Introduce yourself? Pronouns? Where do you currently reside? 1 fun fact about yourself?
Hello, I’m Sharlese Jul-anetia Metcalf, she/her pronouns. My DJ name is Sharlese and on IG it’s Sh6rl6s6. One fun fact about me is I like to write fan mail. I’ve made many friends this way. I like to tell people that I like their music or their mixes so they feel appreciated.
Who/what currently inspires you music-wise that has nothing to do with music?
Riding the bus. I ride the bus to and from work, mostly, and sometimes I don’t listen to anything, but the natural noises from the bus. Sometimes it gets real wild with situations and other times, it’s just regular busy bus noises.
Favorite sound in nature? Describe how it makes you feel.
I love the sound of the wind. Sometimes she starts screaming and I feel like she’s telling me to stop overthinking. I find some comfort in hearing the wind, she’s moving things around and adding some texture to the world.
Dream line-up?
Franz Scala
Perel
I-F
Andi
Sharlese
Lazercat
Favorite DJ mixing trick?
Cut the midrange, drop the bass 😉
If you had to trade your USB with one DJ, who would it be and why?
Josh Cheon of Dark Entries. He has the best music taste, I’ve seen him do so many different kinds of sets from ambient, and experimental to shoegaze fun, all songs by The Cure and synth, wave deep cuts! He knows so much!
How do you typically prepare a mix?
I think about it a lot, like so much I go to sleep thinking about it, I shower thinking about it, I do my dishes thinking about it all while gathering tracks. It’s a big deal for me to get the vision down otherwise there’s no foundation for me with. So I think about different things, like ‘80’s club party’ or ‘fast car driving down a windy smooth road’ or ‘club kidz rave party’. Once I get the vision down, I think about how I want to start it and end it. I like to be weird in my mixes and give you some surprises and show you what I could be working with and tell you a story. I want you to feel like you went somewhere. A good place that you can revisit.
How do you avoid burnout?
Sometimes I call my friends and complain and sometimes I just stop doing it. I tell myself that I need a break and I’ll binge-watch so much television (mostly reality TV) just escape. I do work a lot so avoiding burnout is something I’m constantly working on. Cooking is another thing I like to do and taking a good ole fashion walk, it’s very therapeutic!
Favorite thing to cook currently?
I like to bake these 3-ingredient cookies!
(2) Ripe (pretty much brown) bananas
(1) teaspoon of cacao powder
(2) tablespoons of almond butter
And a little baking powder to give it some energy.
Bake at 350 for 13 to 15 min and enjoy! They keep for about two days.
Who would DJ your wedding… who would DJ your funeral?
Wedding – Optimo
Funeral – Ron Like Hell
What is the theme song of your life?
I have many, but as of recently, it’s…
DJ Goal?
To start believing in myself more and I’d like to learn to mix synth and wave on vinyl like Silent Servant.
If you had to go back in time music-wise what era would it be and why?
80’s – extreme, fun fashion and new wave hits!
Let’s play a pipipi game… I give you a situation & you give me a track..
90s in NYC just left a diner with nowhere to go
Underwater with all of your friends but you can breathe for longer than expected
In a taxi hour 6
If you had to describe yourself as a beverage, what would it be and why?
Pamplemoose La Croix. I’m sparkling, charming and I got flavor!
What was your best moment on the dance floor?
Watching Pablo Bozzi at the XXX-Floor at Berghain and crying for his entire set. Questioning my life, my contribution as a DJ, and my overall purpose and absolutely dying over his set. I kept dancing and I wore sunglasses and kept getting compliments on them. Some people noticed that I was crying and asked me if I was ok, others offered me drinks and the rest complimented me on my sunglasses. This entire situation might sound awkward, but crying felt good and thinking about my life felt necessary and seeing Pablo was essential because I love him. I was alone and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I learned so much that day, about myself and a bit of the club world and I’ll never forget it. I’m still processing and also finding it a bit funny that I was so dramatic.
Longest you’ve stayed up and why?
Three days because I was at Movement in Detroit and I didn’t want to miss one thing so I went for it and it was all worth it.
What is your most recent favorite DJ mix and why?
Lobster Theremin Podcast 212 // DJ HEARTSTRING – https://soundcloud.com/lobster-theremin/lt-podcast-212-dj-heartstring
Pure, fucking, ravepop, happiness!
Track that makes you think about falling in love…
Jennifer Lara – I am in love
Dream DJ gig?
XXX-Floor at Berghain or Dekmantel 🙂
What was your first gig? How did it go?
My first gig was at a space called Electric Tea Garden in Seattle. I played witch house, minimal synth and cold wave. They were a bunch of tracks I found on a blog site at the lowest of the low quality. I was trying to mix it, but I had no idea what I was doing. Someone actually came up to me and asked if I was a new DJ and I felt so embarrassed. Overall I give myself an A+ for cool tracks and knowledge, D- for the quality of the tracks and C- for not knowing how to handle the situation and an E+ for feeling embarrassed.
Any advice to upcoming DJs?
Do it because you love it and you don’t have to say yes to everything and you don’t have to be at every after-party to get a gig.
Track for summer 2022?
What would you like to see in the future for the dance community?
More headlining slots featuring black and trans women and the termination of hierarchical name positioning on event flyers.