Needle Exchange: A DJ Questionnaire with PDX Mandem (Skelli Skel & EmVKush)

Their craziest gig, their go-to records and the music you should never ask them to play.

IMAGE: Courtesy of PDX Mandem.

Years DJing: We were in a band together in high school about 14 years ago, with Skelli Skel on drums and EmVKush on bass. We've both been interested in DJing for over a decade but didn't start taking it seriously until about three years ago.

Genres: Dub, Pacific Northwest rap, funk, footwork, jungle, experimental.

Where you can catch us regularly: We have a weekly radio show on XRAY.fm Fridays from 1 to 3 am focusing on dub and hip-hop with an emphasis on local artists and labels. We recently started a monthly show every fourth Monday at Produce Row Cafe with EYRST, with live beats and special guest MCs and DJs. We frequent Valentines for Signal PDX and a ton of other events.

Craziest gig: We played together in NYC in August at a warehouse in Bushwick with a ridiculous sound system. It was, like, 100 degrees in the warehouse the whole night and there was no AC and the place turned into a sweatbox. It was so hot and wet that our equipment was screwing up from the first song we tried to play. I think three of our four USB sticks had issues. Grape God was there too and MC'd with his shirt off.

Our go-to records: Alter Echo & E3, "Warning Dub (Egoless Remix)"; Bukkha featuring Junior Dread and Skelli Skel, "Ruling Sound"; King Fifi, "King Riddim."

Don't ever ask us to play…: We were gonna say Skrillex, but does anyone ask any DJ to play Skrillex anymore? Hopefully not.

NEXT GIG: PDX Mandem spins at Wheel It! at the Liquor Store, 3341 SE Belmont St., with Joe Nice, on Wednesday, Feb. 15. 9 pm. 21+.

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