DJ Nature

New York-Based DJ/producer Milo Johnson (aka DJ Nature) creates soulful, deep house indebted to New York in the '90s, even though he crafted it on equipment from the 2010s. Johnson's productions have a charming rough edge to them, garnering comparisons to <a href="spotify:artist:6pohviZSNRueSX7uNu63ZX">Moodymann</a>, yet his ear for melody is closer to the likes of <a href="spotify:artist:3j7teie3p6UnbA8nW51Trz">Larry Heard</a>. His loose sound initially came from the use of basic gear, and even though his equipment eventually improved, that style carried through to his debut full-length, 2012's Return of the Savage.

Originally born in Bristol, U.K., Johnson moved to New York in 1989, still in his early twenties. There he found a job at an exporting company, shipping records to Japan. He also had time to soak in New York's house music scene at a time when DJs such as <a href="spotify:artist:7wxPD9vDsKD5OuHCeWgXRm">Larry Levan</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:63yl9nDNrHpiAYGlNJxxjc">Frankie Knuckles</a> were playing out regularly. Inspired, he purchased cheap equipment and produced a few tracks as Nature Boy, and self-released those records through his own label, Ruff Disco Records. However, he shelved the project in 1993 to focus on his full-time job. Almost two decades later, in 2010, Johnson returned to music production as DJ Nature, and though his gear was significantly upgraded he retained the rough-around-the-edges style he had become attached to growing up. That same year saw the release of his first two records, Win Love & Dance and This Side of Heaven, both through <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Golf+Channel+Recordings%22">Golf Channel Recordings</a>. From there he released a slew of 12" singles, culminating in his debut full-length, Return of the Savage, in 2012. In the early stages of his career reboot he was closely associated with two labels, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Golf+Channel%22">Golf Channel</a> and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Jazzy+Sport%22">Jazzy Sport</a>; the latter, based in Japan, released his second album, 2014's Let the Children Play. After its release, he diversified the labels through which he put out music, releasing records for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Ruff+Draft%22">Ruff Draft</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Swat%22">Swat</a>, and Shubaka. He went on to release his 2017 EP, Ultimate Delusion, through one of his home town's more established labels, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Futureboogie%22">Futureboogie</a>. The following year he set up a new label for himself, FWD EVR, marking the occasion with the release of the Conflicted Interests EP. ~ Liam Martin, Rovi