virtue_signal: Crafting Deep, Psychedelic Club Energy in New Orleans

NOLA EDM: For those meeting you for the first time — who is virtue_signal.?
virtue_signal.: I’ll forever be the silhouette in the dark foggy room, dancing & sweating all night. Trying to find transcendence in the music. Imagine if that person got dropped off into the DJ booth and was picking out all the tunes…that’s virtue_signal.

NOLA EDM: You’ve played support for artists like Machinedrum, Marie Davidson, and Nikki Nair — how did your journey into DJing and production begin?
virtue_signal.: Funny enough, it was blogging & music journalism that got me into the scene. My first couple of years in New Orleans, I was a writer & editor for River Beats. In many ways I imagined myself as a bargain-brand version of those clever & cool VICE writers. Very early on, an elder in the scene gave me some advice that really stuck: learn how to DJ so you can write about it better.

So I downloaded Virtual DJ, struggled with it for a few years, gave up on journalism, practiced DJing a lot, and now – 9 years later, it’s become an obsession. I’m super grateful for the journey that it’s taken me on. There was never really a grand scheme to play big parties or travel to other cities for DJ bookings. All of that is just lagniappe.

NOLA EDM: How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never caught a set?
virtue_signal.: My sound is my way of communicating what I’m feeling or going through during that slice of time. Heart on my sleeve, always. That sound can be joyful, dark, feral, all of the above.

NOLA EDM: You’ve called yourself a “disciple of sound.” What does that phrase mean to you, and how does it shape your creative process?
virtue_signal.: Learning never stops. I love this part of the process. Watching production tutorials, asking questions, trying out different ideas, making mistakes. Forever the student and always trying to improve on my craft.

NOLA EDM: New Orleans has a unique relationship with underground music.
virtue_signal.: Back in 2019, David Yaconi & I began hosting the SYSTEM open decks at Poor Boys every week. The goal was to raise the skill level for all the New Orleans DJs/producers while nurturing a spirit of collaboration. We later realized this was the first open-decks weekly in New Orleans & one of the earliest of its kind in the entire US.

I owe so much to SYSTEM, to the regulars who’d come every week, and to Poor Boys for creating that kind of space for learning. A lot of those early SYSTEM regulars are now gigging DJs in New Orleans that you see on flyers every weekend. There’s so much pride & gratitude in being part of that. It takes a village.

NOLA EDM:  Outside of music, what inspires you creatively?
virtue_signal: I love to see other people in their creative bag. Whether it’s music, writing, photography, painting, dance, etc. It’s so inspiring to see others practicing their passion. Even more so when it’s your friend or your neighbor.