DERRAJ: FALLING, RISING, AND FINDING “TOGETHERNESS” IN THE UNDERGROUND

NOLA EDM: For those meeting you for the first time — who is Derraj?
Derraj: As most artists have aliases/stage names, ‘Derraj’ is just me, and sometimes takes point over my actual name, almost like two different people, but really the same. Growing up around the small Oakdale area, there weren’t many cool things to hold onto, but as I got older and took on opportunities like New Orleans and Fete du Void, ‘Derraj’ stuck. Since these opportunities, and being between the country and the city so frequently, I’ve been allowed to experiment with different sounds from different genres, and bring it together. That’s always the goal, during everything I do and every set I play: “Togetherness”.

NOLA EDM: Your set at The Warehouse was canceled, but it turned into something unexpected and beautiful.

Can you walk us through how that moment inspired your live mix at Fête du Void?
Derraj: To be honest I didn’t know what I was going to play for my set in The Warehouse, more than likely bass inspired with a mix of hip-hop. However, when things were unfolding and it was confirmed that I was playing on a renegade in The Vortex Trail, I had a feeling the mix was going to be everywhere, but how do I start it? Randomly searching for a song, I found “Trampoline” by Kero Kero Bonito, a kind of J-Pop song, which is about falling and getting back up. It felt personal at the time, and the perfect song to start off the end of Fete du Void.

NOLA EDM:The Lagniappe Love Stage set captured a real emotional journey — both musically and personally.

What was the story you wanted to tell through that performance?
Derraj:: Fete du Void always gives a certain je ne sais quoi to the phrase “Build it and they will come”. So once everyone gathered in a place (The Lagniappe Love Stage) that once never existed, the story began to tell itself.

NOLA EDM: How has the NOLA scene influenced your growth?
Derraj:: The artists here are some of the most creative people I’ve ever met — no one does it like us. My branding and sound are inspired by the underground: illegal raves, skate-park punk shows, DJs in abandoned houses at 3 a.m. That raw NOLA energy is what drives me.

NOLA EDM: When you’re not producing, what sparks your creativity?
Derraj:: If I’m not creating, I’m studying. I love finding tiny artists with 100 monthly listeners who are absolutely killing it. I’m obsessed with the raw vibe of the ’90s and 2000s — old Cartoon Network commercials, VHS distortion, lo-fi textures. That aesthetic has shaped my entire brand.