Very few have been able to keep such a dominate, mesmerizing presence within electronic music meanwhile undergoing multiple transformations, one of them being Julian Scanlan, aka Slushii. Slushii recently dropped a brand new full length album titled E.L.E. (Extinction Level Event) at the beginning of March on Monstercat. We sat down with Slushii just before his set at Ultra in Miami to discuss everything from new music to a potential collaboration with Rosalía and much more.
Hey Julian, Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us. How does it feel to be back in Miami?
Its great. I’ve been on this boat 2 -3 times. It’s like going back to high school again. Just another year.
You just released your new album “Extinction Level Event” can you tell us more about the creative process behind putting that album together?
E.L.E. was my 2 – 3 year journey of figuring out what I wanted to say through my music and why I wanted to say it. The message was super long at first and then I was figuring out how I can shorten it because attention spans are super short.
What made you choose that name?
So the ERU is this evil organization that’s in the world of the Slushii album thing. So E.L.E. is the girl on the front cover of the album. She is the one thing that can cause an extinction level event. An extinction level event for the villain.
Do you ever envision yourself expanding the world of ELE.
100% I would love to even do a mini project like what’s E.L.E’s favorite pizza spot or what’s E.L.E’s favorite sushi spot. Kind of giving people a look into that world would be really cool.
I was skimming through your Instagram I saw Rosalía reached out to you…
So this is the first time anyone has ever actually brought this up. So Rosalía if your watching this right now I feel like an idiot. She DM’d me like 5 years ago. 2017 she DM’d me and I’m not a big social media guy. I am, but i’m not. So messages would just get filtered. Her DM got filtered as harmful or spam…… Mark Zuckerberg, thank you. The Rosalía collab was probably axed because of that but who knows; you never know. I would say, Rosalía if you’re reading this, te amo. I would love to make something happen. It would be super dope. I legitimately did not see your DM. You’re probably not going to see this but thank you for reaching out 5 years ago. Instagram sucks.
I see you only follow one person on Twitter – Kanye West. What does Kanye West mean to Slushii?
Kanye West is… I will say– I see what he’s trying to do and I’m with it. Like what he’s trying to do with the stem player. I see he’s trying to usher in a new era like Steve Jobs did with bringing iTunes, bringing the iPad. Giving the people something that they can physical hold and just does what its supposed to do. It’s so simple.
What can fans expect from Slushii for the rest of the year? Are you working on any fun projects inside or outside of music?
A lot of music, music videos, crazy sponsorship collabs, a bit of everything, the great part about the last 6 years is that I’ve been able to carve out a path that is a bit of everything. Videogame stuff, or collabing or doing stuff in Japan.
Are there any video game companies that you want to work with?
Resident Evil is my favorite video game of all time. Mortal Kombat would be sick. Dance Dance revolution. I’m a big fan of that. More Fortnite stuff in the works. That is my world and I’m glad the fans listened to the story I’ve been telling
What is the most important piece of knowledge or advice that you have specifically accrued through extensive years of touring in the music industry?
I would say get more sleep. Name your projects correctly. Please dear lord because I’ve lost so many projects that way and I still haven’t corrected the problem. And live in the moment, enjoy it because just as quickly that moment is gone as soon as it came. So soak that moment in as long as you can. So yea its just living in the moment
Does that keep you inspired?
I think it’s a bit of a double edged sword because everything’s great until it’s not great and it’s all about how you take it in. Every now and then I’ll spin out of control. But as long as your staying optimistic and have a good group of people around you, you can do anything.
Are there any influences or even non musical influences that played a heavy role into shaping your project today?
I think Toonami and Cartoon Network. Like anime and a lot of Nickelodeon. A lot of 90s nostalgic good burger and 90s cartoon media definitely had a huge influence on me.
Who are your top 3 artists to watch this year?
Volt, Mikey Rotten, and Softishard.
What advice do you have to up and coming creatives who look up to you, your project, and your music?
Keep producing, keep writing and keep moving forward. Whenever you get knocked down, get back up.
Is there anything else you want to say to your fans that have been sticking with you throughout the entirety of your career?
I hope you’re well. It’s 2022 let’s do the damn thing.
Featured image via: @capturedbyjosh
