a color story: the nyc djs

A Wednesday night at Mid-West Manhattan by the water. Cardano Community Social event with the primary host Emanuele. The venue, ‘The Penthouse’ was only a 15-minute walk and it was unexplored territory. The first thing that we noticed was the boat with a fighting jet. My brother pointed out that it couldn’t fly off it. Maybe it was just an act of display- I believe it was my first time seeing it in real life. Tom Cruise’s Marketing Machine with Top Gun doesn’t count.

We got to the building. It had its rustic charms with a person passing out on the opposite building. We had to remind ourselves that the building or the area wasn’t the point — we came out to support Emanual’s big night. Volunteering wasn’t ideal for our time in the city but at least for me, I felt compelled to be part of something bigger than me.

Up the elevator, we went. The space was empty except for the two professional dancers practicing for their competition. Initially, I thought they were performers for the social event until they dressed out of the room. Also, the critical feedback from the male counterpart wasn’t part of the show- he showed signs of frustration with his dance partner. I didn’t know that dancing could be taken so seriously? I thought they looked great, in rhythm and synchronized. But, he probably wanted crisp movements or more flow with the arms- the small things that added up to the judge scores. Of course, these were assumptions.

Maybe two handfuls of people scattered around the venue. Event sponsors, hosts, and some familiar faces. Screens for demonstration stood up. Banners up. Wiring. Just the basic logistics for the collaborative event. I found myself comfortable sitting on the corner couches with completely new faces. The couches acted enough as an ice breaker for us. And the small talk wasn’t about crypto but rather just basic small things. The weather. The city. And then it got a little carried away with American Military propaganda via the fighter jet on the plane. There were some opposing views on it but it was refreshing, to say the least. I was all for the propaganda. To me, it made America look so American. I loved my military movies and expensive toys. And even personalities made it more attractive with Navy Seals like David Goggins, nicknamed the “Toughest Man in the World”. His story and his attitude towards mental obstacles may be very alpha-dominated energy but at the core, it was his understanding of his human condition. But, it wasn’t for everybody.

Later on, the new kids on the block made a visit. The JPEG store team. Young faces but aggressive blitz on the Cardano marketplace. Let's say the previous king, CNFT was not reigning on the throne anymore. My discussion with the young man from Portugal, 19 turnings 20 was a fresh face but quite mature for getting involved with crypto for a year could feel like 10. Later I discovered he was the SOHO kid's creator. Huh. Impressions were different seeing eye to eye without the pedestal.

As the small talk dried up and witnessing my brother help set up, I thought it was time to put some elbow grease. But, most volunteers found themselves in a rhythm and niche. I felt like I was interrupting rather than giving a hand until I found the DJ controllers.

Vee and Jack. Two DJ controllers required sound testing. I remembered a night where I didn’t’ sound test and it resulted in no set event — which meant I invest 8 hours for no practice or pay. That feeling lingered on as I saw the DJs required some assistance.

The warm-up DJ, Jack looked cool, calm, and collected. Later on, I discovered that it was her first public DJ set. Her quiet demeanor was perplexing. She was bottling up her emotions but it slowly cracked once we entered a corruptive file troubleshoot issue. Being in this situation many times before — the state of panic right before a set especially with tech issues- placed me in a calm flow state. The number of wires involved with the speakers, controllers, or mixer could get mixed up. Or, you just pressed the wrong tab while decompressing a zip file. In this case, going through all the steps, I assumed the DJ just unzipped the file the wrong way. I’ve been there before with the exact same problem. The music files worked in the DJ software and Jack expressed a huge range of emotions. Relief. Excitement. The DJ even called me a genius.

Sound test check. Troubleshooting check. Conversations natural. Why music? Who you listen to? What kind of set? Both house. Thank you. Maybe it wasn’t for the community crowd but it was their time and set no? They found this gig via Emmanuelle and really hyped up Brooklyn as a place of great music excitement. I was sold in the scene until the rent prices kicked in.

10 pm. The debut DJ set. She wasn’t warming up the floor at all. Straight to 126 bpm. Usually, a slower beat would ease the crowd. But, I saw the smile — a raw human expression. Her first debut. My first debut memory crept up on me. Feeling the bass, not from a lab top but rather from a real sound system. Sharing your audio world and your taste with complete control until the song requests come in. 

Video shots for the social media and all that jazz. This was a special moment, a special memory. After the set finished, I told the fresh DJ that she will never forget the night for the rest of her life. She smiled widely and agreed. Years of playing away in the bedroom to a real event were quite the moment.

The next DJ. a seasoned DJ with a monthly residency and just played a recent gig the day before. She got to steps that I never manage to get to. We shared our love for Sweely, DJ boring, and Harrison BDP. I never met another lo-fi house person, let alone a DJ playing that kind of set. I was more than excited. Did I mention Sweely? The groovy underground master.

Vee’s set was buttered with simple elegance. In the beginning, there were troubleshooting issues for some reason but we figured it out quickly after word. Looking back, I’d say that her set was rather appropriate for warm up. But it was her night. Playing on my side, by Adriyano got me excited. The bass was quite nice and appropriate. I was surprised how much my youtube listening experience changed from what the producer intended.

All the event announcements and giveaways ruined the flow of the event. It was my time for a washroom break and eventually, she was cut off a little early. The crowd wanted a different genre of music. Maybe the organizer who brought all the equipment just wanted to play. But who knows. It was my cue to go as the two cool DJs wanted to leave. Surprisingly, we exchanged information. But my ninja-like state kind of not insisted. Only if they insisted. Sure, I’ll give them the info.