Are you ready to discover the next rising star in the music world? Look no further than our exclusive SHEDJ of the Week Weekly Feature! Each week, we handpick an incredible talent from the world of underground and independent music and showcase their exceptional skills, unique style, and captivating sounds.
What can you expect from SHEDJ of the Week? Prepare to be blown away by the electrifying beats, soul-stirring melodies, and boundary-pushing creativity that these emerging SHEDJs bring to the table.
Whether you're a dedicated music enthusiast, an aspiring artist, or simply someone who loves uncovering fresh, innovative sounds, our weekly feature promises to deliver a captivating audio experience like no other. Join us in celebrating diversity, originality, and the raw passion that fuels the underground music scene. Ready to embark on a sonic adventure unlike any other?
SHEDJS: What initially sparked your passion for DJing, and how did you get started in the music scene?
My first music scene was going to hardcore punk shows, and playing in hardcore bands, in high school. I also started going to clubs and raves at that time (the early 90s)... and while I loved the mosh pit's physicality, the hardcore scene was getting more violent. When I first heard Jungle, around 1994, on the rooftop of an after-hours club in Boston, it had the physicality of hardcore but the music felt so much better! One aspect that I felt, but didnt really have words for at the time, was that it came from a mix of cultures, an energy that was so much more interesting, it somehow suggested a world that was better than the racist, segregated town and scene that I grew up in. I followed Jungle as much as possible, and a few years later I was playing keyboards in a trip-hop band with a dj in it and I started practicing on his turntables... picking up records and finally getting my own decks. There was a local crew called Toneburst (www.toneburst.com) that started throwing amazing events - mixing art, politics, and jungle/-hip-hop/reggae/experimental electronics. It was multiracial and multigender, they kept everything affordable, did things in odd locations and shared any proceeds equally. The approach was like the DIY punk scene but with heavy dance music. I volunteered with them for a while (my first event was JUNK: Jungle + Punk) and then started playing with them. It was the best musical incubator and community - they were so intentional about creating positive, critical, adventurous events!
SHEDJS: Can you share a memorable experience from one of your performances or events that stands out in your mind?
Two from different eras - One of my first tours overseas happened right after the US invaded Iraq, there were protests everywhere and as a USAn (who was against the war) it was an interesting time to be overseas. I was playing in Rennes, in France, with the awesome breakcore crew Peace Off and some other friends, and as I was djing this guy came up to me and said "you're American?" (I was a little nervous about it - also I was LITERALLY in the middle of DJing and sometimes MCs would come up and try to aggressively rap over whatever you DJ'd, disrespectful!). But then he said - "I'm Iraqi -let's play together!" And what could I say? Luckily he was a good MC as well :)
A second good memory just a couple of years ago - I was booked to play a show at a festival in a pretty wealthy, pretty homogenous European town. The artists booked to perform at the festival were pretty diverse, I'd say the majority of people who weren't white were performers, most of the audience was white. The festival was also focused more on live music, I'd say, it felt like the promoters didn't really know what DJs do. Anyway I played a set where I wove together all kinds of genres of music, especially genres that I felt like the people who might be feeling a bit out of place might like - there was funk carioca and gqom and footwork and all kinds of stuff, we went on a journey, as usually getting to Jungle at the end...I noticed that the dancefloor was a lot more mixed, and I recognized a lot of the performers from other stages dancing.. and afterwards one of the South African performers came up to me and said "that was amazing, you made us feel at home!"
SHEDJS: How do you approach creating a setlist or choosing tracks for a particular event or venue?
I'm thinking about who is going to be in the room, and especially who I want to feel at home in the room. but also I want to surprise people and take them somewhere unexpected. Sometimes I want to challenge people, as well as welcome them. So it's usually me trying to put together a mix of the familiar and unfamiliar, and also telling a story with the music. What I love about DJing is that for me it's a pretty nonverbal experience, I don't put into words anything about my musical choices as I pull them together, I just try to feel what's right, what people are going to respond to and how they respond. Some of that is having sensitivity to culture as well as subculture, and also to mood. Of course if the soundsystem is spectacular or the event is known for some specific vibe I like to get into it, but always in an unexpected way. I also try to stay connected to producers and djs who are really interesting and I pay attention to what they are into and who they work with, which usually ends up being not as many straight white dudes, so I am happy that my sets often represent a pretty wide range of cultures and communities and producers --and I love playing my friends' music!
SHEDJS: Are there specific genres or artists that have had a significant influence on your style?
So many! I think what drew me to jungle initially was its hybrid nature especially the ragga jungle era when it clearly combined UK hardcore sample-heavy techno and Jamaican reggae, the interplay of cultural references and the diversity of sounds and the range of emotion (from dreamy to goofy to horrifically storming) just felt full of possibilities. I later got into breakcore and toured internationally playing a lot of breakcore events because sonically it was so open - you could mix absolutely anything, and the extreme noise part was super fun for me since I always had plenty of rage to work out :) But after a while in breakcore the audiences (and a lot of the vibes backstage) started to feel a bit samey - it was majority white straight guys again.
So I started moving into scenes that were more mixed, still involving heavy bass but more queer, more multiracial, and more women. Luckily for me, genres using drum machines and heavy bass were happening globally and available locally (online at least) by that point! From dancehall to funk carioca to electro-cumbia to gqom... I love genres that are produced out of people at the margins bashing together their own styles using what they have on hand, that open-ness just feels so fertile and exciting. I also like the hopefulness of these multiracial, multigender, multi-age, queer moments, where people affirm difference without feeling threatened by it.
I've been especially excited at what feels like a resurgence of popularity in heavy bass music with queer and trans people, especially BIPOC queer and trans people.. my love for extreme sounds has often put me in a majority straight-white-dude spaces, but I most want to have a mix of people and a mix of sounds all at once. Whenever events get that right (or crews do), I take notice! Big up Azucar (NY), CutnPaste (Philly), Party Illegal (Durham), Anthology of Booty (DC), all very important to my development.
In a constantly evolving industry, how do you stay updated on new music trends and technologies?
Technology I'm sort of sick of thinking about! I just want to play for people, I don't care how it happens as long as I can express myself. I wish the industry would settle on something so we could stop being surprised at the gig or having to buy new gear, tbh. I will learn whatever I need to keep getting out there, and I appreciate some of the advantages of digital technology, but I am most focused on building a vibe between me, the audience and the music, so technology is secondary to that. I also dislike how copyright enforcement is interfering with our ability to make musical experiences, and streaming (especially integrating into dj platforms) makes djs and fans lose control over the experience. I definitely want people to get paid but copyright is not a great tool for that (I wrote a whole book about that lol). As far as new music, I just try to keep going out, and stay talking to and working with people across different generations and experiences. I don't read music journalism or reviews much, I like to see what is working on the dancefloor and in the clubs, so going out, talking to people and also checking out mixes by people who seem part of lively communities, then following up on bandcamp/beatport/other online sources. I'm lucky to have a really wide network of creative people around me, so if I keep my eyes and ears open I learn a lot about new music!
Do you have any advice for aspiring DJs looking to break into the scene or enhance their skills?
I think it's important to play out in front of other people as much as possible, take note of what connects with audiences and why. For me, learning and growing creatively on the fly, in dialogue with others on the dancefloor is the best part (it can be stressful though so YMMV) and of course practicing is good too, including a fun session with friends where you share music and dj for each other.
Also think about what communities you want to connect to, and how you want to make them feel. That includes if you do an event, thinking about what your relationship is to the other people in the room (including if the venue staff or promoters are treating people wellL is it safe, do you feel safe, do others feel safe? What will you do if not?). Music and sound also have pre-existing relationships with people, so notice how and why music affects you and others --it helps you shape the vibe of an event. Lastly, if people in a scene, or a crew, don't treat you well, it's ok to leave. Find people you enjoy working with, who are honest and caring, to do events with and try to make sure everyone is treated well. Starting small but doing it well is better than jumping in on something huge that exploits you or other people.
Also think about where the music comes from - what is your relationship to the people or communities that make the music? How do you want to relate to them? For example, I don't care much about huge pop stars, they're gonna be ok no matter what, but if a small underground scene is making music that I want to play I try to think about how they would feel about me playing their stuff (whether I pay for it or do something else to be in a good relationship with them).
What's next for you in terms of projects, collaborations, or upcoming gigs?
I usually toured overseas from North America in the summertime, but the lockdown era slowed that down a bit. This summer I am heading out to Amsterdam, and I may try to set up a few more gigs as well while I'm out and about. As I've been djing for almost 30 years, I don't get tired of doing it at all, but I do get physically tired a bit more easily, so I am picking and choosing my gigs more and trying to also create opportunities to mentor and share knowledge. I am also working on a research project about surveillance technology, nightlife, and the meaning of safety, that I hope to work on in the summer and fall!