For the past nine years, DJ Soi has been carving out his niche in the Dallas scene as part of the Faded Deejays. Rooted in a diverse musical background, Soi has grown into more of an open format DJ with a funky twist. For this week’s short but action-packed mix,…

Matt Haag is a perfect example of the hardcore music nerd primed for the ritualistic music selection behind deep-crate DJ-ing. Armed with a breadth of knowledge that stretches from the outer regions of techno to the primal thump of punk to the downtempo vibes of trip hop, Haag has led…

Sal Castaneda is riding the wave of vinyl resurgence under the nom de plum Flash45s. Over the past decade there has been more attention paid to the niche of the vinyl 7-inch format more affectionately known as 45s. The format is particularly inviting for DJs since it is a singles…

Christy Ray has had a front row seat for the DJ world since she was a child. Exposed to the inner workings of the DJ booth by her mom, DJ Spinderella, she is prepared her for her own career. In the past year that journey has seen her pop up for…

Jonathan Graham has been a staple of local music since his teens, under his alias DJG. Graham had a long-running residency at Hailey’s infamous ’80s night. He’s a family man these days, but still manages to get out and play special events and guest slots under his new monicker, DJ Nowadays. Graham is known for…

He is Mark Ridlen by day, but Deejay Mr Rid by night. There are few musicians in Dallas that have earned veteran status, but Ridlen earned the distinction as a member of seminal art and psyche bands in the ’80s and ’90s. One of the original DJs at the legendary…

Mike Kannon is best known for his role as morning show personality on the top 40-centered radio station KVIL, but the recent Dallas transplant also happens to have a deep relationship with underground techno. For this week’s mixtape, Kannon goes hard in the paint with a mix of techno largely…

JT Donaldson is one of Dallas’ most accomplished DJs. With releases on a wide variety of labels including the legendary Chicago house label Casual, he has maintained a steady output. Along with his heavy involvement in Josey Records, Donaldson has been busy with his new record label New Math, which…

Cameron Brand has been active in Dallas music since the ’90s. Mostly he’s done time with bands like Blackheart Society, Bring in the Satellites, Apparatus and AT NIGHT. Nowadays he can usually be seen deejaying records from his collection as DJ Culturegang. A measured selector, he’s eclectic enough to get booked for…

Chris Penn has spent a decade at the forefront of the vinyl resurgence in Dallas. He co-owns one of the city’s most beloved record stores, Good Records with business partner and Polyphonic Spree frontman Tim Delaughter. When Penn isn’t busy with day-to-day store operations, though, he moonlights as a DJ…

Thomas Blackburn, aka Tommyboy, is busy curating the DJs at Midnight Rambler cocktail bar at the Joule Hotel. But he has been an active top notch music nerd in Texas for two decades, playing gigs here and in Austin. His collection is so large and varied that, if he opened…

Sean Anderson has been deep in the production side of dance music for a very long time under his alias Pointbender. His label Harmonious Discord, which just celebrated its 15-year anniversary, has featured some of the best and brightest in Texas electronic producers, as well as artists from beyond the…

Cody McPhail performs electronic music of the experimental variety under the moniker of ATOP.  Over the past few years, ATOP has cultivated a niche in the Dallas music scene with his Dallas Ambient Music Nights. DAMN has become a meeting point for the audio and video artists that exist in…

Feezy has been a scene staple for over 15 years, grounded by his nearly decade-long residency at Candleroom. Feezy’s wealth of music knowledge stretches from the deeper roots of dance music to more mainstream fare. Where most DJs typically pick a side and stick to it, Feezy has been able…

Cle Acklin is about as old school as it gets in Dallas DJ culture.  As a member of the infamous Hazy Daze Collective in the ’90s, he laid down some of the basic roots for the scene we have today. Although largely associated with house, Acklin is versatile and consistently…

Two years ago I approached the Dallas Observer about reviving a mixtape series for the paper. I saw this as an opportunity to create a historical document of what the Dallas DJ scene looks like from the street level. Not the wedding DJs or the Top 40 club DJs, but…

M3SA and Pintalabios recently started making the rounds of the Dallas party scene as a duo operating largely within the realm of techno, with added hat tips to classic industrial and synth pop. That crossover is a trend that has existed in club music for many years, but gained extra…

Uchin Chung has secured veteran status by deejaying and promoting shows since the early ’90s. Chung has seen the Dallas scene develop from the audience and behind the decks. Although Chung is not currently holding down any residencies, his name pops up on rosters for numerous local parties. Not only…

Joel Zoch, most often performing under his alias Jethro Tilton, bridges Dallas’ DJ culture and its experimental scene. Zoch was on the front line in various projects and played the infamous Hazy Daze parties back in the rave days. His music knowledge of the somewhat obscure is off the charts,…

DJ Red Eye is at the center of Dallas dance music for decades, laying the foundation for the recent burst in activity. Along with residencies at bars in town, he’s a scout for talent for the Audiophile Deep record label. His technical mastery behind the decks, along with his depth…