Jesse Walker

Graphic Designer by day / Deejay by night

Jesse Walker's destiny has been to spread peace, love and music throughout the world since his first breath of smoggy Los Angeles, California air in 1975. At age three, he was adopted by his grandparents and raised in Idaho Falls, Idaho where the barren windswept landscape and oppressive puritan culture taught him the necessity of real imagination. After high school he escaped from Idaho to Salt Lake City, Utah where he has been sharing his passion for music, and design since 1995.

Jesse's interest in music came especially early. His first memories include listening to his mother's all female country band 'Sugarfoote' and scratching up Mary Poppin's 78's on a Fisher-Price record player. Five years of learning to play the piano by ear along with church and school choir groups led to the obligatory high school band. He then spearheaded an 'Alternative Music Festival' (at age 16) before stumbling into the obscure and oddly mind-blowing Idaho rave scene. By 1993, he was deejaying on two mismatched thrift store turntables. He began designing his own parties and has been doing it ever since.

Jesse's unique ability to read and transform the energy in rooms where he plays has resulted in exclusive club residencies and performances at a wide variety of events, from Gay Pride to climbing, snowboarding and dodge-ball competitions. Highlights include "REFLECTIVE SKIN", a collaborative sound installation conceived and produced for the 2006 Utah Arts Festival, performances at the 2002 Winter Olympics, three official Sundance Film Festival Opening Night Galas and top billing with bands like WAR, EnVogue, Pepe Deluxe and Brazilian Girls. He was the first deejay in the orchestra pit for Sundance Summer Theater's production of 'Cinderella' in 1999 and people are still talking about his legendary 'JUST WANNA DANCE' parties with DJ Nick James, followed by his more recent "PRISM" and "NiteLite" events which feature respected DJ guests from around the country. Walker himself has traveled as far as England, Iceland and Mexico to share music he truly believes in, while always playing to the crowd. In 2008 he was voted "Best DJ" by readers of Salt Lake City Weekly Magazine.

Jesse founded the website NewCityMovement.com in 1998 to document and communicate the future of music, design and culture through the lens of his life in Salt Lake City.

The name "New City Movement" originated from the title of a House music weekly called "New City" started in 1997 with Jesse's friend, mentor and Chicago naitive Sergio Hernandez. "New City" was held on Tuesday's at the legendary SLC Jazz bar, The Manhattan Club where DJ/producer Kaskade (Ryan Raddon) played a successful college Disco party. Rayn along with other local deejays like Chris Sick (Mechanized), Nick Hammer, Steve "Bam Bam" Santoro and Shawn Phillips provided him with many opportunities to be heard and grow.

With "NewCityMovement" or "NCM" celebrating 10 Years in 2008, Walker continues to change people's perception of Utah in whatever way he can with what he calls "a bit of positive spin on an old pioneer town."

—Rachel Day, Writer's Ink

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