An interview with DJ deep th0ts
From organizing women-centered parties in NYC to commanding dance floors with her powerful, emotional sets, DJ deep th0ts brings spirit and intention to every beat. We sat down with her to talk music as medicine, femme anthems, and the importance of creating safer spaces for self-expression and joy.
Stephanie Gancayco/DJ deep th0ts. Photo by Rod Rosete
What inspired you to become a DJ, and how did your journey into the music scene begin?
I'm blessed to have been exposed to great music from a super young age. Both of my parents are music lovers; my dad and his siblings are jazz musicians and my grandpa was a bandleader and music professor. So they would bring me to really legendary concerts and music was always playing in both my mom and dad's homes when I was growing up: soul, jazz, classical, opera. Legend has it that when I was born my grandpa saw my fingers and immediately declared "she'll be a piano player!" I took lessons for a few years as a kid but had a traumatic recital experience where I completely blanked out and choked mid-Beethoven and promptly quit!
Delving into subcultures and underground scenes has always been my thing and is such a constant source of inspiration. I've always loved digging and finding new music and new artists across all kinds of genres. I started producing women-centered parties in NY in 2017 through my media brand, Hella Pinay, and a lot of my DJ/artist friends would always encourage me to DJ myself because of how much I love curating the vibe of a room and sharing music with people. To me, DJing is like composing in a way; so I guess it satisfies that drive to play music for an audience but without having to actually create it from scratch. More than anything, I DJ because music and dancing are how I connect to spirit and feel free.
Being a female DJ in a male-dominated industry can sometimes be challenging. Have you faced any unique obstacles, and how have you navigated them?
I'm honestly really grateful to say that I've only had one memorably negative experience with a male DJ I was on a lineup with. He treated me like I was dumb and didn't know what I was doing, but it was clear that he was acting that way because I'm "a girl" and I generally dress pretty young. I called him out to the promoter and he must have told the DJ because after his set he came up to me and was super mortified and apologetic. I accepted his apology but definitely let him know that I felt disrespected, and why.
As a woman DJ—as with women in many professions, especially performers—I feel like there's still a lot of focus on looks that male DJs don't really have to deal with. Also it's funny to me that people are impressed if a woman can do something that's typically been associated with men in the past, like DJing or playing guitar or drums or whatever. I think it's unfortunate that women are often assumed to not be able to do things until they prove themselves otherwise. I just try to focus on putting forward my best and let the work speak for itself.
Daytime Disco by Seismic Sisters is all about celebrating music and community. What does this event mean to you, and how do you think it fosters inclusivity and creativity?
I love that it's not just a woman-focused event with wellness components, but one that also benefits the Glide Women's Center. It's so important to protect women and provide spaces and resources for their safety and support!
How would you describe your unique sound or style as a DJ, and what do you hope your audience feels when they hear your set?
That's kind of difficult because my style is super open format and can kind of jump all over the place in terms of musical genre. I guess what ties everything together is that my sound is based in electronic music and I'm usually telling a story or calling upon a particular feeling when I put sets together. Hopefully I'm taking the crowd on that journey with me! Honestly, I just play what I like and what expresses the emotions I feel at that particular point in my life (I'm a Scorpio haha) and I love when the audience feels the feels! I also love playing super femme power anthems - I love when women in the audience feel themselves and feel powerful and sexy.
What are some of the key challenges or rewards of playing during the daytime compared to a nighttime set, and how do you prepare for a Daytime Disco event?
I loveeeee day parties! They just have such a different vibe from nighttime clubs and raves. I feel like people who come through to day parties are super down to have fun and dance. Day parties always feel so cute and celebratory.
How do you think female DJs are reshaping the music scene, and do you see any shifts in the industry that empower more women to pursue DJing?
I think the fact that there's a lot more women DJs in general now is super encouraging to women wanting to break into the industry, and across all kinds of musical genres. I feel like social media has also created a lot of opportunities for DJs to get discovered, especially during the pandemic when so many DJs were streaming on Twitch and were able to build audiences there. There's so many incredible women DJ/producers who have even founded their own labels, like Nora En Pure and Sara Landry, who play major festivals and are absolutely killing it. It's always super inspiring to see them perform and have women like that to look up to.
If you could share one piece of advice with aspiring female DJs or artists looking to break into the scene, what would it be?
The same advice I give everyone, regardless of what their interest is: if you want to do something, just do it! Do it now. You don't have to wait until everything is perfect. Just try it out and see if you like it; if you do, practice more and do it again. The first time I DJ’d I was sooooo nervous because I'd only been DJing at home by myself for a couple of months and I was opening for four super talented, experienced DJs, and the party was packed. But they were all so encouraging, I really liked the music I was playing, and the crowd response was amazing! Practice, be yourself, believe in yourself, play what you love.