M'Lou Elkins 
With 5 extremely successful #1 Indiegogo campaigns under their belt, Julien-K has become one of the highest-earning crowdfunding bands in the world.
Yesterday, Julien-K hit fans with its most ambitious campaign so far: DRK|MODE, which promises to be “a purely electronic dark industrial creation,” aiming to capture the band’s essential sound without the use of guitars.
After its first day, the campaign has obliterated crowdfunding records by debuting #1 in music and most trending campaigns on Indiegogo. The day 1 tally? The campaign sold $25,000 with 29 more days remaining.
The campaign arrived with Julien-K asking fans with their now classic playful yet ominous tone:
Do synthesizers feel pain? We want to find out. Can we create a compelling album through acoustic exclusion and electronic torture? Possibly.
Join the campaign at: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/julien-k-drk-mode#/
Check out the JULIEN-K, DRK|MODE INDIEGOGO CAMPAIGN Promo:
After the successful return to their earlier roots of Orgy with the release of the critically acclaimed HARMONIC DISRUPTOR, Julien-K began planning the follow-up to that album: TRAUMA ECHOES.
“We started creating sludgy, guitar-heavy, emotional electro-rock as a path out of the JKHD universe – but we kept finding ourselves pulled to heavy a synthetic 4 on the floor heartbeat. That heartbeat cut a new path that lead us through a new doorway.”
“This unexpected dichotomy in our approach confused us at first, but over time it became clear that we were being led down the path to two separate works of art. Two disparate projects. Twin shadows walking alone in the same darkness.”
“The divergent undersurface of TRAUMA ECHOES had to be free of our well-known guitar-heavy approach. It had to be pure electro. It was a challenge to speak this new language only using machines. Could we create a sound that was definitively JULIEN-K without our guitars? An entire album of it?? Would the fans that have had our backs for so many years support an idea like this?”
This was the beginning of DRK|MODE.
Ryan Shuck says of the band’s new campaign: “We really broke the mold and set records with our last campaigns, but at this point we’re extremely cautious with our expectations. Will this campaign be so surprisingly successful? We just don’t know – it’s not a “new” concept anymore. All we can do is unleash our creativity and energy and do the BEST we possibly can to create a compelling and comprehensive world for our fans to participate in. So far, if we focus on that – we have succeeded every time. We have to have faith in our fans.”
Julien-K formed in Long Beach, CA in 2008 by Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck, both founding members of Orgy and Dead By Sunrise. The independent electro-rock duo was joined by Anthony “Fu” Valcic in 2009, and recorded their classic independent debut album, Death To Analog.
Avoiding the commercial route in favor of a more fan-focused path to success may seem risky, but in the last 10 years, the band has released multiple albums and toured extensively – all of which has helped propel Julien-K to being one of the most successful crowd-funded bands in the world.
Julien-K hits the road with Priest and September Mourning on 3/26 in Portland, OR. See full dates below.
PRIEST // JULIEN-K // SEPTEMBER MOURNING TOUR DATES:
3/26/24 – BOSSANOVA BALLROOM, PORTLAND OR
3/27/24 – FUNHOUSE @ EL CORAZON, SEATTLE WA
3/29/24 – DNA LOUNGE, SAN FRANCISCO CA
3/30/24 – FULL CIRCLE BREWING, FRESNO CA
3/31/24 – GOLDFIELD, SACRAMENTO CA
4/03/24 – BRICK BY BRICK, SAN DIEGO CA
4/04/24 – PARISH ROOM @ HOB, ANAHEIM CA
4/05/24 – WHISKEY A GO GO, W. HOLLYWOOD CA
4/06/24 – SIN WAVE, LAS VEGAS NV
4/07/24 – PUB ROCK LIVE, SCOTTSDALE AZ
4/09/24 – THE ROCK, TUCSON AZ
4/11/24 – SCOUT BAR, HOUSTON TX
4/12/24 – SUNDOWN AT GRANADA, DALLAS TX
4/13/24 – 89TH STREET, OKLAHOMA CITY OK
PRIEST & JULIEN-K
4/15/24 – HQ, DENVER CO
4/16/24 – LIQUID JOES, SALT LAKE CITY UT
Follow Julien-K:
https://www.julienk.com/
https://www.facebook.com/julienk
https://twitter.com/JulienK
https://www.instagram.com/julienkofficial/
https://youtube.com/@officialjulienk
