Ana M

Dinner with Djs: Ana M

At various points throughout your life, you’ll have to change. It’s a fact. Evolving is something I’ve learned is especially necessary with art. My writing and this most recent edition of Dinner with DJs is the perfect example.

Sure, I could’ve waited for a DJ to come over to my house and have dinner with me, DJ on my controller, and the same old stuff, but where’s the fun? Where’s the story? Don’t we want to try something new? Don’t we want to be different?

The possibility of something new is why I’m so excited to talk about this one, and not just about the DJ but also the experience we shared while getting to know each other. It’s a chance to show just how far we’ve both come and how sometimes, most times, that’s a story worth sharing. Here’s how it went.

I should start by admitting that Ana M is a DJ I’ve admired for quite some time, not just because of her song selection but also because of how much she evolves with each mix I hear from her. So I knew when she agreed to meet, I’d have to do something different to show her versatility and how that fits in a place like the 505, my dear 505.

With this edition of dinner with DJs, we decided to meet at the Sawmill market downtown. Sawmill is a place that represents a growing trend I’ve noticed in cities all around the country, but also here in the 505 as well.

The idea starts with a building or warehouse consisting of multiple local food and beverage shops showcasing the many different flavors of this city. Something I feel represents us so well. Unique, complex, forever evolving. It was the perfect setting for the conversation we’d have.

We met around the evening when the sun was still shining but slowly falling, thus creating that beautifully painted sky you can only get here in the 505.

The sky was a mix of purples, oranges, and blues, and a view you could feel as much as you could see. She was sitting on the patio when we first got there, and we sat and talked for a bit about general stuff, which is when I realized that although our paths had been crossing for years, this would be the first time we had a conversation.

She started by talking about her commitment to our local scene, ensuring it stays healthy and honest. We’ve worked too hard to go backward, and the best thing we can do now is work together to move forward, something I agree with completely. As we continued our conversation, we began to walk around the market.

I loved viewing the many different shops, enjoying the smells, the sounds, the sites of it all. It reminded me of first arriving at a rave or festival, how the senses are heightened all at once, and how it’s our nature to respond to them.

We started by getting some sushi, and although I’ll never be a fan of seafood, I have found over the years that there’s something about the texture and taste of sushi that appeals to me. We can go our whole life thinking we don’t like something, and then bam, there you are on a Wednesday afternoon, eating sushi with a DJ and talking about life.

The 505 is crazy like that, I suppose. Crazy and beautiful. An aspect of the sushi I especially loved was the little crunchies wrapped around the sushi rolls we ordered, and the presentation was phenomenal. Even just looking at it made me hungry.

As we ate our Sushi, we found somewhere to sit and talk, and that’s where she started telling me about her life away from the dancefloor. She began to talk about being a loving and proud mother, earning her master’s degree in social work, helping at-risk youth succeed, and even starting a program where she taught them to DJ as a way of expressing themselves.

I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to see her explain the excitement behind ordering the controller and having it arrive. Realizing she can combine two parts of her life to help others. Every detail was another fact I never would’ve learned if we had never taken the time to sit and talk right there.

After that, we got some sweet pastry-type croissants from this French bakery at the end of the building, and I loved the freshness of it. A reminder that both in life and on the dancefloor, it’s always about keeping things new and different. What kind of DJ would she be if she weren’t constantly changing, growing, and trying something new? Throughout my time hearing Ana M play over the years, hearing her play different sounds is something I’ve enjoyed immensely.

She then began to talk about her love for old school breaks and how it was always her favorite sound, but that music has gone away from the rave over the years, something she hopes to counter with her mixes.

I could not agree more, as many will find that in our earliest years in rave culture, we have all had our moments of love with breakbeats, and I find it to be a strong foundation for what sounds we listen to from there. We always return to breakbeat like how many of us who travel have the 505.

We are ambassadors for this city, which is especially true for Ana M. Right after our meeting, she was due to have not just another edition of her Mixxd series alongside Xkota and Babybumps, two more of the best DJs in the 505, but also an outstanding moment where she played at the legendary Washington DC club Soundcheck alongside Benny Bennasi.

It’s yet another great chance not just for her as a DJ but also another way of showing and introducing that vintage 505 sound to people in other parts of the world for the first time.

This year she also returned to Movement Music Festival in Detroit for inspiration. Detroit is the homeland for those of us committed to techno and a place that will change you every time you visit. I will never love another city the way I will always love Detroit.

We planned to get more food after that, but instead, we decided to get drinks from this wonderful soda shop with the most amazing colors, where I drank my root beer float so fast that the ice cream got mixed with the ice, and I spent the rest of our conversation still trying to eat them both with little success.

As we continued to talk a bit more, something I enjoyed about this one was that I noticed how Ana M is a supportive listener. She allowed me to share my ideas and stories in a way that doesn’t always happen. I appreciated that so much, and I found her commitment and kindness inspiring.

Shortly after finishing our drinks, she was off on and on her way to do DJ things, and we considered dinner over, but unlike other times, this would not have a specific mix. Instead, we agreed to attend her show later that week at Insideout, where her mix would be the music that went along with the menu this time.

An aspect of the night I especially loved was how she stayed true to her words about versatility, as she played a mix of house, techno, and, of course, those breaks we discussed earlier in the week.

Finally, our night ended with an impromptu b2b with babybumps and Lil salsa that covered drum and bass, jungle, and even some dubstep, showcasing how eclectic this DJ can be. I loved the versatility.

From here, Ana’s status and schedule as an ambassador only grows as not only is she returning to the 505 this weekend to play alongside Sage Armstrong for another edition of Mr. Afterhours Presents’ trademark event, We House Fridays.

After that, she’s playing Konnexion festival in Idaho next weekend and UnIson festival in Aztec, Nm at the Tico time river resort, which is as magical as it is beautiful. I’m happy she’s out there sharing the music and the vibe I cherish so much about this city.

So, In closing, I wish to say thank you to Ana M for trying something new and for stopping and sharing her story and her vibe. We spend so much time consumed by the dancefloor that we forget to share the moments that matter away from it. We’ve got to hang on to that one and also each other.

And lastly, if you want to hear Ana M, go out and see her play in person, experience it yourself, live and in real life. It’s where we belong. The best thing we can do is show up for each other. We’re all we’ve got most of the time.

See you on the dancefloor, and maybe for dinner some time, dear friends.