Author: Montez

Dinner with DJ’s #6: The Rev

I hesitated for a moment, trying to put into words exactly how much of an impact The Rev aka Timm Reynolds has had on the rave community here in the 505. Especially because his story is still going.

To say he is simply a DJ is an immense understatement that only helps to start the conversation. To me, ever since I was a teenager meeting him for the first time at the Loft in Nob Hill, he’s been a bit of a teacher.

Sharing bits of knowledge and facts about this music and this community that I just didn’t know before; which is a huge part of why I was so excited when he agreed to be the next DJ to come over and have dinner with us as part of our series we call Dinner with DJ’s.

What would he teach me now? Where would our conversation take us? I was excited, nervous, and I’ll admit running a bit behind since we didn’t even have anything set up, yet the information he shared with me on this one perhaps surpassed all the rest before.

I understand the weight of saying that knowing every interview has been successful and powerful each in their own way. But what made this dinner different from the rest was that this time, the Rev brought along a stack of flyers that he collected over the years, with each one having its own story and background.

Each flyer, like each song, seemed to have its own identity, and still, each connected to the overall story that is the Rev’s life here in the 505. It was perhaps the best example of what this dinner with DJ’s business is all about. I want to hear your story, from your perspective to your own beat. Here’s what I heard while experiencing this one.

As the theme for the night, I chose to have the food revolve around the birthplace of house music, Chicago.

I even found a pizza place in town that claimed to make the “True” Chicago-style pizza that you normally can only get in the windy city, yet we were going to test that claim with the DJ who introduced us to Chicago House in the first place.

After that, we’d follow it up with some spaghetti with some marinara sauce, which you’d think is everywhere, but I’ll tell you now, it tastes a little different if it’s made in Chicago. I guess you can say that about music as well. Like the skyscrapers, the Riverwalk, and even the crazy Red Line, Chicago does things a bit different than everywhere else.

The soundtrack for the night is usually a mix or playlist controlled by the DJ, but for this one, we never even got to that, which ended up being a wonderful decision I may follow for other editions moving forward.

Instead of having him play, I picked a double CD called Live at OM, mixed by our favorites Derrick Carter and Mark Farina, both from Chicago, and we spent somewhere around four hours talking nonstop.

We focused specifically, to start, on the flyers he brought that I was now rummaging through on my living room coffee table as if what he brought was some magic codebook I was meant to crack.

We started with what he’d tell me was his very first gig here in the 505, one that took place on Five Points in the south valley, right off of Bridge. He talked about how unsure he was and how new it all really was, only agreeing to play for his friend, who heard he was a DJ.

I can remember that exact spot as it was right next to a bingo hall my grandmother used to go to when I was a child. It’s crazy to think at that same moment in my life, the Rev was already out there playing the music we’d find one day down the line. The 505 is magic like that.

From there we talked about another flyer he showed me to a rave called House Without Walls, which was important because it represented the first time a DJ setup was out of the back of a UHAUL truck here in the 505.

A large amount of my teenage rave years were spent at raves like Junebug and Dreamscapes, and you always knew them because they had a certain style to them. Out in the open desert, surrounded by stars and the DJ standing inside a parked UHAUL-style van, bumping the tracks that followed you into the dark night and towards the sunrise.

He even recalled a moment at this one where the wind started up so bad that they had to close the back of the moving truck, leaving it only open enough for the wires and the air to get through and keep the party going. It’s so crazy to think how grassroots it all was back then.

So simple, yet filled with so much determination and passion. We all just assumed when we showed up at the rave that it was always done like that, and yet we forget it had to start somewhere and with someone. The Rev is a part of that story.

As we continued through the pile, every flyer seemed to have its own nugget of history and joy. He showed me one called “The Birth of Sativa” which was actually the baby shower for one of his best friends, whose daughter they named Sativa.

He even laughed at the idea that there’s really a Sativa out there, now an adult living their own life. It was a great example of how important these flyers are. To most they are just handbills, but to each person they represent another connection in their own story. I enjoyed hearing the Rev remember each one. It was yet another example of why I find these interviews so important.

After that, he showed me the flyer the very first time Mark Farina came to New Mexico, and although I have a couple of pictures of it, there’s nothing that compares to holding that flyer in my hand and opening it to see how beautiful it really is. And not just for the story, but also for the actual art of it.

These pieces of paper are what led us down the rabbit hole that is the rave and every single time I find another one, it’s as if I see another way we are all connected through this art. No matter where we started, or even where we will end up, they matter because we do, and that will always be worth writing about. Through these articles of rave history, we will always have this common memory or moment. The moment the rave changed our lives.

From there, the conversation shifted a bit, and the Rev talked about two passions he is in the middle of right now, that take him away from the dancefloor, wherever it may be. The first focuses on documenting the many different and unique records he finds along the way with his page A Record a Day.

What I especially enjoyed was his explanation of how each also has its own story and memory, and how important it is to document them while we still have the chance. It reminded me of the idea behind disco itself.

What many people hear as disco these days is a new sound that was made in a studio by an artist or producer, but what we don’t realize is that at the beginning of it all, in the 70’s nightclubs where disco was born, there wasn’t exactly a disco sound yet.

The disco sounds that started it all were records found by DJs who felt it fit the groove of the club they played in. Rarities and B-sides that existed before disco and house, that the rest of the world may never hear, and yet on the dancefloor they bop better than any song you hear on the radio. The idea of disco is that it had to be created from the sounds that already existed and made into something new, something unique.

The second passion that we discussed was the fact that recently, the Rev has taken control of a show called Afternoon Freeform over the radio airwaves for KUNM 89.9. I have been a huge fan of these shows as they showcase another side of the Rev’s musical taste in a setting that is different than behind the decks late at night.

Sometimes, they will take a theme, like the show where he celebrated the anniversary of the classic Beastie Boys album Paul’s Boutique, by only playing songs the group sampled for their record, and sometimes, they will just be songs he found that he wanted to share.

What I value so much about this is that it still showcases the DJ as a track selector, but it encourages them to think outside of the box that sometimes they are forced into at the rave or nightclub.

He’ll play the Cure or the Clash or even the Talking Heads, and he’ll frame them around a common idea or feeling for that specific show. It’s been a wonderful way of getting to know him in the way that you only can through music.

After that, before we knew it, the night had come to an end, and the Rev had given me so many pieces of wonderful information that all can say now as I sit at my typewriter is, thank you, and when can we do it again?

We said goodnight, and as he drove away I suddenly had a flashback to the very first time I interviewed the Rev, which must have been somewhere around five years ago.

It was a crisp, cloudy fall day, we sat out in his backyard, and he introduced his story to me, one I’m still hearing now. He didn’t know me much, and he had no reason to invite me, yet by doing that, I don’t know if the Rev realized it, but he helped me come to terms with the fact that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Write about this culture and the people in it.

I wish to say thank you to Timm Reynolds, both as a DJ and as a person. You’re ability to teach as well as include has set an example that many of my generation have followed ever since we met you through the rave so long ago. There are many stories in this rave culture, and this is just one of them, but through this story, we manage to find our way.

And, what I want more than anything, to anyone reading these words now, is for you to go out into the city that we call the 505 and find the DJ known as the Rev playing tracks that not only have a beat but also a story, and show your support from the Dancefloor, which is where we all found each other in the first place.

In closing, the pizza was phenomenal and true to the Chicago style we know so well, but the spaghetti was my favorite part, yet I didn’t even eat it right away. The conversation was exactly what we needed it to be. Honest and with intent. And the flyers were perhaps in the best shape of any flyer collection I’ve ever seen in my life.

As we go into the final days of December, I wish to show my appreciation and gratitude to the DJs who shared a meal with me this year, and I look forward to the conversations and the moments that we are yet to have in 2025.

See you on the dancefloor, dear friends, and as always, at the dinner table as well, if you’re willing. If this culture is who you are, your story will always have value. Don’t forget that one.

The Rev’s Soundcloud

The Rev’s linktr.ee

@latecrownvinyl

DINNER WITH DJS: BadCat

Before I go on about the details of this dinner I feel it a fair moment to admit that Dinner with DJ’s wasn’t just an idea I had on my own. It was a concept developed over years and years of hanging in my living room with friends I made through this music and this culture.

Smoking, drinking, eating, and just talking for hours, while the soundtrack of our lives played in the background. We shared the music we loved with the people we met along the way, and I believe that’s what we still do to this day.

To me, those conversations we’ve shared are just as valuable as any dancefloor I’ve experienced in my life, and I look back knowing they prepared me for what has become Dinner with DJ’s.

Now on its fifth edition, and feeling like it’s only getting better with this one being extra special because it’s a perfect example of how much this idea has truly grown.

I didn’t always have the courage to interview others, though, especially DJs, and I didn’t always have DJs who said yes. It had to start somewhere, with someone, and something.

That’s the first thing I’d want you to know about my connection to Jennifer Highfield Castro aka DJ BadCat.

She helped me make this thing come true, and it happened sometime around four years ago, when I was nothing more than someone looking for a new path.

BadCat helped me with that by inviting me to dinner and a conversation. Hosting me at her house up in Santa Fe, where we had a wonderful night of charcuterie, music, a beautiful New Mexico sunset, and the creation of an idea we now return to years later, as things continue to change for both Badcat and me.

This dinner would be the last one in this specific house, one I called ‘the house with the blue door’ the first time I saw it. Here’s how the night went. I hope you enjoy it.

It was a Saturday night, I believe, and my partner Sonya and I made the trip we’ve made many times together up to Santa Fe from Albuquerque, which usually takes around 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic, and is usually made in anticipation of a rave, but this time it was for dinner.

For quite some time BadCat had encouraged me to come see her house and how much redecorating she had done since our last visit, and as soon as we arrived the changes were obvious even down to the fact that her front door wasn’t blue anymore, but rather black, which is something my techno heart just can’t find a way to complain about.

As soon as we entered and began to scan the room for changes, it jumped out at me like a modern extremist jungle of colors and textures and different aspects of Badcat’s mind all transformed into physical representations of both her as a DJ and as a person.

BadCat would later explain to me that the actual style was her interpretation of classic Hollywood Regency style, and I could see where that comes from since it felt like I was at the Hollywood Hilton hotel in the 70s but still with that modern BadCat twist.

I slowly walked through her living room and admired every little detail of each piece of art that was chosen for specific reasons and quickly I realized these things that decorated her wall were another way of her telling her own story in the same light as a DJ would tell their story with music.

Layers upon layers of unique pieces of art covered her walls and even the furniture had its own character and life to it.

What I especially enjoyed was hearing BadCat tell us stories about how each one was acquired. Traveling back from Florida, stopping in Texas along the way to pick something up; Paintings by her mother, also paintings of friends she’s lost, both feline and human.

We take for granted how much of a journey this life is and sitting there seeing the physical representations of this one person’s journey was incredible to experience.

I especially loved a painting she had of Freddie Mercury done by her mother Claudia Clark, also known as Chill. I laughed at the fact that I was going to wear my Freddie Mercury shirt for the night, but changed into my Harry Potter one.

What a wonderful coincidence it would have been but then again all of this life is just one big coincidence. The stories behind each one led us right towards the dining room table where the first course of our meal was already served.

What appeared to be a loaf of bread was Baked Brie and habanero blackberry preserves with a pastry crust. The appetizer was surrounded by these wonderful crackers and as we cut it open the cheese poured out and became the spread on the crackers we devoured with delight.

From there she led us to three more plates which would be considered the second course since we had almost finished the Brie without even thinking twice.

First, was this smooth dip that had a unique flavor to it that I just can’t describe; then another dish she described as an Elote without the cob, but with everything else called esquites, and then my personal favorite, room temperature potatoes with soft-boiled eggs. A Peruvian dish called papa a la huancaina.

I am a huge potato lover and yet I never thought to just eat a potato at room temp like that. It was done in such a way that it was immediately my favorite dish of the night.

I’m still thinking about those potatoes now, and I’ll admit I spent the rest of the night sneaking back to that one dish just to sneak as many as I could.

After that, Badcat’s partner Brandon brought in the main course, which was a freshly grilled steak, It made me jump for joy since I don’t eat red meat like I used to but love it as much as ever, and as he served me my plate he said ‘Made just for you,’ and I appreciated that so immensely from them both.

The hospitality and kindness they have shown me over the last few years cannot be understated and it’s something I have learned to share more and more with others as a result of their example.

It’s sort of like rave culture itself. When you start in this life you just want to make it to the next one and the next one. You never actually think of the people you meet along the way.

But as you start to age and dance a little bit slower, the people become just as important as the music. Then one day, you can’t help but always connect the two, because to you they are now the same.

The people you find in this life are the music and these moments are the dancefloors we find together.

We’ve got to remember that one and find a way to share that with others, especially the next generations that are discovering our culture. Even if they don’t know what it’s about, it’s our job to teach them.

It was then that BadCat shared with me that she had recently attended Movement Music Festival in Detroit, which I have no shame in admitting is still my favorite festival in my favorite city.

We joked about how you dance so much that it makes you feel old, and then she told us about one night over the weekend and how it started raining so hard you couldn’t see anything around you and she was stuck downtown not knowing what to do.

But suddenly, like magic, the rain stopped and she found herself walking the streets of Downtown Detroit looking for an after-party she was planning to attend.

Without directions or direction, she wandered wondering if she was lost or just finding her way, and then she heard it, the music in the night. Like a beacon through sound somehow she knew it was the one she was looking for and she used her ears to end up exactly where she was meant to be.

It warms my heart to know that a city like Detroit is magical to many people for many reasons, and I was happy for BadCat to have had that moment.

Even after she told the story to me I marveled and remembered my own memories of the city and the music, and recalled yet again, this life isn’t just for some of us, but for all of us, as long as we’re willing to go get it.

After our steaks with asparagus and red wine, it was time for the dessert, warm shortcake with whipped cream and strawberries Romanoff.

She even managed to find me a Coca-Cola to sip along with it. It was a wonderful and nostalgic ending to a one-of-a-kind meal and a great night of conversation and stories.

I sat with Badcat’s two cats and enjoyed the dessert as Badcat herself did a b2b with DJ Sonya G to end the night right.

Years ago, when Sonya was considering becoming a DJ, Badcat was the first person to invite her over, teaching her some tricks and giving her the confidence to become a DJ herself.

It was a full circle moment for all of us, and I’m so glad and thankful we got to experience that before Badcat moved into a new house and this one would never be the same again.

Before we knew it the night had come to an end and the last dinner we’d share at this exact place and at this same time was over. We thanked Badcat for her hospitality, and she even gave me a souvenir to take home.

Even then we knew, though, this wasn’t the final story. It’s just simply time to start a new one, both with our homes and with each other. I can’t wait to see what Badcat does with her new house and how she uses that to tell her story.

Thank you again to Badcat not just for the nights of music and conversation we spent in that house, but also for believing in me enough before anybody else did, and trusting me to hear your story.

This was yet another reminder that not all success can be measured in dollar bills and not all moments are meant to be forgotten.

See you on the dancefloor, and perhaps if you’re willing at the dinner table too.

Dinner with DJ’s: Justin Cristofer

I took some extra time before writing this one about DJ Justin Cristofer because I enjoyed the memory of it. The conversation, the music, the food, the vibe, it all kind of came together for this, and some of these moments you just want to hang on to a little bit longer before you let them go.

Justin was the fourth DJ who agreed to have dinner with me, and it’s all been a wonderful experience for multiple reasons. This one would be no different. I hope I am true to the story I was told. Here’s exactly how it went.

We agreed to meet around 8 pm at my house, and since Justin is a Vegetarian we agreed to an all-vegetarian meal, going with a traditional New Mexican dish that I’m sure we both ate many times growing up.

Beans made in the crock pot, tostadas, fried potatoes on the side, and we even got some tortillas from the Frontier, just to give it that nice homemade taste.

If you’ve never had Frontier tortillas you’re missing out on not just a wonderful tortilla, but also a great representation of this city. I’m glad we included that. 

Even the appetizer had history to it as Sonya made her salsa that has been passed down through her family for generations on top of generations with each one adding its own flavor.

It set the tone for a conversation, which had a sense of timelessness to it. A story that could have happened at any time and any place, and still there it was unfolding right in my living room.

I think that’s what all this Dinner with DJ’s thing was meant to be. We’re all going at such quick paces, especially DJ’s. Always the next beat, always the next moment, always the next.

We seem to fall into the repetition of it all sometimes that perhaps it’s proper now and then to just stop and notice those around us and how close our paths run alongside each other’s, if only for a bit.

The details of Justin’s story start with his birth at a military base in a city named Twentynine Palms in Southern California just 20 mins from Joshua Tree, living in multiple places with his family as a child. Staying at each place long enough to remember, but not long enough for it to be the only place.

Eventually, his family moved back here to New Mexico, where he first found his love for music as a drummer for a Metal Band named Against the Grain, where he experienced success enough to tour and start his path as a musician.

His connection to electronic music started around the same time in the 505 as well, with a place we all know from that moment and that time.

The Pulse, a club committed to electronic music once located at the end of Nob Hill on central has been closed for a long time now, but what it has meant to our generation of ravers cannot be understated.

For Justin, I, and many others, it was one of the first clubs that allowed us a place to go and dance to the music we loved in a safe and welcoming environment, and I don’t know where we would have been able to go if the Pulse would have never accepted me or anybody else during that time.

Justin’s connection to electronic music started with the Pulse, and it was so wonderful to hear his story including a place we also cherished so much. To know that we share that memory even if we weren’t together at that moment. That was the point of all this in the first place, I believe.

From there he followed his love for drumming to LA where he studied music at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.

His original plan was to be a session drummer after finishing school, and perhaps that could have been the story for Justin as a musician, but then that’s where electronic music starts to take over the story.

During his time in LA Justin found the underground between 2010 and 2020, which I feel was a very rare moment in Southern California. California has always been a massive part of the electronic music world, but back then things were changing, and nobody was sure which way it was going to go.

Justin himself was in attendance at the last EDC held in LA at the Coliseum, an event many people have talked about as a pivotal moment in rave culture both for good and for bad.

It signaled the end of an era and the beginning of multiple new ones, with EDC moving to Las Vegas after that, and LA becoming a city more committed to the underground, a task that would take many years to accomplish.

I can still picture Justin describing it as we sat and ate the beans, potatoes, and tortillas, and listened to some music that influenced him, which was around that time he mentioned a DJ very responsible for his connection to LA and electronic music, Boys Noize.

Boys Noize is not from LA or even America, but rather he is from Germany, yet that is what is amazing about a place like California.

At the edge of the world, where all cultures and people come together every single day, there comes an understanding that nobody is where they once started, and where they will end up is not where they are right now.

Justin and his story are a perfect example of that. Born on a military base, raised in New Mexico, and now in Los Angeles finding this music made on the other side of the world and brought to exactly where you are; presented to you in such a way that you may never feel the same about anything else ever again.

I felt a similar epiphany with LA myself when I traveled there for the first time in the year 2015, and I spent the next five years traveling back and forth as often as possible to experience what Justin was able to live and be involved in every day.

It was a beautiful moment to be a part of, and I think of it fondly as I sit at my typewriter and create these words for you on this hot summer night. We all deserve a moment like we had in LA, and I hope if you are reading this now, that you find your version of that someday too.

The energy was everywhere—the graffiti-filled walls, late nights in the city, skyscrapers that seemed to never end. Downtown LA went on for miles—the first taste of what it meant to see a concrete jungle for itself.

Deep in the streets, music filled the air, and those of us who were able to hear it found something I still cherish to this day. Knowing that Justin was there at the same place and the same time is a wonderful thing to realize.

Were we ever at the same shows or warehouses or even festivals? Does it matter? Doesn’t it only matter that we both felt the same feeling and we carried it through?

I don’t think I had any intention of letting go of LA, though, but then COVID happened and everything stopped, which is also what brought Justin back home to the 505, now a promising, powerful, and very experienced DJ.

What I especially liked so much about this night, was that Justin showed up ready and willing to tell his story, and I was so honored and amazed at what he shared.

He told me about going to Mexico City and DJing in an old parking garage, and going to Germany and waiting in line at Berghain for four hours before finally being let in.

The ultimate test of a techno raver is the moment you may or may not be let into Berghain, and most would be impressed that he got in, yet I loved how he was so committed.

No matter how long it took, he wanted to know if he could get in, and I’m so happy to hear that he did. There was even a moment when I asked him which he preferred.

Mexico City or Berlin?

His response was perfect in saying both were unique in their own way and because of that, both were worth seeing on their own.

I admired his answer. To be willing to have seen more than me and still see value in what each holds. This life is not a competition so why should the cities we see along the way be as well?

It was at this moment in our night when Justin and I had an honest conversation about Gay culture and how it will always be the root of where electronic music came from.

House music was created by queer, black and Latino people and made popular in gay clubs throughout the world. The LGBTQ community will always be the bedrock and true face of what electronic music has always stood for.

From there Justin got behind my XDJ I set up in my living room, and he gave me a shortened mix of many of the tracks he discussed with me throughout the night.

It was so impressive to hear the sounds of the words that were just shared with me in conversation. It was more of a rhythmic vibrant techno, which reminded me of our talk of the difference between Latin-American Techno and German Techno.

One goes for a rhythm similar to a samba, whereas the other is industrial and heavy. He then played a track by DJ Hell, another German DJ he discovered in LA, and it gave me the flip to what has influenced Justin throughout the years. It was another moment that reinforced that need for both. Then, he finished with a real favorite of both of ours, Honey Dijon.

Over the years Honey Dijon has proven to be a powerful voice and sound in the global rave community, and a beloved producer and DJ throughout the world. She represents not just the beginning of house music, but also how positive and powerful the future of it can be.

House music and rave culture stand for acceptance and growth for all who wish to be involved and we owe that to the members of the gay community who have accepted all the children of house with open arms. I feel we must remain true to that concept no matter how big house and techno get in the world.

We must always give thanks know the history of what we came from and show respect for what it is. It’s a tradition of house music just like the traditions we have anywhere else in the world, including here in the 505.

In closing, I wish to say thank you to Justin Cristofer for sharing your story and voice and trusting me enough to share that with others. I can’t say enough how grateful I am to the DJs who agree to do this, and Justin is a wonderful example of how powerful the DJ’s perspective is.

Each of us is a part of some larger thing that none of us can see, yet we can feel it, but only if we stop to notice it and each other now and then.

I can’t wait to see how Justin’s voice and experience will contribute more to the 505 and he can be heard playing at the Albuquerque Social Club with his club night he calls Groundware, where he focuses on playing with different DJs from the 505 every week.

First, on August 16th he is playing alongside the very talented Baby Bumps, and next week for Groundware’s first anniversary on August 23rd he will be playing all night long.

Congratulations to Justin for making it to one year with a great contribution the 505’s growing nightlife. He can also be heard wherever the road may take him, which is something I understand more than anybody, and although normally there’d be a mix along with this story, this time I wish to tell you to go out and hear the DJ in person. You never know whose path is running right along yours without even noticing.

See you on the dancefloor, dear friends, and if you’re free, at the dinner table as well. 

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.

Dinner with DJ’s: Basket O Fries

It is often said, in these modern times, that on this path of life, we are forever meant to be students. Learning something new every day until the day we die. That’s sort of how I’d describe what’s happening with dinner with DJ’s.

I now find myself coming into contact with people capable of teaching me while also being students as well. Which is especially true after my dinner with Anthony Vallez aka Basket O Fries. Here’s how it went.

We started this dinner a little late this time since we both worked that day, and agreed to meet at around 8 pm for chicken wings, March madness, music, and a lesson on drum and bass.

My living room was a classroom for the night, and my textbooks were the sounds coming out of the speakers, decided and lectured by the teacher. But not right away.

Although he was there for music, we quickly found ourselves in an extended discussion of our shared love for college basketball, which was playing the entire time he was there. We talked about the Lobos, and how we both hope they build on the success of making the tournament again.

I revealed I was a Duke fan, and he acknowledged being a fan of UNC, Duke’s biggest rival. We had been watching all the same games for the last two decades, yet from different sides of the court. The connections did not stop there. We are walking the same path, except maybe at different times.

That’s where his story began. He told me about attending West Mesa High School, the same school I attended a few years before, missing each other by just a couple of years. Then he told me about his introduction to the rave scene as a student of West Mesa.

He described what it was like going to the Wool warehouse for the first time; hearing drum and bass live and in person. Connecting it to his love for hip-hop and how jungle sprouted from that which caused the birth of drum and bass.

It all seems so connected at times and yet we don’t realize it until we go learn and see it for ourselves. He even shared that many of the people he met that night are still in his life now. Such a beautiful thing to recall.

From there he told me about attending EDC around that same time, when it was still at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. Drum and bass was bigger In LA than NM back then, but also different than the surge they are experiencing now.

Edc and Bassrush had a stage completely dedicated to drum and bass and the underground scene in LA had him traveling back and forth constantly. He was there right on the verge of it, and he could see the difference when he returned to EDC three years later. The culture was growing. It still is.

After that, Basket O Fries went on to make a major leap in his musical education, as he attended a week-long drum and bass festival in Spain called Innovation in the Sun.

How crazy the places we will go because of this music. The understanding was clear. After this kind of trip music would be different now. He would be different too.

It was at this moment that the DJ began playing the first part of his set which he properly called, the appetizer.

A smooth mix of liquid drum and bass and the sounds I remember so well from those years of adolescence when this music found us in the darkness of the night, and we, so young and unaware, surrendered to it so completely, that now we find ourselves listening back with nostalgic understanding.

It was sometime during this mix he played a Tupac song I loved so much during my youth called “Do for Love”, and it was then that I realized that he experienced something so similar to what I did. But instead of house music, like in my journey, for him it was drum and bass. We are all dancing to a different beat and yet still on the same dancefloor.

He ended his first set just as our chicken wings got there, with a drum and bass version of the old Zapp and Roger song “Computer Love”, and it reminded me of the idea again, of house music being house music before it was house music. But this isn’t house music, it’s drum and bass, so what does that mean?

I wondered these things as we began to eat, and continued to discuss more about his journey. The statement repeated in my head. Same dancefloor just a different beat.

For dinner, we chose to order out, which ended up being a wonderful idea since we had more time to discuss what is next for Basket O Fries, as his future looks stacked with chances to spread the lesson of drum and bass. A role he did not see coming all those years ago when he first started.

For years he was content with being in the crowd, supporting his friends, and just enjoying the vibe, but then the student became the teacher along the way.

First, he became a DJ, then a promoter, now one of the leaders of the 505 Junglists crew, and committed to keeping that drum and bass spirit alive here in the 505.

Creating a community, supporting arts, local vendors, and of course, up-and-coming local DJs. There’s so much we can say about where we’ve been, but what is to be done about where we are going? Who’s helping us get there?

Shortly after the games ended Basket O Fries returned to the Xdj for a mini mix of what represents the style he plays out more at the 505 Junglists shows, a style you can hear at multiple venues around the city this month.

The next one is coming up on April 12th, with a good mix of old school and new school, and a headliner from Los Angeles coming all this way just to share that Southern California sound that seems to inspire so many so often.

By the end of the mix, the postgame show was on, and we were full of too many chicken wings, yet satisfied with the lesson of the night. He took me through the years of drum and bass, and how they related to his journey, and we ended up right here back in the city we seem to both be committed to so completely now. Not the story I expected to tell when I was still a student so long ago. But then again, did any of us plan for this one?

So, in closing, I wish to say thank you to Basket O Fries for being my drum and bass teacher for the night both with your words and with your music.

I see so clearly I still have so much more to learn as a student, but it’s also good to know some teachers know exactly what this music stands for.

Also, thanks for the conversation on basketball. I think we are so committed to this culture at times, that we ignore the other parts of life we may have in common too. It was fun to experience that and to know that although this music brought us together, it doesn’t have to always be the reason we share our time, and in this case, our story.

And as always, if you enjoy these words, and the mix that goes with it, do me a favor and go to the show this April 12th. The one after that too.

Whether you’re jungle crew, a dnb kid, or just someone looking for a dancefloor for the night, the message is still the same. Go early, stay late, support the culture. It’s the way a student becomes the teacher.

See you on the dancefloor, dear friends, and maybe at the dinner table too.

Basket O Fries’ Soundcloud

Dinner with DJ’s: Chiddy

I knew very little about Chiddy before inviting him to dinner the night of Feb 7th, but that’s kind of the point of what I’d like to call Dinner with DJs. A chance to connect with artists through music and food to tell their story set to their sound. But what would I say about this artist? What would I say about this night? Here’s how it went.

Chiddy, to start, is already respected for his incredible talent as a photographer, and yet I didn’t want him to think that was why I was interested in having him over. I understand as much as anybody the need for any artist to constantly evolve and try different formats, never completely knowing which one suits us best.

That may be the secret of life as an artist. Keep creating in as many ways as possible as often as possible, and the rest will find its way.

He arrived just after 5 pm as I was testing out the setup I had made in my living room just for the night. I decided to use my kitchen table to hold the weight of my XDJ, and a Yamaha speaker was set up on each side to enforce that extra bounce necessary when inviting a DJ over to play for you.

What I liked so much was that he did not hesitate to take control of the music as he began the night with an impromptu combination of breaks, various acapella’s, some jazzy house, and a glimpse into the eclectic mind I invited to be our first guest.

Right off the bat, his sound reminded me so much of a CD series I knew when I was younger called the San Francisco sessions, which were usually but not always compiled by Chicago’s own Mark Farina.

The San Francisco sound, also created by the Hardkiss Brothers and is now best represented by the Martin Brothers, to me, represents a steady balance of jazzy breaks and deep house mixed with soul wrapped all into a groovy flow coming out of the speakers. That’s what Chiddy played with his first set. Mellow, experimental, soulful, and even organic.

After about an hour, we decided to start eating the meal of the night, tacos, where we could discuss more how his journey brought him to us and our dinner table, which was a folding table this time since, as I said, our kitchen table was in the living room for the night.

He started his story by telling me about getting into electronic music back home in Las Vegas, where he attended the first EDC held there in 2011. He also went the next year, which was the year high winds shut the festival down, and many wondered if it would ever be the epic experience it was back in LA.

For Chiddy, it was enough to keep him coming back, stringing shows and experiences together until the fall of 2016 when he attended his first Dirtybird campout.

At this moment, things began to click, as they often do in this life and this culture. We keep searching and searching and then boom, there we are. Surrounded by people, happy, in love with the music, dancing without care. Not everybody can live this life, but the ones who do understand know that it doesn’t come to find you. You have to go and get it.

From Dirtybird in the fall, he immediately went straight into the Desert Hearts festival in March of 2017, and the combination of the two created a story that I feel is still going now. One that brought him here to New Mexico, a place where Dirtybird and Desert Hearts are both cherished immensely.

Most of us discovered his talents as a photographer, and it wasn’t until the quarantine that he started committing to being a DJ, getting his start doing various live streams for multiple groups in the 505.

After that, Chiddy’s connection to this city grew, and now you can find him contributing and supporting at every step. He is a part of this city now, and I feel we should be happy he is here.

Shortly after we finished our tacos, he returned to the decks for the second part of his mix, and this time felt more like a more driving mix of house and techno, but still keeping the rhythm funky and smooth. Right now, the big sound in techno is hard techno, but I will still always favor the funky side of it, and it felt good hearing a DJ keep that alive here in the 505.

Perhaps my favorite part of the whole night was hearing him play an acapella of Vincent Price’s vocals from the Micheal Jackson track ‘Thriller’ over a bouncing techno beat, which was a moment I could not help but enjoy as I sat there in my living room listening with intent to every sound.

It was a reminder of the idea that even house music was house music before it was house music if that makes any sense to those of you reading these words now.

What made this night so wonderful, though, is that as he continued to play, it was as if I could hear his story in his sound, and every track seemed to represent a different experience in his life that led him to that moment.

It is a balance of house and techno, like the balance between Dirtybird and Desert Hearts, like the balance between Nevada and New Mexico, but also a great sign of where the 505 is going with the future.

Before we knew it, the mix was over, and our DJ for the night was exhausted and ready to head home. He took his time out of a busy day to not just share his story and his music but also his passion as well. We forget that we all belong to this world by pure will and commitment, and in this DJ, I can see a commitment and connection that will only help the 505 grow and become something better than we were before.

We are forever moving forward while still remembering to look back. I’m grateful to this DJ for this night and for agreeing to share a meal with me in my home. Thank you to Chiddy, and I hope this proves as a message to all the DJs out there in the 505 that if you’re willing to take that chance to tell your story and share your sound, there’s someone here ready to listen.

See you on the dancefloor, dear friends, and if you’re willing, at the dinner table.

itschiddy.com

Chiddy’s Soundcloud

Chiddy’s Instagram