Behind The Brand: Julian Shay / Dispersion PR

Founded in 2007 by Julian Shay and Dean Muhsin, Dispersion PR has spent almost two decades supporting and promoting the music from your favourite club DJs, with a client list that now includes names like Cinthie, Prunk, Bjarki, Radio Slave, Hannah Wants, and Maceo Plex.

We caught up with Julian to chat about the agency’s beginnings, the adaptability of its early digital approach, some of the campaigns he’s worked on, how the business has evolved over the years, and what comes next.

You launched Dispersion PR in 2007 alongside Dean Muhsin; what brought you to wanting to start a company together?

Dean and I had actually been working together prior to that, and our working relationship led to the birth of Dispersion. My background was in running record labels, alongside some artist management, and in the ’90s and early ’00s I was working with a label called Kingsize Records. Dean’s background was in PR and marketing for labels, and he moved down from the north of England to join the label team near London, but it was a rather volatile time for the dance music industry with vinyl sales starting to dwindle and digital income yet to fill the void.

Our distribution company went bust, owing us and many labels a bunch of money, and it seemed like time for a change. We already had a lot of label experience between us, including handling press, radio, and club promo for the imprints we worked on, so it made sense for us to strike out on our own with a new agency. Dean and I have always got on very well; we’re pretty different in some ways, but we complement each other’s skill sets very well. Nearly 20 years on, things are still getting better for the business each year, and we’re still good friends.

And what were some of the biggest obstacles you overcame at the very beginning?

One of the biggest challenges actually turned out to be a key driver for the company’s future. When we first launched, labels and PR agencies were still predominantly mailing vinyl or CD copies of releases, something that was time consuming and expensive. Our concept as an agency was to provide a combined service handling UK and international press, radio, and club promo for our clients at an affordable price.

With the cost involved with physical mailing, this was a real challenge, so we set about finding a solution. In an era before digital promo services, we pioneered and built our own delivery system, allowing us to integrate our delivery and reporting in one place, bring down costs and allowing labels to reach further with their music. We have fine-tuned this system for 20 years, and it is still integral to what we do.

One campaign or project you’re really proud to have worked on with Dispersion?

Well, there have been so many it would be so hard to choose! I spent my youth in warehouses, on far-flung beaches and in small sweaty clubs obsessed with the sounds coming out of Chicago, New York, London, Detroit, etc. Artists like Louie Vega, Todd Terry, DJ Pierre, Goldie, Laurent Garnier, and Sasha were all musical heroes, so to end up working with them has been special. Alongside that, the pleasure of watching new artists break through is endlessly rewarding.

And what current campaigns do you have running right now?

We are a team of ten here, and between us we have a large roster, so there are always great campaigns on the go. From Rekids to Solid Grooves, Mother Tongue to Heist, Naya Beat to Quiet Village, Hardgroove to Blueprint, there is always a soundtrack of outstanding house, techno, and more in the office.

Personally, I’m working on a string of remix releases for Louie Vega, a reissue release for Richie Hawtin with new remixes from Jamie Jones & DJ Minx, a great album from Losoul, a new Maceo Plex single, and a superb remix release for Los Angeles-based, South Asian focused imprint Naya Beat. Plus a whole lot more.

What’s a typical day in the office look like for you and your team?

We moved offices last year after over 20 years in the previous very small building we were in, so we are still very much enjoying the open space and high ceilings of our new home. We spend three days a week in the office and two days working from home, the new norm for many post-pandemic, and it provides a good work life balance, I think. We have a great team here, headed up by our Head of Publicity, Jake Price, and they really know what they are doing, so mostly things run very smoothly. For me, most days are a mix of campaign planning, client calls, pitching, checking in with the team, and dealing with the logistical side of running the company.

Main goals you’re chasing through the second half of 2026?

The same goal we’ve been chasing for nearly 20 years! Getting the best results possible for music that we believe in. It may sound like a cliché, but we really are driven by the music. In business terms, we’re always refining what we do, and we’re currently expanding our digital marketing side with a few new clients. We also have a fair number of the team out at ADE in October, which is always a great annual opportunity to reconnect with clients, DJs, and journalists.

Anything special planned for 20 years in 2027?

A great meal with my similarly epicurean business partner, I’d imagine! We’ll no doubt take the team out to celebrate as well.

Give us one track you can’t seem to turn off right now?

Boys Shorts ft. Pallavi Sharda – Going Out Hoping To See You (Turbotito & Ragz Remix). This is another gem from the Naya Beat label, whom we have worked with for the last three years. The guys behind the label have released a lot of lost gems of Indian electronic music from the ’80s and ’90s, often with superb new remixes. This track is actually something new and remixed by Raghav & Filip, the label owners, into a balearic, acidic summer classic.

Find the Dispersion PR website here.

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