DJ Sun's professional music career started at age 26, in
Houston, Texas, and became successful rather quickly, lending to him the designation of
Houston Press DJ of The Year seven times. During this time, he also started a radio show in 1995,
Soular Grooves on
KPFT 90.1 FM,
Pacifica Network. The music played on
Soular Grooves has the aesthetics of soul and jazz, irrespective of bpm or tempo.
Soular Grooves was initially known as an
acid jazz show. DJ Sun's style has been described by music writers like
Shea Serrano of
The Houston Press weekly as varied with a distinct signature for loungey, groove-oriented eclectic music shaped by his exposure to music while living abroad. In 2007, DJ Sun became a music producer with the release of
Monday Drive (Alternate Take Records), an EP reflective of his varied background, blending styles and nostalgic aesthetics into a down to midtempo paced EP. DJ Sun released
Para, a 12” EP which included remixes from DJ Sabo (Sol Selectas),
J Boogie (OM) and Genre Jazz (Presto and Mhax Montes), released in November 2008. On January 15, 2013, DJ Sun released "One Hundred", a 19-track album featuring guests Tim Ruiz (
La Mafia), Leah Alvarez, Jessica Zweback, Mark Sound, Meghan Hendley, and
Martin Perna. Soon after that, on October 10, 2013, DJ Sun was awarded the
Best CD by a Local Musician in the annual Best Of Houston edition of
The Houston Press. In 2016, DJ Sun released his album
QINGXI, a concept album culminating from an ancestral quest to China (funded by
Asia Society Center Texas). It has been received favorably by reviewers such as Phil from "Phil's Picks", who referred to it as "One Of 2016’s Most Original, Creative New EDM Offerings". In April 2018,
Free Radicals released remixes by DJ Sun on their album
No State Solution, a remastered and remixed collection of tracks from their past six albums. On November 2, 2019, DJ Sun performed on stage as the opening act for
Khruangbin at White Oak Music Hall in Houston. Mark Speer, from Khruangbin, during the show described DJ Sun as "a Houston music legend, a mentor and one of his oldest friends." On Saturday July 23, 2022, DJ Sun assembled a 14-piece orchestra featuring various Houston musicians including
Chris Dave on drums, and
Fat Tony (rapper) and SAM/SIN (DJ Sun’s daughter and the
Loveletter playwright) on vocals. The show marked the release of DJ Sun's 3rd album
Loveletter. The concert was held at
Moores School of Music Opera House, on the campus of
The University of Houston, to a sold out venue. On Saturday June 8, 2023, DJ Sun and Houston's Aperio Orchestra teamed up to perform Loveletter with a 25-piece orchestra conducted by Marlon Chen, with SAM/SIN returning as a featured vocalist. The event took place at
Miller Outdoor Theater in
Hermann Park, Houston. ==Discography==