Julian Cruz

You’ll remember back in December 2011 we introduced you to Julian Cruz, when out-of-nowhere he released his single ‘Potion’, followed by his fascinatingly dark Black Heart mixtape in March the subsequent year.....

Yesterday and true to character he randomly uploaded a set of new singles titled ‘Get Yours PT. II’ and ‘No Matter What’ – both of which sink even deeper into his R&B obsession. At his core Julian is very clearly a 90′s R&B fiend, but thanks to the sonic-pull of his generation he’s confidently able to contextualise his influences into sexy, avante-garde centrepieces. You’ll recall early notions of bygone heros like Ginuwine, Chico DeBarge, Donnell Jones and Jon B while listening to ‘Get Yours PT. II’ and ‘No Matter’ (conversely, there may even be a little Janet influence somewhere in there too) but most promising is that everything this time rounds feels a lot more focused, polished and concise. - PinBoard

Late Pass, Toronto-based singer/producer Julian Cruz has decided to pop up again since his release of "Get Yours," which has since been removed from his Soundcloud. He's been on our radar since he dropped his incredible Black Heart mixtape last year.

Back in February, Cruz released a short teaser of himself in the studio recording another new song. It turns out that song is called "No Matter What" and it can now be heard in full below in all its glory. We're so excited to hear his next full project. - Earmilk

*This write-up is followed by an interview - full article on site*

The first time we heard about Julian Cruz, it was more than a year ago. At the time, he released his first project “Black Heart“. A whole project, with a smooth mood, hot, almost clammy emphasized by slow beats. There we discovered a talent whom we didn’t know much about, except that : he was from Toronto. Then, he disappeared.
And re-appeared a few months ago. The artist was back with two tracks, “No Matter What” and “Get Yours PT. II”. We had this ethereal and melodic mood back. Now, we are waiting for the rest. - OFIVE TV

Light up, press play, hold tight and zone out. That's essentially the scene best suited for Julian Cruz's blacked out R&B music.

Produced primarily by Cruz's musical director MatJames, the sound of the record embraces that late night vibe, layering Cruz's voice in and around a series of intricate soundscapes. Utilizing his background as a sound engineer in the film industry, MatJames helps to ensure that Cruz's music sounds like a cohesive whole, rather than merely a singer on top of a beat.

Songs like the title track and "Nothing Like (Have You)" show the pair's growth from the Black Hearts release a few years back, while simultaneously giving you an indication of where they intend to take it. Toronto's assault on the soundsystems of the world continues - so please make sure you have some quality speakers to take in the full sound of the "Luxuria" EP. Those iPod earbuds will not do this justice. - inqmind Magazine

Along with being the home of who many feel is the current No. 1 rapper, Toronto’s introduced listeners to a new breed of singer-songwriters in recent years. Emerging from the Canadian metropolis that has produced The Weeknd and PARTYNEXTDOOR, is 25-year-old Julian Cruz. Like the XO general and OVO Sound-signee, Cruz has slowly built a dedicated following of listeners, drawn to his vocal delivery backed by soothing production.

Following 2012′s Black Heart, Julian closes out 2013 with his debut EP Luxuria. The 5-tracks includes “February,” “What’s In You,” “Thinking the Same/Luxuria,” “One Time,” and “Nothing Like (Have You).” Available for free stream, you can head to iTunes and purchase a copy. - Miss Info