Needle Exchange: A DJ Questionnaire with DJ Sinead

Her go-to records, her craziest gig and the music you should never ask her to play.

Years DJing: Off and on for 16 years, 12 in Portland. But I was pretending to be a radio DJ when I was a kid as early as when Human League's "Don't You Want Me" came out, I would use a microphone and my record player and dub it all down to tape.

Genre: Gothic, industrial, '80s, '90s, synth-pop, electronic music in general.

Where you can catch me regularly: Monday nights for Black Mass at the Lovecraft. Occasionally, I guest Hive at Star Theater on Sundays.

Craziest gig: David Bowie vs. Prince Pedalpalooza in 2015. So many people just dancing in their Bowie and Prince costumes. Same-sex marriage was just legalized by the Supreme Court and as I played Blur's "Girls and Boys," a giant rainbow flag started sailing around the warehouse. Good times.

My go-to records: Anything Depeche Mode, but in particular Violator;  David Bowie, "I'm Afraid of Americans"; anything from the Cure's Pornography; Einstürzende Neubauten's "Z.N.S." and "Haus der Lüge"; Austra's tracks "Spellwork" or "Beat and the Pulse" from the album Feel it Break; pretty much anything from Crystal Castles II. And I'm really excited by the artist Kanga. Her self-titled debut is amazing.

Don't ever ask me to play…: Concrete Blonde's "Bloodletting." Just don't.

NEXT GIG: DJ Sinead spins at the Lovecraft, 421 SE Grand Ave., on Monday, Oct. 9. 9 pm. 21+.

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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