Dance in the moonlight c/o the sonic “wavs” of DJ Porygon K!
Thotyssey: Hi Porygon,Thanks for the chat! So the pop culture topic of the moment is the Bad Bunny Super Bowl halftime show… did you catch it?
Porygon K: I did! The show was amazing, and actually made me really emotional while watching because of the proud representation of his culture. Being an immigrant from the Caribbean, the messaging really hit home for me. I think it’s going to go down as one of the most important events in pop culture history, especially because of the political climate in which it happened. I also just really love his music!
It was a fantastic set and setup! Can you tell us a bit about where in the Caribbean you’re from, and what sort of music you grew up with?
I’m from Trinidad, the southernmost Caribbean island that’s about seven miles off the coast of Venezuela. My parents emigrated to New York City with me when I was about a year old, and I grew up in Queens and the Bronx. I grew up with largely Caribbean music in my household: soca, chutney, reggae, reggaeton, etc. My dad was a carnival DJ in Trinidad, and when we moved to the U.S. he played a lot of parties that were primarily those genres of music — including backyard and family parties. So the scene from the Super Bowl halftime show with the little boy sleeping on the chairs was particularly impactful, because that was me!
I was exposed to pop music at a very early age. I was a big Spice Girls fan at 3-4 years old (I used to collect the Bazooka bubblegum stickers, iykyk), and when Britney debuted she changed my life and music sensibilities forever.
On the subject of Britney, she’s recently made headlines with the sale of her entire musical catalog. A lot of veteran artists have been doing that recently. Is that wise or unwise, or just a sign of the times, in your opinion?
It seems to be a sign of the times, and might be a wise financial move for artists with a large back catalog of popular music to cash in on. Because in reality, what does selling your catalogue even mean? Post-streaming, revenue from recorded music has already declined exponentially — unless you’re one of a very select few people. If she still wanted to profit off of said music, she could very easily do some live performances or put together a tour… which she doesn’t seem interested in. I think she’s been through enough to just do whatever she wants whenever she wants, at this point.
Well put. Back to you! How did you begin as a DJ?
I started in the late 90s. As I mentioned before, my dad is also a DJ. He taught me on vinyl at around 4 years old, then we moved to CDs when they became the more popular format for DJs. I would often play at our family backyard parties; I played at my cousin’s wedding reception when I was 11. I lost interest for a period of time as my dad moved away from DJing and into sound design and music equipment rentals, but picked it back up again in recent years through USB-format DJing because it felt the most natural to me coming from learning using only physical media. I was never a laptop DJ, believe it or not… but I know my way around Serato.
Do you think it’s technically “harder” to DJ with physical media than it is with laptop tools?
I’d say I’ve somewhat conformed to today’s standards while keeping certain sensibilities, to be honest. In my opinion, you have to move with the times. Technology evolves and we must evolve with it, whether we utilize every tool at our disposal or not.
Knowing how to DJ on vinyl is a useful skill to have when it comes to mixing, but it’s not the be-all end-all of skill and curation as some people would have you believe. I do not like a vinyl snob! And this is coming from someone who knows how. Different skills, different techniques, different curation methods… but I’m a firm believer in different strokes for different folks. Whatever your format, a tear is a tear.
What’s your sound like in the DJ booth nowadays?
These days I’ve been leaning towards a lot of IDM, dubstep and UKG. I was in a hyperpop corner for a moment in the past year or two, but I’m quickly shifting away from that into these sounds as they feel like a return to form to what got me going out to see DJs in the first place. I’ve been playing a lot of Aphex Twin, A.G. Cook, Moody Good, Hamdi, Mura Masa and Salute lately. My favorite DJs are Ninajirachi and Danny L Harle, so a lot of them as well!
One thing about me: I’m always going to play what I want to play. Even when prompted, I’m going to put my own spin on it and see what I can get away with. I love to subvert genre and turn a space on its head. My mission statement as a DJ is to bring the bar to the club and the club to the bar.
Is there a story behind your DJ name, by the way?
It’s my favorite Pokémon, and my name is Kevin. Its evolutions are Porygon2 and Porygon-Z, so Porygon K is pretty straightforward. I wish there was more to it!
This Thursday, you have 2.5 hour set at Wonderville!
Wonderville is my favorite bar in Brooklyn. I went to a friend’s DJ gig there last year, and it was my first time in the space. Needless to say I was mesmerized. It’s a two room venue—one side is the bar with ample seating and a few of their games, and the other is the arcade and performance venue. They’re primarily a live performance space, but it amply lends itself to great DJ programming as well. And there’s a projected visual screen behind the performers! They feature an array of independently made arcade games that are so unique. It marries two of the things I’m passionate about, music and video games. I’m thinking of leaning into an IDM focused set of cool synths and textures. Some Squarepusher and Nömak, perhaps. Maybe a little bit of ambient SOPHIE.
Then Friday marks the return of your party “moon.wavs” at Rebecca’s for its first anniversary! What’s the origin and vibe of this night?
I started throwing parties at Rebecca’s in July of 2024, but “moon.wavs” came about as an idea in February of last year. I’m a Cancer ruled by the moon, which is one part of it. The “.wavs” part was just clever and self-explanatory. The party’s also just an ode to Sailor Moon.
It started as a night to get a few DJ friends together to share our sounds with each other and whatever audience we could whip up that night. Low stakes, no prompts, just fun and community. The plan was to have a unique lineup every month with returning DJs every few rotations. It’s taken on a life of its own as something we look forward to every month: a familiar room, with familiar faces, good vibes and roses. Vena Cava came on as host for our Pride iteration last June, and transformed us into what we are now. Mambiché came on as my co-resident DJ in August for our “Cupid & Psyche” edition, and now I have someone else who’s a staple to be there with me every month.
Since we started last February, I’ve had eighteen DJs come through and spin sets. I plan to have many, many more this year. I wanted to represent every aspect of the party in the lineup: our unchanging residents me and Mambiche, a returning DJ Tasheff, and someone new — Apollo Vega. The vibe of this one in particular is going to be celebratory. We’ve gone a whole year with a monthly doing exactly what we set out to do, and I could not be more proud. This is my baby. Out of any gig or party I do, this one is my favorite… and the one I look forward to doing the most every month. I’m so excited to see where it goes next!
What else is coming up for you?
Mambiche and I are starting our new biweekly at Happyfun Hideaway this coming Sunday, February 15th hosted by Ickarus. It’s going to be a game night featuring DJ sets by us both. And my other monthly, “Cupid & Psyche,” returns at Alphaville Saturday March 7th! Other than that, books are open! Book me, divas!
Lastly: what’s your best advice for a baby DJ who wants to make it big in NYC?
Be earnest about what you do. Don’t try to replicate anyone’s sound just because you like it or it seems like something you could emulate. Think about what moves you and what moves the people you surround yourself with, and develop your own identity. It has to come from a love for music.
Practice, practice, practice. Turn that sync off. Record yourself and listen for mistakes or where you could improve. Mixes don’t have to be perfect; your track selection and execution is what matters. Read the room!
Most of all, have fun. And don’t take requests! That’s what you’re there for.
Thanks, Porygon!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Porygon K’s upcoming appearances, and follow him on Instagram.
Thotyssey 