DEANNE. — DavidXDaisy

Deanne has been turning dance floors for the past 23 years. Her resume boasts credits consistently among the top events and venues across the country, including Winter Party Festival, Masterbeat, Purple Party, Club Space Miami, Xion Atlanta, Hydrate Chicago, and FIP Pavilion to name a few. Music producer, #1 Billboard remixer, and event producer are some of the other hats she wears as she continues elevating the experience she delivers. You may have once known her for another sound, but today she continues pushing the queer sound forward while keeping it true to her house style. She commands audiences intimate and massive, and they follow her beat to the end.

On a personal note, Deanne is one of those select DJs that I not only look forward to hearing, but also seeing in the room. Her passion for the scene matches mine and is always a sweet spot on those weekends when our paths cross. I can attest that she is one of the few DJs that I will allow myself to peep a track from her sets. I aim to find most of my music organically, but resonate with her work so much that I don’t mind snagging a select ID or two from her. And she knows it! Enough of that, let’s get into the music of Deanne.

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DXD: How and where did you get your start in nightlife?

D: I got my start in nightlife in Bloomington, Indiana, in 2001 while I was pursuing my second degree at Indiana University. I was bartending at a small gay club called Bullwinkle’s. The DJs at the bar used to let me practice on the turntables before we opened. While I was a newbie, I would play after hours parties with all my friends, learning with an audience but without pressure. One thing led to another and, before I knew it, I was playing at that small gay bar in Indiana. The rest is history!

DXD: How would you best describe your sound today?

D: It’s house music, through and through. But the textures are dictated by the room, the party, the audience, and my mood. It could be more tech heavy in a smaller sexy room, drum heavy for a gay/circuit crowd, disco or more vocal for a daytime party, or could be more techno/future rave or melodic techno/house-infused for big rooms and festivals. I’d like to think regardless of the room or party, there is something distinctive about the technique and the energy that is giving the Deanne experience when someone hears me.

DXD: Tell us more about the evolution of your sound throughout your career.

D: I began playing in the late 90s. As a DJ, I popped in around that era of R&B-coded house, French house, UK garage/house, the anthem era, trance, and a general blending of genres whether you were at a gay party or a straight party. Vibes were vibes. And I played all of it. Once the gay scene went in a very specific direction musically, later identifying as, “the circuit,” I went with it and that audience became my primary crowd. At some point in the mid to late 2010s, the music had a very identifiable sound. I always tried to stand out as best as I could while still operating with the sound that would get me work. And I was working, but I began to be less and less happy with the music that was expected at a party. For that reason, I thrived at after hours events where I could be a little more experimental.

When everything stopped during the pandemic, I took that opportunity to do a total reset. Without the pressure and expectations from the promoters and audience and also trying to stand out in the oversaturated muscle DJ market, I was able to explore and navigate through new sounds and get back to my house roots. I haven’t looked back since.

DXD: You recently played the notorious Folsom SF event, Real Bad 35, which has produced rave reviews. How was that experience for you?

D: Real Bad, a non-profit organization and event, is the crown jewel party for Folsom weekend and celebrated its 35th anniversary this year. The selection process is very unique, which makes it special from the jump. Getting a ticket to the party is like getting a golden ticket to the Wonka Factory. So the anticipation for the night was already off the charts, which is also a unique experience. I can’t say enough about the Real Bad team and the thought and care they put into that event. They made it very easy for me to create and deliver a set for a special night that will always be so memorable for me. I hardly ever say this, but it was perfection from beginning to end. Without a doubt, it was my favorite event this year.

DXD: What did it mean to you to be the headlining DJ for this esteemed event, especially as the first female to hold down that slot in 20 years?

D: Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco is such a unique event in the city that really is about self-expression and an exploration of what could be considered kinky or taboo. The history of this weekend is legendary in its lore and its impact in the gay community and I didn’t take that lightly. It is a very male-forward weekend, though, especially at the dance events. I’m sure I was a surprising choice to some that weren't familiar with me before that night. Over the years, I have just connected with the leather/kink/eagle/bear audience so I was pretty confident that I could hit the spot. But, it’s especially humbling and rewarding to be trusted with an event that is so precious to the Real Bad organization and the Folsom history. I can only hope that it measures up to the trail blazers, Susan Morabito and Lydia Prim, who came before me.

DXD: You’re also a staple on the annual calendar for the Eagle NYC, a very masculine space, as well as many other similar events. I personally feel that femme energy playing for primarily male dance floors creates an excellent sonic balance. What is your approach that has allowed you to excel at this?

D: Ah, the Eagle NYC. There is something about playing that room that brings out the best in me every time I play. Maybe it’s because it’s NYC and they don’t fuck around with their music. So I feel like I have to deliver from start to finish every six-hour set. I’m sure that I have femme energy that comes through my music. I am not afraid of tenderness by any means. There’s a time and place for everything. But I certainly wouldn’t assert that there is anything soft or fluffy about my sets there. I think the thread that connects all of these spaces that you refer to and why I have success and maybe why the femme factor works, is because I think these parties/rooms call for different levels of sexy that I find that I can tap into.

DXD: I think you’re exactly right about that. Speaking of, are femme DJs tired of having to answer questions about their femininity as a DJ instead of solely getting to talk about their work the way the guys do?

D: You know, I can always appreciate the questions because it’s an unavoidable truth and does make me inherently different from most of my colleagues. In the past, when I felt like I was fighting to be heard in a fairly homogeneous sounding scene and seen in a superficially male driven market, being a woman was a bit of a niche quality that I didn’t mind leaning on even when I felt like it was also potentially getting in the way of me getting hired. But now, by working through my sonic evolution, I do feel like I am or at least hope I am on the front end of a musical shift in our scene. As a result, I do feel like I am talking more about the music. And getting hired for the music. And being remembered for the music. So it’s all good, my friend.

DXD: Your weekly lockdown Twitch sets in 2020/21 were a major source of escape for me and many others, so tell us a bit about what they meant to you during that time.

D: Oh wow. I can’t say enough about how those sets saved me. In a time when we were literally trying to stay alive, I was just trying to find a way to stay connected and have an outlet for my music. I didn’t know that I would find community, therapy, friends for life, and a new way forward musically. I still meet people who tuned in and share what that time meant to them and it never fails to humble me and fill my heart.

DXD: Your Essential Grooves radio show sets with Deep Influence, along with his other residents, are quite major. In your opinion, what is the secret sauce of that show that makes it so essential?

D: Oh, I love being part of this crew. Power house producers and DJs that have deep roots in the club scene. All of them are multi-talented, multi-faceted and passionate about house music. While Mike Ivy has always been, in my mind, making deeper and darker music and featured on major global labels, Oscar Velazeuz and Orlando (Deep Influence) are stand out producers in the peak era of, “circuit music.” While they both have so much more cred to their pedigree, you couldn’t go to a gay club or party in the late 2000s through even today without hearing their mixes doing damage. What binds us as a collective today is that we all want to push the sound of the scene that helped bring us up forward. That’s the secret sauce – talent, passion, and determined authenticity.

DXD: You’ve been busy in the production chair as well with several remixes this year. What is your approach to adding the Deanne touch as a producer?

D: With my shift in sound since the pandemic, I have really been keeping my creativity close to my chest. Most of my work has been private edits or mashes. 2025 does look like the year for some new heat, though. In this era of my production, my approach to the Deanne touch is to be unafraid to experiment, but work with a primary focus of making things that I want to play. Quality over quantity.

DXD: Is there a set/track/artist that has been inspiring you lately?

D: So many! When I want a good set that I can listen to at the gym, on a road trip, or to get a little inspiration for my club sets, I have really been vibing to Dan:Ros lately. Alternatively, I always tune in to my fellow Essential Grooves DJs for more big room, peaktime beats.

DXD: It’s Saturday night and you’re not working, where are you at to have a good time?

D: In all honesty, I’m at home with my wife and the pups enjoying a movie and cuddling on the couch. Barf, right?!

DXD: Top three things you love seeing at parties?

D: People smiling and dancing, a diverse audience, and people Shazaming my music.

DXD: Where can we catch you spinning next?

D: I’m closing out the year with a daytime event at the Chapel in LA on Dec. 15, an after hours kiki at Xion in Atlanta on Dec. 29 and NYE at South Beach in Houston, TX.

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Thank you Deanne! You can keep up with her on Instagram and Soundcloud. Be sure to tune into Essential Grooves and catch her on a dance floor near you soon.

Xx,