Behind the Booth

Claire Lim, who also goes by dolltr!ck, is a music technologist. When she is not working on her personal project, she goes on tour with artists as their sound engineer, serves as the NYC chapter leader of Beats by Girlz, and DJs for a variety of clients including Toyota, KCON, iHeartRadio, The Delancey, GEM Boston, The Grand Boston, and The Middle East.

She went to Berklee College of Music, where she found her love for electronic music and first learned how to DJ in a turntablism class. She has since helped Berkelee establish electronic digital instrument (EDI) as a principal instrument for incoming students electronic music major, spearhead a new album, “Colors of Us”, which features local female-identifying young artists of Asian descent from Queens, and also a certified trainer for Bitwig and Logic Pro X.

We talk about her upbringing in Singapore, AI in music, her crate organization system, and her motivations in supporting other women creatives in her community.

Jordan Welner, who also goes by his artist name Jordan Ehr, is a a DJ who has been throwing parties under Broke City / Broke City Presents for close to a decade.  You can find him spinning vinyl regularly at Jupiter Disco, Mood Ring, and Elsewhere in Brooklyn.  He has built a strong network in the local NYC music scene due to his genuine curiosity, openness, and support for his local music community is at the heart of his craft.  Jordan opens up about his personal stories and philosophy on DJing as well as tips for new DJs that might be interested in throwing their open parties. We talk about how he started learning to use CDJs and his shift into vinyl, along with his philosophies on mixing and track selection.

In this week’s episode, we sit down with DJ Skyboxx who has been DJing for 8 years all over the city - from clubs in Manhattan, to underground warehouse parties in Brooklyn. She also is a part of a collective called Rebel, where they throw parties around the city, where the proceeds go towards causes in their community. She opens up about finding authenticity as a DJ, her current practice routine, and important lessons she has learned over the years DJing.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with DJ Cateye. She started DJing when she was in college at UT Austin, spinning at massive house parties, where she’s opened for the likes of Slim Thug, Lil’ Flip, and Pantheon. In the past year she’s brought her houston roots to New York City, where she has dived into the Bushwick music community, spinning at spots including Kinfolk, 444 Club, Bossa Nova Civic Club, and Holo, expanding her range and genre knowledge. We chat about how her DJ collective formed, finding community when moving to the city, and how she met people that have helped her along the way.

Today, I’m speaking with Gaby , who also goes by Goth Girlfriend. She is a singer/songwriter who just released her EP and is also a DJ who has been spinning for the past 4 years. She has performed at Bossa Nova Civic Club, the Knitting Factory, art galleries, and more across the city. We talk about her journey as a DJ, challenges she’s faced as a woman in the industry, and her fun pre-gig rituals. Be sure to stick around for the conversation.

Today, I’m speaking with Ken Herman, who also goes by his producer / dj name exit post. His profile is slightly different than others that have been on this show thus far because he started first as a producer and then found his way into the DJing world. He explores the nuances between production and DJing, and his motivations and approach he takes with each medium. We also chat about his new record that is coming out in fall 2019 that explores his identity as an Asian-American artist.

Jayda b. started as a podcast / radio show host before her foray into DJing. She then started pursuing DJing in 2014 and since has spun in Tokyo, Atlanta, LA, and New York. Then shortly after, she created her own women’s creative agency - Bae Tokyo. She started it in Atlanta, but then brought it over to Tokyo, expanding the platform and creating an international outlet for women in music, art and entertainment. We talk about her journey to becoming a DJ, differences in DJing in Asia vs. US, and goals for the rest of the year.

Carlo Olchese, also known as DJ Cheezy, has been DJing for the past 3 years in well-known party spots in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Hoboken. Also he’s a member of the 2-person production duo, The AVC.  You can catch him frequently spinning at Swift Lounge, Pilsener Haus, and Baby’s All Right just to name a few spots. He shares his DJ journey and also provides insights on how to gain an edge and grow a fanbase in today’s saturated world of DJs.

Ayesha, formerly known as Ayescold started DJing in 2013 and spins a wide range of records from footwork and dancehall to hip-hop. She has opened for acts including Soulection, Solange, Prince Nokia, and has also performed at festivals like Bonnaroo, SXSW, and more.

We talk about her unique style of preparing for gigs, her transition into production, as well as her perspectives on self-image as a DJ in the pervasive social media world that we live in today.

We sit down with Efren, a.k.a. DJ ECue, to talk about his DJ adventures back in the 90s, balancing his day jobs with DJ gigs, and tips he has for new DJs that are interested in getting started.