Needle Exchange: A DJ Questionnaire with Billy-Dave Braunstone

His go-to records, his craziest gig and the music you should never ask him to play.

By Matthew Singer
IMAGE: Courtesy of Billy-Dave Braunstone.

Years DJing: 18 years. I also run a vinyl record label called Dark Leader, which features underground dance music from all over the world.

Genre: House, techno, disco, Italian soundtrack and library music.

Where you can catch me regularly: Every first Saturday at the Tannery.

Craziest gig: Back in 2000, I played a party in the Pullman/Moscow area where it was so hot and humid that moisture started pooling up on the mixer. I wound up getting lightly electrocuted a couple of times.

My go-to records: "Buio Omega" by Clap Rules; "22.05" by Black Merlin; "Death of a Candle" by Ozarks; "Nago" by Luis Bacalov.

Don't ever ask me to play…:  EDM.  Honestly, I try and adapt to the crowd, but if it's not in one of my record boxes I'm not going to play it.

NEXT GIG: Billy-Dave Braunstone spins at the Tannery, 5425 E Burnside St., on Saturday, Sept. 2.

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Billy-Dave BraunstoneDark LeaderDJsNeedle ExchangePortland DJsthe Tannery

Matthew Singer

Matthew Singer

A native Southern Californian, former Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Singer ruined Portland by coming here in 2008. He is an advocate for the canonization of the Fishbone and Oingo Boingo discographies, believes pro-wrestling is a serious art form and roots for the Lakers. Fortunately, he left Portland for Tucson, Arizona, in 2021.

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