Known for spinning sexy sonic events across the city, DJ Loftus is adding the spice to your Pride Week.
Thotyssey: Loftus, hello and thanks for chatting! Happy Pride Month!
Loftus: Hey gay, thanks too! I’m happy to chat.
I wanna first talk about a variety of recent gigs you DJ’ed, since they represent quite a variety across the nightlife spectrum! There was the “LeSportsSac” underwear party at C’mon Everybody on the 11th. Do you find DJing sexier events a challenge as far as, um, distractions go?
The underwear party was flirty, sporty fun, and people were dancing all night! I truly love C’mon Everybody, it’s such a diverse and well-programmed establishment. Everyone involved there is present and intentional.
As for distractions.. it’s not really distracting for me. I typically feel more comfortable in sexier environments. I started DJing professionally in San Francisco, where sexual liberation is extremely prevalent, so I’ve become a bit of an advocate myself. SF provided me with many opportunities to spin for sex / kink forward parties. I’ve become pretty unphased by that kind of energy, which can be overwhelming at first… but there’s language and community rules around it that keep people safe and empowered.
Speaking of sexy, a more recent gig for you was spinning at the brand new Club Rawhide in Chelsea! What did you think of the venue?
I’m beyond impressed. Rawhide is such a thoughtfully dialed in space. The sound system, lighting, atmosphere, staff… they’re really not playing around. For cruising grounds, it feels pretty perfect for this era of nightlife. Manhattan really needed something like this.
I never got to experience the original and iconic Rawhide, but from what I’ve learned this fierce reboot is a true homage. It was a huge honor to play opening weekend.
It’s always great to see nightlife both paying homage to its past while looking towards the future!
And for our last lookback from these past weeks, you just DJ’ed an event called LORE at a secret location on Saturday. What was that exactly?
It was a super rad, conceptual and immersive event featuring different folklore themes each time. This one was “Goldilocks,” and it wove the story into the evening featuring some truly inspiring performances. It’s def one I’d tell anybody to keep an eye out for future occurrences.
Can you tell us a bit about what your DJ sound is like?
This is always a tough question for me, if I’m being real. My goal for a while now has been to specialize in having musical and situational range. I truly believe versatility and free form is the future. We all contain multitudes, and should explore so we may live a more colorful life (Happy Pride!).
With all that being said, I frequently play sounds of house, techno, acid, disco, groove, pop, and hip hop, with erotic fun rubbery playful vibes. I have so many favorite artists and influences, but The Carry Nation, Dangerous Rose, Delilah At Night, William Francis, Josh Steers and Michael Magnan are all just way too fab not to mention.
An excellent list! Where are you from, and what sort of music did you grow up with?
I grew up in Hampton Roads, Virginia, youngest of four–I was always overhearing the pop, hip hop, and indie stuff that my older siblings were listening to. My dad was more of an alt rock kind of guy, often tuning his guitar at home and writing music. He encouraged me to sing and play different instruments such as the piano, trumpet, and violin. As a teen I was always obsessing over music and frequently on the internet fully tanking our family desktops from my LimeWire days. We even had this setup to burn CDs and print custom covers. So I would make mixes for my friends of stuff that I thought was hot, pulling from my various discovery streams.
I wasn’t introduced to electronic music until late high school, opening up a whole new world of music to me. I went to university, where I’d always find the aux at parties and play anything from trap, to electro, to whatever was the newest EDM stuff I found. I’ve always been very open to different types of sounds, and more so curious how to refine my taste. So I just became very observant of what people were enjoying across the board.
I started going to electronic concerts a lot, and connecting with many people over music. This became a way of finding so many amazing people in my life through different frequencies. I was frequently using music sharing apps, which I’m not sure exist anymore, but we would alternate sharing songs with each other in a live online setting while we rate one another’s selections. It was a cool digital way to DJ and get a crowd response.
Then I pretty much just up and moved to San Francisco where I cut my teeth at nightlife, attending, hosting, gogoing and producing parties. I was around other DJs and equipment so much that the skill development happened so naturally out of curiosity. Having access to equipment and throwing my own party really accelerated me into legitimacy as a DJ. I soaked up as much as I could from SF and decided to take it to the next level, moving to New York just a couple of years ago. Now I’m ten toes deep and just so grateful for all the love and support from the queer community here.
What are your thoughts on the state of nightlife today, from a DJs perspective? Are people out and about, dancing and socializing appropriately, or is it still a weird time of post-Covid transition?
I have a lot of thoughts on this. I’m very observant and sensitive to the way people move, their patterns and their shifts. Something worth adding to my history above is that I have a history and inherent knowledge of movement. Music, dance, and athletics have always been intertwined for me. I was even a D1 cheerleader throughout college, so I’m no stranger to gags and stunts!
This brings me to my main read on the nightlife: where are the gags and stunts? I can’t help but be critical of how people move in general these days, especially as a DJ who spins music for the dancers. People seem less spatially aware and aren’t as expressive or uninhibited in their dancing as they used to be. It kind of feels like we as a collective are losing touch with a more visceral side of ourselves.
I believe the obvious answer to all this is that technological advancement (and the pressure to keep up) is forcing people to trade off being in their bodies for a seemingly cheaper hit of dopamine. I’m most often in favor of offline mode when it comes to the dance floor, meaning less phones / pics / videos, and more getting in touch with ourselves in the present moment. Total resistance may be futile though, so it all comes down to balance in the end. All that goes to say we are in a new age of nightlife with new ways of connecting. The state of things may be different, but actually more alive than ever… especially in New York City.
It’s Pride Weekend! You’ll be spinning a party called AUTOMESSE in the Lower East Side on Saturday night.
It’s a free event at Beverly’s, which is a fab cozy pregame spot in lowery Bowery. It will be a sweet cross section of audiences and musical taste across the DJs, from groove to house to hip hop and more.
Then you have a proper Pride Sunday gig at The Exley, a venue you’re no stranger to!
Oh yes, June 28th! I’m always happy to play The Exley. It’s another great spot with good people. I take extra pride in getting to serve in spaces like it that foster community and talent.
What else is coming up for you?
I’ll be playing Rawhide (AGAIN!) July 4th, and back to the beloved Animal July 15th! I’m frequenting PTown to DJ this summer as well, so… I’ll be around. But I’m also hungry and open for more bookings!
Great! Let’s end with: what’s your best advice for a baby DJ who wants to make it big in NYC?
Be a good person, give as much as you take, have a point of view, take risks, study the history, learn from the masters, and start logging those hours (especially in front of a crowd). There are many angles and layers to the craft, which can easily cause you to trip. But just remember: it’s not about the noise, it’s about the music.
Thanks Loftus, Happy Pride again!!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for DJ Loftus’ upcoming appearances, and follow him on Instagram and SoundCloud.
Thotyssey 