Any_Voice Vs. DJ Sober: A sit-down with DJ, Producer and Artist
What do artists like The Flaming Lips, Erykah Badu, Black Milk, Leon Bridges, Bun B and Pete Rock have in common? This guy.
DJ Sober is a multifaceted DJ, producer, and illustrator. Sober is a highly respected artist bringing something eclectic, smooth and rhythmic in everything that he touches. Always staying true to his focus on melodic and targeted taste, Sober has cultivated a highly devoted audience for years now. We sit down with him to answer a few questions about his creative process, collaboration with calibrated musicians, inspiration from the skate scene and railroad culture.
1. Thanks for taking your time with us DJ Sober. Before I ask you some deeper questions here, how did you come up with that name?
I started dabbling in graffiti as a teen and needed to come up with a tag name. I was hanging out with some older writers and one suggested the name “Sober,” because I didn’t drink. I instantly liked it. I liked the sound, the way the letters looked and the literal meaning of the word. By that point people, random graffiti kids, would call my parents’ house and ask for Sober, so I went with it. I told the person planning the part to use “Sober” for the flyer. The name stuck, and I’ve been “Sober” in every sense of the word ever since.
2. How long have you been DJing for?
I’ve been DJing since ’93. Like I said previously, it started out as a hobby for me. Back then, it wasn’t a trendy thing to DJ, but I was mesmerized by the art of it. I honed my skills at home for a long time before I ever took on the craft as a profession, because it meant a lot to me to do it right.
3. Who is your influence when it comes towards music and culture?
I have many influences, but I’d say my older cousins influenced me a lot in these areas. They were into very different things when it came to music and hobbies — one skateboarded and was in a punk rock band and the other was more into college rock, post-punk, comics and drawing — but I learned and borrowed from both. I was a bit younger and looked up to them, so I absorbed everything I could and then went and did my own research and expanded my knowledge.
I was also very influenced by The Beastie Boys. They embodied everything cool to me and were always at the forefront of their style, attitude, individual character and multi-genre (rap, punk, funk) soundscapes. They also owned a label and had their own magazine and clothing line. I looked at them as a mold of the sorts of things I wanted to create and goals I wanted to attain.
4. How has that tied to your work and personal life?
Music and culture are my life. Skate culture, in particular, had a huge influence on me early on and changed my life forever. Skaters have always done the fly shit first. A lot of fashion trends start in the skate world. Skate videos incorporated so many different genres of music — from hip-hop to rock to funk to soul and jazz — and put so many people on to sounds and artists they’d never heard before. Certain songs still take me back to specific scenes in the skate videos I first heard them on. Skate graphics and artists like Jim Phillips and Vernon Courtlandt Johnson were also everything and influenced my illustration style. Without skate culture, I wouldn’t be who I am today.
5. I see you’ve worked closely with artists like Leon Bridges, Devin The Dude, Sway Calloway and Black Milk. I’m sure the experiences through collaboration is strong. What’s something you always pick up or learn from meshing with different musicians?
There is always something to learn from everyone you work with. It’s great to hear other peoples’ stories, get different perspectives and fresh takes on music, the industry or just life. A few months back when I played the Sway show, I was testing the sound during a commercial break to make sure everything was good to go before my set. Sway was in his chair, talking, writing something down; I checked with the Main Source track, and Sway stopped everything and said, “Are you playing that?!” He came over and gave me a hug/dap and thanked me for simply knowing the tune. That was special to me for a couple of reasons: 1. It came from a legend like Sway whose show I was about to rock, which was surreal in and of itself. 2. He’s a guy who has hosted thousands of guests day in and day out for years and could easily be jaded, but his genuine response was one of excitement. That was amazing to see and shows that some people truly do what they love for a living. Sway motivated me that day and really opened my eyes to how fortunate I am to be making a living doing something I love.
6. You also have a background in art — from your zines to illustrations. Can you tell me more about the railroad zines you’ve issued the past 3 years? What is the railroad culture like? Any new stuff you’re working on now?
The Say It Ain’t Southern zines was a product of my love for trains and the mystery, aesthetic and folklore behind the markings found on the cars. The project started out as a focused and well-curated Instagram account. After giving it some thought and coming across some vintage railroad stationary, I thought it would be cool to get original artwork/markings from these elusive characters, rather than putting photos of such markings, that people might have seen time and time again on the web, in the zine. I went to SF for a little art show my friend Matthew Rodriguez put together featuring himself, Bill Daniel, Buz Blurr and Barry McGee. Barry was the first to draw on the stationary I had given him, and that’s how the idea got sparked. I started tracking down these folks and mailed the stationary to them and waited to see what I’d get in return. I really like the process. It’s more personal and archaic. Deadlines are loose when you’re waiting on art from creatives, especially when some are off the grid or don’t really stay in one place, but that’s what made it so special.
I’m slowly working on SIAS Vol. 4
7. If we had to put your mixes in a melting pot what would it look like?
Altogether musical gumbo, although I tend to focus mixes on a particular vibe or feeling. For instance, I have several R&B mixes, some on the smooth and sexy side and others on the jamming side, with tunes that span the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. I have electronic mixes that cover deep house and feature a lot of vinyl-only releases. I have uptempo indie dance mixes. The list goes on.
8. Can you give us your top 5 records you’d recommend that would enlighten our audience?
I’ll give you 5 records that I can’t stop listening to right now that folks should vibe to, too. :)
2. Gregory Isaacs — Night Nurse
3. Welcome To Paradise Vol. 1 & 2
4. Depeche Mode — Black Celebration
5. Seb Wildblood — Familiar Boundaries EP
Thank you for reading our sit down with DJ Sober. Any_ is an experience design studio in New York City focusing on digital creative platforms, human experiences, and a curated community. Any_Voice sits on the brink of what’s ahead in technology, design and culture. A platform where we set out to find individuals and topics who are paving the way in society and creation. Log onto weareany.com to contact us or find out more.
