In conversation with Rosy Ross
by Maeve de Bordóns Álvarez
December 15 2023
A dedicated crate and internet digger, Rosy plays for dreamers and dancers at venues such as The Cause, Dalston Superstore, The Gun and Margate Arts Club. Her sets incorporate multiple genres to build a vibe, from low-end grooves and oddball new wave, to intergalactic disco and acid-tinged house.
Rosy is a member of DJ collectives Sisu and Back to Ours, and is a resident and volunteer at Threads Radio. Her show 'En Vacances' is inspired by faded seaside resorts and the anything-goes eclecticism of the balearic sound.
Hi Rosy, how are you and how has your 2023 been?
Hello :) I’m job hunting at the mo… 2023 has been tough. We are protesting a genocide and people in power do nothing. I’m appalled by the apathy, greed and short-sightedness of most political leaders, how they treat certain people like shit and how they disregard the climate crisis. Eat them all.
It has reminded me to take better care of my physical and mental health and my loving relationships, cos we’re going to need perseverance, strong communities and hope to be able to fight this together and not look the other away. Music is so important - digging and sharing tunes, going to gigs and playing out is an endless source of joy, comfort and energy.
Can you share a few formative experiences that got you into electronic music?
Living in Nottingham for uni in the mid noughties was huge for me. I moved from a small town to a city where there was loads more happening musically, and people took house parties seriously. At free parties, I had my first interactions with giant speaker stacks and first experiences following the bass rumble to a secret location, dancing into the next day, sharing water and sweets with strangers, clearing up together in the morning. It was beautiful. I made many important relationships in those years.
I heard techno, house and electro at Blueprint, Stealth and The Marcus Garvey (shout out Firefly!) and italo, nu-disco - all sorts of disco - at Rescue Rooms and The Bodega Social. Also the annual dusk til dawns in Block 9 area at Glastonbury blew my little mind, and I’m forever grateful.
A Discwoman night at Bossa Nova Civic Club in NYC was major - seeing women play and stand up for each other, insisting that the music scene deserves a much greater diversity of people behind the decks. It’s great that collectives are forming worldwide with the same objective.
How do you approach putting a mix together? What inspired this mix?
Usually I’ll start with an idea or mood suggested by two or three tracks I definitely want to include. I spend a long time making a big folder/pile of music that could work, listening to everything and then whittling it down and making sure the mix unfolds in a way that makes sense. The opening and closing tracks are important too.
For this one, I’m manifesting for 2024! I’ve channeled peak time me, thru higher nrg tracks I don’t get to play out often enough. I rate the LBM platform and pushed myself to record something special outside of my comfort-zone tempos. The mix book-ends retro italo and 80s pop with more recent cosmic and rave-inspired jams and a touch of unhinged disco - and features loads of excellent producers and DJs people should know :) It’s also about love and anticipation, a spell for the new year.
What are some labels, artists and scenes that inspire you?
Eris Drew is one of my favourite artists. The physicality of her live sets and the aura of her intentions compel me to dance harder in boundary-dissolving communion with everyone in the room. I consider her a healer and teacher - she’s re-elevating dance music. I recommend her ‘Journal of the Motherbeat’ substack, and a dig through the releases on her label T4T LUV NRG, which she runs with her partner Octo Octa (who’s also essential).
Three disco deities: Larry Levan for his eclectic sets and his deep and dubby productions, Patrick Cowley for mind-bending synth compositions - they teased so many more textures out of the genre - and Sylvester for uncompromising self-expression.
I am inspired daily by friends in the music industry who are using their creative energy to change the scene for the better and wake people up: Threads for supporting me (and so many others) with my first radio experience and welcoming me into the local music scene; Queer House Party for integrating activism into their shows, and making them so damn good they’ve gone international; Cafe Oto for programming un-commercial, beautiful, challenging artists; Kallida Festival; Sisu Crew; Hub 16. Also Elliott and Melo of Big Dyke Energy, who’ve just launched a crowdfunder to provide financial support and mentorship to queer, trans+, non-binary and intersex event organisers across the UK - please support if you can, via the BDE insta. I could go on…
Keep up with Rosy Ross on Instagram and Soundcloud