#ace dtla

Who do you count amongst your influences?  DJ Screw is a staple. Same with Björk. As far as specific records, I'd credit Jodeci's Diary of a Mad Band as having the most significant impact on my work. 

What’s inspiring you right now?  Books: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski; The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker. 

Songs: "I Serve the Base" by Future, "Dead Dog" by Religious Girls, "SKRT" - Kodak Black, "Fading Out" - J Fernandez, "There's Nothing I Can Do About It" - Mike and The Censations.

Films: Powers of Ten, Under The Skin, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Pumping Iron, Pi. 

Other: Sleep. We undervalue its importance, but it improves brain functionality and cleans out toxic waste proteins.

Your new album’s called JOHNNY. Tell us about him. Is he an alter ego or a muse?  JOHNNY is an archetype, like Marlon Brando's "Johnny" in The Wild One. I'm into the cliché of that word. Deep down, you know you're him. Whereas Kanye or Drake will play with messianic ideas, I'm more interested in constraints. There's a freedom in knowing you're just an animal.  

Can you say more about that? The idea of constraints, and what effect recognizing your human and animal nature has had on your songwriting. Is Johnny an everyman?  Johnny could be any man, so yes, he's an everyman. He's not a hero, he doesn't transcend mortality. As far as limits, we're governed by our reptilian brain. Every decision we make is based on emotion. We justify later with logic. 

In a world where our attention can be easily manipulated by word choice, full autonomy is an illusion. Reality is primal. The Oscar Wilde quote comes to mind, "Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power." These are the constraints that inform my work.

I see it as knowing a recipe has to incorporate certain key ingredients, like a Top Chef challenge—whether taking into account your own limits or that of natural law. That gives you a base, a set of design elements to play with. From there, you can get really creative. Spiritual even. A reverence for the ordinary can lead us to insights that are extraordinary.

What's the best piece of advice you've gotten? "Don't take the ride."

I’m really quite the queer.

And I’m (predictably) political about it!

I'm also deeply devoted to The Party as both an activity and a philosophy. It's a whole thing with me, The Party; that rare shared experience that bonds a community, a forum for unself-conscious foolishness, an efficacious ritual where casual burnouts actualize their highest selves. I’ve meticulously planned and thrown highly conceptual bacchanals my whole life — from the bizarre bat mitzvah luncheon my parents misguidedly allowed me to plan, to Pluto’s First Party this New Year’s Eve Upstairs this year at the Ace Hotel Downtown LA. What I’m trying to say is: I Live Party.

For me, the prime era of The Party was Brooklyn bootie basement parties in the fall of 2006. When I moved to LA a few years back I didn’t know anyone so I started calling myself a “DJ” and asking people if I could play their parties. Figured that was the best way to get invited to parties. Got invited to parties!

At the clübb (“clübb” being any old dive bar, a vehicle with a good bass booster, getting ready in front of a bedroom mirror with your friends and dancing so long you end up not leaving the house, etc.) I almost exclusively play what I refer to as Cool Raunch: music that encourages sex on the dance floor. But this brings up some political conflicts for a guyl like me; as much I strongly believe in keeping politics out of The Party, I no longer play Chris Brown, R. Kelly or even (sorry/not sorry) Michael Jackson. And I cringe a bit every time I play a track with “the word” responsible for the waves of Huckleberry Finn embargoes.

But how can one have a Cool Raunch party without 2 Live Crew, Nicki Minaj, Ying Yang Twins, Lil Kim, Lil B or even Lil Wayne? I mean, these are the nobility of nasty and they all use “the word” liberally. It’s a major dilemma.

Personally, I haven’t figured this one out. I’m still asking the question. But for now I just play the party, surfing it’s vibe. I play the music like a museum shows the art. Here it is folks: you’re free to form your own opinion! Vote with your feet! I love any music that inspires a good ol’ fashioned consensual groin grind. But given the context this music is being played in and by whom, it could be controversial. It probably should be controversial!

Which brings me back to being queer: occasionally when I’m feeling conflict-averse, I’ll keep my raunch roll to the queerest corner of the genre. Cause I look so damned queer, no one can complain about me co-opting anything! Though I’m certain someone will anyway! Thank goddess, I can barely hear them over the bass blast.

A selection from my Queer Raunch playlist: