San Francisco based DJ JUDY LI AKA DHRA, gave us this magical and energizing mix to help celebrate our debut party in San Francisco. Peep her quick Q+A below:
Something you want everyone to know about you:
Special thanks to T. Vivien, Rush plus, Bedouin records, and Project 13 for letting me showcase their forthcoming material in this mix.
When did you start DJing?
About 4 years ago but started playing out regularly a year ago.
First gig:
Breathe, a bass music night at Milk Bar on haight street in 2012.
Favorite party ever played:
Brouhaha in Oakland during summer of last year, it was one of the first times I’d go to play a full vinyl set and the energy of the music and crowd was really feeding off one another.
Fave DJ:
Helena Hauff – her impeccable selections and technical ability makes her someone I really respect. Also, someone else who’s not necessarily known for her DJing but whose skills I find equally impressive as her music is Bjork.
Best record you've ever bought?
I finally got my hands on the shinichi atobe’s butterfly effect recently and I can’t stop playing it.
How would you define the term Discwoman?
Any musician who identifies as female as a social construct. As someone who grew up in the 90s, I also find this to be a clever play on the ‘discman’, which challenges preconceived notions of gender in dance music and society as a whole historically. If the discman is a relic of the past then discwoman is paving the path for a more equally represented present and future.
Do you dance when you DJ?
Yes!
Place you’d like to play:
Anywhere and everywhere with a good sound system, crowd, and vibe!