Beyond the Clouds With Masha

Which records best capture the soul of New York City? We catch up with Masha, one of Los Angeles’ favorite DJ, before she digs five of her NY classics. As a radio host for NTS and dublab, Masha’s DJ sets have been slowing down and getting more dreamy since the lockdown. But she’s looking forward to dance, when her LA party, Dusk, returns as a livestream on October 30th.

 Photo by Ian Flanigan

NOUVEAU YORK: Last winter, you shared your time between Los Angeles and Brooklyn, but you stuck to California during the lockdown. What have you been up to? 

MASHA: I’ve slowed down a lot – spending most of my time in the studio, surfing and going on nature escapes. Still, I have a track coming out on the Sisters of Sound compilation on October 23rd and we filmed livestream sets in the desert to accompany the release. And on October 30th, we’re airing our first Dusk livestream! We’ve put a lot of love into it and are filming at the legendary Jewel’s Catch One with a badass video crew. 

NY: I wish I would have made it to your first Californian Dusk Campout last year! What are your favorite memories?

M: One is closing out the festival as Surround [Masha’s DJ collective with the festival co-founders Jeniluv and Heidi Lawden] on Sunday night. It was pouring rain, most attendees had left, but the ones that stayed till the end were fully committed and came together as a community to move a shade structure to the dance floor, creating shelter. All my best friends were there dancing with their ponchos on – it made all the hard work and lack of sleep so worth it! The other is Conor and Solar’s back-to-back DJ set on Saturday morning. I booked these two together as an homage to their San Francisco parties ‘No Way Back’. Both are two of my all time favorite DJs, seeing them reunited was a California Dream. 

NY: With no party in sight, what’s your daily routine?

M: My week days are not so different besides the absence of event organizing. The weekends are the biggest shift. Prior to March 13th, I’d kick off my Fridays by playing at dublab studios. This always puts me in a great mood then I’d hop on a plane to DJ somewhere or play in town. Maybe produce and DJ a Dusk city event or Surround on Saturday and then play a daytime set on a rooftop on Sunday. Now the weekends are wide open … I really miss the energy exchange from playing parties.  

 Photo by Ian Flanigan

“I’ve been releasing all my dance floor nostalgia in the studio.”

NY: Did the lockdown have an impact on the music you play for your NTS radio show?

M: I’ve been on a healing and uplifting tip. My NTS show ‘Beyond the Clouds’ is a slowed down dreamy journey with thematic episodes; I did a Yugoslavian special  [Masha was born in Serbia], I’ve also been playing a lot more reggae and dub this summer. As for music making, I’ve been releasing all my dance floor nostalgia in the studio. I didn’t make an ambient album! Hopefully when my new music gets put out in the world, dance floors will be back. 

NY: What does the future look like? 

M: Life is so uncertain and I’m realizing how important it is to be fully in the moment. I was so blindsided by the pandemic and all the cancellations – my gig calendar disappeared overnight and events I’d spent months organizing are postponed until who knows when. I hope the near future allows us to have socially distanced outdoor parties. I’m playing a park’n’rave event this Friday in LA. Curious to see how that goes! This might be the present future. 

Masha Picks Five New York Classics

Dinosaur “Kiss Me Again” (produced by Arthur Russell and Nicky Siano, 1978) 
“This record captures the NY disco legacy. Imagining this being played at The Loft and Studio 54 back in the day but it still bangs! Disco's had a huge influence on the music I play and the parties I throw. Dig Deeper (my party with Alison Swing) booked [Italian cosmic disco pioneer] Daniele Baldelli for his LA debut, and DJ Harvey played a six hour set at Dusk Camp.”

Monyaka “Go Deh Yaka (Go To The Top)” (1983)
“On the legendary New York label, Easy Street Records! Perfect Reggae-disco-funk cocktail and a great record to play out in the daytime.”

Loni Clark “Rushing” (Mood II Swing Dub, 1993)
“New York City 90’s deep house is the sound and soul of the city to me. So many classic records come to mind, this one is one of my favorites from Mood II Swing. ‘Can’t can’t slow down, RUSHING!’ Definitely New York, the non-stop 24-hour city, always poppin’.”

Hardrive “Just Believe” (Little Louie Vega & Tony Humphries Extended Mix, 1993)
“Released on NY label Strictly Rhythm, had to be on this list! Also the first house record I ever bought at Amoeba in Hollywood. No listening stations, so I took my chances on the records based on the labels they were on. My early DJ sound was full of the NY 90's deep house classics.”

Pet Shop Boys “New York City Boy” (1999)
“I listened to this song growing up and watched the music video on repeat, dreaming about visiting New York someday! I still play this whenever I’m getting on a plane to NY. No guilt, just pleasure.”