead him to a successful career that is only just beginning. His ability to adapt to the ever-changing musical landscape around him, will keep Jeremy Glenn on the forefront of the Canadian house music scene.

This fact might have him performing in a poorly lit, open concept art space, just off a main street in a city near you. Of course, Glenn will only be performing there after he finishes his set at a club downtown just after 2AM. Plus, if you’re lucky, he might have put the finishing touches on a new remix in the cab between sets. Check out the video for the latest single, “New Life” on his YouTube channel.

Photography: Kerryn Cooper

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