PAPER Presents The Tear: DJ Thank You

Today, we’re thrilled to release the next iteration of The Tear with DJ Thank You. If you happen to find yourself bopping around the sacred triangle of Myrtle-Broadway, you’re likely to have seen DJ Thank You somewhere in the mix, be it in the dark mist of Bossa, upstairs at Paragon or at our beloved red and rowdy Rash. A consummate professional and an ever-adventurous artist, DJ Thank You is the rare DJ who knows how to seamlessly blend Miami Bass, Skrillex, Jersey Club and whatever else she finds when scrounging through the radio. An NYC notable who takes that responsibility seriously, DJ Thank You tells PAPER that “being able to travel far and wide across genre, location, and style is the hallmark of a great New York City DJ.”

For her PAPER mix, we begin deep in Latin Core chaos and end up in the dregs of a watery Waka Flocka edit. Along the way, we parlay with Dirty Dutch sounds straight from an Obama-era fever dream, encounter a surreal moment with Janet, and are served a healthy heap of Bass. Equal parts nostalgic and futuristic, DJ Thank You delivers the sentiment of her namesake and for that, we thank her for her offering.

We chatted with DJ Thank You about her sonic inspirations, perusing the radio and what inspires (and irks) her about NYC nightlife — something she knows a lot about as both a DJ and her uproarious party series Viper Room at The End.

The prompt for the mix was “the past, present and future of NYC nightlife.” What sounds inspired you for this mix?

I think being able to travel far and wide across genre, location and style is the hallmark of a great New York City DJ. I’ve become obsessed with the app Radio Garden, which allows you to stream different terrestrial and internet stations from across the planet. It’s easily become my most valuable resource while digging for fresh curveball tracks for both the club and my own personal listening enjoyment. Some current favorite stations are WKTU 103.5 FM (the beat of New York, obviously), DiscoRumba 95.4 FM (salsa station broadcasting from Beverly Hills), Hot 97.1 FM (another classic NYC hip-hop station, needs no introduction), Yes! FM 101.1 (budots dance station from the Philippines), Slam 100.5 FM (Dancehall station in Trinidad) and 8Ball Radio (an iconic NYC internet music station).

Last year, I was in an Uber on my way home from the club, and the DJ on the radio was playing a bunch of ’80s freestyle and Miami Bass. I couldn’t stop Shazamming! That one car ride changed my whole style. That’s something I love about the radio — it feels so serendipitous. New York is the same way. You never know where you’ll hear something that will blow your mind. I recently walked into a random dive bar in Long Island City (shoutout: First Stop Bar & Grill) and they were blasting the most face-melting Guaracha. I spent the next hour harvesting tracks to play in the club, two of which are in this mix.

Throughout the past year, I’ve been revisiting the Dirty Dutch sound from around 2008 to 2012. I used to love EDM and electro as a kid, so I’ve had a lot of fun diving deeper into the catalogs of producers from that era as an adult. It’s funny to think about those genres as being “retro,” but there’s definitely a nostalgic sensibility to those selections when played out in the club now. I also had to include at least one track by DJ Blaqstarr. He’s like, foundational form same with Suicideyear, who was the first DJ I ever saw live at SXSW in 2014. I heard one of his old tracks while scrolling through IG reels and was reminded of how much I used to love him. It made sense to pay homage by closing my set with one of his edits. Also, the radio and IG reels are other places I find myself mining for great music. On a more modern note, I was also sure to include tracks by my contemporaries in the underground (notably DJ Sour, JIALING, Sobilik and Hedo Hydr8), blending them with the titans of our age like Skrillex and Boys Noize. Shockingly, there’s no Deadmau5 in this mix.

Where was the first set you played in NYC?

I was in 10th grade at a house party in Gowanus. It was a B2B off an iPad with one of my best friends Joaquim (the aforementioned DJ Sour). I still have a recording. It’s very 2017, think A$AP Ferg and Young Thug. There were a couple of classy retro techno cuts in the mix, too, mostly coming from him. Simpler times! My first real party was a renegade I threw at the now-demolished East River Amphitheater just after the COVID vaccine dropped. Soon after, I played my first club night at Bossa. I was still underage and didn’t have a fake ID, but I somehow managed to get consistent bookings. The only place that ever refused to let me in for a set was Baby’s All Right. Lame! That being said, I’ve played there since and had a wonderful time. Kudos to security for doing their job.

Favorite NYC nightlife memory?

Ren G had a fabulous set at Le Bain’s Midnight Request Line last spring. I felt like I was in an episode of Gossip Girl. I had to be escorted home by a close friend. Definitely a night that stands out in my memory, even if the details are a little foggy. Ren kills it every time. Also, I hate to say it but… Gov Ball 2015? You just had to be there.

Favorite set you’ve ever played?

I had such a blast ringing in the new year at Paragon. I played the GTA remix of Kaskade’s “Move For Me” right as the clock struck midnight and had the entire set planned out down to the last second. I love planning out sets and obsessively rehearsing each transition for maximum seamlessness. Paragon is also just such a fabulous club overall. Wonderful staff and exciting curation. I’m a big fan of their approach.

A close runner-up would be opening for Rye Rye at Brooklyn Monarch for the sksksks Pride party. I’ve been listening to Rye Rye since I was 11. In many ways, her and DJ Blaqstarr were my introduction to underground club music. Being on the same bill as her was such a dream come true. I’ve gone on record before with PAPER and stated my love for sksksks, but I’ll say it again. They know how to throw a party.

Biggest nightlife pet peeve?

Not to bite the hand that feeds, but nightlife journalism and writing tends to be pretty uninspired. I also think parties that are overly genre-focused are boring to me. I’ve been proven wrong plenty of times, though! Also, I cannot be bothered with a dress code. I march to the beat of my own drum thank you very much!

Biggest DJ inspo?

It’s impossible for me to pinpoint just one inspiration because inspiration comes from everywhere. I’m constantly impressed and excited by those around me, as well as people I find online. I guess it comes down to who I take the most tracks from, which is a list that probably looks like Chicken, Xavier Stone, Alix Perez, Real Girl, Total XTC, Artistic Raw, Sausha, DJ Sour, Nguzunguzu, DJ Sega, DJ Miss Parker (thank you for the Janet flip), S4M23, DJPT, DJ DEADNAME, Eva Loveless, DJ Manny, DJ Trick, Angel Emoji and DJ Shiver all of whom are incredibly influential to me. Also Deadmau5. Also Memphy! There would be no DJ Thank You without Memphy TBH. Most kids who grow up in New York City tend not to be tapped into the scene, but she’s the one who brought me to all my first raves. Also, rest in peace DJ Macro. I got a lot of my hottest tracks from them back when I was first getting serious. All of these people have significantly shaped the way I think and perform as a DJ.

What makes NYC nightlife unique?

The subway system.

Biggest hope for the future of NYC nightlife?

Public access nightlife reality/dance show/DJ competition. An ICONIC multi-level roller rink nightclub (with laser tag?). More freaky DIY venues. More iconic house parties (preferably in Gilded Age mansion-type cribs on Madison Avenue). NYU reopens Palladium club as a research laboratory for their hospitality school. Underground DJs are playing at the bottle service venues that aren’t just Le Bain (i.e., Nebula, Sony Hall, TAO). Nowadays lease renewal. Green-screen Twitch DJs are becoming popular and bookable “heads” and vice versa. More DJs throw in top 40 cuts to their sets. Especially if it’s a fresh release as of that weekend. I love when a DJ “breaks” a record on the dance floor. DJ Thank You engaged to a major league baseball player. Return of the boombox. MCing during the set (within reason). I know “decentralizing” the CDJ is, like, the most rudimentary nightlife dialogue, but I seriously think more DJs should start using performance controllers in the club. You know, the ones with the giant fake turntables made for scratching? I think that’s so cool. Also, scratching in general.

Photography: Joaquim Stevenson Rodriguez, Tobias Berggruen