Introduce yourself? Pronouns? Where do you currently reside?
I’m Shirley aka Sleepy G. Pronouns are she/her. I am currently living in Washington DC.
Look to the first window you see where you are… what’s going on out there?
Our bedroom window looks out onto a cemetery. There is a little grove of dogwoods in full bloom now; it’s quite the scene.
3 adjectives that start with the same letter to describe your musical taste?
Sweet, sensitive, silly
Favorite podcast at the moment?
I’m really excited about this podcast about motherhood and the music industry from Logic1000 and Helena Starr called Therapy. As a new mother who is just getting back into DJing, it’s really inspiring to see these DJs doing it at such a high level. They keep it super real and are hilarious as well.
Track to make everyone in the crowd drop a single tear?
What album do you have on repeat right now?
Two Star & The Dream Police – mk.gee. My partner Zach played this artist for me recently and I was hooked. This album has a lot of the elements of the stuff I listened to as a teen as well as stuff I’ve gotten into later in life.
Listen to the moment at 1hr and 1 min mark in your PI mix… describe how it makes you feel?
A little anxiety of being out of control, but balanced with the belief I’ll land somewhere warm and safe
Oddest moment while DJing?
This wasn’t technically while I was DJing, but still a funny DJ-related moment… Several years ago when Dan Creahan aka Alien D booked me to play his party in NYC, I was hanging out at Oscar Huang’s place and about to leave for the gig and I split my pants completely down the backside. Luckily his girlfriend Carla was there and happens to be a super talented seamstress. She sewed up my pants and I made it to the gig in time! Forever grateful to Carla!
What was the last meal you made?
Paneer Tikka Masala… I have a toddler who loves curry so this one gets heavy rotation in our house.
Advice to someone wanting to start DJing?
I’m coming back after such a long hiatus I feel like I am just starting again! This time around I am a lot less hard on myself when I make a mistake or trainwreck a little bit, which makes it easier to move through transitions with more fluidity, and just makes the whole endeavor more fun. So I guess that would be my advice? Don’t sweat the mistakes and imperfections 🙂
Mix you have listened to that sticks with you throughout the years?
Beautiful Swimmers Trilogy Tapes mix from 2015! Zach gave me this tape a couple months after we first met and I played it multiple times a day when I was studying for my Masters. Still hits 🙂
Favorite place to listen to music where you live?
Rhizome! There is always something cool and weird happening there. DC is very lucky to have this true community space. Rhizome is in the process of buying a permanent space, and you can donate here: https://givebutter.com/rhizomedc
Let’s play a pi pi pi game… I give you a situation & you give me a track
Endless highway with a tape player
Pine trees in every direction the smell of wet wood
Dreaming of sunsets
What is your favorite party/collective where you reside and why?
Sadly, I feel like I don’t really get out enough to answer this question! Dance Club and Noxeema Jackson are definitely two favorites. Both these parties create spaces that are so full of queer joy and expression, they also are uncompromising on the musical programming, and you can see how it is truly a labor of love in the promotion.
Favorite smell in nature?
Right now, probably osmanthus. There is a giant tree in bloom right now that I pass almost every day.
Earliest musical memory you still think about today?
I had a small, very basic pocket radio as a kid. I don’t think it even had the ability to store stations in memory. I loved turning the knob to find the stations I liked. Where I grew up, the hip hop and r&b station would play freestyle and house music on weekend evenings and I would just sit in my room listening to the DJ mix. This was probably my first real exposure to house music, and I guess is probably why I am drawn to these sounds today.
What would you like to see in the future for the dance community?
Kindness and authenticity