RSVP for complimentary entry before 11.30pm:
https://rsvpd.co/g/kyo15_julywk2
Supported by Oliver Osborne (Eyes to the front, UK)
Justin started DJing after being schooled in the Family Funktion & Shake'n'Fingerpop warehouse parties in mid eighties London. Then, after moving to New York City in 1986 he discovered Paradise Garage. There, he found his true calling, to play House Music as loud as possible.
Living in New York City for the next 2 years, Justin formed his style from the weekly radio shows on Kiss FM & WBLS. But what really inspired him was Larry Levan manipulating the sound texture on the Richard Long System every week at the Garage.
He started to buy his music from Vinyl Mania and got himself a residency Djing at A.D., an all night lesbian dance club on West 8th Street. Soon he had taken over the night, opening it up to Garage core members and renamed it The Closet. Justin formed a DJ group called "Sensible House" with Jimmy B, Terry Bristol & Matty Heilbronn, which played around the house and club party circuits eventually becoming Residents with Hedonism in various locations such as Milk Bar and eventually they took over the console at Nell's on Tuesday nights. Justin also went on to become Resident at Home at Rutherford House (14th&2nd) and "Brutal" at The World (1st&1st) playing Acid House alongside the likes of Hip Hop giants Afrika Bambaataa, Spoonie Gee and co Resident the Duke of Denmark.
After the Paradise Garage had finally closed its doors in 1987, Justin returned home to London and started to DJ at the Summer of Love Acid House raves, soon after creating a Friday night "Heaven Garage" but always with the intention of building his dream Paradise Garage type club in London. That happened after he met in 1989 the old Etonian entrepreneurs James Palumbo and Humphrey Waterhouse. After two years of misery, hard work, sleepless nights and immense stress, Ministry of Sound opened its doors in September of 1991.
Being Artistic Director, Justin was responsible for the club's name, the logo, the site location and design concept. He unearthed the defunct sound company Richard Long & Assoc. in New York. RLA’s Austen Derek installed one of his legendary systems with a sound so clear and powerful that it created transparent sound with a maximum undistorted volume of over 150 dB! With the pull of such an important and powerful sound system, Justin was able to tempt out of retirement legends like Larry Levan and Francois Kevorkian, pioneering the importing of foreign DJs on a weekly basis and was himself resident DJ.
He was fortunate enough to share the console with most of the greats, also touring for over a year with co residents Tony Humphries, CJ Mackintosh and Sasha. Larry Levan overstayed his visit by three months, spending time with Justin adjusting the sound system and teaching his invaluable knowledge on the texture of sound.
Justin also pioneered Ministry's Sessions CDs with Jim Masters, sharing A&R duties on the first volume for Tony Humphries. Ministry of Sound instantly became one of the most respected clubs in the world.
Justin has also traveled the globe, going to over 40 countries in 5 continents. His weird and wonderful experiences like most well traveled DJs are too many and colourful to mention here, but one extra special event was the honour of playing the e-Werk float at the, until then, exclusively Techno Berlin Love Parade in 1996, where Justin played the entire route, covering over a million people in a 5 hour set and introducing them to the sound of House music.
https://soundcloud.com/justin-berkmann
Public Admission $20 for ladies, $25 for men (incl. 1 drink)
Book a table:
reservations@clubkyo.com
+65 8299 8735
