It’s a Sunday afternoon in the courtyard below Blair Arch as I recline in a lawn chair and launch a Zoom meeting. In the aftermath of Halloweekend, the campus is filled with students hurrying to the library, families visiting, and photoshoots in picturesque corners of campus. It’s one of those deceivingly sunny autumn days, making it appear warmer than it is.
On my screen, and on the other end of the Zoom call, was Kendall Jeong, a senior studying economics who has DJed for the past two years. She plans to pursue user experience design post-graduation and has also been involved in the Princeton E. Club, in addition to various art collectives. Most recently, Jeong DJed at Charter Club Brat Night and Tiger Inn Halloween.
This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and conclusion.
Daily Princetonian: Do you have a DJ name?
Kendall Jeong: My name is DJ KJ. For my first gig I was just going to say, DJ Kendall. I had a friend who was like, “No, you need a DJ name — it has to be official.” He came up with the name, and at first, I thought it was cringe, but people started to like it. On the first gig, people were chanting it. It worked out. It ended up being the perfect name.
DP: I love that, very catchy. Can you tell us how you got started, entered the DJ world, and how long you’ve been DJing?
KJ: I was raised on electronic dance music. My dad listens to this kind of music. I remember driving to elementary school. I’d be listening to Armin van Buuren, Eric Prydz, Tiësto, which is not what you would typically expect. He and my mom would go to raves. They still do. I was always exposed to the rave culture and DJ scene growing up. When I came of age and could go to these events, I did.
I bought a DJ deck about two years ago because I wanted to have some fun on my own, mixing sounds together, and doing mashups, and gradually I would start performing at pregames for friends. This past year I booked my first gig at my eating club, Charter, so I got to play for larger crowds. I think I was able to DJ because of how house music has become more mainstream. People are more receptive to EDM and different types of party music.
DP: What type of music, genres, and artists inspire your sets?
KJ: I like to DJ a lot of different genres, but particularly I love house, tech house, garage, and Jersey Club. I have a Brazilian friend who put me on to some Brazilian funk. I’ve been trying to incorporate more funk beats into my sets. In my free time, if I’m just listening to music on my own, I like Sammy Virji and Oppidan. I’ve been getting into more alternative house music recently. There’s this artist called 1tbsp that I’ve been liking.
DP: Are your sets improvised, or do you curate them ahead of time? What is the thought process?
KJ: It starts with listening to loads of music. I’m constantly looking through different SoundCloud and Spotify stations and browsing through tracks on Beatport. Once I have a mass of music consolidated, depending on the event, I try to narrow down to this sweet spot, which is the intersection of a Venn diagram where the circles are my music tastes, the audience’s taste, and the organizer’s taste. Once I have those songs, I’ll pack some sequences, which are threads of songs that work together that I know will transition well. During the set, it’s about reading the crowd and trying to understand how to build that energy, starting slower in the beginning and building up to a higher energy climax around midnight or so, when the night peaks.
DP: Have you DJed any other eating clubs, and what has been your favorite one to perform at so far?
KJ: I just DJed this past Thursday for Halloween at Tiger Inn, which was a lot of fun, because I also got to dress up. It’s always fun when your friends are there and you dance with them to the music you’ve planned out. My favorite night has been Brat Night so far because it was the first time I’d ever performed in front of a crowd that big and all of my friends showed up, which was the most fun ever. That’s the most important part to me, being there with people I love, sharing my music.
DP: Do you have a dream venue on or off campus that you would love to DJ?
KJ: I would love to play a venue in New York City. That’d be incredible. I’m planning on living there after graduation. We’ll see what I can do. At this point, I’m taking it as it goes and trying to have fun in the moment, not trying to take it too seriously and just be there if someone wants me at a gig.
DP: Do you have any advice you would like to give to other students possibly thinking about DJing?
KJ: If you have an interest, go find someone who has a deck or purchase a deck on your own, doesn’t have to be super spruced out or expensive. Have some fun on your own and see what you can create, and if you do end up wanting to play a gig, I would reach out to one of the eating clubs or throw a pregame and test it out in front of a crowd and see how it lands. My main advice would be to get started and see where it takes you.
DP: Do you take suggestions from the audience?
KJ: Oh, my goodness, if I can, I will! I think people don’t realize that all the music you can play is pre-downloaded, especially if you use a USB stick. You already have your set track list or music database loaded into the deck. If you don’t have the song, sometimes it can be difficult, unless you’re streaming the music, to get it into the set or even find a spot for it. The BPM could be off, or the key could be off. It can be very difficult. I try to take recommendations because I know how it feels to want that one song that you love to be played. But sometimes it’s just really difficult.
DP: Do you have anything to add about your experience DJing at Princeton?
KJ: I would say again to other people interested in DJing: now is the time to do it. The barrier to entry at Princeton is low. If you’re in an eating club, it’s easy to DJ for your club, and people are receptive to a wide array of music. It’s also a unique time when you can be around your friends exclusively, DJ, and have them all be there for one night. College is the time to start.
Marley Hartnett-Cody is a member of the Class of 2028 and a contributing writer for The Prospect and a print designer at the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at mh8519@princeton.edu.
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