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This week's music article features eleven DJs in an attempt to answer the question: Are DJs Musicians?
For those curious to know more about the participants, here are their bios (in their own words, with minor edits for clarity):
Joe Ray Sandoval
...Is a multimedia artist, performance poet, promoter, DJ, filmmaker and youth advocate from Santa Fe, NM. Joe Ray also co-founded ChicanoBuilt, a locally based company created as a vehicle to inspire, celebrate, and reclaim modern Chicano culture through art, music, fashion and poetry.
His work has been published, seen and performed from coast to coast and has been released worldwide. He received his MFA in poetry, film and media studies from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.
AudioBuddha
One of Santa Fe’s favorite experimental/electronic bands and one of the winners of
the Santa Fe Reporter’s “Best of Santa Fe” (2008 and 2009), AudioBuddha has recently undergone a major reincarnation.
Formerly a trio, AudioBuddha is now a solo act – featuring Steve Brisk. His vision has come full-circle, and, as in the beginning, he now performs the music solo as a DJ and master of live electronic sound. The resulting sound continues to be a sonic representation of the band’s core philosophies of environmentalism, earth-centered feminism, and social justice.
AudioBuddha’s orchestral electronic sound nurtures the ears, hearts and minds of listeners, while the danceable Latin, South American, and Middle Eastern-inspired electronica beats work their way into the body.
DJ Dirt Girl
Genres played: Electro, Tech, Indie Dance
Favorite place to play: We're starting a new monthly Meow Wolf party at Molly's. We just did the first one and I'm really excited about the energy and potential of that space.
CP2
...Just started up DJing again earlier last year after a long hiatus from it (last time I spun parties was in 2009 in NYC.) I have only played a handful of parties at actual venues in the past six to eight months. Other than this, it has been mostly house parties and small gatherings, which I actually prefer but usually doesn't pay.
Most of the parties I've recently played up in Santa Fe have been with Meow Wolf: These guys and gals totally rule, have amazing lighting and sound, and are possibly some of the nicest people on the planet.
Melanie Moore
Inspired by music of the Bahamas, her cousin Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the underground sounds of the legendary Simon’s in Gainesville … Melanie Moore’s career as a DJ had to happen. She has performed professionally as a house and techno DJ since 1995 and spent the majority of that time between New York City and Santa Fe where she lives today.
To hear Melanie Moore play on a weekly basis, tune into KSFR.org - Santa Fe's Public Radio where she co-hosts The Nocturne with DJ Phi. This show streams live around the world every Saturday 12:00 AM / MST -7.
Places she loves to play: Rouge Cat (obviously), The Black Room (little know venue in SFE), The Den, and her annual Dancing Rams event in NYC.
Gettysburg
The former Matador DJ has recently relocated to New York where he will be spinning bi-weekly under the name Blazer S.S.
Don Martin
I personally have run BROTHERHOOD SOUND SYSTEM since 1992; it's a loose collective of locally based (but internationally renowned) reggae dj's & mc's. We have kept hundreds of reggae parties in Santa Fe & the surrounding pueblos since 1992 but have also played reggae dances & stage shows overseas in countries like Germany, Holland, Switzerland (Europe), The Gambia (West Africa) & Belize (Caribbean).
I'm currently playing a reggae party called Reggae Dancehall Saturdays at the Underground in Santa Fe every first Friday of each month. I am also hosting a monthly reggae radio show on the first Saturdays of each month on KSFR called the Brotherhood Edition of Reggae Runnins Radio from 7-10 pm on 101.1 FM/KSFR.org.
Spinifex
Spinifex has been spinning records since he could get his head and hands inside the Sylvania console stereo his parents had in their living room. Since 2000, Spinifex has been the producer of the KSFR radio show the Twisted Groove airing Saturday evenings, 10 pm to midnight.
Spinifex plays a groove-based exploration of the past, present and future of Rare Groove, Funk, Soul and Afro Funk propelling your music pleasures into futurity. He spins a lot of private parties and also spins dance events at Second Street Brewery Railyard.
DJ Oona
...Has held down a residency in town for over 30 years: Club West, Cactus Club, Cargo Club, Edge, Drama Club, Paramount, Swig, Rainbow Vision, Rouge Cat.
Currently at Rouge Cat on Saturday Nights, Oona plays House (funky, disco, tech, progressive) mixed with today's party anthems.
Note: DJ Dynamite Sol and DJ Limn did not contribute bios to be included in this post.
Image by By Spoohoo [CC-BY-3.0]
For those curious to know more about the participants, here are their bios (in their own words, with minor edits for clarity):
Joe Ray Sandoval
...Is a multimedia artist, performance poet, promoter, DJ, filmmaker and youth advocate from Santa Fe, NM. Joe Ray also co-founded ChicanoBuilt, a locally based company created as a vehicle to inspire, celebrate, and reclaim modern Chicano culture through art, music, fashion and poetry.
His work has been published, seen and performed from coast to coast and has been released worldwide. He received his MFA in poetry, film and media studies from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.
AudioBuddha
One of Santa Fe’s favorite experimental/electronic bands and one of the winners of
the Santa Fe Reporter’s “Best of Santa Fe” (2008 and 2009), AudioBuddha has recently undergone a major reincarnation.
Formerly a trio, AudioBuddha is now a solo act – featuring Steve Brisk. His vision has come full-circle, and, as in the beginning, he now performs the music solo as a DJ and master of live electronic sound. The resulting sound continues to be a sonic representation of the band’s core philosophies of environmentalism, earth-centered feminism, and social justice.
AudioBuddha’s orchestral electronic sound nurtures the ears, hearts and minds of listeners, while the danceable Latin, South American, and Middle Eastern-inspired electronica beats work their way into the body.
DJ Dirt Girl
Genres played: Electro, Tech, Indie Dance
Favorite place to play: We're starting a new monthly Meow Wolf party at Molly's. We just did the first one and I'm really excited about the energy and potential of that space.
CP2
...Just started up DJing again earlier last year after a long hiatus from it (last time I spun parties was in 2009 in NYC.) I have only played a handful of parties at actual venues in the past six to eight months. Other than this, it has been mostly house parties and small gatherings, which I actually prefer but usually doesn't pay.
Most of the parties I've recently played up in Santa Fe have been with Meow Wolf: These guys and gals totally rule, have amazing lighting and sound, and are possibly some of the nicest people on the planet.
Melanie Moore
Inspired by music of the Bahamas, her cousin Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the underground sounds of the legendary Simon’s in Gainesville … Melanie Moore’s career as a DJ had to happen. She has performed professionally as a house and techno DJ since 1995 and spent the majority of that time between New York City and Santa Fe where she lives today.
To hear Melanie Moore play on a weekly basis, tune into KSFR.org - Santa Fe's Public Radio where she co-hosts The Nocturne with DJ Phi. This show streams live around the world every Saturday 12:00 AM / MST -7.
Places she loves to play: Rouge Cat (obviously), The Black Room (little know venue in SFE), The Den, and her annual Dancing Rams event in NYC.
Gettysburg
The former Matador DJ has recently relocated to New York where he will be spinning bi-weekly under the name Blazer S.S.
Don Martin
I personally have run BROTHERHOOD SOUND SYSTEM since 1992; it's a loose collective of locally based (but internationally renowned) reggae dj's & mc's. We have kept hundreds of reggae parties in Santa Fe & the surrounding pueblos since 1992 but have also played reggae dances & stage shows overseas in countries like Germany, Holland, Switzerland (Europe), The Gambia (West Africa) & Belize (Caribbean).
I'm currently playing a reggae party called Reggae Dancehall Saturdays at the Underground in Santa Fe every first Friday of each month. I am also hosting a monthly reggae radio show on the first Saturdays of each month on KSFR called the Brotherhood Edition of Reggae Runnins Radio from 7-10 pm on 101.1 FM/KSFR.org.
Spinifex
Spinifex has been spinning records since he could get his head and hands inside the Sylvania console stereo his parents had in their living room. Since 2000, Spinifex has been the producer of the KSFR radio show the Twisted Groove airing Saturday evenings, 10 pm to midnight.
Spinifex plays a groove-based exploration of the past, present and future of Rare Groove, Funk, Soul and Afro Funk propelling your music pleasures into futurity. He spins a lot of private parties and also spins dance events at Second Street Brewery Railyard.
DJ Oona
...Has held down a residency in town for over 30 years: Club West, Cactus Club, Cargo Club, Edge, Drama Club, Paramount, Swig, Rainbow Vision, Rouge Cat.
Currently at Rouge Cat on Saturday Nights, Oona plays House (funky, disco, tech, progressive) mixed with today's party anthems.
Note: DJ Dynamite Sol and DJ Limn did not contribute bios to be included in this post.
Image by By Spoohoo [CC-BY-3.0]
Santa Fe Reporter