DJ spotlight: DJ Sphinx
Year: 3rd
Major: Business concentrating in quantitative analysis
KCPR Schedule: Thursdays 12 pm – 3 pm
What is the name of your show?
DJ Sphinx
How did you select/create this name?
I was really interested in doing something that’s kind of mythological or ancient history. That’s something I’ve been interested in since I was young, so I was looking for mythological names. I found Sphinx and I thought that sounded really neat with the way it was spelled.
It was also at a time in my life where I felt like I was discovering what it was like to be a woman. I really liked the image of the Sphinx as something really powerful and really knowledgeable. That definitely spoke to me.
How long have you been a part of KCPR?
I joined last year? I actually tried out my freshman year but didn’t get in because it’s so competitive. But I joined in my last school year, so Fall of 2019.
How did you get involved in KCPR?
I’ve been a music nerd and fan my entire life – since I was really young. When I was in high school, I got really into 80’s alternative music and, through that, I discovered the world of college radio. I was really interested in doing college radio once I got to college, and I applied to KCPR, and I have loved it.
It’s been a great way to express my creativity beyond my typical classes. I get to play music for people that I think they would enjoy and it’s so fun for me. It’s just a great way to combine my interests in music and communications.
For someone who’s never listened to your show before, what would you tell them in order to entice them? Give me your pitch!
So, my show – the goal is always to get people energized and to help them loosen their tie after a long day and get ready to have a fun week. I like to mix a lot of different genres as best as I can. It’s definitely very rock focused, with alternative rock, but I’d love to throw in some pop, occasionally hip hop if it fits. I usually try to have something for everyone in my show.
What is your favorite album released in 2020 and why?
My favorite album from 2020 was Yves Tumor’s “Heaven to a Tortured Mind.” It was a really exciting project for me because it was very experimental and it combines so many genres, from glam rock to hip hop to even some lush sounding shoegaze elements.
It was unlike anything I’d ever heard. The influence there from artists as weird as, like, industrial pioneers like Throbbing Gristle to Prince – you could tell that there was so much thought put into that project. It shows just how diverse and electrifying it is. It’s really cool.
If you could go on a date/outing with any artist, who would it be and what would you do?
I would want to hang out with PJ Harvey. She was an alternative rock artist from the nineties. I’d love to get styling tips from her because I love her fashion sense. Also, [I’d want to] talk to her about guitar and obscure blues music, because she grew up on a farm listening to a lot of crazy blues records. I’d love to learn more about her music knowledge.
That’s so fun! How long have you been listening to her?
Since I was in high school, probably like 15 or 16.
Describe your show/music taste with a season/mood:
I’d say it’s like being in a big city. I’m walking into a garage, with a loud band playing, and I don’t know. I like to think of it as like a garage, or somewhere where people are really expressing themselves in a raw, true fashion on a warm, sunny day.
How has Covid-19 changed the way in which your show is run? Can you tell me a bit about your at-home set-up and any challenges you may be facing?
It’s definitely harder to produce shows during COVID because, when we were in the studio, it was a lot easier to gather inspiration just from the vinyls and CDs you would see in our collection at KCPR. Sometimes you fill in the gaps on the spot with something really cool that you would find [in the station] or you would even have people calling in requesting songs. I got that quite a bit and it was super fun to play music that people thought would fit in with my show.
Now, obviously, we don’t have that. I would say that I still do plan my shows ahead every week. I spend a few hours planning them, bas[ing them] around my mood that week and what I’ve been going through try to kind of make it relevant.
My home setup [is]: I record in my room all the time. I tend to record it [on] nights because that’s when I feel I’m most productive. It’s also easier to get quiet because I won’t have my parents coming into my room or anything like that.
It’s just been really fun, like even though it’s been sad to not be in the studio, it has been a really interesting experience doing remote broadcasting. This is something that not many other college radio stations are doing, so it feels like we’re on the cutting edge of radio history – radio future – with this.
So you mentioned your parents, are you home right now?
I’ve been at home actually.
I know it’s different not being in the studio, but does not being in SLO impact your show at all?
I don’t know; I feel like my shows would be kind of the same if I was in SLO. If anything, I have more time to think about my shows now, since I’m at home instead of running around SLO. I do kind of miss the inspiration that being in SLO gives – just the sunny California, more Central California vibes – were fun to think about when tailoring my show. Maybe it is a little bit different now that I’m not there in the Cal Poly KCPR home.
Do you notice your own music taste changing a lot?
Honestly, I wouldn’t say it has really changed that much, but I will say that being in KCPR completely broadened my perspective on music and introduced me to so much new music. I think my taste is constantly evolving.
Being in KCPR, we get to learn about all these awesome new releases of music and we have a community of people that are sharing music with each other. I would say, for all of us, our tastes are constantly evolving and that’s reflected in our shows becoming more tailored to the audience, yet more exciting and expansive in their sound.
Do your career goals include radio and/or music?
Ideally, after college, I’d really like to enter a data analyst role, so I could combine statistics with some element of creativity in an organization like sharing and telling stories with data.
I’m not necessarily interested in doing radio after college. I’ve thought about it, but I don’t know if it’s really me. I think I would – I’m more interested in doing something that’s like statistical. I love statistics. I’m very interested in working for an organization or a company that is focused on entertainment, whether that be in news, or in music, or in film.
