Needle Exchange: A DJ Questionnaire with Todd Armstrong

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

IMAGE: Courtesy of Todd Armstrong.

Years DJing: It's been nine years since I begged my cousin to teach me how to mix vinyl. I would slow down his late '90s trance records and practice mixing them into Rod Stewart's "Do You Think I'm Sexy" for hours on end.

Genre: House, techno, tech house—I love sexy, groovy, funky music. Anything that subconsciously convinces people to wiggle.

Where you can catch me regularly: Mr. Projectile and I throw a party every other month at Holocene called Fuzzy Logic. We consider it our sonic church, and as your DJs we provide you with holy aural pleasure. I am also regularly willing to play wherever with whoever as long as I get to play my sweet, sweet house.

Craziest gig: My goodbye party at Chilkoots Charlie's in Anchorage, Alaska. It was packed to the brim with beautiful people, and the excessive amounts of alcohol, nudity, sweaty dancing and illicit substances created one of the most memorable parties I've ever been part of. It made me want to leave Alaska over and over again.

My go-to records: Anything by Julio Bashmore, Kill Frenzy or Jimmy Edgar can get a party going. More recent additions to my forever files include some Lenny Kiser and Fritz Carlton. Of course, I always gotta mix in tracks from the label that puts out my music, Late Night Munchies.

Don't ever ask me to play…: Top 40 or country. I mean, you could go ahead and ask, but I will just smile and say, "When I get the chance absolutely!"

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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