High power raving sounds – Dre Ngozi shows off her expansive musical tastes in this whirlwind mix, lifted straight from the dance.
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How are things going for you recently?
I’m very much in a place of transition in my life (again). It’s equally scary as it is exciting, as I have no idea what the future holds. I have always trusted that the universe has my back. I’ve been living a very nomadic life since the beginning of the pandemic, so let’s see where I end up next!
What have you been up to?
I’ve been mostly getting back into the swing of gigging, since Canada re-opened much later than a lot of other countries. I’ve been low-key working on some original music, in hopes of dropping a project before the end of the year. I’m also working on my online wellness business, as I also have a background in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The hustle is real!
If you could go back in time, what musical era would you choose to experience? Why?
It’s always a tie between the 70s and the 90s for me. I absolutely love 70s Disco, Funk and Soul music because it just always puts me in such a good mood. But, the 90s Hip-Hop and RnB era is absolutely unmatched in my opinion. The aesthetic, the swag, the scene. Like, music videos were basically epic high-budget movies and people actually danced! I recently just watched “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” on Netflix, it’s about Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs career and Bad Boy Records and I just got so nostalgic and emotional remembering how influential that label was on the culture.
Tell us a bit about the mix.
This mix is a little bit different for me. It’s heavy on the UKG, Drum & Bass and Jungle, which I’m not really known for ever playing. But, of course it has my usual house, club and afro elements woven in. I like to push myself DJ and production-wise and stay musically versatile, so I wanted to make a mix that people wouldn’t usually expect from me. Also, with everything going on in the world right now, I know many of us are going through a constant range of emotions, and this mix for me is an expression of the frustration, confusion, but at the same time, joy, faith and hope that I also feel. That’s the magic of electronic music, it has always served as a mode of black expression through the times and many social moments and movements.
What’s your favourite track in the mix? How did you discover it?
My favourite track is “Aaliyah Riddim” by Murder He Wrote. If you know me, you know that I love an edit/remix/mashup. You get the best of both worlds — recognizable elements of popular tracks with original production twists. I am not sure what Soundcloud’s standing is anymore with the general public, but for me and I think a lot of other DJs, it’s a go-to for finding dope edits from producers around the world.
Finally, who else would you like to see in the series?
I’m just going name some of my favourite DJs/Producers: Karen Nyame KG, Jadalareign, Anna Morgan, Bae Bae, Boston Chery
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