Interview with Summer League (Alonso) by Juan Izguerra

JI: Hola Alonso! Thank you so much for contributing to our mix series. Tell us a bit about yourself! 

A: What’s happening, Juan! Thank you so much for having me, I’m thrilled to twist one up for Homagio Radio haha. About me, I’m born and raised here in LA spending my formative years in the San Gabriel Valley. Currently I work as a driver for UPS, DJ’ing most weekends and was for the last couple years helping run Footwork Coffee Service with my brother and friends. Recently I’ve been dipping my toes in the graphic design world a bit. I’m having a lot of fun with that and look forward to exploring it more as another medium for expression. 

JI: Going over to your place I see that you have a ton of records. How long have you been collecting? And are you mainly doing physical shopping or online shopping? What years do you remember digging the most?

A: My vinyl collection has gotten unruly! Actually I just got some new shelving so I’m excited to scoop all this wax off my floor and get organized. I’ve been collecting for about 13/14 years now. I started off with Mom’s old records like many of us did, then moved on to seeking out more and more weird & interesting sounds for the purpose of sampling and flipping records into beats. During that era I was making beats I'd go out to dig for music in the flesh almost 100% of the time. Some online digging but mainly I would spend days pulling from the bins at Poobah Record Shop in Pasadena… Amoeba when it used to be on Sunset was always sick. Also loved to hit up flea markets and other various shops sprinkled across the city. Over the covid pandemic though, I really took to shopping for records online and it hasn’t stopped. Digging out in the wild is much less of an activity for me these days due to time constraints so Discogs, eBay, some choice online vendors and an occasional physical dig has been my jam.

JI: I know you work a ton during the week- what’s your method for finding new music? And how do you squeeze in the time for it?

A: Yeah time is very much of the essence for me with my day job and all but the beauty of my work situation is that I have a ton of time to actively listen. I’m constantly engaged in music discovery. While driving and walking around the city I’ll cycle through YouTube, flip through online sellers’ catalogs, listen to mixes and peep some recommended music homies might have put across my desk. This process almost always drains my phone battery so I rarely make it through a shift without a dead phone. Sorry if you've ever tried to hit me up during the week after 6pm and my ass went radio silent :\

JI: What grew interest for you to DJ? and are there any people that keep you inspired with DJ’ing, musically or creatively?

A: My initial interest to DJ spurred when I was like 13 or 14 and went to visit some cousins who had moved away from LA to the high desert–one of my older cousin’s boyfriends was a DJ and threw a backyard party that I was somehow allowed to attend. He was spinning wax and watching him operate the tables kinda blew my mind in that moment. It was cool to see how he could get bodies moving with these couple of crates of tunes he prepared and a little instinct. I also loved how what he was doing & playing felt so self expressive and the validation he was earning instantly through the crowd’s reactions provided big energy to the night. He was showing people a piece of who he was through his music and seemed like he was having soooo much fun and I wanted to have fun :) There were so many DJs I was inspired by while coming up but one that never ceased to amaze was/is J Rocc. From selecting to mixing and all his turntbalism trickery–that dude is wicked. He's always been at the top of the heap for me. Other major sources I draw creative inspiration from are my family, my friends and peers including YOU. I’m constantly blown away by how deep the talent and creativity pool is within my network of friends and the wider family of creatives, artists, musicians & DJs, etc...

JI: Tell us a bit about this mix

A: This mix is my plan B mix as you know, Juan. More like the second half to a much longer idea I abandoned so as no to put anybody’s attention span under too much duress. It’s a baggy one with lots of stuff I’ve been sitting on that I haven’t found a chance to play out as well as some newer bits I’ve discovered and had on rotation. Lots of head bob material eliciting an assortment of emotions. Hope you find something in there you like.  

Interview by: Juan izguerra Featuring Mishka.

Q1: Hola jess! Thank you so much for contributing to our mix series! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and where you’re from?

A: Hiiiii thanks for having me 🧸

 I'm born and raised in San Francisco but lived in LA from 2014-2020. I work in the Sync industry full time - collaborating with music supervisors and composers to create music for film, tv, trailers, ads, and anything else that blends music with moving pictures. And then most people know me for my other full time gig - DJing, hosting radio shows (NTS and HydeFM), curating, and promoting shows. 

Q2: I remember us meeting at Homage at the grand opening in 2021.. At the time I had learned that you used to live in Los Angeles but you had just moved back to the bay.. what originally brought you down to LA and what was your experience like? Anything you miss about living here in LA?

A: Ohhh how time flies... 

I originally came to LA to study marketing at Loyola Marymount University which led me to DJing at KXLU 88.9FM. Starting with the rookie 2-6am slot then graduating to rush hour times + being the Music Director for 2 years, KXLU really launched the whole DJ and music curator hussle for me. I met some of my best friends, future collaborators, created relationships with labels, started promoting my own shows (shoutout to Timewarp Records + Nonplus Ultra for the spaces)- it was the ultimate catalyst for my deep love of radio. 

Living in LA was amazing - I was lucky to have such a tight and talented community of friends and collaborators, experienced my first after hours (shoutout Cooper Saver x Far Away), got to be part of the first years of NTS LA, threw so many different kinds of shows, hosted my first DJ residency night, converted to being a taco girl after being a burrito girl in SF.... 

No dig on LA but I don't miss living in the city that much... I mostly just miss my best friends, taco stands and froyo shops (bring back froyo culture 2024), recording my NTS show live in a studio with other people around, and late night hangs (things in SF tend to close early). I also miss being in close proximity to swimming pools and Joshua Tree.

Q3: I’ve never lived outside of Southern California, how was it adjusting to LA and then readjusting when you moved back to San Francisco?

A: It was definitely a bit of a culture shock when I first got to LA ...But Cali is Cali baby! So I was soaking up the sun after 18 years of fog and considering 65 degrees as being "shorts weather". 

Moving back to SF was rough at first - I actually had a one way ticket to St. Petersburg, Russia. The whole plan was to drop my stuff off in SF and then live in Russia and Ukraine for a year - complete a whole music project, teach English, DJ.. That plan got botched by Covid of course. So I was left looking for a job again, didn't really have any friends or sense of community in SF, and had to live at home while I looked for new housing.. all while "social distancing". It was pretty shitty, not gonna lie.

But I gotta say HydeFM and NTS really kept me going and kept me inspired. Then I got my next job in the sync industry (Score a Score) and met some of the kindest and most inspiring people in SF. Glad to say the struggle was worth it - I'm really happy. The community is super strong. And I still get to come to LA fairly frequently. 

Q4: You spent years focusing on Eastern European music on your NTS show. Can you tell us about what you learned about your culture musically during that time?

A: That period of time was super educational. I tapped into my roots as a Russian & Ukrainian first genner and got to connect with my family's history on a whole new level. I visited Russia in 2019 and connected with many DJs and artists - many of whom I am still in constant contact with to this day. 

It really strengthened my relationship with my family - my grandpa started slipping me youtube links to songs (which is now mostly how we communicate), my dad and I could talk about various Eastern European artists (he himself is a Ukrainian musician - working in music his whole life) and I had a way of practicing reading and writing in Russian. I also became familiar with various Eastern European and ex-soviet sub cultures / underground movements and got to collaborate with and interview some legendary artists like Valery Alakhov (New Composers) and Ivan Dorn, and more. 

Again, gotta thank KXLU for starting this whole obsession after I found a random 7" post punk cover of Alla Pugacheva's "Million Alih Roz" in the station's library around 4am. 

Q5: You recently started hosting live shows under “Remind Me" with Jeremy Castillo (of Bar Part Time) can you tell us what inspired you two to start throwing shows?

A: Crazy... we threw our first event in 2021 with Loveshadow... we just never really made an Instagram or anything until this year. 

Jer and I are both super busy people (between him running the hottest club in SF and being a new dad and me having a demanding full time 9-5 + too many hobbies to count) but we had a thirst for seeing some of our favorite live acts play in SF - and unfortunately no one was focusing on bringing them out here. A lot of these artists we consider to be our friends so it all came from a place of love and passion for ~music!!!~. I used to throw shows in LA and kind of just missed that DIY ethos - but mostly I was just getting a bit restless only seeing DJs perform and wanted to watch someone riff a guitar, vocals, synths, etc. 

Both of us have a love-hate relationship with promoting/throwing shows - I think we find it pretty stressful and severely time consuming but we are just thrilled to bring these artists to a stage in SF. And if you've been to one of our events before you'll know it's mostly a party that also happens to have great live music. The live music starts late, we DJ before and after to keep people dancing, and there are always some funny decorations. So we might only do it once or twice a year but that's only so the nights feel special...and so we stay sane. 

Q6: What are some things you enjoy doing in the city when you’re not working? And what are some of your favorite places to eat?

A: I love a looooong walk - so whether that's enjoying the various parks my apartment is sandwiched between or just picking a random destination and walking for up to 3 hours, I'm down. 

And Juan, you know better than anyone that SF is THRIVING in the food department. A few of my faves: Mandalay, Yo Tambien Cantina, Chuy's Fiesta, Udon Mugizo, Lolo, Coffee Movement, Pop's, Bon Ne Ne, Beeps, Kantine, Cuisine of Nepal.. I can keep going. I also love clothes.. so i'm a big shopper. Shoutout to Relove, Body Philosophy, Afterlife and Fuzz & Sway for dressing me. 

Q7: Any people that keep you inspired with DJ’ing or just musically and creatively?

A: So many!! Emile Mosseri for score composition - will always be my favorite film composer and instigates a good cry, Jeremy Castillo for all his deep cut remixes/covers (and for being a great friend and collaborator),  Denis Makhlin - my brother & co-owner of HydeFM/ amazing graphic designer, Loveshadow (Anya & Izaak) for holding it down as the best current musical group out of SF, Bringo Reidel & Jenna Harkins for creating beautiful pictures, Josh Cheon of Dark Entries - one of my longtime favorite labels and we're so blessed to have him as a creative pillar in SF. In terms of DJs - Iguana Girl, Josh Da Costa, Simple Symmetry, DJ Patrick, Bogdan Ra, Bianca Lexis and Braden Wells. 

Q8: What can you tell us about this mix?

A: It's fun. It's silly. It's playful. 👍 Thanks for listening! 🩷

Interview by: Juan izguerra

Juan Izguerra: Hello Laurent! how are you? How are things in Paris lately?

Laurent (DJ Sundae): Hey Juan! I’m fine, thanks. 

Paris is busy like never and on top of that we will have the Olympic Games later this year … Like many capital cities, it’s hard to find a place to live and everything is expensive but … I still like it. Lots of friends are (still) living here and the cultural offer is nothing comparable to any other french cities, unfortunately. Even if I don’t go to every exhibition or live show I would have loved to, I like to know that there’s always something happening around. 

JI: Can you tell us a bit about your routine when you’re not traveling around DJ’ing? 

DJS: I’m mostly doing some graphic design, watching movies at night, reading books etc … 

JI: In Los Angeles I believe we struggle with our “club” scene but we thrive with warehouse parties. Can you tell us how the club/party scene is like in Paris? 

DJS: For what I know, it looks like the Paris « club » scene is better than L.A. 'cause we got a few actual clubs with late night closing etc …  That said and from my own experience, I find it also complicated here for different reasons, mainly because it looks like everything is changing every year, promoters & places. It's pretty hard to build something in the long run and it’s difficult to totally understand why. 

Hopefully, there are places like la Station, la Machine du Moulin Rouge or Rex Club which are consistent, each one in their own path. There are also nice alternative venues like Les Instants Chavirés for live acts outside the center of Paris where you’ll also find most of the warehouse type of parties. Recently we also saw the arrival of some hand-made sound systems (in the Jamaican style) like Tweak Sound System, dedicated but not only to dub and reggae but to other music genres, something that was truly missing here. 
 
JI: I find record shopping to be a bit therapeutic, especially when I visit a store by myself with no restraint on time. 
How is it record shopping/looking for music in Paris? Have the good finds gotten slimmer since the time you originally put together the Sky Girl Compilation?

DJS: I think Paris is great for record shopping, there are too many stores actually and some nice ones just opened recently. Among the classic ones, Dizonord, Plus de Bruit and Geminicricket in the Clignancourt flea market are my favorites. 

I don’t think the good finds have gotten slimmer since a decade but the record market has changed for sure, some things that were easier and cheaper to find are not anymore for instance. Different times, different finds I guess - still music. 

JI: When we met for the first time In 2023 in LA, you gifted me a copy of Jonnine’s LP Maritz. To be honest, I was completely unaware of the release somehow but when I listened to record, I fell in love with it.. Can you tell us how you two got the chance to meet and how you got the album to be released under your label Idle Press? 

DJS: So glad you liked it. 

I’ve always been a fan of HTRK and Jonnine's voice. The track she did with Rowland S. Howard «  (I Know) A Girl Called Jonny » is one of my favorite songs ever. Actually I would have never imagined collaborating with her until she wrote to me - at the time they were releasing Rhinestones (with HTRK) - saying that she liked my radio show! As she already released stuff on some friend’s labels like Good Morning Tapes & Kashual Plastik, I finally allowed me to ask her if she would be up to do something on ldle Press. Fast forward, a few months later, she started sending me some demos and we picked together the final tracks of the release. Amir Shoat did a fantastic mixing and mastering job. The result was really beyond my expectations, she’s so talented and so nice to work with. 

JI: I believe I read somewhere that you didn’t have any plans to work on another compilation at this time. Is that still true? Do you feel like you get a better joy releasing new music rather than surfacing music from the past? Or do you see a place where you can still do both?

DJS: « Never says never » but right now I'm not into the idea of a second volume of Sky Girl or anything to do with reissue except maybe the mixtapes I did for TTT or Good Morning Tapes which can be also regarded as compilations, in a very low profile style! But right now I’m definitely more excited to release new music on Idle Press.

JI: What can you tell us about this mix? 

DJS: My recent trip in the US and particularly LA was very inspiring. This mix is a postcard from my memories. Some of the tracks in this evoke the sensations I had when I was walking or driving around in L.A. plus some current favs. I hope you’ll like it.

Interview with Renata by: Juan Izguerra

Juan Izguerra: Hey Renata! Thank you so much for contributing to our mix series. Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Renata Do Valle: So excited to be part of the series, thanks for having me! I was born and raised in Florianopolis, Brasil and now living in Brooklyn, NY for the past 14 years.

JI: When did you leave Brazil? And was it difficult starting fresh In a big city?

RDV: I left São Paulo in 2009 where I was living at the time. I had to move my entire life to NY, it was very hard, my personal life brought me here, and was undergoing some changes. It’s a tough city for sure, living in that constant love & hate relationship. Nonetheless, I’m proud of my journey and accomplishments. It finally feels like it’s coming full circle and with it, a greater sense of belonging and happiness. 

JI: I first came across your label Hello Sailor when you released Street Soul Brasil. Can you tell me how the concept came about? And were those songs you were surrounded by in Brazil or something you came across as you started DJ’ing?

RDV: I worked with Augusto and Millos while producing Hello Sailor’s second 7”, the friendship pertained and a few years later I reached out to Augusto to possibly work on a compilation for the label. He suggested the street soul route and we both wanted to do something that hadn’t been done before. I did grow up with these tracks in my teen years and so did Augusto, it was a wonderful experience to work together with him and revisit that time. The shared sentiment was that we wanted to expose this feeling to a larger audience worldwide and showcase a lesser-known musicality from Brasil. I often DJ all Brazilian sets, and have had people come to me and ask to play Brazilian music all while I was indeed playing Brazilian songs (laugh)! People are more familiar with the bossa nova-jazzy sounds of Brasil, so I wanted to challenge that notion, through the complication and my DJ sets I guess. 

JI: You played at Dekmantel Selectors in 2022, which looked like an amazing time. How do you balance being a mom, work a full-time job, all while carving out time to find new music to play and prepare for gigs? 

RDV: I just barely balance it all! It was wonderful to play in Croatia absolutely, but leaving my son for a short period to travel is no easy task and I couldn’t do it without a great co-parenting relationship. It’s also important to acknowledge our hard-earned work, so kudos to me! You have to be on top of everything, wake up early, stay healthy, do lots of planning on Google calendar, do music research on my days off, and make sure to find time in between it all for quality time with the kid. 

JI: Is there anything you are excited about this year?

RDV: Excited to be able to travel more this year! I’m going down to Brasil in April after 5 years! My son is getting older too so I’m hoping to take him with me to Europe this summer for my little tour. Looking forward to showing him another side of the world, meeting new people, play music :)

JI: Can you tell us a bit about this mix you put together for us?

RDV: I had no theme initially for this mix, I just started putting together songs I’ve been currently playing and some recent dig finds. I am not so attached to specific genres or matching bpm's, but rather the storytelling, the sonority, and the feeling of a song, a certain vibe that clicks with my aesthetic. While I was recording I realized I had geography in mind for this one. LA sits in between the Pacific and Atlantic, the east and west. You can spot sounds from the Middle East, South America, and beyond. 

Interview with SOOS by: Juan Izguerra

JI: Hey Soos! Welcome to our mix series and thanks for contributing to the first one of the year! How are you?

Soos: Mi Juan, pleasure is mine! Thank you so much for inviting me. I’m good — finally home and resting up after a few months of playing shows all over the place with my great buddy Snowcaveman. Had a great time but I'm so happy to be back in MX and taking it easy. Been cooking, making music and sleeping, can’t complain tbh.

JI: We first met through our friend Dino (Pleasure Of Love) and to be honest, I was pretty stoked to meet another Mexican in the “music scene” haha. Can you tell me a bit about where you’re from and what influenced you to start DJ’ing?

Soos: Yes! We paisas have to stick together. I’m so grateful he put us in contact. I have a very special place in my heart for my Dino. Sending you love if you get to read this hermanito. I was born and raised here in Mexico City. Currently live here and don't plan on moving anytime soon hehe. Grew up in a home with a lot of music. My parents are not musicians but they've always been enthusiastic with anything that has to do with art, especially my mother. When I was around 10 years old, she played me a lot of those chill-out and lounge CD comps like Buddha Bar, Hotel Costes and Cafe Del Mar on road trips. 10000% jams. Uff. Getting the chills just thinking about those times. Still play out a lot of that music every now and then. I guess that was my first approach to "dance" music per say. I was truly drawn to that kind of adult music, but I didn't really know what to do with it at that age, so I ended picking up rock and all of the hip MTV stuff at first. 

Around that time I was also very interested in the music curation thing. I used to burn CDs with Nu Metal and Pop Punk hits and sold them to my aunts and uncles. It was like running my own comp label. I designed and printed out my own artwork for them, it was cute.

After all of that I got into playing instruments and was in a few bands (punk, funk, metal, the whole music genre identity crisis) – but it was only until I saw Daft Punk live (2007 or 2008?) that I decided to give dance music a go. That show kinda just fucked with how I perceived music in general. In a good way for sure. So right after that, all of my pals that were in bands and I dropped our instruments and started jamming on CDJ 200s and looking for tracks on the internet. Eventually we landed slots to play our high school school parties. After that, I just never stopped collecting music and DJing.

JI: Besides DJ’ing, you are of course- a maker of tunes as you say. Were you a trained musician or how did you step into the world of producing

Soos: Around the same time MTV came into my life, I learned guitar by taking classes and immediately started forming bands and forcing my friends to learn instruments so we could jam together. Never really got into theory or proper musical training, although now I wish I did. I was more into the idea of being able to play and re-create the music that I liked. I've always been impatient with getting the idea I have in my head "on tape" as soon as possible while the inspiration exists. So, after the whole band era and being frustrated with the amount of time it took to record music with other people, I learned how to use basic audio software and made a few albums of experimental stuff by myself. That's when I started the Soos thing. It was contemplative guitar music with an intense amount of reverb. Once I started DJing and getting into dance stuff I learned the 101's of synthesizers, sampling, drum machines and the whole enchilada. I started taking music production more seriously once I started putting out music with my buddy Emiliano as Century, played Boiler Room and started to get more in-shape gigs. Quite an exciting time. Been a studio nerd ever since.

JI: I feel like the DJ/club industry had a bit of a boom in new places when things eased up from the pandemic. I'd see videos of parties such as Sunday Sunday in Mexico City and it made me want to visit myself! Can you tell us how the scene has been the last two years? And do you feel like there’s anything in particular that caused a lot of attraction? 

Soos: Yeah CDMX is having a moment for sure. The last two years have been interesting because the city has drawn a lot of attention from all sorts of tourists and digital nomads. Think it all started because of the lack of restrictions in Mexico during the pandemic which made the city an escape for many. Then and now, for many people that come from first world countries, the affordability of CDMX and the thriving electronic music culture of the city has become something of great interest and many want to take part in it. I'm still not sure where I stand in all of that but I do agree that having Mexico City in the spotlight is somewhat beneficial for us local artists – and that's what I care about the most in this situation. 

I also believe the pandemic created stronger bonds in the local music community. Promoters, artists, club owners, and staff now work in a more symbiotic fashion after COVID. Sunday Sunday has always been my family and temple – and I believe the whole team behind it has been responsible of making sure that our local talent always has a prioritized voice within it. SS and many other Mexican entities have been growing exponentially parallel to the hype for the city – and I think this is something positive as long as it keeps pulling the local community with it.

JI: Any upcoming plans you have this year for 2023?

Soos: So! Now that I'm doing this for a living I've been playing out pretty much every weekend. Goal for 2023 is to play fewer shows and focus on making more music. So yeah, I want to put out some cool Soos shit this year and play new places, new countries, new crowds. Also along with my buddies DJ Raw from Colectivo Miramar and Snowcaveman we'll be releasing a few fun eurodance edits on our Magic Dolphin Club imprint soon. I'm stoked about that.

JI: Can you tell us a bit about this mix?

Soos: So, as you know, it took me a while to record this and sorry for the wait! I usually spend quite some time making sure the selection of tracks I put out on mixes mean something to me and that it doesn't end up just being a one-take jam of the latest tracks on my stick. Recently I've been a bit hardcore with the online music trading game and this mix is a special selection of what I've gotten my hands on in the past few months, inspired by the loose and cozy vibe of Homage. Lots of latinx vibes and the usual weird Soosi psychedelia stuff. Hope you enjoy it and thank you for the invite amigxs. 💌

Interview with Tehetena Tana Yonas (Passionfruit) by: Juan Izguerra

JI: Hi Tana! We're super excited to have you contribute to our mix series, and even more excited to ask you a few questions! First things first- How have you been enjoying your summer?

Tana Yonas: I have a feeling I was equally excited to create this mix for Homage, and I'm such a big fan of all the others in the series so I really wanted to make something special. This Summer has been wild and I've been so inspired creatively. For the most part I've been plotting for future project, and I can't wait to share them all come Autumn and Winter! I did get to do a bit of traveling and went to Mexico City, and got to meet some incredible people there that I hope to do some vinyl listening events with soon.

JI: When we first met and I got to talk to you a bit- I learned you grew up in the Inland Empire. Can you tell me a bit about where you were born & raised, and how you got musically influenced?

TY: Yes, my family moved to the Inland empire from Denver when I was two, and spent most of my adolescence in Redlands, CA. It was, and still is, a very culturally monolithic place and I've always had an insatiable appetite for learning how other people all over the world thought and lived. There was just enough outlets while I was in grade school to explore that philosophically, and I'm first generation Ethiopian-American so I've always seen myself as a "third culture kid". My Grandpa on my dad's side Gudina Daba, was the photographer and videographer for the infamous Ethiopian King, Halie Selassie and traveled with the king all over the world. My grandpa absolutely loved music, so he would collect records on his work trips and my father had a particular love of those sounds. When I was growing up, my dad always had music playing from all over West Africa, India, Italy, Brazil , and so many more other countries and I've always loved it. I really attribute my own proclivity of being musically curious on a global level to him. I also went to university at UC Riverside, and worked at the radio station 88.3FM the entire time I was in school. We shared so much music amongst each other, and programmed live concerts so I really was able to start cultivating a professional relationship with music there.

JI: For a while you were living between San Francisco and Los Angeles. And just recently, you moved to LA permanently. How was the transition for you?

TY: The transition has been amazing. I will always love the SF Bay area and the people there so much and it'll always be a home for me, but I've been totally enamored with how the size of Los Angeles makes it so there’s an *endless* amount of worlds dive into. It's also been such a gift to be in a culture where the creative industry is major driver of the economy, and I've found it much easier to grow as a creative and find like minded people who dream as big as I do. Also living in two places sounds great on paper, but I’m so happy to have all my records in one place!

JI: You’ve been working with In Sheeps Clothing co-curating events, hosting deep listening sessions, profiling artists and sharing a bit of musical history on their blog. Did you have experience with these things before, or was ISC the first place to give you a platform to expose your interests?

TY: I had very little experience! I had a musical taste that I found people connected to and a curiosity that had finally found a deeply inspired musical home. I really see the team at ISC like my musical family, and it's so rare that you have a representative mix of people of color and women who get to lead the direction of such an impactful alternative creative brand. We push each other to expand our skillsets, and it was amazing to step into the ethos of making music exploration inclusive and guiding people into a dedicated space for analog listening and opening magical worlds for them. It's been the single most impactful experience for me musically and it feels like we're just getting started.

JI: Early on in the pandemic, I put a pause on dance music and got more into full length LP’s and ambient music. What did you discover these past two years that weren’t on your radar before the pandemic?

TY: I did the same thing and I, like everyone else, went crazy on discogs when we were all properly locked down. I really miss finding one record on the online marketplace, then proceeding to spend 5+ hours listening to all the disco and jazz that seller in Greece, or wherever, had. I really dove into music that I found nourishing, and was lucky to find spaces to play experimental and deeply moving tracks like Finis Africae's "El Secreto De Las 12", a track that I nearly overplayed, and now I've finding myself still drawn in that direction. Before the pandemic I was singularly obsessed with playing global disco and Hi-NRG, so it was a huge shift.

JI: Lastly, can you tell us a little bit about the mix you put together for us?

TY: This mix expresses who I am right now with music. I wanted to start with something dreamy and emotionally gripping as a way to create a sonic invitation to listeners to enter into this music world I've created, and you'll hear it’s very global. The artists in this mix are from Algeria, Gabon, Germany, Brazil, Portugal, France, England, Japan, and Latvia. It mostly music from the 80's and 90's with with a focus on a housey, dubby, and jazzy sound. Enjoy!

Interview with Lloyd Harris by: Juan Izguerra

Q1: First things first- you just moved into a new apartment. How was the move?

Good. I had the unfortunate luck of moving 2 weeks into the original lock down when everything was super frantic. With no access to a rental car, Uhual, movers or friends I had to move my whole apartment via shopping cart. It was a humbling experience but I got it done. This past move was cake in comparison.

Q2: I visited New York for the first time in 2016. Over the years and visits, your name would come up a lot and I felt like I knew you even though we hadn’t actually met. In 2021, I started to immerse myself in the “DJ Scene,” and then I saw your name even more. I began listening to your mixes and even got the chance to see you play at Magik City in Greenpoint, where I was really blown away. You have a very fresh style that I really enjoy, lots of New Wave, Synth-pop, Downtempo and other fun music. Could you tell us your musical roots and what inspired your taste?

Well my father was a bit of a Dj and collector when I was a kid so I grew up a bit spoiled. That and I think I've always been a natural reactionist. If everyone is going right I'll more than likely go left. And while that's not always the smartest way to move in life I think that attitude has informed my music tastes. I like playing different stuff. I like the challenge of bringing people over to my side of the room and potentially changing their idea of what dance music can be.

Q3: The pandemic has been a bit of a topic of discussion for me in interviews, especially because I believe it really gave people the time to step back from what they do and approach things differently. What has changed in your DJ’ing compared to where you were in 2019? It seems that you’re getting booked up pretty often at some great spaces. Do you think the scene has changed in general since the pandemic, or do you see more of a change in regards to yourself as a DJ?

The pandemic was a really scary time for me. I lost friends. I lost work. I lost my apartment. In many ways I lost my identity too. However I think one of the ways I was able to combat those feelings of dread was by consistently putting out mixes every week. And for me it became less about the party and more about the music. I felt like a kid again discovering Tribe Called Quest samples. Through those mixes I was not only able to explore different textures but I also grew a small fan base of people who maybe didn't know me for those sounds. I think when the time came to play again not only did I have a new outlook musically but an audience to go with it. And it's been getting better and better with every party. I'm really lucky!

Q4: New York has a very rich dance culture with a deep history attached to it. There’s plenty of books on it that detail things like The Loft, Paradise Garage, and so on. What do you like about DJ-ing in New York?

I like the variety. There's an audience here for everything and a venue to match. I've lived here for 20 years and this post-pandemic energy New York is experiencing is better than any other I've ever seen. There's something happening here that is very unique to right now so I try to take every opportunity to enjoy it. While I can't help but put on for my city, New York really is the best place to be right now.

Q5: I think inspiration comes from those who are around you. Maybe that can be debated based on experiences, but I’m curious to hear what inspired you to DJ?

Honestly, I've always seen DJing as a means to share music. When I was in middle and high school I was deep into Rare Groove and I think playing Hip Hop samples for my friends really informed the way I see music. I can still see their reactions to this day. I get the same thrill playing to 1000 people as I do mixing on The Lot Radio, playing records for friends at home or even selling at a record fair. To me it's all about sharing music with people who love it.

Q6: Lastly, Could you tell us a bit about this mix?

Not sure what to say. It's a chill mix of 80's tunes I found on my past trip to Mexico City and I hope you like listening to it as much as I did making it.

Interview with Phil Cho (In Sheep’s Clothing) by: Juan Izguerra

Q1: I met you a few years back through our good friend Jonny Mons, and it wasn’t until recently that I learned you were from the IE/East LA area. I found it really cool to see someone else from my hometown hanging around in the scene in Los Angeles. Could you tell us where you grew up and where you found your inspiration that lead you to the music you enjoy today?

Yes, it was so crazy to find out we’re both from the 909! I’m originally from Arizona but grew up mostly in Diamond Bar. It was a quiet suburb which meant I had a lot of time to do nothing… Musically, I think a lot of what I like is informed by playing bass as a teenager. I discovered jazz through Jaco Pastorius and continued searching for music with the best basslines. Bass led me to Bootsy Collins, James Jamerson, Charles Mingus, Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, Larry Graham, etc. and all the artists they played with. More recently, the bass thing has led me deep into the reggae zone.

Q2: I feel like I got to know you a bit more during the pandemic and when things started opening up again. I remember scrolling through your Instagram and seeing photos of you with good company, great sound systems, and the name Third Place attached to those memories. Can you tell us what Third Place is and how it came together?

Third Place came out of a bummer feeling I was getting at warehouse parties in LA. I felt like people were just getting turnt up and not really connecting or talking properly. Maybe it was just me doing that… I started Third Place with my friends Luke Mele and Michael Hopkins as a Sunday daytime house party where we just hang out and listen to music on a nice sound system. It’s slowly evolved into a slightly bigger thing (Russell Alexander is now involved too!) with some of the best DJs, music people, friends from around the world coming through to play sets.

Q3: In Sheeps Clothing started off as a Hi-Fi bar in 2018 but when the pandemic started, its doors closed. Instead of doing deliveries and pick-up orders like many other bars did to stay in business- ISC went on a different avenue and created a tasteful music blog. As It had some shifts to its business- how has your role changed at ISC?

I’m the editor-in-chief of ISC which is a funny title, but basically means I curate what goes up on the site including the articles, interviews, records, and playlists. I also do a good amount of our event programming figuring out collaborations, artists to work with, label showcases, listening parties etc. We’ve definitely been learning as we go with ISC. Every day is new, and I like how we’ve taken the odd ways forward at times. We have a record store now on Fairfax. It’s hypebeast central over there, but I kinda like that about it too!

Q4: You were recently credited on Alex Ho’s new album Move Through It and contributed a track to the compilation Music For Freedom by Music From Memory. What’s your musical background and when did you start making music? 

Weirdly enough, I studied opera singing in college. I thought it was a good idea to do the hardest thing you could do singing-wise, but it hasn’t really led to anything so maybe it wasn’t such a good idea… I’ve always played instruments growing up but didn’t start trying to make music or “produce” until college. Even then, it was a lot of just mindless noodling and more of a meditation practice versus any sort of goal-oriented thing. It’s been really nice to have a community of friends in LA to work on music with and even put some stuff out. I owe a lot of it to Alex Ho!

Q5: What was your inspiration for this mix?

This mix has a little bit of everything that I’d want to listen to on a summer day: downtempo, street soul, digi dub, lovers rock, dancehall. It’s mixtape style since I don’t have a DJ setup at home right now and not perfect flow, but that kind of reflects how I play. Hopefully you like the songs!

Interview with Suzanne Kraft ( Diego Herrara )

You’re from Los Angeles but moved to Europe for some years. How does it feel to be back in the states and going on a US tour with Cut Copy?

Yeah, I lived in Amsterdam from the end of 2015 up until 2021. It's certainly been an interesting time to make such a move but I'm glad I did and very happy to be close to my family and the friends and places that shaped me growing up. Going on tour with Cut Copy now, so soon after returning to the States, is pretty perfect timing as I haven't seen a lot of this country so I'll definitely be appreciating it through new eyes. Not to mention what a crazy opportunity it is to play my songs live as a band.

We had an amazing time having you play our first Night Moves party in September. Whats the relationship between searching for music as a DJ and your own creative process as a musician?

I tend to think I keep those parts of my brain separate, the musician and the DJ lanes. But of course I’m drawn to certain sounds or styles that undoubtedly bear some influence on what I make. If I had to find some connecting thread between the music I look for and my creative process it would have to be a focus on melody. I really like melody.

We’re so stoked on this mix you put together for us. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

This mix partially showcases some things I look for in music for dancing: overly sentimental vocals and a sense of humor. But it's also just a bunch of go-to jams - things I did or would play at Homage :)