new york-based dj and promoter como se dj comes through with a live recording from a recent recess party in montreal. with the theme being swamp fairies and como se dj closing for one of our favourites, the mix transcends between dark and light, using beautiful textural melodies to bring you into his world.
growing up in a household that was always playing music with como se dj’s dad introducing him to a world of different soundscapes, it wasn’t until the last two years of high school that como se dj (paul) was introduced to electronic music via the all encompassing sounds of brian eno, aphex twin, portishead and massive attack. opening up the flood gates for paul, he then got into the renegade scene in montreal which is where the influence of djing came into play. now based in brooklyn, paul runs the diy sunday party series recess which was launched in response to the frequent high energy parties in new york with the aim of creating something more nourishing and softer for the queer community in the city. the previous parties have featured sets from deep creep, loif, adobeprincess, ronan, matas, kia, d. tiffany, adab, succubass, aaron j, rrao and more.
with plans to play in the eu and moving back to montreal in the fall for studies, como se dj is soaking up the rest of his time in nyc. we caught up with paul to chat about all things recess and new york city influence, what it was like growing up in a musical household, other inspirations outside of music, and what he’s most excited about right now.
hey paul! how are you doing? what have you been up to lately?
hi! i’m doing alright—the past few months have been rather demanding. i was preparing school applications, applying for a program in electroacoustics at concordia university in montreal. i got accepted earlier in march and that’s been a huge weight off. so, now my plan is to just soak in the rest of my time in nyc before i head off in the fall.
let’s start from the very beginning, what was your first introduction to music in general and then more specifically electronic music?
my dad has this truly insane collection of records, cds, and cassettes. he’d put on something at dinner and more often than not, it was something we’d never heard. it was pretty formative, being exposed to the beauty of so many different sounds. he has a little bit of everything in his collection. everything except electronic music, that is. he had an aversion to it that prevented me from getting into it for a good long while. but in my last two years of high school, i stumbled into brian eno, aphex twin, portishead and massive attack, and that pretty well opened the floodgates…
who was the first artist or band that you were a fan of?
i couldn’t have been older than 10 or 11 here, but i remember this long drive we took where we listened to all of annie lennox’s albums in chronological order. pretty epic road trip, real formative stuff there.
was there a formative moment growing up, whether that’s seeing your favourite band live or an incredible dj set, that led you to this path?
i was a music nerd from the get. my whole family is musical, we all play different instruments and sing—i grew up playing the piano in classical training starting at age 5, and in high school i switched to learning jazz piano which lasted into my first year of undergrad. jazz wholly shaped the way i listen to and think about music and, even though i no longer play piano, that way of using my brain and thinking about harmony and groove manifests in the music i’m doing today. when i play a dj gig, i feel that same kind of confidence and freedom around improvising and taking risks.
where do you look for sources of inspiration outside of music?
films, 100%—weirdo ones, the more so. also my friends <3
how has nyc influenced or informed your sense of self and artistic output?
it’s easy to get overwhelmed in this city—there’s just too much good shit happening. everyone has a vision and an insane amount of drive. it’s this mixture and clash that’s both intimidating and inspiring and it lights a fire under you. it’s definitely driven me to step my creative game up all the more. on a personal level, i think living in nyc has taught me how to set better boundaries for myself. i know how easy it is for me in this city to get distracted and to spread myself too thin, and i needed to learn how to keep myself in check. i’m getting there, i think.
could you tell us about recess? what motivated you to start the party and why did you decide to host them on sundays?
i always liked partying on a sunday. it’s the perfect way to close it out, if it’s the first event you’re going to that weekend or if it’s the final destination before monday comes around. everyone gets to enjoy the day with friends, get their weekend dance in, be home at a reasonable hour, and be able to start their week off after a full night of sleep. seems like a no brainer, people should be doing far more of these. but, when i moved to the city, there were a very select few sunday day parties here, and those that were around were pretty high energy events. it felt like recess was born out of necessity. the intention was to provide the new york queer community with a softer, healing-focused experience on the dancefloor—something i knew was missing, and saw was sorely needed.
how would you describe recess in three words?
playful. psychedelic. nourishing.
what is your approach to curating these events?
since the second edition, i’ve been working with my friend eugenia to put these on. our curation centers on a theme and everything revolves around that. we put together a sort of moodboard, and everything just crystallizes from there—the last big diy party we threw in nyc explored watery sounds, from the shoals of a coral reef, into the depths of the ocean floor: a subaquatic/subbass fantasy. sure, some of the curating is about which djs we want to book and what time makes sense for them to play, but a huge part of our curation is about the space and its affect. we want to transport you to a sonic world via our djs and we want you to open your eyes and have that world physicalize itself around you.
what has been your most recent musical discovery that you’re obsessed with?
i’ve been really into this instrument called the euphone. highly recommend checking out this youtube video: “nebula instruments – nebula euphone // for studio productions, film scores and soundnerds”. i got lost in a 5 hour long wormhole of weirdo instruments i’d never seen before. “water concerto – tan dun” was another discovery that night, but i think i’m late to the party there.
you’ve also contributed a mix for the 909 series, what’s the concept behind this one?
so this set is from a recent recess event that we put on in montreal. the concept for this party was swamp fairies, lots of murkiness and sparkly bits. sybil headlined the party. she’s been a huge inspiration for my sound over the years. super deep stuff—floaty dreamy bits nuzzled in between darker stuff. i wanted to do a loving tribute to her in this closing set. i went for lush, groovy, melodic techno. really wanted to get people cozied up in that liminal space between dark and light à la sybil.
how does your approach to dj sets differ from studio mixes and radio shows? is there a narrative in mind that you’re always trying to tell through your sets?
i always have so much fun putting together dj sets and mixes alike, and i always try to tell a story there. my mixes are a lot less improvised than my sets, i spend a lot more time thinking about the specific functionality of my tracks and am able to spend more time tweaking stuff and moving chunks around, but it’s a similar kind of process i undergo in scheming them up. with dj sets, i have a really clear vision of what i’m trying to accomplish based on when i’m going to be playing on the lineup / who’s on before and after / what time it is / etc. the story i’m trying to tell can be as simple as “alright, let’s get this party started” or it can be some very specific narrative i’m going for. i remember for when i was playing the peak time slot in studio at basement, i had this whole story i’d written about a deep-sea psytrance rescue mission—oxygen tank depletion anxiety, i tried to build all this tension up and keep things super dark and driving, and give very few gasps of air. it’s on my soundcloud as “<2” if that sounds appealing to any of you, pretty unrelenting wormy psy stuff. radio shows are a nice break from all the premeditated work that goes into my sets and mixes, i really lean into the improvisation and going-with-the-vibe of it all.
when was the last time you were on the dance floor?
i’ve been frequenting my fair number of dance floors since i got my school applications in, i need it. i was going stir crazy. i will say, as much as i’ve been enjoying getting all these dances in lately, the most rewarding musical moments i’ve been experiencing have been in deep-listening spaces. lsd hosts these ambient / live shows all the time. i can’t tell you how many times i’ve gone there and experienced a deep-tissue cranial massage at the hands of a dj i’d never heard of. it’s a wild space, perfect for sunday evenings post-party-weekend.
what are you most excited about right now?
as i grow as a dj, i am increasingly aware of the fact that the music i play is not my own, and that it is not all that i have to offer. djing gives me the opportunity to reflect my tastes, but it does not provide a channel for unadulterated artistic expression in all of the ways that i want to—in the ways that i was able to tap into when i was playing jazz piano, for example. i’m so excited to go back to school and learn about sound and production in a rigorous environment. i think it’s going to unlock all this stuff that’s been burbling inside over the last years djing. watch this space…
what’s on your vision board at the moment?
fresh vegetables, orange wine on a patio, spending time with my homies 🙂