What kind of changes have you seen in DJing at parties over the years?Rather than just “getting the crowd pumped,” I aim to create a mood where each person can feel like they’ve “found their groove,” “enjoyed the space,” or “discovered something new.” Maybe even like they “ended up staying longer than expected.” I think that’s part of my role as a DJ.
But what you can express as a DJ has expanded and diversified, and if we take that notion further, the DJ approach can be enjoyed in other ways like as a musician or beat maker. Basically, there are as many different concepts of a party DJ as there are types of parties out there. Actually, I’m pretty sure it’s the same with sounds—there’s as many as there are parties and communities. There are plenty of parties that don’t have anything to do with dance music, places where children are dancing, or parties that function as a third place even once kids become adults. That’s a good thing in my mind. You can throw home parties with stuff like playlists on subscription services, too, so at the moment spaces or technology that allow people to enjoy just pure audio images or music without boundaries has caught my interest.
Have you ever felt a difference between what you want to do and what organizers want you to do?Spinning in an environment means that I have to do my thing within their framework. So when I really want to do things my way, then the space and the sound system need to be created. The tradeoff of doing things that way is that I have a lot to learn on my end as well.
There have been some instances where everybody couldn’t quite get on the same page, but these days I emphasize being in a good state of mind, and I feel like I’m able to approach things with the right balance and sincerity.
I’ve experienced your sets at several outdoor parties since “Global Ark” in 2018, and no matter what the energy of the previous DJ was like, once you take the stage it’s like being whisked away to another world. Is that timing of when you take over the tables something you’re especially mindful of?I let myself become nothingness
So you don’t plan out your sets beforehand?That all depends on the event or party, of course. But if the stipulation is that I do things in the way that’s the most me now, then I don’t really plan out anything. I mean, yeah, I do go in with a big image and select from a creative palate that I’ve loosely put together, but the general idea is to see what I can do in the time entrusted to me. Parties are full of the energy of other people, each with different ideas, but my goal is always to create a good space that isn’t running off intensity alone, even in that kind of situation. Doing that requires a certain amount of time to focus, and the PA and audio setup can have a huge influence, too. So while it’s not about throwing up a smokescreen, I might create a living groove by mixing in my favorite noise or field recording materials at a volume where I can control the energy of the floor. I’ll put a bunch of that kind of material in a folder that I can open there on the fly. There was a period where gradually transitioning from that kind of ambience into a track was my jam. It’s like a story in a set.
What do you like about field recordings as musical elements?Adding sounds taken from certain settings enhances both live sets and studio recordings with a unique mood, allowing me to create a new space or scene. It opens the ears. Putting the soothing sound of a waterfall recorded out in nature over a beat, even if it’s a small, faintly audible trickle, adds a comfy depth or frequency or feeling like negative ions. It can become a high-hat or bass or a melody. There’s an uncopyrighted story in that phrase. Adding elements like invisible energy or inevitable moments builds the mood, frees one’s spirit.