One of our favorite queer DJs sat down for an interview with Ace Hotel. “My DJ sets are like a melting pot,” explains DJ Mursi Layne, founder of The Artchitects, web series The Peculiar Kind, and a native of Trinidad. And that’s exactly why we love her! (In addition to the fact that she shares the same birthplace as ELIXHER’s creator.) Mursi Layne has spun at a variety of ELIXHER events including our monthly brunch SummHer.
Check out a snippet of her awesome interview here:
Trinidad-born Mursi Layne, founder of The Artchitects, spun with Tom Tom Magazine at Ace New York during October — and she’s back on the decks Monday night at Bembe in Brooklyn. A turntablist who prefers the wheels of steel to all that audio digitalis, she’s been mixing her bad self into a wider range of roles as deejay, documentarian and voice for her communities. We talked with her about Hands On mini-ball DJ MikeQ, being homesick, and the hats she wore back in the day, including some that she’s still wearing in the here and now.
What age were you when you arrived in New York and what song, sound or smell reminds you of that moment?
My first visit to NYC was at age 13. My mom and dad had already lived here for at least 8 years. My dad was a driver back then and every time he picked me up, he had a cassette tape with steel drums playing. I was into Dancehall and Soca, so I really couldn’t take the steel drums for too long. However, it reminded me of home — Trinidad — which I missed. I don’t hear steel drums often, so when I do it takes me back to my first time in New York.
You’ve been getting around the globe quite a bit for work. What’s the most exciting regional sound for you right now?
This is really tough because I have so many sounds that get me going at the moment. My DJ sets are like a melting pot! I can go anywhere from cunty beats like MikeQ-produced tracks to Stuttastep tunes such as DJ Kiva’s remix of Erykah Badu’s Out My Mind, Just in Time. At some parties, I have to throw in some Soca and Dancehall, naturally, because I am an island girl. Speaking of regional sound, I am super excited to guest DJ this Monday at iBomba, a monthly party where deejays spin a fusion of Global, Bass, Digital, Cumbia, Future and Dancehall.
Read the full interview here.
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