Making his name as a go-to DJ in the NYC nightlife scene, Alpha Moses is now sharing more of his original music side via hot new tracks with even hotter videos.
Thotyssey: Hi Alpha, happy July! So… if you’re here talking to me, I guess that means you survived Pride, lol! How did it go, and what did you do?
Alpha Moses: Hi Thotyssey! Yes, I survived Pride and it was the most amazing and beautifully chaotic Pride weekend yet. I DJ’d my regular residencies, which saw some of our biggest crowds of the year. On Pride Sunday, I had the pleasure to spin at Playhouse Bar down in the Village, and closed out the weekend at Boxers Chelsea. With all that, I still got to spend time with friends and family, enjoy the parade and just have fun!
I know the Manhattan gays love their pop divas, but if it was a DJ’s Choice kinda situation, what would you be playing?
I really love the festival DJ vibe that incorporates elements of different popular genres like pop or hip-hop or dancehall or Latin with crazy electronic, house, dance and club drops. I think there’s room for all types of music in the club space, especially here in NYC where our audiences are Black, White, Latinx, straight, gay, trans. Luckily for me, playing these types of sets isn’t a fantasy anymore. The LGBTQ+ nightlife scene has been extremely welcoming and loving of my sets, which I’m super grateful for.
Madonna turned up at “Ladyland” for a set this past weekend! Who would be your dream surprise musical guest if you were producing your own “Alphaland” festival??
I have to say Skrillex! Beyonce and Diplo are my runners up. They are all my biggest inspirations for my artistry and music.
So can you tell us a bit of your origin story? Where’s your hometown, and was music always a part of your life?
I was born and raised in Long Island; there’s a cluster of towns called Five Towns right on the other side of JFK Airport.
I started with music at a very young age–learning how to play the drums at seven, picking up the saxophone in elementary school, and teaching myself how to play the piano in middle school. I was a band / music nerd. I took part in the Jazz Band, Concert Band, Advanced Band, Marching Band (ultimately becoming the Drum Major my senior year), Drama Club, Glee Club, Tri-M Music Honor Society, NYSSMA Solo Evaluations… almost anything that involved music.
My freshman year, my sister bought me a music producing program–and that’s when my love started for production. I don’t even remember the name of the program, but I do remember not being able to figure it out entirely. So, I would steal her Macbook and use GarageBand to produce. I started making covers of songs on there. There’s definitely an entire remake of a Ke$ha song somewhere that will never see the light of day.
I taught myself how to DJ the summer going into my Senior year. By that time, I knew music was what I was going to do for the rest of my life. I went to Penn State to study Music Technology and graduated in 2019.
I started my artist project back in 2015 and through college, I began to make name for myself DJing at NYC parties and events. Its been quite the journey, but I love it. Music has always been there when things were rough. It’s been an escape and my focus since the first time I picked up a drumstick.
What were your first DJ nightlife gigs in NYC?
My first gigs ever were at Webster Hall before they closed and renovated. I was working for a company that booked EDM shows around the city. That year, aside from Webster, I performed on yacht parties and at secret Brooklyn warehouse locations. That year was a lot of fun.
Is there a difference between straight and queer dance floors in your opinion, as far as how patrons act and what they like?
Oh yes, there’s definitely a difference. The crowds at queer clubs remind me more of music festival crowds–they come to dance and enjoy themselves! I feel more at home in spaces like that. My early days at Webster, those crowds were like that. In between then and now, I did a lot of small bar and college bar gigs where people were more concerned about getting wasted than enjoying the night. Don’t get me wrong, I always brought the energy and got people dancing. But it’s so much more comforting receiving the same energy from the audience that I’m giving out. In other words, we know the vibe. We are the vibe!
Your YouTube is a great treasure trove of remixes and original music. For one thing, I really enjoy your song and video for “Tomorrow” from 2022! Are you completely active in the process of making music videos, or do you allow collaborators to take the wheel with that?
Thank you so much! While each project is different, I do firmly believe in giving all of my creative collaborators the space to work their magic. Specifically for the “Tomorrow” video, my good friend and frequent collaborator, Nick Sossi Romano, reached out to me with the entire concept of the video after hearing the song. I let him take full control to execute his vision and he delivered!
And now there is a new song / video for “Icon!” That video stars some great local drag queens on the rise, and the song itself is a very hot club dance track. What can you tell us about the track and the making of the video?
As a LGBTQ+ artist heavily involved in and influenced by the queer nightlife scene, I wanted to pay tribute to the art of drag. “Icon” is about empowerment, looking good and feeling better, and I don’t know anyone more confident and comfortable expressing themselves like drag queens are.
I took a lot of inspiration from the bombastic sound of ballroom and vogue music and combined it with elements of tech house and bass house. I wrote “Icon” for the moments we look in the mirror and remind ourselves just how amazing and beautiful we are; for the moments in the club to feel free and confident in your own skin.
It wasn’t long after I finished the bones of “Icon” that the concept for the music video struck me. I reached out to Nick to direct the video and help me bring it to life. The concept is simple: drag queens dressed in a color to represent the colors of the Pride flag. It was Pride month after all, and I wanted to celebrate that, the queens and our scene!
Our team was small, but the product is larger than life itself! Nick reached out to Juli Alonso, a cinematographer, and together they handled all the recording and lighting. It was amazing to watch them take my small concept and turn it into a cinematic masterpiece.
And of course, the video is nothing without our queens! I reached out to my talented sister Lanyé Armön, and she jumped right in to the project as both a performer and a helping hand in filling the cast for the video. By time for the shoot, Miss Jae, A’Nylah The Doll, Sheneeda Dickson, Azul Mari Juanna, Gia the Warrior Princess, and Lolita Starr were our legendary queens. Each and every one of them gave incredible performances.
Everyone’s gotta download or stream this all your music now! Do you ever, or might you ever, perform you music live? As in, with live vocals or maybe instruments onstage?
Oh, yes! As I continue to grow as an artist and play on more performance type stages, I plan to incorporate my instrumental side as well. I love the DJ sets that incorporate live instrument playing, and it just feels right to my upbringing to show people my full creative and instrumental talents!
As far as original music goes, what else is coming up for you?
As of now, the music video on YouTube is the only place to check out the song online, so I definitely want everyone to keep supporting the team’s work by watching and sharing with friends. The single is scheduled to release on July 12th, and pre-save starts July 7th for everyone to add to their party playlists!
Aside from “Icon,” I definitely plan to release a few more songs throughout the year. I have a lot of music I have been working on over the past few years, and am very excited to share some of that with the world. This year has been great with “Praise” with MELFI releasing in March, tracks from my EP releasing in April, and now “Icon” releasing this month. So I want to keep riding that wave.
As far as DJ gigs go, these days you pull double duties on Fridays starting with a new party at Balcon in Hell’s Kitchen called “NØ RSTXXXN” produced by Lucifer, where you spin from 10pm to 12:30am. How’s that going?
“NØ RSTXXXN” is hot! Working with Lucifer closely as a part in curating the vibe has been amazing. Its sexy, its fun, and most importantly, it is all inclusive. It’s been great to start a new party at a new venue and watch it grow each week.
Then later that night you head out to the original Boxers in Chelsea for “Hot Sauce Fridays,” a party you’ve been successfully DJing for awhile! It’s nice to have a mix of “old” and new gigs, right?
Oh, definitely! I’ve been working with Boxers Chelsea and Malawtic Surreal for Hot Sauce Fridays since December 2022, becoming the official resident in May of 2023. It’s great to be a part of Black Queer nightlife. It was actually my first gig at a LGBTQ+ club.
Then on Saturdays you are with Lucifer again for another new party, this time at the Hell’s Kitchen Boxers: “RUSH!”
When Lucifer asked me to do [Boxers’ previous Saturday night party] “BOPS” on April 27th–the weekend before I performed for H&M in Vegas–it felt like everything was falling perfectly into its place. After that weekend, I was honored to become the sound to close out “BOPS” and launch “RUSH.”
Have great gigs! Last question: what’s been the song of the summer so far… or what might be when it’s out?
“Icon” is def the song of the summer! I’ve been playing it in all my sets and seeing the crowd reaction has been amazing. But, besides “Icon,” I have to give it to “Espresso.” That song has been stuck in my head for, like, three weeks. I think this summer in general belongs to the girls and the gays: Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Chapelle Roan, Troye Sivan, Charli XCX, Tinashe… I can go on and on. It’s amazing to see the sound we are so in love with being the sound that everyone is in love with.
Stay cool for the summer, Alpha!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Alpha Moses’ upcoming appearances, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and his website.
Thotyssey 
Thank you for chatting with me about my music and career ~ I am honored! With Love 💖
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