We catch up with Brooklyn's fave Amber Valentine, JD Samson and Lauren Flax, before they take over Le Bain, on Friday, February 2nd.
LE BAIN: Lauren, it's been a while! What's coming up with your different projects?
LAUREN FLAX: I’ve been hyper focused on my solo dance production and DJing. I’m not sure I’ve ever given it the attention it deserves since I was always occupied with being a live artist even before I had CREEP. It's been great these past four years just keeping my head down and learning as much as possible.
LAUREN FLAX: I’ve been hyper focused on my solo dance production and DJing. I’m not sure I’ve ever given it the attention it deserves since I was always occupied with being a live artist even before I had CREEP. It's been great these past four years just keeping my head down and learning as much as possible.
Any releases coming up?Lauren Flax working on the Roland TR-8
LAUREN: I just signed a four-track EP to DJ Haus’ label, Unknown to the Unknown, for his Dance Trax series, which will be getting vinyl treatment come May. I love that label and love the artists on it, so it feels like things are paying off to be sharing label space with people like Ejecta, Elisa Bee, Legowelt, and Vin Sol.
What's up with Little Boots?
LAUREN: She had reached out to me for some production for her new record, and of course, I obliged. She is so great to collaborate with because she knows what she’s doing in the studio and is an incredible musician. It was really fun to pick up the guitar again, we riffed really well together in creating music long distance, and really got along as friends once we met in LA. You’ll definitely see more from us in the future.
"The different scenes are full of weird geniuses." –Amber Valentine
Amber, you’ve been a very busy NYC DJ. I feel the club scene, especially in Brooklyn, is getting super strong. Would you say we’re in the middle of a renaissance of NYC nightlife?
AMBER VALENTINE: I would definitely say we are in the middle of a renaissance. Nightlife in New York is absolutely amazing right now. It is on fire with so much creativity and energy. Politically, things have been so dark since the election last year. I think people need the connection they find on the dance floor more than ever. It feels more important to me personally to contribute positive energy and creativity and love to the scene. We need to fill these spaces with light!
And you do it!
AMBER: There are people doing amazing, innovative things here, and it just keeps getting better. The different scenes are full of weird geniuses building from the ground up. Like Bushwig, and The Dreamhouse, and Discwoman. NYC is an inspiring, fun place to be right now and I’m thankful to be working so much and a part of it all!
And you do it!
AMBER: There are people doing amazing, innovative things here, and it just keeps getting better. The different scenes are full of weird geniuses building from the ground up. Like Bushwig, and The Dreamhouse, and Discwoman. NYC is an inspiring, fun place to be right now and I’m thankful to be working so much and a part of it all!
"The domino effect gets all of us in the mood to be vulnerable with each other." –JD Samson
JD, last november you did keynote about gender and the music industry in Berlin for the We Make Waves Festival + Conference. How deep did it get?
JD SAMSON: My talk at We Make Waves was focused on several different aspects of my own relationship to feminism and being a performer. They ranged from imposter syndrome, (where you can't believe your own worth as an artist), to the idea of creating a persona that differs from your self, as well as tokenism within the industry. I focus mostly on the idea of tokenism as a woman and a gender-queer person within the talk and discuss the idea that in a lot of ways being visible as a token is important, but that it can eat away at you as an artist, because you aren't necessarily being hired for your work.
What was the best part of the talk?
JD: The questions, as always, where people tend to open up, and then the domino effect gets all of us in the mood to be vulnerable with each other. I wish there had been more time to delve into more, but I feel lucky to be invited to events like this, so I can be part of an important and ongoing conversation. HIRE MORE WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND QUEERS!
What was the best part of the talk?
JD: The questions, as always, where people tend to open up, and then the domino effect gets all of us in the mood to be vulnerable with each other. I wish there had been more time to delve into more, but I feel lucky to be invited to events like this, so I can be part of an important and ongoing conversation. HIRE MORE WOMEN, PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND QUEERS!
On Friday, February 2nd, Le Bain presents
Amber Valentine, JD Samson & Lauren Flax
The Standard, High Line | 10pm
