For me, deejaying is curation, first and foremost. Designing a path along an arc of ideas and feelings through sound is what it’s all about. The experience can be in a large space, a small space, a virtual space, or an imaginary space. There’s an inherent and implicit trust involved; whoever is playing the role of DJ at that particular time will help you experience something that you wouldn’t be able to feel in any other place. I like to curate in the realms of house, disco, funk, 70s/80s everything, techno, electronic various, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, indie whatchamacallits, 90s easy pop/rock and alternative, reggae, rai, 50s/60s oldies, classic rock, everything in between and the list goes on. When I make mixes, I’m usually not just putting tracks together, but rather wrapping around an idea. Inspiration can come from anywhere, often from songs themselves. Taking those songs and arranging them in a way that makes me feel a certain way is usually the goal. Sometimes it starts with the name of the mix and goes backwards. The name might give you a clue what it’s about for me, but I won’t always tell you straight away. Your own set of connections and individual interpretation is important to me. I like the ambiguity. But we can have a dialogue about it - let’s do that. When I play out, I think about the space and who I expect to be there, and why they’re there. And what’s going on in the world around us that we can join into. What would we all really benefit from hearing and feeling and doing right now? The connection and shared experience you get with in-person events can’t really be replicated in my view. Not yet, at least. I’ve been curating music since I was maybe 8 or 9, and deejaying since I was 18. Being a DJ has been different things at different times for me. I like where it’s at right now, and I’m excited for where it might be for me in the future. Here with you, Lani @djlaniishere