Just Her delivers an essential session of contemporary dance…

A Just Her set blends electronica, house, and deep techno, imbued with an emotional touch designed to capture both the feet and heart of her audience. This skill was honed through a journey from buying vinyl with paper route earnings to becoming a distinguished DJ, producer, songwriter, and label owner (Constant Circles).

It’s an aspring story, one that’s led Just Her to a notable discography on labels including Anjunadeep, Crosstown Rebels, Global Underground, and, lest we forget, Balance Music.

Yet, the Just Her goal transcends mere success: she aspires to infuse the industry with kindness and compassion. We daresay she’s succeeeding; that energy is evident in this excellent session.

Across 90 minutes you’ll find a heady but joyful mix of contemporary house (Logic1000, Byron the Aquarius), UK garage-breaks (Beatune, Lili Chan) and progressive-tinged deep techno (Nakadia, Sasha), all stitched together with exquisite vocal cuts from, of course, Just Her.

01. Joseph Ashworth – Signs (Ft. Lyves) (Sound of Outside)
02. Subjacent – Elward (Just Her Extended Remix) (People of The Light)
03. HoneyLuv – Right Spot (Byron The Aquarius Remix) (Crosstown Rebels)
04. Anna – Kalimba Dreams (Global Underground)
05. Joe Goddard & Fiorious – New World (Flow) (ABSOLUTE. Remix) (Domino)
06. Beatune – Ante Sempra Meta Ramen (Everybody In)
07. Lili Chan – Uwaki (Love Someone Else) (Three Six Zero)
08. Just Her – Left Behind (Club) (Selador)
09. Nicco ND – Westloop (Just Her Remix) (Culprit)
10. Nakadia – Flying Blue (Clarisse)
11. Sasha – Fleuron Drift (Last Night On Earth)
12. Logic1000 – I Won’t Forget (Therapy)
13. Baby Weight – For U (Street Tracks)
14. SG Lewis & DJ Seinfeld – Simple Times (Forever Days)
15. Sofian – Awakening (SOUS)
16. Alex Kennon & Just Her – Long Way Down (Interstellar)
17. Just Her – Lifted (Balance Music)
18. Shahin Shantiaei ft. Lauren L’aimant – Close To Me (Just Her Remix) (Colorize)
19. Edmondson – Vanarama Bar (all my thoughts)

BALANCE SELECTIONS Q+A

Name: Claire Spooner
Location: Brighton, UK
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Alias/Producer name: Just Her
Labels affiliated with: Anjunadeep, Crosstown Rebels, Constant Circles

My last 3 releases: 

What music did you listen to as a child?

My dad actually introduced me to all genres of music, from opera to jazz, blues, and pop, at a really young age. Music quickly became an obsession, and I started collecting vinyl with my paper route money, recording radio shows in my bedroom, and trying to mix from vinyl to cassette and back again (slightly embarrassing!).

In my teens, I then dove deeply into trip-hop and electronica, which I would say is still my favorite style. I grew up listening to the likes of Tricky, Portishead, and Massive Attack, and this influence still permeates my music now, which I think you can discern in my mix.

When was the first time that you realised that you liked electronic music?

Probably thanks to my best mate Rob at school. We became obsessed with music together, starting with R&B and dance music. I remember us discovering “Let The Beat Hit ‘Em” by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam, and the sound of it absolutely blew my mind (we even created a dance routine to it, winning an award at the school disco, haha!).

Then, I bought “I Want You (Forever)” by Carl Cox on 7″ vinyl, and I’m pretty sure that marked the beginning of my journey into house music.

When was the first time you saw a DJ in a club?

There were many forgettable ones during my early clubbing days, but the turning point came with my first trip to Ibiza in the early 2000s. I remember attending Hed Kandi at El Divino and watching Barbara Tucker sing a live version of “Precious Love” as the sun rose over the harbor.

Then, it was onto Tantra for a couple of hours before heading to We Love Sundays at Space. The music, the vibe, everything just drew me in, and I knew then that DJing was something I wanted to pursue as a career, aiming to create those moments of euphoria on the dance floor.

Which producers/artists/acts inspire you?

My all-time favorite musician is Bonobo, whom I’ve seen on every tour he’s ever played. The feeling and emotion he can evoke with his music is on another level. I guess my ultimate dream would be to perfectly blend that deeper electronica style with dance floor energy and present it on stage the way he does, with live musicians.

What was the last album that you downloaded/purchased?

Not surprisingly, it was Bonobo ‘Fragments‘. I bought both the vinyl as well as download ‘cos I’m such a fan girl!

What is your current production and DJ set up like?

I’m fortunate to have built up a fairly decent home studio over the last 10-15 years. Despite this, I intentionally limit my hardware to ensure my production setup retains an element of portability. This allows me to work on ideas and accomplish tasks on the road. My hardware primarily includes a Moog Sub Phatty for bass, a Roland TR8 for drums, and a Roland SH-01A for lead sounds, all integrated through a Tascam Model 24 Desk.

However, I find myself turning to soft synths just as often for their efficiency and the ease with which I can quickly achieve the desired sounds. As my performances increasingly incorporate vocals, I also use a Rode K2 Valve Condenser Mic for recording toplines.

On the DJ front, I still own my original Technics 1210 decks and vinyl collection. These days, though, I mostly play them at home. It’s just so much easier to travel with a USB and headphones. For recording sets and prepping for gigs I have the Pioneer XDJ-XJ console which is nice and compact for a home set up.

What releases do you have on the horizon?

In the next few months, I have remixes scheduled for release on US-based labels Culprit LA and People of The Light, plus a collaboration with Alex Kennon dropping on Interstellar Records (which is part of Insomniac). You can hear all of these in the mix.

Additionally, I have a vinyl release coming this summer on the amazing Rhythm Cult imprint based in Barcelona, along with new releases on my own label, Constant Circles. Of course, there are always other projects in the pipeline that can’t be announced just yet!

Where can we hear you perform?

Over the summer months, I’ll be performing in London, Brighton, Albania, and Liverpool, plus a secret set at a major UK festival. My tour dates are constantly updated, and you can find them on my social media profiles @justhermusic.

Additionally, you can catch my ‘Helix‘ radio show on Frisky Radio every third Tuesday of the month. My monthly Constant Circles Radio show will also be returning to the airwaves very soon. This coincides with the relaunch of my label (for more information, check out www.constantcircles.com!).

Tell us more about the podcast you made for Balance?

I recorded the podcast live at home on my DJ setup. Fortunately, I managed to nail it in one take (thankfully, haha!). However, compiling the music took a considerable amount of time. I dedicate a bit of time every day to listening to promos and scouting for new releases. This ensure I’m unearthing the best tracks available. Importantly, I aim that at least 50% of the artists in every mix I create are female, female-identifying, or non-binary.

As a woman in the industry I’ve experienced the imbalance and sexism first hand. I understand how important it is that we keep pushing for equality. This approach doesn’t entail selecting female artists merely because they are women. Instead, it involves broadening your search and making an extra effort to discover incredible music from female artists who might not yet be on your radar.

Luckily this is getting easier and easier with every mix I do, which means that the plan is working! Hopefully one day we wont need diversity quotas because we will have a truly equal playing field.

My Recommendations

The top track in my DJ set currently is:

If I could recommend only one of my tracks for you to listen to it would be:

Just Her ‘Golden Hour‘ on He.She.They, because it was written about the birth of my baby. Plus it’s on one of the coolest labels on the planet.