#dj tikka masala

[where-is-janhavi]

Hello dear ones, I’m starting in India. It is December, December 12th, 2022.

I’ve been here 3 weeks and it’s clear i need to keep track and share the things I’m learning, remembering, gathering, and experiencing.

Kolkata is a nostalgic city. It’s a wild trip to be here after 23 years.

My intention for this space is for it to contain the digital artifacts and learning moments during this particular extended rite of passage.

For me it looks like dropping everything, after a gradual process of shedding obligations in the states, and with the help of so many unconditionally loving figures, giving me shelter, stillness, nourishment, reciprocity and more that i am working on articulating.

My hope is that what gathers here gives you a cool way to be with me while i learn about India, and Kolkata in particular, to begin with.

[carltonl1234]

Best Cocktail Bars in London: Where to Go for a Night Out with Friends

London is a city that never sleeps, and if you are looking for a place to enjoy some drinks and have fun with your friends, you will be satisfied. The capital has a variety of cocktail bars that cater to different tastes, moods, and occasions. Whether you want to sip on a classic martini, try something exotic and fruity, or indulge in a decadent dessert cocktail, there is a bar for you. Here are some of the best cocktail bars in London that you should check out:

The Alchemist: This bar is all about the magic of mixology, and you will be amazed by the creative and theatrical cocktails they serve. The drinks are not only delicious but also come with a show, as they fizz, smoke, change color, and even levitate. Some of the signature cocktails include the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, which is served in a teapot with dry ice, the Colour Changing One, which transforms from blue to pink as you pour it, and the Lightbulb Moment, which is a gin-based drink that glows in the dark.

Sketch: If you are looking for a quirky and whimsical place to enjoy your cocktails, Sketch is the place to go. This bar is divided into several rooms, each with its own theme and style. You can choose from the Gallery, which is a pink-hued space filled with art and sculptures, the Glade, which is a forest-inspired room with trees and fairy lights, the Parlour, which is a cozy and elegant lounge with velvet sofas and chandeliers, and the East Bar, which is a futuristic and minimalist space with pod-like seats and neon lights. The cocktails are equally inventive and playful, such as the Marshmallow Fluff Martini, which is topped with whipped cream and marshmallows, the Rhubarb & Custard Sour, which is a tangy and creamy drink with rhubarb liqueur and egg white, and the Sketch-Up, which is a spicy and refreshing drink with tequila, lime juice and ketchup.

Carlton Lounge Kingsbury: If you are craving some authentic Indian cuisine and cocktails, Carlton Lounge Kingsbury is the best Indian restaurant in London for you. This modern restaurant/lounge serves delicious Indo-Chinese spicy, flavourful dishes that cater to allergy intolerances. You can enjoy classics like chicken tikka masala, lamb rogan josh, and paneer butter masala, as well as fusion dishes like chili garlic noodles, schezwan fried rice, and manchurian chicken. To complement your meal, you can order from their extensive cocktail menu, which features drinks like the Mango Lassi Martini, which is a smooth and fruity drink with vodka, mango puree, and yogurt, the Masala Chai Mojito, which is a refreshing and aromatic drink with rum, mint leaves, lime juice and masala chai syrup, and the Gulab Jamun Daiquiri, which is a decadent and indulgent drink with rum, lime juice and gulab jamun syrup. Carlton Lounge Kingsbury also offers live entertainment on weekends, such as DJs, singers, and dancers.

These are some of the best cocktail bars in London that you should visit to have a memorable night out with your friends. Whether you want to experience some chemistry at The Alchemist, some art at Sketch, or some spice at Carlton Lounge Kingsbury, you will not regret it. Cheers!

[whatsonmedia]

Best Offers of This Week!

Embark on a week-long odyssey of excitement and savings with WhatsOn! Dive into a world of extraordinary offers, from indulgent dining to rejuvenating wellness experiences. Unearth offers that promise unforgettable moments and unmatched value. Don't miss out – start your adventure with WhatsOn now! Papaya offers a three-course Sri Lankan meal for £19.95, together with a drink Experience authentic Sri Lankan cuisine at Papaya, a family-run gem in West London. For over 23 years, they've been delighting curry lovers with a rich tapestry of flavors. Enjoy this culinary journey with an exclusive Timeout offer: Menu Highlights: - Starters: Onion Bhaji, Uridu Vadai, Chicken Tikka - Main Course: Masala Dosai, Roti Canai with Chicken Curry (or Mixed Vegetable Curry), Chicken (or Vegetable) Kothu String Hopper - Dessert: Indian Pistachio Kulfi - Drinks: Cobra Draught Beer (Pint), Glass of House Wine (125ml), Soft Drink Important Details: - Valid for three courses and a drink at Papaya - Availability: Mon to Thu and Sun: 4:30 pm - 7 pm; Fri to Sat: 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm - To redeem, email booking confirmation to papaya_ealing@yahoo.co.uk with preferred date and time, ensuring clear voucher, security code, and QR code. - Present voucher upon arrival. - Reservations may be subject to a 90-minute return time (60 mins for Fri & Sat). - Voucher valid until January 31, 2024. - Menu subject to change. - A 12.5% service charge may be added. Immerse yourself in the flavors of Sri Lanka at Papaya and savor an unforgettable dining experience. Oktoberfest Brixton is returning, with admission only £5 Get ready for a Bavarian extravaganza at Oktoberfest Brixton, with authentic German food, music, and comedy, along with renowned German beers—all for just £5! Don't miss this grand debut in London. Event Highlights: - Hearty German food, lively music, and uproarious comedy - German beers from Spaten, Löwenbräu, and Becks - Ticket price: £5 (down from £20) Event Details: - Date and Time: October 28, 2023, from 1 pm to 8 pm - Location: Electric Brixton, Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill, London SW2 1RJ - Age Restriction: 18 and over Additional Information: - This ticket is valid for Oktoberfest Brixton 2023 on the selected date and time. - Please present your booking confirmation at the box office upon arrival. Tickets for The Addams Family Annual Halloween Rave are available for £10 Wednesday Addams hosts an annual Halloween Rave in a secret Hackney warehouse. This event promises a spooky party with a unique dance-off and a tribute to viral dance scenes celebrating the unusual. Dress in your most enchantingly eerie costumes for a night of eerie fun! Event Highlights: - Dress in your most enchantingly eerie costumes - Located in the heart of East London Event Details: - Date and Time: October 28, 2023, 9:30 pm - 2:30 am - Location: Hackney Bridge, Units 1-28, Echo Building, E Bay Lane, London E15 2SJ Additional Information: - This ticket grants entry to the Addams Family Annual Halloween Rave at the Secret Hackney Wick Warehouse. - Age Restriction: 18 and over. - Start Time: 9 pm. End Time: 2 am. Early arrival recommended to reduce queue time. - Each ticket allows one entry before 1 am. - Please present booking confirmation, the card used for purchase, and valid ID (passport, driving license, or GOV-approved ID) upon arrival. - Attendees must follow venue's entrance guidelines, including Halloween attire. - Adherence to all venue's guidelines, encompassing age restrictions, Halloween dress code, and intoxication rules, is mandatory. Entrance to the Twisted Wonderland Halloween Festival is just £10. Experience an immersive journey into a dark wonderland. Encounter scare actors, towering props, sweet treats, and confetti showers, all to the beats of world-class DJs like Max Denham, Predz, DJ SEMO, and more. Get ready for an electrifying night! Event Highlights: - Live performance by B Young - Scare actors, world-class DJs, tasty treats, and more - Ticket price: £10 Event Details: - Date and Time: October 31, 2023, 9 pm - 3 am - Location: Indigo at The O2, 205 Peninsula Square, London SE10 0ES Additional Information: - This ticket grants entry to the Twisted Wonderland Halloween Festival at Indigo at The O2. - Age Restriction: 18 and over. - Start Time: 9 pm. End Time: 2 am. Early arrival recommended. - Each ticket allows one entry before 1 am. - Please present booking confirmation, the card used for purchase, and valid ID (passport, driving license, or GOV-approved ID) upon arrival. - Attendees must follow venue's entrance guidelines, including Halloween attire. - Adherence to all venue's guidelines, encompassing age restrictions, Halloween dress code, and intoxication rules, is mandatory. Read the full article

[dykebarchronicles]

DJ Mix from India

And this is a recording of my first time getting to DJ in India. I was enthralled to get a gig in Palolem thanks to this lovely dog named Leela... and to get to watch the sun set, the tide rise, while people sat by a bonfire, or danced.

[thearchitectureoftomorrow]

AOT PROJECT will present OUR ELEMENTS a collaborative consideration of locally generated feminist art created over the past two years by Brooklyn-based artists DJ TIKKA MASALA, MERYL FEIGENBERG, and M. 

Opening Saturday, October 21st, 2017.

EXHIBITION STATEMENT

[angeltiddies]

What was destihellers dni night? I wasn’t here for it :(

it was a brief and fleeting moment on february 1st 2021 where i posted a destihellers dni banner amidst the banner era of spnblr bc it was funny and then it got out of hand and everyone who was awake (like 10 of us) was posting it incessantly and people waking up to it were like what the fuck, and then the next day it was just like wiped off the planet. this was also the night thatisahotsoup posted cas with little bee wings. overall, incredible night, i don't think ive laughed that hard in my life. i was sitting in an empty room on the floor amidst moving to a new apartment just crying laughing on discord vc. i ate chicken tikka masala and cookies and cream ice cream. i remember everything. then i put it on redbubble and all of us bought it and funded the DJ Qualls deangarth cameo and also contributed to a cameo from misha. truly iconic. 100% of proceeds from the sales continue to go towards heller shenanigans so it's a good cause.

and that's the story of

ps. here's a link to that day on my archive where i rbed all the posts, so u can relive it if you want

[talkingharrystyles]

🍭anon again😁 So sorry it took me longer than I expected to put this together. I love London and I feel so many people miss out on experiencing the best parts. Some of the places I wanted to add to this have also closed down which is a shame but I tried to include as much as I could so that there’s a bit of variety here. This is going to be long so bear with me!

For eating out there’s quite a lot here to choose from. London is extremely multi cultural and actually our most popular food is Indian cuisine (Tikka Masala curry was invented for the British palate hehe) so I would really recommend going for a good curry whilst you’re here. For more typical British food, I’ve listed out a mix of different things as you asked with both sweet and savoury tastes in mind. Afternoon tea is a must and as a wild card I’ve also put in my personal favourite which I insist everyone should try at least once when they come for a visit (Where the pancakes are). In terms of budget, I would say try to mix eating at restaurants and getting a picnic to enjoy in one of the parks. Hyde Park is so lovely and you can hire city bikes to get around it. Regents Park is right next to London Zoo and really nice for a chill afternoon. It’s also right next to Camden market as well so you can take advantage of the street food fare whilst you’re here.

Now, down to the list 😈 :

Food

Sweet

1. Said London (Best chocolate in the city hands down)

2. The Worsley (best afternoon tea EVER)

3. Where the pancakes are (a must)

4. Dunn’s Bakery

5. Bageriet or Fabrique (not British cakes but the only places in London I think where you can try Swedish pattiseries - totally worth a look)

6. Dyce London

Savoury

1. The Riding house cafe (amazing brunch)

2. Smiths bar and grill

3. Old Crompton Brassiere

4. Blacklock

5. The Cadogan Arms

6. Holborn Dining Room (for really good pies)

7. The Jugged Hare (for Sunday roast)

8. Dirty Bones (you’ll thank me for this one)

9. Kricket Soho (favourite for traditional curry)

10. Wingmans (chefs kiss)

11. Chotto Matte

12. Bao Soho (I had to throw this one in)

13. Brother Marcus

14. Farmacy Kitchen

15. Daisy Green

Entertainment

1. The O2; outlet shopping and food, there’s also a massive trampoline centre and you can buy tickets to climb on top of the dome for views of the whole Greenwich peninsula which I really recommend.

2. Greenwich Market is fantastic on weekends and the local pubs are really welcoming.

3. Cycling and picnic in Hyde Park

4. All the museums are free but the best one to visit is V&A and Science Museum which are next to each other her in Kensington.

5. Box Park (this place is great to hang out and they often have live entertainment like DJs and food stations)

6. Pergola rooftop bar is a nice place to hang out and they do amazing cocktails.

7. The Barbican Center usually have really good theatre plays on and they are cheaper than going to the west end.

8. If you’re going to do the west end, don’t book online- there is a kiosk outside Leicester Square station that sells Matinee tickets for the day so have a quick look early in the day for an afternoon show.

9. Chinatown is a lot of fun and it’s right next to the National Gallery as well so you can hit two birds with one stone.

10. Thames Rocket Speed boat on the Thames - I did this recently at a work event and it was honestly the most fun I’ve had for ages.

11. Bounce Ping Pong; it’s basically a bar centered around ping pong and you can order food and drinks as you play. Lots of fun if you’re coming with friends and you want something fun to do in the evening together.

Let me know if this is useful but I hope you’ll be able to plan a lovely trip to London soon ❤️

-🍭

🍭🍭🍭🍭

[evelynmcdonnell]

Women Who Rockening

Theo Kogan and Murray Hill at Persisticon’s The Rockening

Women get shit done, they are funny AF, they are fed up with patriarchs, and, of course, they rock. Those were four of my takeaways from the Rockening Sunday night, the comedy, music, and activism event presented by Persisticonat the Bell House in Brooklyn. Timed to take place just a couple weeks before the midterm elections, The Rockening…

[aotprojectsalon-blog]

AOT PROJECT will present OUR ELEMENTS a collaborative consideration of locally generated feminist art created over the past two years by Brooklyn-based artists DJ TIKKA MASALA, MERYL FEIGENBERG, and M.

Opening Saturday, October 21st, 2017.

EXHIBITION STATEMENT

[where-is-janhavi]

During my time in the Shantiniketan Zone, Bolpur time, I was so immersed in the cultural and spiritual space of the Baul's. Dad grew up with them around where he was as a kid.

At age 6, the first time i visited India, I remember sitting in the early evening, on a concrete porch of what felt like a crumbling shack, held up by it's own cracking shutters. But I know it was more than that, as a location.

He summoned 2 figures, a snake charmer, and a baul. The front yard suddenly became a new kind of performance space that, at 6, was my favorite to date. This was not television. This was not sitting in an audience and feeling my whole body begin to itch from the bones out, and my mind jumping out of here and towards what the next thing could be. The restlessness in this one way channels was always so much.

I now understand that the answer to impulsive challenges to attentiveness is to practice breathing and presence. This thing, this habit energy, it starts quite young, or maybe it is always there and is what is our animal trait.

So the Bauls, i only understood they were a certain type of performance style. Nobody told me they were a practicing spiritual system with rituals, gatherings, and institutions.

What i did learn, that was very interesting to me, was that this poet Joydeb, who was supposedly from the Bolpur area, and has an Ashram there, it's understood that he grew up there, practiced the Baul faith, adopted some of the ideas of Bhakti Vedanta, re-recentering on Radha rather than Krishna. That Radha might be the figure we should aspire to embody.

What a people set of ideas, very queer, very Shakti, and after Chaitanya's life devoted as a Mahaprabhu singing devotional songs towards Krishna. It's pretty queer that he wrote love songs to Krishna his whole life, and considered himself an integration of both Radha and Krishna (genderqueer).

Pre-colonial Hinduism had many non-dualistic interpretations of gender and sexuality. The lack of categorization probably freaked out the Abrahamic peoples, whose reality, to begin with, was defined by a few definitive dualities. God and humans. Male and Female (Adam and Eve). Birth and Death. Hell and Heaven. It's a very easy religion to remember because it's mostly dualities. Meanwhile in Hinduism...

Very different story altogether. One is in the embrace of duality, the other is a discussion with it, through evolution and refinement of it's own ideas through time.

[carltonl1234]

Best Cocktail Bars in London: Where to Go for a Night Out with Friends

London is a city that never sleeps, and if you are looking for a place to enjoy some drinks and have fun with your friends, you will be satisfied. The capital has a variety of cocktail bars that cater to different tastes, moods, and occasions. Whether you want to sip on a classic martini, try something exotic and fruity, or indulge in a decadent dessert cocktail, there is a bar for you. Here are some of the best cocktail bars in London that you should check out:

The Alchemist: This bar is all about the magic of mixology, and you will be amazed by the creative and theatrical cocktails they serve. The drinks are not only delicious but also come with a show, as they fizz, smoke, change color, and even levitate. Some of the signature cocktails include the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, which is served in a teapot with dry ice, the Colour Changing One, which transforms from blue to pink as you pour it, and the Lightbulb Moment, which is a gin-based drink that glows in the dark.

Sketch: If you are looking for a quirky and whimsical place to enjoy your cocktails, Sketch is the place to go. This bar is divided into several rooms, each with its own theme and style. You can choose from the Gallery, which is a pink-hued space filled with art and sculptures, the Glade, which is a forest-inspired room with trees and fairy lights, the Parlour, which is a cozy and elegant lounge with velvet sofas and chandeliers, and the East Bar, which is a futuristic and minimalist space with pod-like seats and neon lights. The cocktails are equally inventive and playful, such as the Marshmallow Fluff Martini, which is topped with whipped cream and marshmallows, the Rhubarb & Custard Sour, which is a tangy and creamy drink with rhubarb liqueur and egg white, and the Sketch-Up, which is a spicy and refreshing drink with tequila, lime juice and ketchup.

Carlton Lounge Kingsbury: If you are craving some authentic Indian cuisine and cocktails, Carlton Lounge Kingsbury is the best Indian restaurant in London for you. This modern restaurant/lounge serves delicious Indo-Chinese spicy, flavourful dishes that cater to allergy intolerances. You can enjoy classics like chicken tikka masala, lamb rogan josh, and paneer butter masala, as well as fusion dishes like chili garlic noodles, schezwan fried rice, and manchurian chicken. To complement your meal, you can order from their extensive cocktail menu, which features drinks like the Mango Lassi Martini, which is a smooth and fruity drink with vodka, mango puree, and yogurt, the Masala Chai Mojito, which is a refreshing and aromatic drink with rum, mint leaves, lime juice and masala chai syrup, and the Gulab Jamun Daiquiri, which is a decadent and indulgent drink with rum, lime juice and gulab jamun syrup. Carlton Lounge Kingsbury also offers live entertainment on weekends, such as DJs, singers, and dancers.

These are some of the best cocktail bars in London that you should visit to have a memorable night out with your friends. Whether you want to experience some chemistry at The Alchemist, some art at Sketch, or some spice at Carlton Lounge Kingsbury, you will not regret it. Cheers!

[thotyssey]

On Point With: DJ Tikka Masala

A fierce feminist, gifted musician and popular DJ, this India-born triple-threat is at home on a lit dancefloor, alone in a quiet studio, or performing for a White House gala event. With lots of exciting gigs and projects coming up, now is the time to spice up your life with DJ Tikka Masala!

Thotyssey: Hi Tikka! So, the damn Grammys are coming up this weekend already... any hopes or predictions?

DJ Tikka Masala: “Lemonade” feels like it's going to win--because Beyonce doesn't know it, but she's the queen of the dyke bar. Ha! I'm sure she knows it. Is Beyonce your biggest request in the booth these days? It changes week to week, but Beyonce has saved my life many times when the dance floor seemed to be getting bored of me. Beyonce, Rihanna, Nicki, Prince and dancehall classics. Also, Michael Jackson is a unifying force.

That he is! So, we can get back to music in a bit, but first thing's first: where's your hometown?

I was born in Kolkata India, but I grew up in Franklin Township and in Princeton, NJ. Wow, you've been around. What was the first music you grew up loving? I grew up studying Indian classical vocal music. My family in India is a music family--they build harmoniums. 

Then in my early teens, I picked up violin and guitar. My parents had a lot of old Bollywood around, and were really strict about the music I was allowed to listen to before my teen years. Lots of Indian music, mostly stuff before the 80's. I wasn't allowed to watch MTV or listen to pop music; they thought all that was garbage, and would get in the way of serious musical study. And now I'm a DJ [laughs]! Classic. But I also work as a composer, so it's all there. Best of both worlds! 

How did you eventually discover pop music?

Well, when my folks moved to Princeton, we landed in a town with arguably the best record store in the country. I had a mixtape penpal relationship with a friend from camp who I was head over heels in love with. That made me fix the parents' old record player and just start exploring cheap (and amazing) albums from all eras--for the purpose of making really good tapes for my friend, out of songs she'd definitely never heard, or just picking songs everyone seems to know but doesn't remember the artist. I don't know how to explain the methodology there, the but the tapes had stories weaving through thematically for sure. 

That went on for 2-3 years, I think. I became a good selector. We're still tight. Oh lord, kiddies these days will never know the power of the thematic mix tape! When did you start DJing? 2004, after moving here from the Bay Area, where I met an awesome global music producer and DJ named Cheb I Sabbah. I came here for grad school, but if I had chosen to stay out there I would have been working with him. [From my blog, here is] a letter to my [late] mentor.

That's very beautiful! It sounds like he put you on a very important path. When you’re spinning at clubs, can you easily move between Western pop and Indian/Eastern genres, or when you go one way is hard to get back to the other?

I always have both things going on at the same time inside of me, even though I'm making choices about what the people in front of me want to hear. I do this for 18-30 hours a week, so I understand well how to balance my needs with what keeps a room together. 

I do throwbacks and Top 40 for Henrietta Hudson, where I mostly work, so I'm current with new stuff and also grounded in vintage.

People also hire me specifically for Bollywood, sometimes. There's a party called Sholay that I work for sometimes, that’s strictly South Asian music. 

Also, I got to DJ the White House because of the Bollywood. They called me in 2010 to DJ their Diwali party, which was a trip. The Obama administration was special. Trump wouldn't even know what Diwali was.

Amazing! God, how much do you miss Obama and Biden? A lot. They changed the cultural landscape of this country. After 9-11, America really needed them.

Do you have any hope that we're gonna get through these next four years with anything good intact? I think this change is begging people to care in active ways that can feel inspiring at times. I am concerned for the well-being of everyone this administration deems to be unworthy, though: elders, disabled folks, immigrant folks, people of color, queers, women, children and poor folks. Artists, too. I'm worried for a lot of the people who keep showing up for me on the dancefloor, for sure. It's definitely a time that calls for strength in all of us. I notice that you are very observant of people on your floors, and you seem to regard them with a lot of love. Is DJing a way of connecting to people for you? Oh, definitely. I love being in a room full of people enjoying something together. it's unifying and inspiring to find common ground in music. It's very easy to feel inspired by the results when I'm doing my job well. When did you first start DJing in queer spaces? My first gigs in New York were in queer spaces; I started off working for the burlesque and circus communities. First residency was Murray Hill's Amateur Burlesque night at Galapagos Art Space when it was in Williamsburg. Eventually, I started my own queer dance party called That's My Jam. Now I'm a resident DJ at Henrietta Hudson, the last dyke bar in Manhattan. I've worked in queer space all along.

Lots of people have different opinions about this, but what's your view regarding why there aren't more lesbian bars in the city now?

I never went into a lesbian bar (in New York) before working for Hens for a private event. I think queer space is decentralized now, because of social acceptance and online dating--and a lot of bars were capitalizing on a niche audience for a long time there. It happens with South Asian community parties with no competition, too. 

I think what's amazing about dyke bars, though--more important than being about queerness right now--is that they are women-ran spaces, where lots of women get paid to work on a team together. Every penny that gets spent at a dyke bar is supporting other women's lives. That's not something people necessarily think about when they are figuring out what to do with their friends on a given night. Most queer events aimed at women don't take economics of labor into account, and the bottom line is that, when you fill a space with queers, the people making the most money at the end of the night are not usually queers or women for that matter. 

I've stuck to working for women-owned nightlife entities for a long while now, preceding working at the dyke bar. I think it's important to pay women, and pay attention to what your crowd is actually supporting. That's a very good point, and one that's often forgotten. 

So speaking of Henrietta, you spin the "Homotown" party there on Thursday nights. How would you describe that night to the uninitiated?

It feels like a family. There's music for many generations there. You'll see long-time regulars, tourists, people celebrating anniversaries and birthdays. There are singles who are looking for love, couples coming in on dates, people needing a place to land after a rough week, and, really, folks from all over the world and many different economic situations showing up. 

The musical selection is inspired by what I imagine, in three-four decades of local popular taste, the five boroughs sounds like. Since it's a Thursday night, we know it's a consistently populist and local audience.

A newer party you're spinning Wednesday nights is down at Friends & Lovers in Brooklyn, “Cheers Queers.” You focus on dancehall, reggae and R&B there. What kind of audiences are coming to this night? This night is actually a super-quiet thing right now. The bar is owned by a woman--it's in my neighborhood. That event is about to make a transition to being a monthly Saturday early party. So, early in March the schedule is going to change with that one, stay tuned. 

It's R&B, Dancehall, and just really good songs from all over the world. That bar is allergic to Top 40, and it works well for Brooklyn. I love it there, and my favorite bartender and dear friend Justen Jilsson works with me, which is always a very special nightlife dynamic: When the DJ and the bartender really love and understand each other, the tone of the whole room shifts.

And on Saturday, February 11th, you're spinning Horrorchata's Be Cute party at Littlefield! How often do you get to interact with the Brooklyn nightlifers?

A lot. The drag queen community and I have always had a lovely relationship. I support their work so hard. I see them doing their femme labor, and creating these magical spaces that defy the negativity of the society that surrounds them, and I really feel blessed to be a dyke and a feminist who fits in perfectly with all these brave queens. They are feminists too, also fighting hard to be seen and heard in a society that doesn't always respect or value their work enough.

Cheers to queens and all feminists in 2017! So, tell me about your compositions... what sort of music are you creating?

Well, I've been working as a composer for LAVA dance company, which is a feminist geology-based acrobatic/modern/circus/hybrid space. Sara East Johnson, the director there, pulled me in a few years ago when their company members started showing up at my parties and getting their lives. A lot of professional dancers have always showed up for me, but this group pulled me in and just invited me to make compositions for them, and over the years it's accumulated to multiple scores. 

It's electronic music, samples, instrumental compositions, and really specific assignments tied to choreography concepts. I love them so much, I literally moved to the same street as them a few years ago. It's a community that understands me, and vice versa. We have a 15-year retrospective show in early June, right around my birthday. It's very exciting. 

They are the strongest women I've ever met. We're like Frida and Diego now: same street, different houses.

Is it a challenge at all to balance original composition with DJ gigs? They are two completely different worlds. One is very solitary, the other is very social. The balance is actually really good for me, because I'm definitely a creative person that needs to generate work to feel good about my life. 

I love sitting in a room alone full of instruments, just as much as I love being in a packed club full of women getting their lives together. It's all symphonic in it's own way; I always feel like a conductor or medium.

The past year, I've also been keeping track of all the posts from the DJ booth at [my blog] The Dyke Bar, so there's a running log of all the stories I've seen there. I'm sure that's going to start feeding in, too. Folks have asked me to publish, but there's something else I have in mind. My background is in cinema studies and ethnographic filmmaking: Tisch brought me to New York for grad school, so I'm seeing a lot of cycle-completing.

Do you have a favorite DJing story so far?

[This one.] It's about women. Also, the night after Trump got elected, a high speed motorcyclist and I got to know each other. There are so many good stories, it's hard to pick. And I’m sure there will be many more to come! So, what else is on the horizon? Well, LAVA is having their 15-year retrospective in June, and I'm a part of that. Setting up a new monthly at Friends and Lovers, that's a thing. And an art show in Spring, venue TBA, but in collaboration with a group called AOT Projects Salon, with a paper version of the stories from the Dyke Bar I've been collecting, and audio connected to the writing. Sounds like a very busy and creative time for you! Okay, in closing: what is one thing that people might not get about being a DJ, but should? Many of us are actually introverts/shy, and not the party animals you might assume. A lot of the DJs I know, who are actually good at what they do, are also some of the best listeners/therapists. I mean, I actively listen for six hours at a time when I'm DJ-ing. The doctor is in! Thank you Tikka, for all that you do!

DJ Tikka Masala spins the “Homotown” party at Henrietta Hudson Thursday nights (10pm). She also spins “Cheers Queers” at Friends & Lovers, which is currently weekly Wednesdays (6pm), but should convert to monthly Saturdays in March (TBA). Click here for a full list of upcoming appearances. Follow Tikka on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr and Soundcloud.

On Point Archives

[henriettahudson]

HOMOTOWN- HAPPY HOUR TIL MIDNIGHT

HOMOTOWN- HAPPY HOUR TIL MIDNIGHT

  Homotown at Henrietta Hudson is an EVERY Thursday night weekly party in the West Village for queers who want to listen to some old school music together and get down. This means soul, motown, good hip-hop, requests, and evolving set list by DJ Tikka Masala Never a Cover & Happy Hour until midnight with funky bargirl extraordinaire, Booker! Address: 438 Hudson Street [btwn Morton & Barrow] New…

[mishthi]

“An artist’s duty is to reflect the times... when every day is a matter of survival, we can’t help but be involved,” says the legendary Nina Simone in this track. 

Says DJ Tikka Masala about this: 

It’s about artists getting involved in cultural production in times of political unrest... making political art. Took a segment from an interview with Nina Simone, and laid it over a track I cut from a ghazal from the late 60′s… sung by M. Rafi. Both from around the same time… plus drum machine in there too.

“Are you the full moon or the dazzling sun? But whatever you are I swear, you are beyond compare”

So excited to see this new music coming out of DJ Tikka Masala.