Live Coder DJ_Dave Is Logged In to the Algorave Afters

Photo courtesy of DJ_Dave.

This is SOUND ADVICE, a weekly destination for playlists curated by Interview’s friends, enemies, and lovers. Over the past few weeks, we’ve gathered playlists from Varg2™, José James, and Nourished by Time. This week, we’re going analog with DJ_Dave, the producer and sound selector who’s making music for the tech heads. While she’s most known for playing at “algoraves,” where she live codes music using Sonic Pi software algorithms in lieu of mixing on CDJs, she also releases dance tracks of her own, like last month’s glitch-pop single “World’s Hardest Game.” Fresh off a recent tour with Hannah Diamond—past tour mates include JPEGMAFIA and Danny Brown—Dave is ready to headline a different type of venue. Last week, she kicked off the Always Learning Tour, a comp-sci college lecture circuit, hitting the top techy schools to teach live coding seminars followed by campus algoraves. In between lessons, DJ_Dave took a moment to make us the ultimate futuristic fembot playlist, featuring Kelela, Charli XCX, Mowalola, and more—and tells us who to fear when the machines take over.

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Where do you dance? At the Jersey Shore with my friends. 

Headphones of choice? AIAIAI’s with fluffy white covers. 

Who do you trust most with the aux? Have to give it to my manager Hannah Hicks. Chick knows what’s good.

What was your first concert? My first concert ever was The Killers at PNC Bank Arts Center in 2009 which I still have a T-shirt from.

What song do you have on repeat? I can’t stop listening to the whole RAVE:N, The Remixes album by Kelela. 

What’s your DJing pet peeve? When I rip corrupt files from SoundCloud and they crash the CDJs. 

Dream collaborator, dead or alive? Has to be Arca. 

You just arrived at the algorave. What drink are you ordering? I am getting a Dirty Shirley. 

Favorite visuals to code to? Anything that Char Stiles makes. 

Where’s the afters? The Sims 3 Future Lounge. 

Name your favorite artist no one knows about: Maryyx2, she is so good. 

You’re going on a lecture tour, funniest college party memory? I have no memory from most of the college parties I went to. 

Favorite post-gig meal? A Burger King Impossible Whopper and fries. 

What album is playing in heaven? In Rainbows by Radiohead <3

Name three things you want in your dream studio: A cat, a big big window, and someone’s in-development musical instrument from their PhD research program.

What are you wearing when the machines take over? I am the machine.