If you think DJ John Hamilton seems cool and composed, just wait for his tracks to drop.
Drawing inspiration from an eclectic array of genres, the DJ and producer bends boundaries with his music. Hamilton is an aural architect, every song transporting listeners to a different time, place, and emotion.
Coming from a musical family, Hamilton was exposed to music at such an early age.
“My father is a great pianist, and my mom always had Beach Boys on repeat every car ride,” he says. “There was also a lot of Motown, so I know much of those songs by heart. I’m very thankful to have had that whole education so early on in life.”
Since his early introduction to music, Hamilton has never strayed too far from it. When he was 16, Hamilton and his friend Jeff DeFazio started Double J Entertainment. They would spin records at every opportunity, using turntables and old hip hop records purchased from a lady down the street. He touts Double J Entertainment as being “the illest quinceañera, bar mitzvah, sweet 16, graduation party DJs.”
While that experience may have been a fun side gig for any high school teen, Hamilton believes it was instrumental in developing his sensibilities as a musician.
“I practiced a lot to get the grips on how to use everything, and I liked the DJing aspect, in terms of the technical side and the mixing music,” he says. “I really enjoyed seeing how everyone reacted to the music.”
Hamilton has graduated from those backyard party days to spin at clubs, colleges, and festivals, including the Belvedere Music Lounge at the Ultra Music Festival, the Electro Beach Festival in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and opening for artists like Steve Aoki, Tiësto, and Macklemore.
Despite having traveled the world to share his music, Hamilton remains humbled by his roots.
“I’ve done at least 500 gigs at this point, and my first residency was at Epstein’s Bar on Stanton and Allen in the Lower East Side,” he says. “The DJ booth was in this little crow’s nest loft that you climbed up a ladder to get to, and you had to sit while DJing. Those opportunities gave me the experience early on and taught me how to read the room and create a vibe that people will respond to. I took so many gigs—paid or free—just to practice.”
These days, Hamilton is pushing the envelope with his craft, focusing more on producing his own music. He maintains that his journey as a musician is an ever-evolving process, and while he hasn’t narrowed down his many interests just yet, his current mission is to create a fusion of sounds.
“I’ve been interested in a lot of different genres that don’t always go together,” he says, “like Indian Bollywood with Caribbean Dancehall with U.K. House. I like to push the worldwide global view of everything.”
In a way, Hamilton has found the perfect medium for his aspirations to unite people through music. In his own travels with his mentor Jonathan Dagan, better known as j.viewz, Hamilton muses over the exhilaration he felt when he witnessed the power of music firsthand.
“We went on tour to India,” he says, “and it was a crazy experience just to see how much a lot of single tracks connected so many people.
Hamilton is taking these lessons in stride, not only blending sounds together, but also working more with others.
“Taking the time to figure things out with others, instead of doing it all yourself, is often more productive and a whole lot more fun,” he says. “You end up learning so much more and coming across things that you didn’t plan for along the process, for the better.”
The Sacramento native now calls New York City his home, setting up shop at Moon Lab Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. A co-working space in and of itself, the studio not only offers an environment for musicians to create music, but also facilitates interaction among other like-minded talent.
The wealth of opportunities available in New York is why Hamilton highlights his move to the Big Apple as an incredibly rewarding experience.
“You move here and you have an open book,” he says. “It’s extremely inspiring and can also be scary as well, but it definitely changed my life.”
What is endearing about Hamilton is his honesty about the trials and tribulations of being a self-starter.
“I pretend I’m calm, cool, and collected,” he says, “but it’s definitely an up and down game.”
Hamilton has some exciting projects lined up for the coming year. To keep up-to-date on his newest ventures, check his soundcloud or follow him @johnhamiltonny.
Photo credit: Lauren Kallen