Before headlining festivals and nightclubs across the globe, Juliano Beltran was working as an IT security specialist in his home state of Rio Grande do Sul in the South of Brazil. It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic hit that he had the opportunity to fully pursue his true dreams of music. Now, he is one of the biggest DJs in the world, and will be lighting up the crowd at Potbelly’s on Friday, Feb. 20.
In 2022, the release of his breakout single “Smack Yo’” catapulted him to global superstardom. The song went No. 1 on the Beatport Top 10, the Billboard equivalent for house music, and was featured in the sets of prominent DJs such as Michael Bibi, Marco Carola, and PAWSA.
Along with his breakout hit, Beltran has also released newer tracks that have gained worldwide attention, such as “Jupiter,” “Saturn,” and “Saquarema.” Many have called his sounds “weird” — something he agrees with.
“I really like the word ‘trippy,’ and I really like the word ‘weird’ when you try to describe my stuff,” Beltran said in an interview with Nylon Magazine. “I remember in the past when record labels were refusing my tracks, they were like, ‘Yeah, we can’t sign it. Your sound is too weird.’ And I was like, ‘Thank you.'”
Big names can’t get enough of Tallahassee nightlife
It may seem strange that an artist as big as Beltran would bring his sound to a city such as Tallahassee. After all, he has played at festivals like Coachella and in clubs like Club Space in Miami. However, he joins a long list of world-renowned producers who want to bring their sounds and styles to the students of Florida State University.
Since 2023, Chris Lake, Chris Lorenzo, Max Dean, Chase West, Layton Giordani, and more have travelled to Tallahassee to play for the area’s enamored student body. Most recently, returning for the third straight year and a second straight block party, Cloone “shut down” College Avenue with electric sets and stimulating productions.
“It’s awesome that major DJs like Cloone, Chase West, and now Beltran are bringing their talents here to Florida State,” management major Guillermo Gonzalez said in a statement to the FSView. “It’s great that we have venues that can support the type of shows these DJs are putting on, and I think it just shows how much house music is growing, especially within the college-age demographic.”
Along with the influx of DJs coming to play in Tallahassee, student DJs at FSU have been playing at clubs and universities across the country. FSU graduate Lyle Lucas recently signed with Malky Global Events and Management and has headlined Nebula and Somewhere Nowhere in New York City, two of the city’s biggest nightlife venues. Lucas has also headlined fraternity parties at the University of Tennessee, Michigan State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and later this February, Duke University.
“Florida State has given me the opportunity to thrive in an environment I was unfamiliar with,” Lucas said in a statement to the FSView. “I was introduced to house music here, and I quickly fell in love with its ability to enhance blissful emotions and redirect negative ones. Performing has become my passion, and I can’t thank FSU enough for giving me the opportunity to share my experience with the rest of the world.”
General admission tickets for the event are already sold out, with resales going for as high as $264.
“Once in a while, you see a perfect journey, when the entire crowd is on a big wave … just a big wave going around,” Beltran said in an interview with EDM Residence. “That’s when DJ-ing is the best … it’s the best feeling ever.”
Cameron Chassen is a Staff Writer for the FSView & Florida Flambeau, the student-run, independent online news service for the FSU community. Email our staff at contact@fsview.com.
This article originally appeared on FSU News: DJ Beltran brings the groove to Florida State
Reporting by Cameron Chassen, Staff Writer, FSView / FSU News
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