KILOPATRAH jones “Apply Pressure” Mix
And 2021 said let there be KILOPATRAH jones. And so it shall be. They also said “I want to call this Apply Pressure..” By all means..you didn’t need to twist our arm. Please - apply as much pressure as you wanna. In fact - SPRINKLE IT EVERYWHERE. Goddess knows we NEED more of this pressure. But are we ready? Are we worthy? Hold up - Kilopatrah - the Queens Born DJ (it’s all in the name) Came at us with a range so refreshing, hopeful, and dare we say - super ignited - it’s the musical slap in the face we need. Fair Warning - Kilopatrah has put in the work to earn that name - this emerging artist/DJ has no hands pulling them up unless it’s by the strength of their own - and when we say EARN we mean this DJ came up as a HOUSE DANCER - additionally, they’re ALL HEART, no mercy, and take no prisoners. So if you’re looking for “gritty, un-gentrified NYC” sounds that are deliciously - “rude, in your face & doesnt give a fuck but you will love it!” then you found it. So - without further ado, fine people: Kilopatra’s got something for your mind, your body, and your soul:
Where in the world is Kilopatrah Jones?
Born and raised in Queens, NYC but I’m now based in Brooklyn. I’m a city girl thru and thru!
What are some of the tracks that inspired you for this set and why did you choose ‘Apply Pressure’ as its title? Is it because we’re ‘waking’ up from 2020?
No but damn that is a great answer and I should borrow that (hehe). The name “Apply Pressure” is a call-to-action for those listening. 2020 was rough as hell but the emotional push that sultry soulful house gives, feeds me. When folks listen to this mix, imagine yourself in your happiest place with the bassline pulsing in your heart and the vocals singing in your head. Bang this mix in your earpods, Blast this mix in your whip! No Matter what for the next 53 mins, you are the main character of this story, what are you gonna do? That’s what “Apply Pressure” is.
This set is super duper wavy, luscious, soulful and then some - we’re a huge sucker for anything that has piano rolls and diva-house vocal lines - and as you said -- THICC - is that your primary goal and mission - Because you REALLY got something and we want more - to get ppl up and into their shine on the dancefloor and go the fuck off?
Dancing especially in house music is very near to my heart as I originally got into the scene as a house dancer first. A good house track is a gift man! When the DJ drops a beat for you to lose yourself in, time no longer exists as you are transported to a different world that you can groove, lose or find yourself in. I look up to these djs that gave me this feeling in the club, in the park or on the internet. My goal is to use mixes like these to pay it forward for femmes and fat folk in the club just like myself. I see your baby and this mix is for you!
Where do you see the future of DJing? And where do you want it to take you into the future?
COVID was a much reset on the club scene, before this I was out damn near every night & would often see the same performance lineups with the same 20 djs across different flavors of soundsystem. Its tireeeed, with the open dialouge of trying to uplift black, queer &/or Femme djs both in NYC & main festival stages,the goal is more visiablity & coin.($$$) Live streaming is awesome, but we need real life opportunities in this new future of djing. Yes, shout me out on your socials but put some coin in my pocket! It's as simple as seeing somebody that looks like you that can change your life. For myself, I wanna share my music with the bigger venues. Bossa Nova, The Lot would be a great place to start lol, from there just growing and flowing to a bigger audience.
Describe a moment / club night / party / that made you want to become a DJ/Producer.
I don't have a specific moment but as a young dancer, all those nights dancing in LES off delancy or on 14th street with all different ages & races. Hearing all the call and response in typical NYC fashion folks cursing, sweating while Bodies swaying to the beat, having folks that never met each other sharing intimate space thru music is a super power! I always wanna bring that same energy to my dj sets and bring folks that are not from nyc to get a piece of gritty, ungentrified NYC. She is rude, in your face & doesnt give a fuck but you will love it!
Favorite tracks at the moment - or of all time?
I’ve been down a jungle rabbit hole so a lot of Deee-lite especially the Sampladelic Relics & Dancefloor Oddities album, every time I listen to it I feel like I'm a video game and it inspires me to create something new.nOn the Soulful House side, Kerri Chandler’s Produced album “The Collection” By Arnold Jarvis is *Chefs Kiss*. Kerri did his thing with this album as it touches on so many emotions. Between the piano riffs & the vocals this album is truly out of this world. It literally has a flavor on the album for everyone.
Favorite DJ and/or producers at the moment?
I’m obsessed with OSSX as well as Tah, separately or together they make the perfect blend of electronic music and insane samples you never see coming. When they teamed up for Turnpike Authority, I damn near lost my mind. You really are doing a disservice to your ears if you don’t have this EP in your rotation.
What is a city or scene that you feel is underrated and needs more hype/awareness?
Honestly i’m gonna sound biased but Queens isn’t too known when it comes to electronics but we have some heavy hitters from yaeji & minh-thu( Christine) from discwoman is a queens native as well, the list goes on. I wanna show others that electronic roots are deep here as well.
Describe your creative process and how you approach sets.
Depending on the energy I wish to give, I create a playlist for tracks that match each other and whittle it down in the studio. But often times, I just jump into a crate of music by BPM or Key and Just freestyle from there. The best thing about djing is there is no correct way to approach this so I try to change it up and see what comes out. As I hone in on my technique and skill, this is the biggest factor when it comes to set approach.
Labels that are a go-to must-have in your arsenal?
Oh man, I could speak on this for hours however my favorites have to be Strictly Rhythm & Nervous Records. Both NYC born labels that have always been ears to the concrete, supporting black and brown artists while staying independent of the BS. Even crate digging into their older releases, I always get at least two gems. How many House labels do you know gets down like that? I’ll wait.
Name some of the tracks that consistently inspire you to do better and just...well, get you through a bad day.
Can I insert a playlist? I curate damn near everything for every shade of emotion, this funk playlist is a perfect remedy for cloudy days.
If you had any superpowers it would be:
I wish I could stop time! I would beat traffic everytime and plus I could mess with my friend. Other superpowers are too chaotic and I can’t be trusted with that amount of power. (hehe)
Your fullest expression of love is:
acceptance and fluid platonic intimacy in all ways, not just romantic. Yes, kissing in the club is nice but being in a club full of folks singing to the same dj set you’ve cried over in your room hours before is a type of intimacy I love. Having folks hug me because somebody that looks like them is djing is another type of love I enjoy as well. Folks Flagging me down because they just needed to say something about the music i play always would be my fullest expression of love.
What is the best piece of advice you could give to a DJ just starting out?
Always trust in yourself first, never take no for an answer. And if your friends are significant others are bugging out about your new focus on dj? drop them! Djing has given me some beautiful healthy friendships I never dreamed off but it would have never happened if I trusted the process or myself above all.
The future is ______ and your focus is __
The Future will be Fat & Femme and my focus is on represention first!
