Artwork is borrowed from a painting by Keith Haring.

CF: How and where was this mix recorded?

The mix was recorded in my home studio on two broken hand-me-down Numarks and my favorite records from my small, yet growing, collection. It starts out pretty funky and dancey but gets heavy at the end. The track list is diverse: big names like Joy O and Mosca, legends like Soundstream, some edits records I picked up in New York, Rrose, Blawan, Pittsburgh Track Authority, some great Swedish House, and more. There’s lots of mistakes and because my platters don’t spin at a consistent speed the tracks aren’t really mixed. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from the great DJs of the world its that mixing ain’t everything as long as you get people dancing and I think I’ve accomplished that.

CF: Tell us a bit about how you got into music and what were some of your major influences initially?

I’ve been studying classical music for just over a decade now: theory, history, literature, score reading, composition, and piano. My electronic music career started just a few years ago when I started helping a friend DJ parties in high school. He used Traktor and spun Top 40 stuff, then he showed me Reason and we made some shitty dance music. I’m pretty academic so I started researching electronic music and found dubstep. It was rhythmic and had bass; I fell in love with the music from Benga and Mala. After that was House, UKG, and Jungle. It snowballed from there and the rest is history.

CF: What’s King Friday’s story? When was it launched and what’s the main purpose behind it?

After I really got into electronic music I would tell my friends about every new song or artist I heard. I got sick of texting people so I started a Tumblr in June of 2012. After things started to take off I made a real website. I named it King Friday after the Mr. Rogers puppet. I liked his crown and Mr. Rogers is from Pittsburgh so it was a no-brainer. I’ve always believed in quality over quantity. I didn’t want to make a website that’s got everything on it, just the best stuff. That’s really what I’m going for.

CF: What do you normally listen to at home? What are 3 of your favorite albums past or present?

Obviously a lot of electronic music. It’s a hobby and a job now. I have to listen to a lot of classical recordings for my music studies too. I like jazz and have an obsession with World music. Favorite 3 albums? Obviously there’s no real answer to that. But here’s some stuff I love.

Arthur Rubinstein’s interpretations of Chopin’s Mazurkas
Razorblade Romance by HIM
Basinski’s Disintegration Loops

CF: What’s your favorite thing about living in Pittsburgh?

This city really is my bones and blood. It is who I am. The past 5 years have seen a lot of changes (95% of them were good). The next 5 years will be even better. Because it’s so small and young, everyone is willing to work together. The arts scene is really amazing. I’ve worked with dancers, poets, painters; we’re all in it together trying to build a scene. No ego, either. If you approach someone and say “Hey, I like what you do. Here’s what I do. Lets do stuff together” it’s like you’re instant friends.

CF: What’s in store for the future of King Friday? Do you have any personal or KF related projects you would like to share with us?

Well, in July I’m coming to play a Colectivo Futuro party in London. I’m super excited for that. I’ve always wanted my own label and venue so maybe after college I’ll do something with that. I’d like King Friday to one day be more of a magazine format with longer, more in depth articles. ‘Quality over quantity’ is kind of the motto for the site so I plan on keeping it small and focused. I’ve been composing since I was young so scoring and recording all my compositions would be nice. Also, I need to buy some turntables that spin correctly so I can make actual mixes. Building my record collection is a long term project. My approach to music journalism has been optimistic, open, and honest; I plan to keep that attitude and see where it takes me.