Known for spinning popular parties “Studio Vers” and “Pantheon,” DJ E.N knows what you want to hear this summer.
Thotyssey: DJ E.N, hello! Happy Pride Month! Outside of gigs, will you be be popping around Pride parties all month, or do you prefer your Pride Ki to be more low key?
E.N: I love going out to Pride parties when I’m not gigging! Nothing better than being out and dancing and celebrating with our community!
Are you a Fire Island regular?
I wish I could afford to be, but I love how magical the island is! There’s truly nothing else like it.
Agreed! So as DJ with a growing presence in the city, how might you describe your sound today?
Energetic and uplifting, full of joy and love… driven and inspired by the classic disco and house tracks that fueled and gave confidence to everyone in our community that came before us.
Where’s your original hometown, what sort of music did you grow up with, and then how did you ultimately become a DJ?
I grew up in Pittsburgh, PA on so many different kinds of music. I remember dancing around the house with my parents and siblings to everything from Italian dinner songs, to Motown, Frank Sinatra, Fleetwood Mac, 70s funk and disco, 80s, ,90s 00s pop / dance music and R&B. Honestly, just a massive range of genres!
I grew up playing music. I played piano and clarinet through high school. I studied musical theatre in college. Studied plenty of music theory. I teach group fitness and am always creating playlists and searching for new music. So, when I started to go to parties and see different DJs, I was able to experience the journey that a DJ can take you on through a set. I would be on the dance floor thinking to myself, “ooh, wouldn’t it be fun if this song mixed in next or if the song sampled…” and, just to watch and experience the joy and excitement that music was bringing to people. I was really inspired.
So, I bought myself a small DJ controller and decided to start teaching myself. I figured if I didn’t like it, at least I had given it a shot… and if I did like it, then I would go for it. I’m definitely someone that if I decide to do something, I’m not gonna half-ass it. And, here we are!
By the way, are “E.N” your initials?
Funny enough, not my initials! My name is Ian Campayno. I was trying to come up with a different DJ name, since my theatre career has always been Ian… but I still wanted it to sound the same. And, a friend of mine was like…”what about E N?” And then I thought it look cute to put the “.” in the middle.
What have been some of your favorite career moments, and what is just the overall vibe you get from DJing in the current era of NYC nightlife?
Some of my favorite DJ moments so far have been: having an entire room of people singing along to a hit and jumping up and down. When someone hears a song they haven’t heard in awhile, or maybe it’s a favorite they forgot about, and you can see their entire being light up when they realize it’s “that” song when it drops in. They look at you like “OMG, I can’t believe it’s that’s song!” And then also, when you can look out onto the dance floor and see people losing themselves and feeling free to be who they are, and really enjoy this moment with their friends (or maybe even people they just met) around them.
The overall vibe I get in NYC nightlife: People need / want an escape. Whether it’s from work, or the current world we’re living in, or even just from having a bad day. For an evening, an hour, a moment… people want release. And music is one of those things that can bring us all together for that shared experience!
Your daytime-to-nightime event at 3 Dollar Bill, Pantheon, which I think I’d describe as a no-frills music centric party, is enjoyed by many! James Anthony and Vivacious‘ Unspeakle Joy is also an early-running hit party at there, as well as Motherdisco. How did Pantheon come about, what’s the exact vibe, and why do you think these tea dance-ish moments are becoming so successful?
So, Pantheon is actually not my event. My friend Thomas Walker had an idea to have a party based on the 90s / 00s classics and dance remixes that we were growing up and coming out to… and celebrate that music with a party. He asked if I would come in as a co-DJ, and I happily accepted!
I think the day parties are so popular because people can have a full party worth of fun and music and dancing, and still go to bed at a decent hour and get a full night’s sleep. It’s definitely appealing on Sundays when people still feel like going out, but have to work on a Monday!
And also: there’s something to be said about passing down music to a younger generation who may never have heard these songs.
Amen! The children need to be schooled!
They sure do!
Tell us about your other big event at VERS in Hell’s Kitchen, which returns for a Pride edition on June 20th.
Studio Vers is a monthly disco party at VERS; we celebrated our one year anniversary of this past Saturday, May 30th. Shaun Kessler brought me on as the resident DJ, and he and I have created an incredible Saturday night event that is free, and has a completely different vibe than other bars in HK. For that party. I was inspire by Horse Meat Disco and Unspeakable Joy to bring those vibes to HK.
Studio Vers really is our 2026 version of Studio 54. I spin everything from disco classics to disco house, and every once in awhile a cute little disco pop remix. Horse Meat Disco and Motherdisco and Unspeakable Joy are my some of my favorite parties in NYC. So, I’m taking my favorite vibes and bringing it to Hell’s Kitchen! It brings HK a new vibe and a variety that it doesn’t always get. And, I’m thrilled that people have been so receptive and have loved the party!
What else is coming up for you, or is there anything else you wanna mention or discuss before I ask the closer?
- Pantheon this Saturday 6/6 @ 3DB 4pm
- G Lounge Happy Hour Saturday 6/13 4-9pm
- Studio Vers Pride Edition Saturday 6/20 @ VERS 10p (free)
- G Lounge Pride Saturday 6/27 10-Late
- I also had my very first self-produced event called “Golden Hour Get Down” at Club Cumming. I’m hoping to make it a regular monthly Sunday afternoon disco funk tea dance!
All very exciting! Okay, lastly: what’s your best advice for a baby DJ trying to make it big in NYC?
What a good question. First, you have to love it. There are lots of people starting out, and if you love it, people will be able to feel it in your sets. Second, practice. Get good at your craft. Find what sounds you like, what music speaks to you, which DJs emulate the sound you want to present. That will help you hone into what you want to bring to nightlife. There are so many different kinds of music. Know what the vibes of the party are supposed to be and lock into that. Observe the dance floor, make sure people are having a good time and if not, you better adjust quick
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! And, absorb! Be a sponge! Listen to as much music as possible and see as many different DJs as you can! It will only make you a better artist!
Thanks, E.N!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for DJ E.N’s upcoming appearances, and follow him on Instagram and SoundCloud.
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