Leave it to living legend to show us less is more with this new remix of HoneyLuv’s “365 (Thr33 6ix 5ive)”





House music maven, Honeyluv, has had a breakout year, living up to the expectation thrust upon her when named one of Billboard’s 10 Dance Artists To Watch In 2022. This year has seen her rip across a loaded festival and club gig schedule and drop a breakout single, “365 (Thr33 6ix 5ive),” on Chris Lakes’s renowned Black Book Records. The track has become a coveted addition to many a flash drive, one of those coveters being the one and only Harry Romero.



Harry Romero’s name has become synonymous with timeless talent, unstoppable grooves, and, as he so fondly says, “Dope drums.” You know you’re doing something right if you’ve caught his attention. And if he signs on to remix your track, you know you’re definitely doing a lot right. Last week, HoneyLuv’s “365 (Thr33 6ix 5ive)” was treated to a Romero remix that packs in the percussion for a double dose of hip-shaking fun.



Romero commented on the remix, saying, “I knew as soon as I heard Honey Luv’s ‘365’ that I would have a blast making my remix and putting my own spin on it. So happy how it came out and, as always super flattered to have been asked, especially by an artist I’ve been following for a while since I first heard of her when she sent a video of her playing one of my classic tracks out, so it feels good to be full circle with this remix.”



Harry was already tearing up New York’s club scene when Taylor Character (HoneyLuv) was born. This remix represents a beautiful meeting of veteran and up-and-comer and speaks to both Romero’s perennial ear for a hit and Character’s commitment to developing herself into a highly refined talent.

Harry Romero Adds A Percussive Punch To HoneyLuv’s '365 (Thr33 6ix 5ive)'

Game recognizes game. So it’s easy to see why dance music’s most well-known representative, Diplo, would tap the talents of HoneyLuv for an official remix of his album standout, “Waiting For You.” Once a swirling psychedelic piece, this deep-rooted tune gets a club-ready makeover ready for the darkest dance floors of the world. Thumping bass kicks, bone-rattling subs, and vocals sliced into siren spells give this track an injection of tech house energy in a way that only HoneLuv can.







Taylor Character (aka HoneyLuv) has exploded onto the scene in less than four years. Character turned her sights on music while stationed in Los Angles under the United States Navy and took to the decks like a fish to water. Raised by an R&B-loving father and a house music-loving mother, music flowed through her veins. Now tearing across festivals like Coachella, Outside Lands, Imagine Music Festival, Escape Halloween, and performing alongside artists like Calvin Harris (in Ibiza no less!), FISHER, and Aluna, her house music debut on Twitch in 2020 seems eons in the past.



“Waiting For You” comes off Diplo’s self-titled fourth album. Released in March of 2022. It featured appearances from a wealth of artists, including Busta Rhymes, Leon Bridges, Amtrac, Paul Woolford, and Sidepiece. August saw the release of Diplo (Deluxe), the extended version featuring remixes from Gray Area favorites, including LP Giobbi, John Summit, Soulwax, and Purple Disco Machine.



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HoneyLuv Boosts The Bass On Remix Of Diplo’s “Waiting For You”

It's always a blessing to see a DJ really work it. Not just playing breakdown to breakdown, but really getting after it and crafting a narrative with the beat. Los Angeles-based HoneyLuv does just that in this mix for LP Giobbi's Femme House and Killed With Kindness.





Born in Cleveland, HoneyLuv got her start spinning R&B and hip hop. And it shows as she breezes through bass-forward house, thumping tribal, and high energy disco beats from Proper Villians, Mark Knight, Illyus & Barrientos, and of course her own club busting productions. 

There's a clear distinction between dance music DJs and open format DJs who play house music. Those who move into house music, just do it better. There's swag in the style and an undeniable precision that carries over from learning on some of the hardest music to mix. HoneyLuv stands out because not only does she know her way around the decks, she's a dynamite producer as well with releases on Insomniac Records, Thrive, and Popgang.

Mix Of The Week: HoneyLuv's Blazing Tech House for Femme House

When we talk about dance music, it is essential to honor its Black forefathers in Detroit, Chicago, and New York. It is also vitally important to celebrate and uplift the next generation of Black talent keeping dance music alive and moving it forward. While there are more artists than we can count on both hands, Gray Area has chosen 10 rising Black dance artists you should be watching and grooving to.


TSHA 

You probably already know and love London-based DJ/producer TSHA. In 2021, she released her vibey, sunny OnlyL EP, was named BBC Radio 1's "Future Artist," and made her Essential Mix debut. TSHA's productions are versatile, warm, and inviting, drawing on house and R&B and adorned with gorgeous layers of sound (her eye-catching album art is an excellent visual compliment).

The self-taught producer signed with legendary UK label Ninja Tune in 2020, who released her last two EPs. TSHA self-released her debut EP, Dawn, in 2018, which she followed up with the Moonlight EP on Counter Records.




DJ Holographic

DJ Holographic is the new generation of Detroit-bred artists keeping the city's rich legacy of experimental and cutting-edge techno and house alive and thriving, along with its funk, soul, and R&B roots. She dropped her debut EP, Parallel Shifting, three banging tracks with Alex Wilcox, in 2020 on her Hitchhiker imprint. Last year, Detroit forefather Carl Craig tapped her to deliver the Detroit Love Vol. 5 mix album on Planet E, to which she brought a groovy blend of house, R&B, and techno to, along with her powerful original track "Faith in My Cup."

DJ Holographic has found fans around the globe with her funky, joyful, and energetic DJ sets, which she's brought to Movement, Smart Bar, Panorama Bar, Output, and many more legendary dance spaces.




Ash Lauryn

Detroit-born, Atlanta-based DJ, producer, and music journalist Ash Lauryn has made it her mission to support and uplift Black artists in dance music. Seeing a lack of representation for younger Black producers in electronic music, she launched her Underground & Black blog, which she's evolved into a full-on platform including an annual Movement party, a monthly NTS Radio show, a podcast, and more.

Lauryn's sound is rooted in the rhythms and creativity of her hometown and her deep love for house music. She dropped her debut EP, Expressions, with Stefan Ringer in 2020 on Ringer's DIY Atlanta dance label, FWM Entertainment. She followed that with 2021's Truth EP, also on FWM.




HoneyLuv

Cleveland-born, Los Angeles-based DJ/producer HoneyLuv knows how to get the party going. Starting as an R&B and hip-hop (one of the hardest genres to mix) DJ in LA and across the US, she revisited her love of house music and began to make waves in the dance community with her banging house, tech house, and techno sets. She also had a past life as an NCAA basketball player and a sailor in the Navy.

As a producer, she put out her powerhouse debut single "F R E E" in 2021, which sounds like an artist's statement of sorts: "Free the people, free us all, free your mind, just let go." She followed it with a string of remixes, collabs, and another banging solo track, "PAIN."




Life on Planets

Baltimore-bred Life on Planets is the lively, soulful house project of singer, guitarist, DJ/producer, and astrology lover Phill Celeste. His music is a sweet blend of house, funk, R&B, and soul, bolstered by his rich voice, specially crafted to make you move and feel. His joyful music is made not just to get the dance floor going off but also to help revelers envision a brighter future, with lyrics that celebrate love, friendship, hope, and other-worldly dimensions.

He's been putting out groovy tunes as Life on Planets since 2014, always adding more vibes to his prolific catalog. In 2020, he dropped the Only You EP on Soul Clap Records, led by a captivating cover of Steve Monite's Afro-disco classic of the same name. His latest release, "Nomad Lyfe," is a pure groover driven by a thick, funky bassline.




Brandon Lucas

Inglewood-bred singer, producer and DJ Brandon Lucas brings his gospel and R&B roots (he grew up in the church and was once in an R&B group) with captivating house beats. In 2020, he gave a taste with his inspiring debut single, "Got That Hope," featuring words from none other than Dr. Cornell West. (He first connected with Dr. West in 2008 to help him build an online presence). Along with the single, he launched his Purple Label Sound imprint, for which his vision is to uplift fellow rising house music producers of color. He's since dropped a handful of vibey, energetic house tracks, all bolstered with his warm, deep vocals. The most recent bop is "Trippin (Vocal Mix)," featuring Life on Planets.




AMÉMÉ 

AMÉMÉ is a self-taught DJ/producer from Benin living in Berlin and Brooklyn. His music and DJ sets incorporate African rhythms with house, which is really the genre's foundation. He runs One Tribe, a global music, party, and fashion brand centered on creating community and good vibes.

The powerhouse West African artist has DJed at hotspots worldwide, including his home cities, Ibiza, Miami, Paris, and Black Rock City, and will be making his Coachella debut this year. He dropped his debut single, "Talk To Me," in 2020 and has delivered a solid, always-lively string of originals, remixes, and collabs, including his Gaou EP in 2021 and "PATCHIDO" with Don Bello Ni in 2020. Of the latter, he explains, "the main vocal of the song comes from my culture. It's a traditional chant that people sing everywhere."




Marytn Bootyspoon

In addition to having one of the best names in dance music, Montreal's Jason Voltaire, a.k.a. Martyn Bootyspoon, brings a playful sense of humor and up-front sexuality to industrial techno beats. He credits his sense of humor to his hometown: "There's a lot of slapstick and tacky things that happen in Montreal," and ghettotech producers DJ Assault and DJ Funk as early inspirations.

He served up his first dose of dance floor sexiness with the Silk Eternity EP in 2018, dropping an EP and more singles every year. His most recent are the self-released acid housey Incognito Tabs i EP and the bright, upbeat house jam "As Clear As Day" on LuckyMe.




NEZ

NEZ has already made a name for himself in hip-hop as half of the production duo Nez & Rio, whose credits include regular collaborator ScHoolboy Q's 2014 hit "Man of the Year" and A$AP Rocky's "Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2." In 2020, Nez stepped out on his own as a solo artist, dropping the swagalicious bop "Wild Youngster" featuring ScHoolboy Q. He made his live performance and festival debut with an energetic set at Lollapalooza 2021. He then unleashed a series of bouncing DJ sets across the country, including opening for Seth Troxler at Circoloco's LA party.

As a solo artist, Nez sings, raps, and produces his infectious beats, tapping collaborators from hip-hop and house to bring all that vivacious energy to dance music. In 2021, NEZ dropped the Midnight Music EP, featuring Felix Da Housecat on "Lift Off" and Flo Milli and 8AE on "To The Money."




Tony H 

Panama-born, Seattle-based Tony H makes bouncing tech house, melodic house and techno gems released on Desert Hearts, Dirtybird, Observatory Music, Space Yacht, and more. He founded his own Late Night Munchies imprint in 2015, adding the techno-focused arm Munchies After Dark more recently, and is the label manager for LA's Space Yacht. He also hosts The Drive-Thru mix series on SoundCloud, highlighting other rising dance acts. He balances all this with a busy DJ schedule, sharing his energy regularly at shows in his home city, San Francisco, Chicago, and other dance locales.

He's an effortless multi-tasker, and his complimentary sonic dexterity is evident across his productions, which date back to 2014. His most recent single, "Shoulder Pop," for Late Night Munchies, is a driving eight-minute tech house burner. His groovy three-track 2021 Desert Hearts EP, She Moves The World, proves his diversity in sound. Featuring the disco-tinged title track, tech house heater "Get Physical" with swaggy lyrics from Icausetreble, and '90s house nodding "Little Pieces" elevated by Ingrid Hakanson's captivating vocals.                 

10 Rising Black Artists You Should Know

United States

HoneyLuv

Elrow NYC: Summer Festival 2022 Far Rowest 

The Brooklyn Mirage

Skyline Orlando 2022

Orlando Amphitheater

MK Presents: Miami Music Week Pool Party 2022

The National Hotel

OCHO Episode 5

Ask any successful artist, in any genre, how they made it to where they are. The answer will always be a different version of the same thing: determination and self-motivation. 

There is no roadmap to pursuing the arts. Instead, it’s a field where a college degree is mostly meaningless, measures of what’s “good” or “bad” are entirely subjective, and the amount of competition is astronomical.

That’s why the ideas of determination and self-motivation are so universal. They are simple to understand but not necessarily easy. 

House music is inherently simple, yet so many replaceable tracks are attempting to follow formulas based on previous hit records. To transform that simplicity into something that captures your soul takes determination and self-motivation, just like building a career as an artist, and 

—real name Taylor Character—has accomplished both of those impressive feats.

“When you have those two things, honestly, anything is possible. And also speaking positivity into the universe because the words that you put out into the world are very powerful. The universe is listening,”  Character tells Gray Area over Zoom from Los Angeles.

Character didn’t begin speaking a career in producing and DJing into the universe until a few years ago, but the universe surrounded her with music from a very young age. She has memories as far back as three and four years old of riding around in her father’s purple drop-top Mustang in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, listening to old R&B songs from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

“From there it started,” Character says of her fascination with music. “Music is everywhere. You really can’t escape it, and so it’s best to just embrace it. Literally everywhere you turn there is music.”

Amidst an atmosphere consistently swirling with music, Character’s mother introduced her to house. She’d play it all the time, and one track that still sticks with Character to this day is “Your Love,” by house music legend Frankie Knuckles.

Character heard it when she was growing up and then again when she played the popular video game 

, wherein “Your Love” is featured on one of the radio stations. The track continued to inspire something deep within her.

“This song is a classic. It’s just timeless,” Character says. “I wished I could make something as dope as that or something as classic and timeless as that.”

HoneyLuv at EDC Las Vegas 2021

Take a look back at HoneyLuv's performance at Insomniac's EDC Las Vegas Festival

Follow HoneyLuv ➜ https://hoo.be/honeyluvmusic

𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 𝐔𝐒:
Instagram ➜  https://www.instagram.com/killedwithkindness/?hl=en
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Twitter ➜ https://twitter.com/killedwkindness
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Once the bug to make house music had buried itself under her skin, the determination and self-motivation to become an artist began, even if Character didn’t realize it herself. 

Character’s introduction to DJing came, in some ways, by force. She moved to Los Angeles in 2016 after the Navy stationed her there, and her friends in the city twisted her arm into DJing because she would play all the good songs on the aux cord.

“I kept the energy going when we were in the car,” Character says. “So they just kept pressuring me to do DJing, and at first I was reluctant, but they kept pushing me and pushing me and then eventually I gave in.”

Character bought her first DJ controller, and that’s when her determination and self-motivation kicked into high gear. She practiced every day in the barracks at the military base after work.

Character was already playing gigs at R&B and hip hop parties within a couple of months. She wanted to play house music parties, but she only knew people in the realm of R&B and hip hop. 

Then the pandemic closed all the parties, but that didn’t slow her down. Instead, she recognized a huge opportunity to start playing house music on Twitch, and before long, she was playing streams for major channels like 

Mikey Lion

Mikey Lion is a conduit of bright white light, a vibe conductor of the highest order, and a champion of positive energy and dusty funky beats. Positioned at the center of the West Coast house movement, he’s one of the founding members of the Desert Hearts crew. Alongside his brother Porkchop, childhood friend Marbs, Lee Reynolds, and Kristoff McKay, he’s created a loving community of wide-eyed dancers that believe house, techno, and love can change the world.

He embarked on his sonic journey at the age of 13. Young Mikey was a massive hip-hop head. When his parents offered to buy him any musical instrument, the DJ culture-obsessed teenager chose Technic 1200s. Undeterred by the fact that his parents didn’t think turntables were an instrument, he bought his own six months later. Mikey immersed himself in the world of turntablism and eventually proved to his parents that his decks were just as impactful and beautiful as any woodwind, piano, or stringed instrument.

“They saw how much I was obsessed with it and they saw how it could be a musical instrument. They ended up paying me back and just been my number one supporters ever since. My dad drove up to San Louis Obispo where I was going to college and surprised me for my first official gig at a bar. They were there the first time that I played Lightning In A Bottle. Now my mom does our accounting for Desert Hearts.”

When he was 17, he went to his first Coachella. His first festival was a life-changing day not just for him but for dance music culture. Coachella 2006 was a flashpoint. 

“I didn't have any idea what I was getting into," he remembers. "And the very first time that I took my very first ecstasy, which also happened to be the very first time I ever heard dance music at the debut of the Daft Punk pyramid.”

The steadfast hip-hop head was converted. “In that moment,” he explains “I'm just like, ‘Fuck hip hop this is what I want to do with my life from now on.’”

When he co-founded the Desert Hearts crew in 2012 he was several years into his journey in dance music. Attending Lightning In A Bottle and Burning Man inspired him and his crew to create something that could bring people together for the love of house and techno. The first renegade in the Mojave Desert was a near disaster. 200 attendees huddled around a campfire on the dancefloor with no sound until 6 am Saturday. And from then on things locked in. Desert Hearts has now grown to encompass a record label and a global community of thousands.

“It came from this really pure hearted place of just wanting to make the world a better place, wanting to build community wanting to show people, how they can be a part of community, how they can go back and create their own parties, their own communities themselves. And really, I think that that's, that's the stronghold foundation of our of our entire brand.”

Mikey has countless stories of Desert Hearts fam sharing how Desert Hearts has changed lives. “One of my favorite stories is this woman came up to me and Lee at Lightning In A Bottle a couple of years ago, pregnant woman, and she just grabs our hands and puts our hands on her belly. And she goes ‘this baby was conceived at Desert Hearts festival.’ I've heard about Desert Hearts changing lives countless times. But never heard of Desert Hearts, creating life.”

During the pandemic, Desert Hearts strengthened their community in an entirely unexpected way. The crew hopped on the streaming game early, and the nightly Desert Hearts streams welcomed tens of thousands of people. 

“I think the coolest thing about Twitch for us was just how amazing it was that we are able to provide this home for so many people online … It was such an unexplainable way of DJing. There's is a real deep connection that was made when I was playing music every Wednesday, It really was like, [we were] together alone. It was incredible.”

Mikey’s personal journey during the pandemic led him to reconfirm why he does what he does. After having a difficult time coping, he realigned his purpose and his place in the universe.

“I've noticed over the years that when I stray from the more spiritual path, which is trying to help people, trying to show people love, trying to just make the world a better place. When my purpose is misaligned, I think that things don't go nearly as well as they're supposed to. And so when I put out my album … I really wanted to make sure that I was completely realigning myself.”

His 2021 album For the Love is more than just a collection of psychedelic beats and basslines. It’s a declaration of love for the scene and his well-being. 

He recently released, “This Is The Beat,” a continuation of the inner work that he established with his album. Given his newfound focus and intention, writing music has become a more organic process. The song was written on a surfing trip in El Salvador. 

“The hotel that I was staying at had this million dollar studio…I ended up making that track, and basis for another track…It wasn't forced at all. I was going on vacation. And I had access to the studio, so I had some downtime in between the surf being blown out. I couldn't think of a better thing.”

Mikey’s newly aligned direction has been a source of clarity. He feels like he’s in the most comfortable space in his career. 

“I know that when I play music, I have a very positive impact on people. And I've learned how to harness my own energy to push this healing energy out. When I was first figuring this out, it was something that I was always thinking like, ‘Whoa, don't let your ego get too big there, dude.’ But then it was like, oh wait, no this is a real thing that is tangible. And I can see the effect that it's having on people. So, if you just lean into it and harness it, it's working. And oddly enough, once I've started moving myself in that newly aligned space, gigs have been better, parties been better. Everything's just been better. So that's my goal now.”

LP Giobbi

There are few in dance music who combine their musical past and present as effectively as LP Giobbi. The classically trained jazz pianist injects her multi-platform DJ sets with syncopated notes hinting at the roots of house music every time she lays a rhythmic keyboard improv over a looped 4/4 beat. She’s exuberant and charismatic as she twists and glides from piano to CDJs and back, never for a moment allowing the music to stop flowing through every inch of her body. She's harnessed an authentic activist mindset that reminds us of the mere act of getting out there on the dance floor, listening to a diva sing over a 4/4 beat with an acid-squelching baseline, that's fucking activism, man.

“The only time I feel completely present as a human—and that sounds so cheesy, but it's true—is when I'm on stage playing music. “ She explains this as she tries to rationalize the constant struggle of the modern musician. Doing hundreds of things that aren't making music and still finding time for music.

“I'm not thinking about what I have to do on my to-do list. I'm just thinking about getting to connect with the people that I can see in the audience and see their joy. This is where I'm actually living my life.”

Giobbi was always indelibly connected to the stage. Her first big break as a performer came when Peter Franco, Daft Punk's studio engineer, discovered her playing jazz in San Francisco. To have those moments ripped away was devastating. On the eve of joining her best friends Sofi Tukker on their European tour in March of 2020, her manager told her that the next 52 weeks of shows are canceled and it was time to start streaming. She reluctantly took the show to Twitch.

“I remember thinking standing on the other side of this tiny web camera is going to be pretty soul sucking, but I don't know what else to do.”

She realigned with the joy of performance as the community affectionately referred to as the Freak Fam coalesced around her and Sofi Tukker, who spent nearly every day of the pandemic on Twitch. She soon realized how liberating it was to be free of one-hour set times.

“It also allowed me to get a little bit weirder, like sort of see myself more as like a one-person jam band.” It's an important point to note for a woman raised by two Dead Heads. 

The world of dance music united across borders as fans from around the world hopped from stream to stream on Twitch. Giobbi was a huge part of that. “I've never felt more connected in a year where I thought I was not going to be connected at all.” 

With the increased visibility, Giobbi uncovered a larger platform for her 501(c)(3) Femme House, an artist collective and educational platform that is giving more visibility to women in music. She launched She Is The Producer in partnership with Alicia Keys’ She Is the Music, and GRAMMY-winning studio engineer Emily Lazar’s We Are Moving the Needle. With the support of music software giant Ableton, Giobbi’s organization gave 3,000 women around the world access to music production software and classes to get started.

It was an emotional moment to scroll through the massive Zoom chat for the first class and see greetings from Mexico, Canada, Australia, and Brazil. It’s remarkable to think how many lives were changed she says. 

“I oftentimes think, ‘Okay, having more female producers. Is that going to change the world?’ And maybe that in of itself isn't, but what it does is it makes you see yourself in a role you didn't think you could be in before. It changes your general concept of yourself.”

With a year of reconning with the social failings of our system, I ask Giobbi if the needle is moving in the right direction. She feels headway is being made, but when she is still the only female DJ across two days of DJing major music festivals, there’s still much improvement to make.

“I understand that as a promoter, you need to book acts that will sell tickets. This is your livelihood, I totally respect that and get that. That being said, only the headliners are actually selling the tickets. That means that there's usually an entire lineup of you know, 40 other acts, below the headliners that people are excited to see but maybe they're not gonna' actually sell the ticket. So, just be aware and make sure that that area is diverse… the bookers and the agents just need to be finally more conscious on how diverse that bottom half looks.”

She does her part by sending notes to promoters on who they should book when she signs a contract to play. She makes sure that talent buyers have contact info for diverse talent in each area.

“Whenever I get booked, we send out a spreadsheet. I'm gonna make your job as easy as possible. Here's a list of artists. Here's their contacts. Here's their social numbers. Here's their Spotify numbers. Here's all the information that you would need to know before you book them, here it is, please reach out if you can.”

Shortly before our call, she's told that she hit the career milestone of having 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Just a year ago she hovered around 10,000, so she's understandably elated at the news. She has more festival bookings than she can shake a fist at, including what she reveals is a special set at Bonnaroo. However, her selfless spirit shows when she discusses how her success relates to her ultimate goal.

She explains how she plans to demand more inclusion and equity in music. “The reason that I keep grinding in the studio and trying to build this platform is not for money. It is because I'm hoping that the more power and leverage that my team and I build, that I can then do that. I'm not there yet. But I do think that, you know, as this builds, that's what I'm going to use my power for 1,000%.”








In December 2020, when the scene was still remanded to live streams, Character left the military and started taking production courses the following month at The Los Angeles Recording School.

“I started grinding into making music because I knew that was the only way that I could actually excel to higher heights,” Character says.

The universe was listening, and she’s been transcending ever since. Soon after restrictions started to relax, she met one of the founders of the LA via San Francisco label, Popgang Records, at a gig, and within a few weeks, they released her debut, “

HoneyLuv - F R E E (official music video)

The official video for HoneyLuv "F R E E"

add on spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/58kXMOxq7tuK613bSeo5wh?si=aMMH7J5VRl69f1Qiv_rePQ


Director: Chris Sanders
Creative Director: Jordan Deherrera & Amanda Kennell

Director of Photography: Brandon Palmore, Bearvision

Stylist: Andrea McInnes 
Hair: Jessica Bessica
Makeup: Mckenna Reef

Dancers: Jaketa Humphrey & Alyssa Johnson

EDITOR: Chris Sanders
Clothing ByDolls Kill
Props byChinatown Market

Filmed at FYM Agency Studios

Produced by Popgang LLC dba Popgang Records

With original tracks to her name alongside a solid reputation from Twitch and the experience of an open format DJ, Character had the CV to reach out to promoters all on her own for house music gigs. One of those gigs was a show at The Flamingo Deck in San Diego, supporting Dirtybird’s 

VNSSA

For VNSSA, loving house music is easy. "These are my people," she explains. "This is my music." 





In her home, a disco ball and plant hang behind her head, and shelves of vinyl surround her. The Los Angeles-based producer is kicking back on her off days before her gig at San Diego's Audiotistic Festival. 

Her latest outing, "When Will I See You," is on the Splits 001 EP with Lenny Kiser and Neon Super Block. In November, it came out on Rules Don't Apply records, which is Walker & Royce's new record label. She first joined forces with Walker & Royce on "Word" and "Rave Grave," which helped launch her towards major festival lineups in 2019.

Growing up in Newport Beach, California, Vanessa Barnes' journey as a musician began when she took up drumming and started a band with a friend. 

"In the beginning. I just wanted to get it down and just be a good drummer," VNSSA remembers. She felt drawn to live music, picking up the clarinet and cello, but set them aside when she found her true calling as a DJ. On Fridays, it was house night at a small Costa Mesa rock venue, and that's where she fell in love with electronic music spun by the local DJs. 

She dropped her first original track, "Do You Wanna Play," with Fantom Freq in 2018. Shortly after, she quickly went from attending to headlining Dirtybird events. She learned about house music from heavyweights like Claude Von Stroke, Justin Jay, and Justin Martin. With her five little letters next to some huge names on recent lineups, VNSSA bounces around genres without relying on anyone's star power but her own. 

VNSSA trusts her instincts when it comes to expressing style. "I just noticed what sounds I like and I use them all the time," she explains. "It's kind of subconscious. I don't know that I'm making a VNSSA track until it's done, and everyone's like, Oh, yeah, this sounds like you!" Rocking oversized frames, braids, and an all-black ensemble, she looks club-ready while simply eating her cold oatmeal and returning from an afternoon walk. VNSSA's chill demeanor backs up her approach to unique house beats. 

"If it sounds good, it sounds good," she says, reflecting on her production techniques. She's not out to please producer snobs with expensive sounds, templates, or following trends. The only tools she swears by are the SoundToys effects bundle, which she uses on every track. But she's equally a fan of using free synths and plug-ins. 

"The one thing about Ableton and these programs that I love the most is that to accomplish one thing, there's 20 different ways to do it. There's no right way or wrong way. It's just your way." 

She makes up her own rules. "I like doing everything from scratch because I feel like that's my warm up. It's like setting your canvas." VNSSA describes her sound as "Classic melodic break tech house." 

Obviously not bound by any one label, she's focused on the process. "I like to have a lot of arps and different melodies in my music," she explains. "I like to have pretty elements in it. Classic snares, super reverbed 80s drums." Her tracks have dabbled in acid and breakbeat, too. Simply know that everything VNSSA delivers will make you sweat. 







While emitting cool confidence, she is acutely aware of the challenges she and other women face in the music industry. "When people think about women doing things in male-dominated industries, the first thing that people will think is like, 'oh look, she's wearing a low cut top, no wonder she's where she is now,' or 'She probably slept with that guy to get there,' you know?"

"Unfortunately, that's the world we live in," VNNSA says. "They're gonna comment on you regardless, because you're a woman."

In 2020 VNSSA adapted to the extra challenges of working in the industry during a pandemic by turning to streaming. She was part of the GOOD TV collective and appeared on Twitch channels, including Insomniac Records and Desert Hearts. 



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When Gray Area catches up with VNSSA, it's on a laidback day ahead of a weekend where she attends a friend's wedding. There, the DJ ends up spinning VNSSA's edit of Toto's "Africa." 

She's got a new car, a RAV4, which she nicknamed the "Rave 4." 


Last month she also played Chris Lake's Black Book Block Party in San Francisco. She will continue to serve up spicy tech house singles, having recently finished an upcoming remix for NYC-based DJ QRTR. 

"I'm having a lot of fun just making music and touring right now," she says. Without a second thought, VNSSA lives in the moment and feels satisfied with where she's at. She's happy with the hardware she's got. She has massive dreams for the future but wants for very little. At this exciting point of her life, the only advice she'd give her past self is to stay on track. She tells herself, "Keep going. You got this." 

Interview By: RYDEN

Character connected with VNSSA’s agent, and they hit it off. And just like that, Character was opening for Chris Lake at the Brooklyn Mirage and playing

“We had a meeting I think that following week, and then literally after that meeting a week later he had me on all these festivals, and so it happened pretty fast,” Character says.

In 2022, she is already scheduled to play Skyline and Beyond Wonderland, and she just dropped her debut single on Insomniac Records, “

Character created success in a timeframe that’s unheard of through determination, self-motivation, and a bit of trust in the universe. That’s the secret sauce, but it’s so deceptively simple.

One must apply these tenants to every aspect of their life, not just music. Determination and self-motivation must drive every decision at all times. They must become a part of someone’s humanity. That’s when the universe will start to listen.

“If you have all those three things intact and you stay consistent with what you want, things are bound to happen,” Character says. “I never wanted to be comfortable in anything that I’m doing. I never wanted to be satisfied. I don’t want to be a regular. I just wanted more out of life, and I’ve always been like that since I was little.”

60 Seconds With Honeyluv

Honeyluv discusses her musical journey. 

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Ask any successful artist, in any genre, how they made it to where they are. The answer will always be a different version of the same thing: determination and self-motivation. 



There is no roadmap to pursuing the arts. Instead, it’s a field where a college degree is mostly meaningless, measures of what’s “good” or “bad” are entirely subjective, and the amount of competition is astronomical.

That’s why the ideas of determination and self-motivation are so universal. They are simple to understand but not necessarily easy. 

House music is inherently simple, yet so many replaceable tracks are attempting to follow formulas based on previous hit records. To transform that simplicity into something that captures your soul takes determination and self-motivation, just like building a career as an artist, and HoneyLuv—real name Taylor Character—has accomplished both of those impressive feats.

“When you have those two things, honestly, anything is possible. And also speaking positivity into the universe because the words that you put out into the world are very powerful. The universe is listening,”  Character tells Gray Area over Zoom from Los Angeles.

Character didn’t begin speaking a career in producing and DJing into the universe until a few years ago, but the universe surrounded her with music from a very young age. She has memories as far back as three and four years old of riding around in her father’s purple drop-top Mustang in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, listening to old R&B songs from the ‘80s and ‘90s.

“From there it started,” Character says of her fascination with music. “Music is everywhere. You really can’t escape it, and so it’s best to just embrace it. Literally everywhere you turn there is music.”

Amidst an atmosphere consistently swirling with music, Character’s mother introduced her to house. She’d play it all the time, and one track that still sticks with Character to this day is “Your Love,” by house music legend Frankie Knuckles.

Character heard it when she was growing up and then again when she played the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, wherein “Your Love” is featured on one of the radio stations. The track continued to inspire something deep within her.

“This song is a classic. It’s just timeless,” Character says. “I wished I could make something as dope as that or something as classic and timeless as that.”

Once the bug to make house music had buried itself under her skin, the determination and self-motivation to become an artist began, even if Character didn’t realize it herself. 

Character’s introduction to DJing came, in some ways, by force. She moved to Los Angeles in 2016 after the Navy stationed her there, and her friends in the city twisted her arm into DJing because she would play all the good songs on the aux cord.

“I kept the energy going when we were in the car,” Character says. “So they just kept pressuring me to do DJing, and at first I was reluctant, but they kept pushing me and pushing me and then eventually I gave in.”

Character bought her first DJ controller, and that’s when her determination and self-motivation kicked into high gear. She practiced every day in the barracks at the military base after work.

Character was already playing gigs at R&B and hip hop parties within a couple of months. She wanted to play house music parties, but she only knew people in the realm of R&B and hip hop. 

Then the pandemic closed all the parties, but that didn’t slow her down. Instead, she recognized a huge opportunity to start playing house music on Twitch, and before long, she was playing streams for major channels like Desert Hearts, Groove Cruise, and LP Giobbi’s Femme House.

In December 2020, when the scene was still remanded to live streams, Character left the military and started taking production courses the following month at The Los Angeles Recording School.

“I started grinding into making music because I knew that was the only way that I could actually excel to higher heights,” Character says.

The universe was listening, and she’s been transcending ever since. Soon after restrictions started to relax, she met one of the founders of the LA via San Francisco label, Popgang Records, at a gig, and within a few weeks, they released her debut, “Free.”

With original tracks to her name alongside a solid reputation from Twitch and the experience of an open format DJ, Character had the CV to reach out to promoters all on her own for house music gigs. One of those gigs was a show at The Flamingo Deck in San Diego, supporting Dirtybird’s VNSSA.

Character connected with VNSSA’s agent, and they hit it off. And just like that, Character was opening for Chris Lake at the Brooklyn Mirage and playing Insomniac festivals. 

“We had a meeting I think that following week, and then literally after that meeting a week later he had me on all these festivals, and so it happened pretty fast,” Character says.

In 2022, she is already scheduled to play Skyline and Beyond Wonderland, and she just dropped her debut single on Insomniac Records, “Your Tongue.”

Character created success in a timeframe that’s unheard of through determination, self-motivation, and a bit of trust in the universe. That’s the secret sauce, but it’s so deceptively simple.

One must apply these tenants to every aspect of their life, not just music. Determination and self-motivation must drive every decision at all times. They must become a part of someone’s humanity. That’s when the universe will start to listen.

“If you have all those three things intact and you stay consistent with what you want, things are bound to happen,” Character says. “I never wanted to be comfortable in anything that I’m doing. I never wanted to be satisfied. I don’t want to be a regular. I just wanted more out of life, and I’ve always been like that since I was little.”



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