How did you decide on your DJ name? What’s your real name?
HWY 7 (Highway 7) runs North and South through the hill country of North Mississippi (Holly Springs) through the Delta and in to southern Mississippi (Belzoni). It’s along this stretch of highway that a lot of the artists that I play records of live or were from. It has a history steeped in blues and soul music. It’s an incredible stretch of highway and very scenic—tons of kudzu, wildlife, great roadside markets to buy BBQ, catfish sandwiches and beer from…I love it. And I always look forward to driving it.

Are you from the South yourself?
Yes. I am originally from Virginia, but have ties to Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, spending time in each place frequently to this day. I often use Memphis and Oxford as a base and drive the highways in search of musicians and records.

As the Rapture say, “People don’t dance no more, they just stand there like this” – how often do you encounter this?
I encounter this all the time. But no worries. I might just be there enjoying my drink and the music, too. If people want to dance, great. If not, no worries. I just like playing the music and that’s that. It all just depends on the venue, the mood (despite the music), whatever.

Ideal crowd?
Anyone really. As long as they are enjoying the music. Sure it’s fun when folks are dancing, but even when they aren’t, as long as they seem to be diggin’ the music. That’s all that matters.

How do you feel about requests?
I’m cool with requests – as long as people take in to consideration what they are hearing before they ask. If you are listening to what I’m playing, don’t ask for Prince or Michael Jackson—I won’t have it. Go to Tube for that—ha! Really, though, the genre(s) of music I play are pretty specific, so I’m fortunate that I don’t end up in situations where someone asks me to play something silly. If someone asks for something, and I have it, I’ll definitely play it.

Do you have a story about a particular request or requester?
Nope. Luckily, most of my requests have been cool. People that are around generally pick up on the vibe bein’ put down. More than anything, it’s just great when folks come up and ask what song has just been played or just say that they dig what they just heard.

‘Bout the only thing “funny” that ever happens is when I drunkenly kick the power cord out and the music dies. Ha. That’s my own drunken fault though—and seems to happen a lot. Ha!

Do you DJ full time? What do you do outside of DJing?
I wish. Not really, but it’d be interesting, I guess. During the day, I design and develop clothing for a variety of sports and lifestyle brands. I’ve been doing that a long time. The DJ thing is just for kicks (and free drinks, Ha)!

Where can we find you venue-wise?
Just about anywhere that’ll have me, I guess. Really though, I’ve DJ’d a ton on places in Portland, but places like Valentine’s, East End, Tonic seem to find me back there frequently, as of late. I’ve DJed at Dunes, Slabtown, Billy Ray’s Dive, Aalto Lounge, Lola’s Room, Matador, The White Eagle, The World Famous Kenton Club and Club 21. A buncha other places, too….

I dig DJing with bands—before, in between and after sets—so I’ll get put on bills at Dante’s, Berbati’s Pan, wherever bands play like some aforementioned places, etc. I’m sure I’ll never be invited back to Aalto Lounge though. Ha ha!

I like the spontaneity of not having a “regular” thing. I’ve done that (have a regular gig) – and most recently at Billy Ray’s Dive and Valentine’s – but I gave it up. My day-job sometimes keeps me from it, too. I travel a lot for work.

Does why you likely won’t be back at the Aalto have to do with alcohol?
The why I don’t spin at Aalto anymore has to do with alcohol and attitude, I’m sure. Mine and a patron’s… It’s kind of a long-ish story, but basically it was a pissing-match as to who was ‘more right’ and in the owner’s eyes, ‘the patron is always right.’ So be it. Haven’t missed it. Doesn’t even need to be talked about.

How long have you been spinning?
Oh man. I dunno. How long has Dunes been open?! The “original” Dunes, when it was “really” underground. I started DJing there with Sean Croghan, just as a way to hang out and listen to records together. Mark and Honey were in to it, and it just stuck. Back then it was real quiet for the most part, and we just listened to old jazz records and hung out. It kinda grew from there. So whenever Dunes really opened. That long.

What drew you to DJing originally?
Having way too many records, I guess—and just wanting to hang out with someone outside the house and play them. That’s what I was talking about earlier with Dunes. Sean started DJing at Dunes, and I just started bringing my records down for him to check out. It grew from there. From jazz to blues and soul, to whatever…

What are your thoughts on vinyl versus CDs versus laptops?
No thoughts, but I am vinyl only. And preferably 45 to LP when at all possible. 45s are where it’s at—on so many levels.

What songs will we find ourselves dancing to with you?
1. Abner Jay – Depression
(As Koko Joe & The Jobhunters) on LMI/MRI (Mississippi Records 38)
2. George Perkins – Groove Making (Golden Records)
3. R.L. Burnside – .44 Blues (Fat Possum records)
4. Bo Bo Jenkins – Shake ‘Em On Down (Big Star Records)
5. Lucky Peterson – Good ‘Ol Candy (Today Records)

…and the list goes on. I hate these kinda lists because five songs is too few! I have five other top five songs, too!

How would you describe yourself in five words or less – complete sentence or not:
“Pass me that bottle……”

How do you describe the genre(s) you play?
Mississippi Hill Country, Memphis R&B and Northern Soul (at least that’s what the coupla’ mix CDs I’ve made say…but really it spans blues, r&b, soul, etc. from all over the place)…and you’ll also hear me playing rock inspired by r&b, north/west African guitar music that was inspired by their ancestors and American blues, jazz, vintage Portland punk, whatever, really.

Who are your other favorite Portland DJs?
- Beyonda (my soul sister Casey from Hernando, MS)
- Sean Croghan – who might be DJ Red Robot Walking one minute…and god knows what, the next.
- DJ Petey J. Cool (Patrick Foss from Pure Coutry Gold)
- DJ Yeti (my brother in arms, Mike McGonigal from Yeti Publishing)

You can next catch DJ HWY 7 at Slabtown on Sept. 12 (with Hillstomp, Pure Country Gold & Right On John) and likely at Rotture a couple days prior on Sept. 10 (with DJ Beyonda, Memphix/Daptone’s Chad Jone$ Weekley and Tony Janda) as Hole In My Soul

Links:
DJ HWY 7Space

Photo by Danyel

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How did you decide on your DJ name?
Remy the Restless was a name I was half given, half made up in high school. When I started DJing I was mostly fooling around, playing gigs before I really knew anything, and just carried it over. I never wanted a “DJ ________” name because I didn’t think of myself as “a DJ”; it was less something I was and more something I did… If that makes any sense…

As the Rapture say, “People don’t dance no more, they just stand there like this.” How often do you encounter this?
The first hour or two of any event might be a little touch and go, but after that I don’t really encounter that much anymore. I don’t see many crowds that didn’t come out to cut loose. That being said, I won’t really dance if I’m not into the music and [I] don’t expect others to either.

Ideal crowd?
The ideal crowd is all of my friends, and most of their friends, and some of their friends, and then about that many total strangers who really wanna get a solid drunk on and dance to some classic and obscure dance music.

How do you feel about requests?
It really depends on the context. If its an intimate crowd of people I know, and who know their music, a request is totally cool. But if I’m in the middle of a set in front of a crowd of people who’re obviously enjoying what I’m playing, its ridiculous to come up and ask for me to put on something totally different, something that obviously doesn’t fit.

Do you have a story about a particular request or requester?
This is kind of long, so bear with me: I was DJing one of our monthly parties in Las Vegas and it was one of those freak nights in Vegas when it actually rained. The place was about half-full and there was this amazingly drunk middle-aged guy who kept feeding me oddball requests all night long. He’d stumble over every five or ten minutes after downing another drink and thinking really really hard about music he listened to before he’d turned his brain to mush and [then] blurt out some barely intelligible song title or band name. I think I even played one of the songs he requested, but he wasn’t even paying attention. At some point, I told him I’d play him a request, but I’ve got one for him: a Jameson and coke. After he asked me “Huh?” a dozen or so times, he shuffled over to the bar. One of the bartenders shooed him away and told him he was cut off, but he kept trying to explain that the drink was for me. Eventually the bartender looked my way, I gave her a nod and she walked over with the drink and didn’t end up taking the money. A few minutes later, he starts throwing wadded up singles at me, and growling at me, “You embarrassed me,” “You go pay for it, here,” “I like you, why do you hate me so much… I hate you” and getting worse and weirder from there. Meanwhile, I’m trying to mix with the bills falling all over the turntables and his spit hitting me in the face when all the sudden he hits me in the stomach. [It] totally caught me off-guard and half knocked the wind out of me. I cant remember if I grabbed the barback or someone else nearby but I just said “Go grab Karl.” Karl’s the sweet, lovable, big-ass black ex-cop who does the door, and I did little more than point to the guy before he was dragged out by his collar. I wasn’t about to go chase the guy down in the street after that, so I uncrumpled the bills and had a drink in his honor.

Do you DJ full time? What do you do outside of DJing?
I don’t DJ full time; I work at a small, handmade tattoo machine workshop where I sell the machines that get built. It’s one of the main reasons I moved here in January…

Where can we find you venue wise?
Well, seeing as I just moved here with my DJ partner from Vegas—MDY—we haven’t played out much here just yet, but Holocene has been more than kind to us. That’s where you’ll catch us tonight, opening for Adam Sparkles at Linger & Quiet’s Nightclubbing party, and hopefully a lot more in the future.

How many times have you played Portland since moving here?
This will be our second [Portland] gig on Friday, actually, haha…

What are the biggest differences you’re noticing between the club scene of Portland and Vegas?
Aside from a few select DJs in Vegas and only a few crowds there too, most that I came across didn’t really even seem to like music. The DJs and the crowds were kind of just there to be seen and be cool. Here, I keep going to different venues, hearing different people spin and am always interested to hear what will be played next and pleased to see the crowds get into it.

Any word on a monthly?
Funny you should ask… MDY and I have been talking to a few people around town about some sort of ambitious plans for a monthly or two. We’re taking our sweet time though, seeing what’s already out there and making sure that we get the right group of people involved. I’m excited. Stay tuned.

How long have you been spinning?
Three years? I’m not even really sure. Things were kinda nuts in Vegas when I got started, I know that much.

What drew you to DJing originally?
I’d always been really into music and had sang for a bunch of bands growing up in Cleveland, OH. It’s hard keeping a band together these days though. Since I wasn’t a musician and couldn’t pay [for] more than the tambourine, I couldn’t really express many musical ideas aside from making mixtapes and playing records for friends. Eventually enough friends encouraged me to DJ that I just went for it. I think I agreed to co-DJ a monthly party with this guy Jared before I had even done a single gig. Like I said, it was kinda nuts at the time.

What are your thoughts on vinyl versus CDs versus laptops?
I don’t care what people use so long as their song selection is solid, the sound is decent, people are into it and there’s at least a little bit of performance to it. There’s nothing pure about DJing to begin with.

What songs will we find ourselves dancing to with you?
Damn, that’s a tough one… I don’t wanna give away anything before tonight! Here’s a handful of artists I’ll be spinning – the songs themselves you’ll just have to guess and hear: Skyy, T&T, The Hundred In The Hands, Aleem, Bottin, Grace Jones, Total Unity and maybe an Animal Collective edit that I wanna try out.

How would you describe yourself in five words or less—complete sentence or not:
Stoked to be in Portland.

How do you describe the genre(s) you play?
Cosmicitalospacewavediscoelectrosoulkrautfunkpostpunkboogie probably about covers it, genre-wise.

Who are your other favorite Portland DJs?
I haven’t had much time to check out too many DJs, but aside from my fellow Vegas ex-pats like Standing 8 and DJ BJ/Manny, I’ve really dug Beyonda’s two sets that I’ve heard and I’m looking forward to Linger & Quiet’s selections this evening.

As you may have gathered, Remy the Restless will be spinning tonight alongside DJ partner MDY, Friday the 6th of March at Holocene as a part of Nightclubbing.

Links:
Remy the RestlessSpace
Monorail blog
The MonorailSpace

Photo care of Remy via MySpace

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How did you decide on your DJ name? What’s your real name?
My real name is Palmer Auty. I took my DJ name from the cartoon “Home Movies,” from the episode where the kids form a band and only play one song—”Freaky Outty”—that nobody else likes. But they have fun. That’s kind of the attitude I have about DJing: Not taking it too seriously, having fun and freaking out!

As the Rapture say, “People don’t dance no more, they just stand there like this.” How often do you encounter this?
Not very many places in this town. I don’t know where those guys hang out, but if I’m somewhere people aren’t dancing I get up out of there, not complain about it!

But one of my favorite dance phenomenons is when the music is something “serious” or artsy where the majority of the crowd is sitting or standing quietly, contemplating and stroking their chins, but over in the corner or right up by the stage there’s one dude working it out all by himself like its Studio 54! So sometimes I suppose even non-dancers can elevate the fun in the room for the rest of us.

Ideal crowd?
I wanna play a party underwater. Or at one of those aquarium observatories inside a huuuge glass bubble dome with sea creatures swimming and floating all around you. Maybe I could DJ the aquarium’s holiday office party so the whole dancefloor would be packed with drunk marine biologists!

How do you feel about requests?
Usually I’m pretty nice to requesters. But about 85 percent of the time I have just one or two crates of records with me, and I either don’t own the song they want or I left if at home. It’s just tiring when people keep coming back and asking for it over and over, or busting out lines like “Play something like Girl Talk!” or “Nobody can dance to this!” when there’s a full dancefloor behind them. Isn’t it more fun to hear a great song you didn’t expect than to hear “Disturbia” again? There’s absolutely no reason to stick around and pout about the music in any club in Portland if they’re not playing the kind of stuff you want to dance to, because somewhere else definitely is!

Do you have a story about a particular request or requester?
No great long stories really. There’s an unfortunate trend among some clubgoers to use “techno” as a blanket term for any dance music they don’t like. My favorite comment from a dancer at SNAP came while I was playing either “The Bomb” or some other ’90s house jam, and a girl asked me if I was ever gonna stop playing “techno.” She explained, “There really wasn’t that much techno in the ’90s!”

Do you DJ full time? / What do you do outside of DJing?
I try to DJ as much as possible and I sell hot dogs during the day. Best on the west side!

Where can we find you venue-wise?
Every last Friday I play SNAP! ’90s Dance Party at Holocene, hosted by Ms. Coco B with a rotating lineup of rad DJs including Colin Jones, Hoop Dreams, HR Paperstacks and Hannukah Miracle.

I also play 3rd Tuesdays with my DJ-BFF Nathan Detroit at Matt & Kellan’s Chedda party at the Crown Room. It’s one of the best up and coming weekday dance parties, full of friends with really good taste getting drunk in the middle of the week.

How’d you get your current main gig?
Coco and I came up with the idea for SNAP! about two years ago while trying to plan fundraising events for Portland Radio Authority. We were feeling the rising influence of ’90s culture with more and more party kids of that generation coming of age, and there was no one else really working the early ’90s as a theme for a dance night so we jumped on it! Branx was a new venue at the time, and one that had a lot of good memories for us from its past incarnations, plus its exposed brick and girder decor makes you feel like you’re back at a good ol’ fashioned warehouse party!

How has SNAP! changed since its move to Holocene?
As much as we loved doing the party at Branx, Holocene opened us up to a much wider audience that might not have made it out of their way to check us out. Moving to a bigger venue has also allowed us to bring in bigger guests from outside Portland like Sammy Bananas and UNITY.

When was the decision made to expand it from you and Colin Jones to include the DJs of the Hot Mess crew?
Just a few months shy of our first year anniversary the Hot Mess guys, who’d played SNAP! before as guests, came to us to pitch the idea of expanding the night. They were interested in getting a similar party going, but offered instead to merge with us and move the night to Holocene.

How has that changed the dynamic of the night?
Well, me and Colin Jones are both big used bin diggers, so when it was just us we were playing a lot more of the out there, esoteric ’90s stuff and less of the well-known hits. [With] Hot Mess being, of course, all about the toppest party jams, combining our crates gives the partygoer the absolute best experience: Combining the classics with the stuff you forgot about a decade ago.

How long have you been spinning?
I think seven or eight years? My first job was as a phone surveyor at a call center in Eugene, and I spent my first two paychecks on a pair of CDJs and a mixer from the pawn shop a block away from work. Soon picked up turntables and started collecting records. The other aspects of my life have been on hold since then.

What drew you to DJing originally?
Its embarrassing really. And cliché . But it involves watching DJs at outdoor raves and wanting to do what they were doing. Also it’s a great hobby to get into if you like to drink but don’t like talking to people at parties!

What are your thoughts on vinyl versus CDs versus laptops?
I think that debate has been wrung completely dry at this point. What songs you play and how fun you are to listen to will always be more important than what kind of set-up you use. I will say that I’d much rather rollerskate to a gig with a little tiny messenger bag on my back than take a cab to and from with two crates!

What songs will we find ourselves dancing to with you?
Woof. Lets see…

1. Bee Gees – “Love You Inside Out” (Cole Medina Edit) – American Standard
2. Morgan Geist – “24K” – Environ
3. Cut Copy – “Far Away” (Hercules & Love Affair Remix) – Unreleased
4. Basement Jaxx – “Twerk” – Atlantic Jax
5. Lidell Townsell – “Nu Nu” – Mercury

How would you describe yourself in five words or less, complete sentence or not?
Cookin’ mashed potatoes for breakfast!

How do you describe the genre you play?
Roller rink gold.

Who are your other favorite Portland DJs?
All the SNAP! crew, Nathan Detroit, Dr. Adam, Bonaparte, Matt & Kellan, the mighty mighty Rude Dudes, all the NEON rave children, Girlfriends, Mr. Tigerstripes, Dundiggy, Beyonda, 31avas, M. Quiet, Evil One, Tyler Tastemaker, and if I forgot a name don’t feel bad, I still wanna party with you!

Links:
Freaky OuttySpace

Photo care of Wessweee

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How did you decide on your DJ name? What’s your real name?
Zack “Roane” Taylor. Roane is just my middle name actually.

As the Rapture say, “People don’t dance no more, they just stand there like this.” How often do you encounter this?
Nah, I don’t know about that. I see people dancing all the time: at house parties, larger type venues, little lounge bars, art galleries [and] dive bars. As long as there’s good music (and alcohol), people get down.

Ideal crowd?
Open honest humans trying to get up to get down and get down to get up.

How do you feel about requests?
Nothing wrong with that, if I have it with me [then] I’ll play it.

Do you have a story about a particular request or requester?
Not really, other than the drunk girl/dudebro knocking the needle off or reaching over the table and scratching the record. One time this girl asked me if I could stop playing sexy music and play some booty shaking music. That was funny, and confusing.

Do you DJ full time? What do you do outside of DJing?
No. I work at 360 Vinyl. We’re a record store downtown that specializes in hip-hop, soul, jazz, electronic and dance music.

Where can we find you venue wise? Do you have a current main gig?
No main gig. I’ve spun at the Aalto Lounge, Pi-Rem, Bye and Bye, the Know, Backspace, and on KBOO. I just turned 21 not too long ago so its mainly been house parties up until recently, so I’m always looking for spots to spin at.

How long have you been spinning?
I’ve had turntables and have been buying records since I was 12, but I’ve only really considered myself a “DJ” for about three years.

What drew you to DJing originally?
I’ve just always loved music. And hip-hop has been a huge influence in my life, so it just kinda worked out that way.

In what ways has hip-hop influenced your life? Does it reflect it?
For as long as I can remember I’ve been obsessed with music, in that sense hip-hop has expanded my knowledge and appreciation for all different types of music through hearing/learning about different records DJs and producers have used and sampled from, thus extending into my love/addiction for records and wanting to be a DJ. As far as my life reflecting it, hip-hop has helped shape my views on social and economic issues, religion, politics, drugs, food, etc. which are things I think you draw from in the way you conduct yourself everyday and decisions you make.

What are your thoughts on vinyl versus CDs versus laptops?
I love vinyl. I spin vinyl. That’s what I know DJing to be: having knowledge of music, digging for the records, and having skills to piece it together for people. But technology now pretty much allows anybody to be a DJ, which is cool, I just hope the art of it won’t get lost. I just do what I do and people seem to appreciate it.

What songs will we find ourselves dancing to with you?
1. Q-Tip – Gettin’ Up
2. Will.i.am ft. Terry Dexter – Lay Me Down
3. Platinum Pied Pipers ft. Sa-Ra – Deep Inside
4. Vicious – Nika
5. Dwight Trible & The Life Force Trio – The Rhythm

How would you describe yourself in five words or less, complete sentence or not.
I chemistrate well. Blauw!

How do you describe the genre you play?
Hip-hop, soul and sumothashit.

Who are your other favorite Portland DJs?
DJ Kez, Rev. Shines, Dundiggy, Matt Nelkin, Ohmega Watts, Tricera, Becc-A-Dawn, Ill Lordess, Jusayn and Ronin Roc.

Links:
Roane NamuhSpace
360 Vinyl
LC: 360 Vinyl Moves Photo Essay

Photo courtesy of DJ Roane Namuh

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Now that we’ve got two acts that fit the bill, all we need are a string of blog posts, a feature article in a music magazine expanding on what exactly fits into the tropical electro-disco mold and we’ve got it made as godparents of the movement. Expect it to join the ranks of “shoegaze” and “nu rave” by showing as an official genre on iTunes in approximately nine months. In the meantime, enjoy this Q&A with the aforementioned DJ Lifepartner. We talk Holocene happy hours and an upcoming mobile gallery. Oh yes, and collecting unemployment:

How did you decide on your DJ name? What’s your real name?
The name came from another act I was in with a friend from Boston called Life Partner DJs. We stopped playing together when we moved to opposite sides of the world, so I dropped the pluralization, lost the space and claimed Lifepartner for myself. My street name’s Kirk though, like the Captain of the Starship Enterprise.

As the Rapture say, “People don’t dance no more, they just stand there like this” – how often do you encounter this?
Since moving here in 2007, I’ve been fortunate enough to play to crowds that have gotten into the stuff I’ve been putting on. I have had a few experiences with folks just looking confusedly at me not knowing what to do, which always make me a little self-concious.

Ideal crowd?
The perfect combination of the energy created in a basement or at house party and the dance floor of a well-equipped venue, complete with sweaty, happy faces.

How do you feel about requests?
Requests have their time and place, like at a party where one might be playing the hits. It’s a bit bothersome, however, when playing an already thought out set to have someone holler a track name at you- especially if said song might wreck the dance floor. I don’t really mind though, I’m a nice guy and try my best to entertain them.

Do you have a story about a particular request or requester?
I played a private birthday party for a guy in his late-thirties recently. A drunk woman at the party was not into what I was playing and decided to incessantly shout “bring it back to 1974, I wanna hear some Shaka Khan!” Granted, I love Ms. Khan, but I wasn’t alive in 1974 and didn’t see it fit for me to bring it back to the time period she requested. I settled the disruption by playing a Nina Simone remix. The woman later told she was a witch, while serving herself more jungle juice out an ice sculpture shaped like a chalice.

Do you DJ full time? / What do you do outside of DJing?
I’m trying to make an occupation out of DJing, but haven’t quite done it yet. In the mean time, I work events for Chychele Event Design, collect unemployment and study History.

Where can we find you?
I play a lot of house parties and do happy hour at Holocene and various events for them when they need me. I’m also working on getting nights at Dunes and Rotture as part of the start up DJ group I’m in, Wild Life. We’re gonna have a podcast and new nights starting in February, so keep an eye out. I’m also working on starting up a non-profit artists collective and mobile gallery called Sugar Cube which I’ll be DJing the openings for starting on the first Thursday of February at (10th and Flanders above the new Nuvrei Bakery space). And I play weird shit at Ground Kontrol every second Friday, just ’cause.

How long have you been spinning?
About three years now.

What drew you to DJing originally?
Going to house parties and queer nights in Boston as a kid and seeing other folks play was what got me into it at first. I figured I had as good of taste as the next DJ and decided to give it shot. I’ve been in love ever since.

What are your thoughts on vinyl versus CDs versus laptops?
I mostly use Serato Scratch when playing out (except when playing dancehall). It’s ideal for me because it’s like playing vinyl and I don’t have to lug around crates of records. This allows me to ride my bike to get to gigs, and play stuff that’s not available on vinyl yet, saving me cab fair and keeping me up to date with new shit. I do love live vinyl though, and don’t think anything can beat its authenticity.

What songs will we find ourselves dancing to with you?
1. Midnight Request Line (Switch Remix) – Skream
2. Tunisia Bambaata – DJ Mehdi
3. Strawberry (Rapclash Remix) – Adrian Lux
4. Township Funk (Kingdom Remix) – DJ Mujava
5. Segertåget – Maskinen

How would you describe yourself in five words or less – complete sentence or not:
A genuinely nice young man.

How do you describe the genre you play?
A mix of electro, disco and dancehall. So I guess Tropical Electro-disco?

Who are your other favorite Portland DJs?
Beyondadoubt, Bruxxy, RAD!, Linoleum, Nathan Detroit, Hoop Dreams and The Fix guys

Links:
DJ LifepartnerSpace
A project with a MySpace genre tag of Tropica/Electro/House Disco

Photo care of MySpace

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I went on to approach him quite a few times after that. When Top 40 tracks such as Usher’s “Love in This Club” started floating into his playlist—which included a remix of TV on the Radio’s “Staring at the Sun,” I queried whether he had Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies,” figuring it’d be a shoe-in. No such luck. Later after Yo Majesty finished blasting from the speakers I asked if he had any Uffie tracks, thinking she’d slide into the mix quite well. However, the petite American-born, Paris-based, barely-legal rapper wasn’t a resident of his catalog of CDs. Didn’t matter though. In the least. A steady of stream of electro, pop and hip-hop continued to build into the most danceably consistent DJ set my ears and feet have been treated to. It was kinda like all my favorite blogs had just made the jump from Google Reader into the speakers except without any space-filling remixes that are only posted in an attempt to climb to the top of the The Hype Machine. Every song from Cousin Cole’s remix of “Crank Dat” to the Fat Joe/Ashanti single “What’s Love?” had its place. Any wallflowers? Nope.

The DJ? DJ Invisiboy.

It seemed like a no-brainer to invite DJ Invisiboy—aka Abe Ingle—to chat about RSS feeds and such which is what we do below:

How did you decide on your DJ name?
I can’t remember how I got my name… It probably has something to do with my powers of invisibility though. I think I just brainstormed it. I didn’t want a “tough” name or a “sexy” name (’cause I am already tough and sexy), I just wanted a fun name [since] I think my sets are more “fun” than anything else. I’m never out to be too cool or whatever, I just want to have fun and throw a good dance party.

As the Rapture say, “People don’t dance no more, they just stand there like this.” Do you ever encounter this?
Never ever. I think the key to moving a crowd is showing that you’re willing to move as well. Almost every time I play people tell me how glad they were that I was dancing too. I think it’s important for artists to remember that they set the tone, and if they want people to dance, then they should demonstrate that by dancing themselves.

Ideal crowd?
Good people! I like playing for people who like to party but don’t have to be all coked out or throwing a chair through the wall to have a good time.

How do you feel about requests?
I’m down to hear ‘em as long as people are down if I say no. I will rarely drop what I’m doing to play a request, but I’ll usually get around to it sooner or later.

Do you have a story about a particular request or requester?
This one girl requested all this stuff I had never heard of at a party recently and I felt really old. It was the first time that ever happened to me, though I knew it someday would. Luckily, she was on point with “Since You Been Gone” and Big Pun!

Do you DJ full time? What do you do outside of DJing work and hobby-wise?
Nope. I used to do a regular gig with DJ Gregarious at the Fez, but now it’s mainly just parties (with odd club gigs), and I’m pretty selective. I don’t need the money, I just do it for fun. In real life I’m an artist (I just won a 5K RACC grant-and there’s a piece in the WW’s murmurs section about me [last week] actually) at Hood Turkey. DJing is my hobby, so the question is the other way around. When I meet people at parties, I never even mention that I’m a DJ. People have known me for months before they find out.

Do you have a current main/regular gig?
My art is my number one priority, so I haven’t taken any regular gigs since the days of the Fez.

In terms of your sets: Do you plan them out ahead of time?
Never. You have to gauge the crowd and go off them.

Of the mashups you play, are they ones you’ve found or made yourself
Absolutely, that Fleetwood Mac one was mine, I do a mean Journey mashup and others.

Do you collect songs from blogs? Which ones are on your RSS feed?
Yup, I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours: Said the Gramophone, Missingtoof, Winnie Cooper, Gorilla vs Bear.

How long have you been spinning?
At least four years. Wow. That’s weird, yes, four years.

What drew you to DJing originally?
Nothing actually. Scott from Holocene convinced me to do it in between bands and it was wicked fun, so I decided to learn how to do it properly. I was known as a guy who liked to dance and I think people who like to dance make the best DJs (dance party DJs at least).

Do you always spin with CDJs?
Yup, but I can use records too (or at least I used to). I just like the looping ability of digital with the tactile sense of the 800 mk2s (and the availability of weird digital only remixes, and not carrying 200 pounds of LPs).

What songs will we find ourselves dancing to with you?
I don’t want to say what people will find, as that will change, [but] I will say that the other night I really enjoyed playing:
“Yeah Yeah” (Flosstrodomus remix) by Matt & Kim
“Since You Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson
The Twelve’s Remix of “Dance With You”
“Still Not a Player” by Big Pun and
“Just Can’t Get Club Action (DJ Paul V. Mix)” Yo Majesty

How would you describe yourself in five words or less, complete sentence or not:
I am good and fun.

How do you describe the genre(s) you play?
I usually tell people that I play remixes and stuff until everyone’s drunk and then I play hip-hop and make people dance all naughty-like.

Who are your other favorite Portland DJs?
That’s a lot of names, and I’d hate to leave anyone out. Obviously Beyonda—she makes me want to quit every time I see her. I like Linger and Quiet just because it’s so cute when they bop their heads together and it makes me believe in love. DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kid for pulling off something outside of the mainstream and doing it well. And most importantly, all my friends who happen to be DJs, which is a lot of people and you know who you are and you know you have big hearts from me.

Links:
DJ InvisiboySpace
Hood Turkey
LocalCut Yacht on a Yacht LC Contest Winners (#2)
Fat Joe/Ashanti “What’s Love?” music video (the dancers are wearing Blazers jerseys!)

Photo care of MySpace

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While we do chat a bit about his impending departure, we’re more focused on the actual music, from the standard questions about how he got his start to questions and answers wholly inspired by his creations. His remix of “Love Lockdown” leads us to discuss Kanye West’s 808’s and Heartbreak and DJ Zimmie’s thoughts on the disc is the most thoughtful critique I’ve heard yet. We also talk about Jazzy Jeff, who DJ Zimmie has shared the bill with numerous times. Hint: there’s a lot more to Jazzy Jeff than the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

How did you decide on your DJ name?
My DJ name is just my nickname. Everyone calls me Zimmie. Most people I know don’t even know my real name. My real name is top secret, like Prince.

As the Rapture say, “People don’t dance no more, they just stand there like this.” How often do you encounter this?
I rarely have a problem getting people moving. If you can’t make people dance, you might want to reconsider being a DJ.

Ideal crowd?
My ideal crowd would be a varied mix of people with good musical tastes. I love it when crowds know good music from past generations and I can get open. Obviously they’re also dancing non-stop and singing every word.

How do you feel about requests?
Requests are good and bad. On one hand they tell you what a person wants. On the other hand, usually the requester is a drunken moron who either wants inappropriate music, terrible music or isn’t paying attention to what I’m doing anyways. Sometimes you get someone that actually asks for a good song at the appropriate time.

Do you have a story about a particular request or requester?
I was DJing at Pussycat Lounge in Phoenix. I’m doing my thing and my homie DJ Nugget is yelling at me “Zimmie, this girl wants to hear the new Beyoncé” over and over again. I look over and I’m like “Okay, no problem.” Nugget just keeps yelling that she wants to hear it over and over again. I look back over and she’s standing there topless. Next song: Beyonce. Some people just know how to request a song. Cash works almost as well.

What are your thoughts on Kanye’s new direction (since you’ve made a mix of “Love Lockdown”)?
I personally am not into it. If you love his new album, cool. I look to Kanye as one of the last good MC/producers left. I just want ‘Ye to give me a great sample-based hip-hop album. I understand he wants to develop as an artist but I think he lacks the knowledge musically to write the songs he wants to. ‘Ye will never be Quincy Jones or Radiohead and he should recognize that and at least pay the musicians to help write his stuff if he wants to put it out. He keeps saying he’s just putting this album out for himself but he seems to be making a pretty big stink about it. I’ve played it for people and didn’t tell them it was Kanye and they thought it was terrible. When I tell them it’s Kanye, they try to say, “Oh, well I kinda like it” as if it’s good because it’s Kanye. I made the “Love Lockdown” remix (as did 1,000 other people) because you couldn’t dance to that track or any other track on the album for that matter. “Paranoid” is an okay opener [It's not the album's opener, but it's by far the most upbeat joint on 808's -Ed.]

How do your mixes comes to you? Like “Push It” with JT? Do they just randomly meld together in your head and you then put it together in reality or do you take a song and spend time thinking about what song(s) would best compliment it?
Sometimes I do something live and then go home and recreate it. Sometimes a song just bothers me until I need to do something with it. “Push My Love” had to be done because “My Love” was so big and so low energy. A lot of my remixes come out of a need for a danceable version of a popular song.

What programs do you use for our mixes?
Right now I use Ableton Live primarily for my editing.

Do you DJ full time?
I DJ full time and do freelance marketing for clients in markets around the country.

What type of marketing?
Marketing-wise I handle events for my clients from idea to after party but it can also be specific marketing initiatives such as product sampling, surveys, custom giveaways, etc.

What do you do outside of DJing and marketing?
My hobbies include listening to music, reading, watching movies, exercise, finding new places to eat, yoga and general personal development. I actually really enjoy working.

When did you play with DJ Jazzy Jeff? What was that experience like?
I’ve played with Jeff a few times. Jeff is a god. Most people don’t realize that Jeff has been one of the top DJs in the world for the last 20+ years. He invented and named most of the scratches that DJs today use. People may only remember him from the TV show or working with Will Smith but he’s the most amazing and inspiring DJ. He is super humble, always has a smile on his face and can murder any party. If you get the chance to see him, do not miss it.

What drew you to DJing originally?
I love music obviously. I had a conversation with my good friend DJ Nugget about wishing there was a job where I could just check out new music all day. He said, “Why don’t you start DJing?” The rest is history.

What are your thoughts on vinyl vs CDs vs laptops?
Use whatever you are need to do your thing. I’ve seen people kill it on all three. The only thing that disheartens me is when DJs are reluctant to make the step from vinyl to laptop for philosophical reasons and their DJ game suffers because of it. Using a laptop won’t make a bad DJ good, but it can help take someone’s game to the next level if they’re willing to put in the work, especially if you want to start playing out of town. Jazzy Jeff was one of the first big DJs to fully endorse Serato (laptop program) because it allowed him to help lower the costs of playing out of town by not having to ship and travel with hundreds of records. People give me BS about not using all vinyl and then I see them DJ and let’s just say it isn’t good.

How would you describe yourself in five words or less—complete sentence or not:
Number one, two, three, four and five.

What might we find ourselves dancing to on the dancefloor if you’re the DJ?
“Pleasure Principle” by Janet Jackson
“Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough” by Michael Jackson
“Let’s Get High” by Dr. Dre
“What You Know” by T.I.
“Big Pimpin” by Jay-Z

How do you describe the genre you play?
Classic vs. Fresh

Why’d you move to Portland from Pittsburgh?
I moved to Portland to figure my life out and take in the good air.

But I hear you’ll be moving back?
I’ll be relocating back to Pittsburgh in January but I’ll be back to the Northwest as soon as I check some things off my life to-do list.

Who are your other favorite Portland DJs?
Evil One, HR Paperstacks, Gigahurtz, Doktor Adam, Lady Adie, Nature, Tyler Tastemaker.

DJ Zimmie lights up the decks tonight, Friday December 19th at Branx at 10 pm as presented by FuckBadMusic

Links:
DJ ZimmieSpace
DJ Zimmie official site
2008 Club Mix – free download via Zshare

Photo courtesy of DJ Zimmie

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How did you decide on your DJ name?
Why is it I always get this question!? Well, I’m half Filipino (Flip) and half white (Flop). You do the math. Although, you might see me and mistaken me for being Hispanic (don’t worry people get it all the time).

Are you really always asked about your name?
On occasion I’ll get asked about my name. People seem [to] just leave it at “FlipFlop eh, cool.”

Has anyone ever mistaken it as a reference to the presidential campaign of 2004 and the attacks on Kerry?
Haha. Nah.

As the Rapture say, “People don’t dance no more, they just stand there like this. How often do you encounter this?”
I’ve encountered this a few times, mostly due to the fact that I’ll be flexin’ some scratches/routines that make people stop and actually watch and listen to what I’m doing. So really, I don’t mind them not dancing so much because my forte is based and started around cuttin’, scratchin’, turntablism which is more a visual artistic form.

Ideal crowd?
Usually around an array of different types and sizes. If you really want to see what kind of crowd I bring, come to the next show near you! I’d be glad to kiss your baby and sign your picture of Lou Diamond Phillips.

How do you feel about requests?
Hate them! How do you expect me to set my[self] aside as a different DJ from the next one if you ask me to play something everyone hears on the radio a million times a day. If you don’t hear me playing the music you like, then I’m probably not going to be playing the music you want to hear and you’re probably in the wrong place to be.

So are you saying the only requests you get are for radio hits?
Times have rolled on. Most gigs [that] I get now are with folks that know/expect what kinda music I’ll be mixing up.

Do you have a story about a particular request or requester?
I’ve had someone try digging through my records without even asking. I just stood there and looked at him like “really???” and of course my Medusa stare got him shook and he ran off like nothing happened.

Do you DJ full time?
I do not. I DJ for the love of music and the art really. Money is a bonus, but not expected. I just like to be an entertainer.

What do you do outside of DJing?
Outside of DJing I spend a lot of my time tailoring some beats, recording, COD4 (Gamer Tag: djflipflop… Step up and get murked!) and various nerd stuff.

As for tailoring beats—are they for yourself as a DJ or for others to use?
Mainly MCs. I’ve been plotting on making some self-produced tracks for mixing purposes, but I have yet to figure out what I could make for that situation.

Where can we find you?
You can find me anywhere and everywhere.

How’d you get your current main gig?
[I] don’t have a real main gig around town but you can find me DJing for CunninLynguists. I became their official DJ as of this year. I met the guys spring of last year when I opened for them at Berbati’s Pan. Year later [I] get laid off my day job, 10 days after [that,] Kno [CunninLynguists MC] asks me to go on the West Coast Dirty Acres Tour with them. From there, the journey begins.

How long have you been spinning?
Eight years strong.

What drew you to DJing originally?
The back of a Source magazine back in ‘97. They used to sell the ‘DJ inna box’ setups (which I never owned). [Then] I soon saw Mix Master Mike in the “3 MC’s and 1 DJ” video and from there I was drawn towards DJing. I originally started on the drums back in middle school in sixth grade. Played drums for five years then my boy Jimmy (what up man!) bought a pair of turntables and we messed around on those for a year ’till I could scrounge up enough money to get my own setup.

What are your thoughts on vinyl vs CDs vs laptops?
I love both vinyl and Serato. Of course vinyl generally is the way to go. Nothing sounds better than analog sound when scratching. But, mixing… I’ve become a big Serato user. People hate when they find out you use a laptop for your crates sometimes and that kind of boggles my mind. If I where to do a crazy live mix and you (the hater) heard it, were the first one feeling it and going crazy about it then later found out I was using a laptop, you’d be the first one to turn around and start disliking me because I used a laptop. Now initially, you loved the mix. Why? Because I was playing all your favorite songs and playing them in a fashion you’ve never heard before. Now, in what way does it matter if I flipped those songs with a laptop instead of vinyl?! You were the one having an eargasm over my mix!!!

What songs will we find ourselves dancing to with you?
Paul Hardcastle – Rain Forest
Rene & Angela – Ill Be Good
Dismasters – Small Time Hustler
Extra T’s – E.T. Boogie
Tony Toni Tone – Annie May

No particular order, just a few of my favorites.

How would you describe yourself in five words or less – complete sentence or not:
Fonky(yes, with a “O”), fresh, amazing, eclectic.

How do you describe the genre you play?
I mainly play a lot of old school, early ’90s golden era hip hop/R& B, funk, soul [and] electro. I love beats based on live drums (drum samples). I’m really into raw sound.

Who are your other favorite Portland DJs?
Man, too many. Void, Spark, Wicked, Wels, Fatboy, Sidetrak (former Portlander), Grimrock, Papercuts, Queasy, Juggernaut.

Links:
DJ FlipFlopSpace
CunninLynguistsSpace

Photo care of MySpace

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How did you decide on your DJ name?
My friends and family have been calling me Adie since I was in grade school, but Adie is actually short for my legal name… I’ll leave it at that. I pride myself on being a real person, so I couldn’t front by having some fancy/silly/hipster handle. The “Lady” part just came naturally (duh, it rhymes), but it also helps me stand out as a female in the industry.

As the Rapture say, “People don’t dance no more, they just stand there like this” – how often do you encounter this?
Fortunately not very often, although sometimes I run into it when I do weird corporate events or things that involve daylight. If my people aren’t dancing, then I’m not doing my job. It’s totally my responsibility to switch it up and play what will bring the bodies to the floor (which sometimes involves “Blue Monday”… trust me, that song has magical powers).

Ideal crowd?
My ideal crowd is ready to dance! It’s so much more fun to play to a few people really getting down on the dance floor as opposed to hundreds of people standing around with their cocktails. I also must admit that a tipsy crowd is typically more fun than a sober one… that is, as long as they’re far enough away from the booth to keep the needles from getting bumped!

How do you feel about requests?
I feel like one of my best assets is having great taste in music and knowing what tracks are right for the moment/club/crowd. I actually get a little bummed out that people don’t trust me to provide a great set for them and that they feel the need to intervene. I’ve been hired to do a job, and I promise, you’re gonna have a good time when I play, so just trust me! However, if someone happens to request something really rad, or something that fits the vibe, I’m more than happy to play it. Typically I’ll just use the excuse, “Ohhh, I only have that on vinyl and I just brought my laptop tonight… Sorry!”

Do you have a story about a particular request or requester?
Once upon a time I played a First Thursday Artwalk event that happened to coincide with a WW singles event. As you can imagine, there were lots of 40s something awkward singles stumbling around this warehouse space while I was playing mellow electro house. The party had been going for a while and the crowd was decent, and all of a sudden this totally trashed tanorexic bridge-and-tunnel woman staggers up flailing a 10 dollar bill in front of my face, screaming “Play “Fergalicious”!!! I want to hear “Fergalicious”!!!” First of all, Fergie is obviously out of place in every way imaginable in this scenario and second of all, it’s coming from this woman?!? I kind of laughed it off and shook my head, but she was so drunk she kept coming back up and asking me when I was going to play “her song!” Comedy, I’m telling you.

Do you DJ full time? / What do you do outside of DJing?
Outside of DJing, I’m in a Ph.D. program in neuroscience at Washington State in Vancouver. I study the interaction between drugs like THC and morphine, and I get to wear a sweet lab coat. I would love to DJ full time, but that will have to wait until after I’ve finished my degree, because I’d really like to go on tour. When I’m in the lab or writing a manuscript I’m constantly thinking about and listening to music, usually building sets in my head. Music also keeps me focused when I’m trying to work, so I don’t really think I could do one successfully without the other. My only qualm with DJing full time is that I strongly dislike compromising my creative freedom, and often as a hired goon you’re just paid and told what to do. No thanks.

Where can we find you?
You can catch me at Dante’s once a month for Xotica-Go-Go on Thursdays, First Thursdays at Hecklewood gallery, XYZ (Aloft hotel) on Third Thursdays, also at Pala on the last Friday of every month, and starting soon, at the Refectory with Zita every Saturday (I know, I know, they’re doing a huge format change, we’ll see what happens).

How’d you get your current main gig?
Hmm, I’ll have to choose one of them… I’d say my favorite gig right now is Dante’s. The promoter, Taber, booked me based on my reputation because he’d never actually heard me play before. I believe he tracked down my phone number somehow, I distinctly remember talking to him about the gig while drinking a Pabst on my back deck. Fortunately, he ended up loving what I do, so I’ve been a monthly guest ever since.

How long have you been spinning?
I matched my first beats about a year and a half ago. I’ve come a LONG way since then, but I’ll be the first to admit I still have plenty of skills to perfect. I think being an eternal student (read: overachiever) drives me to perfect my game and work as hard as I can to do the best job possible.

What drew you to DJing originally?
Growing up, my mom (former DJ) had a great record collection, some of which I’ve managed to get my hands on recently. She is a down-ass woman who heavily influenced and fed my passion for music. Even when I was a little kid I would make mix tapes using songs from her collection and the radio. I was always really bad at guitar and keys, but I was always really good at making mix tapes, which naturally lends itself to DJing. I really can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to DJ, it was all just a matter of putting the time in to learn and rehearse. I have to admit, the first time I heard my beats matched in my headphones I got a huge rush, did a little dance, and never looked back. I have craved a musical outlet my entire life and I’m so thankful I’ve finally found out what I was supposed to be doing this whole time!

What are your thoughts on vinyl vs CDs vs laptops?
Ultimately, I think it’s a matter of personal choice. If you can rock out on two tape decks, fine, get down with your bad self. For me, laptops/Serato are the way to go. Don’t get me wrong, I love busting out my vinyl for cheesy 80’s parties, but having gigabytes of music on hand at any point in time is incredibly valuable, particularly when I need to change up what I’m doing in order to draw a good response from the crowd. Also, Serato is an immensely powerful software that allows me to tailor mixes to sound better than they would normally sound on vinyl (i.e. not every song is DJ-friendly, but I can make almost anything DJ-friendly with Serato). Ultimately, my use of Serato results in a better product for the crowd and a happy Lady Adie. I’m also somewhat of an audiophile and I very much prefer the sound quality of 320 kbps over wax (for electronic music anyway… Reggae and punk are another story).

What songs will we find ourselves dancing to with you?
GRUM – “Go Back (Le Castle Vania remix)”
Little Boots – “Meddle (Designer Drugs remix)”
The Presets – “This Boy’s in Love (Lifelike remix)”
Mansion – “Body”
Machines Don’t Care – “On a Roll Man (Malente remix)”

How would you describe yourself in five words or less – complete sentence or not:
Real, honest, passionate, drama-free.

How do you describe the genre you play?
How I describe my main sound depends on who I’m talking to. Other DJs would consider my sound to be blog house, nu rave/nu disco, or indie dance. The sheeple would basically understand that I play electro house. That being said, if the event requires it, I can play virtually anything, including dancehall, hip-hop, disco, drum & bass, etc… In fact just this week I played an entire set of goth and industrial… it was awesome!

Who are your other favorite Portland DJs?
My favorite women in Portland are Zita, Mani, and Equestrian (gotta give big ups to the ladies first) and my favorite dudes are Nature, Keys, Ronin, Rising Sun, and Kenoy. Also a special thanks to Spun Academy.

Lady Adie is next playing at Rotture (Fubar) on the 28th of November.

Links:
Lady AdieSpace
Spun Academy

Photo care of MySpace

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How did you decide on your DJ name? What’s your real name?
My DJ name is the same as my real name: Gray with an “A.” I grew up in the Detroit region (thus my love for techno and ghettotech Detroit style). It’s really cold in Michigan, and subsequently, I always had the sniffles. So I called myself DJ Sniffles. But when I moved at Portland, everyone thought it was a reference to cocaine (which is a drug I definitely can’t support because of its environmental and social justice side effects), so I went to using my real name. I feel that using my real name works well for the type of sets that I do, since they might be all over the place, indicative of the wide variety of music I like.

As the Rapture say, “People don’t dance no more, they just stand there like this.” How often do you encounter this?
The reason why I got into DJing was to be a better catalyst for dance parties. I’m not interested in playing background music or just for myself. So if people aren’t dancing during one of my gigs, I’m going to figure out how to do get them to do that. Most of the time, I do that simply by playing a wide variety of music in really short clips—mashup style—and observing closely for when people’s heads might be bopping or their feet tapping. Once I lock in to the general vibe for the evening, that’s the direction I go in. If you claim to be a prime dance time DJ and you don’t get the dance floor moving, you’re not trying hard enough or you don’t have a big enough music collection.

Ideal crowd?
Three quarters women. They are hands down more interested and able to dance than men, who often feel too shy or awkward to get on the dance floor. And a dance floor full of women will always get some more men on it. I want the crowd to be intentionally there to dance. I want them to be happy about it. I want them to be excited. I want them to connect to the music and the rhythms of their body.

How do you feel about requests?
It all depends on how the evening is going and what the approach is. If the dance floor is packed and I am obviously doing something right, I’m going to ignore requests. If the dance floor is sparse, I’m going to take requests in the form of constructive criticism. The reason why I DJ is to make people happy and dance. It’s not about me. It’s not about the music that I like. But I do get veto power, I will never play funk or “psy-trance.” However if you are drunk and try to climb into my DJ booth waving your beer over my gear, I’m going to push you away really quick. If I do play a request, it’s nice when the requester acknowledges that I did that and that they appreciate the gesture.

Do you have a story about a particular request or requester?
I was playing in a basement at a house party. I was doing a lot of dirty hip-hop, and it was really packed, sweaty, and hot. This one drunk girl kept trying to get my attention while I have my headphones. I am obviously busy. She wants to hear Prince or something like that. 10 minutes later, she comes back with a megaphone and repeats herself, over and over again in my face. At this point I do an abrupt stop with the record, I just turn the record player off, I get on the microphone, and tell the entire crowd that she is not letting me do my job. She gets around seven beer cans thrown at her.

Do you DJ full time? What do you do outside of DJing?
I DJ out about about one to two times a month, pretty much at the rate that gigs come to me. I try to keep this fun and not view it as a “job” or as any stable source of income [as] that’s when I’ve seen egos develop. To pay the bills I’m a graphic designer and build websites.

Where can we find you?
I do a monthly electro dance night at Branx with some friends; we call it DigitaLove. Our goal is to bring in headliners that are up and coming, and which don’t get enough love here in Portland. I also do various fundraiser events, house parties, and other club nights.

I’ve [also] picked up a residency at Pine Street Lounge on Friday nights. Last week was our first night, but it was totally packed. Lots of fun, I even got to throw in some ghettotech.

How’d you get your current main gig?
My friend Sasha, DJ Countzero asked me to build him [the] website FuckBadMusic, which grew into a monthly at Branx.

How long have you been spinning?
A little over five years now.

What drew you to DJing originally?
I thought that there was a lack of quality DJs playing the music that I wanted to hear. I originally started off doing hip-hop in North Portland punk houses and bit by bit have been able to secure myself more in the electronic scene, which is where I prefer to be.

What are your thoughts on vinyl vs CDs vs laptops?
I feel that whatever people are comfortable with is what they should use. I don’t think vinyl sounds “warmer” or “richer” or whatever adjective folks want to throw around. Vinyl is harder to do well, but that doesn’t make it better. I’ve personally gotten more and more digitally inclined over the years, I love my current Vestax VCI-100 MIDI controller and Traktor on a laptop setup. Not only is it portable enough that I can show up to a gig on my bike, the technology helps me to make faster syncs of songs, thus granting me a lot more time to do on-the-spot remixing, cutting, effects, and tricks. I can also pay more attention to the dance floor. Of course, a lot of people don’t find pressing buttons or twisting knobs/sliders very visually interesting, they want to see someone’s hand manually manipulate a spinning vinyl platter. I don’t really care much what I look like as a performer. I don’t want people looking at me when I’m DJing, I want them to be dancing.

What songs will we find ourselves dancing to with you?
“Move for Me (Santiago & Bushid Remix)” – Kaskade Feat. Deadmau5
“Red Hot Booty (Kue, Dan, and Glaude Mashup)” – Sinden
“I Kissed A Girl (Mr Gaspar Remix)” – Katy Perry
“I’m Not drunk (Bloody Beetroots remix)” – Benny Benassi
“Stuck on Repeat (Fake Blood remix)” – Little Boots
“Bubblegum (Hatchmatik Birdflue in June Remix)” – Thunderheist

How would you describe yourself in five words or less—complete sentence or not:
I’m a nice guy

How do you describe the genre you play?
Dirty electro, electrosleaze, crunk, fidget house, ghettotech, booty bass, mashups, ’80s remixes, epic electro house.

Who are your other favorite Portland DJs?
Ravi, Soloman, Deafchild, JimmyJamma, Countzero, Pipedreams, SauceyPossum.

DJ Gray spins at Pine Street Lounge tonight (and every Friday for that matter.)

Links:
DJ Gray official site
DJ GraySpace
FidgetaLove Oct. 08 – Latest DJ Gray Mix
Fuck Bad Music

Photo care of Myspace

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