Justin Cudmore has managed to stand out in two cities that are not known for being easy on aspiring musicians: Chicago and New York. He always made music growing up near the small town of Springfield, Illinois, playing drums in different bands and gravitating towards whatever remnants of the 90’s midwest rave scene he was able to find around him. Examining his roots, Justin identifies a move to Chicago in the mid-2000’s as a turning point:
"Figuring out my sexuality in college, I found clubs to be welcoming—I found a community in the music.” ” He naturally became a part of the scene around Chicago’s Smart Bar, eventually helping out with the seminal blog and mix series Little White Earbuds, while deepening his appreciation for the classic house and acid tracks that continue to inspire him even after leaving the midwest for New York City.

Following a move to Brooklyn, his rise as an in-demand DJ on the local underground circuit, and a widely charted debut single ‘Crystal’ on Honey Soundsystem, “Forget It” is Cudmore’s debut EP on The Bunker New York. Some of these tracks will be recognizable from late night DJ sets and podcasts by The Bunker New York family such as Bryan Kasenic, Mike Servito and Gunnar Haslam (the latter two make up the Hot Mix collective with Justin, and have been playing collaborative all night sets at The Bunker). The white labels of “Forget It” have already been drawing dancers here in Brooklyn to the booth demanding a track ID. “I like old sounds but I don't think I sit down and necessarily try to make retro sounding tracks” says Cudmore, “ When I sit down and improvise my only guide or rules is following a particular sound or vibe I've built in my head.” With steady basslines, vocal hooks and wiggly acid overtones, all four tracks have to be described as floor-fillers that more than capably stand up to home listening.

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