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 Moodymann, yet his ear for melody is closer to the likes of Larry Heard. 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 Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles 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 Golf Channel Recordings. 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, Golf Channel and Jazzy Sport; 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 Ruff Draft, Swat, and Shubaka. He went on to release his 2017 EP, Ultimate Delusion, through one of his home town's more established labels, Futureboogie. 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 /TiVo