Brooklyn Sway x Apollo Studio - BKS-08 Record Release Party
Apollo Studio72 Apollo St Brooklyn, NY 11222 · Map
This night happened — Fri 1 May
Press play
Who was billed5 artists
In the order the promoter listed them.
Set times were not published.
Most of these pairings were meeting for the first time that night.
the pairs that have met
9 of the 10 pairings on this bill were first meetings.
- Asha Jasz and Jay Prouty — 18 shared bills before that night, first on Thu 26 Oct 2023.
Who they are
“The three members of N/UM come from a variety of musical backgrounds.”
their own biography
the whole biography
The three members of N/UM come from a variety of musical backgrounds. Jeremy Loucas is a five time Grammy winning mixing & mastering engineer with years spent as a DJ in the underground party scene in NY – Elias Meister, an electronically experimental guitarist with a decade of performance experience in free and improvised music – Emil Bovbjerg is a vocalist, synth instrumentalist and producer/DJ with a background in orchestration and contemporary arranging and composition. Each performance or recording by N/UM is improvised, with no pre-composed songs, no plan or structure agreed upon. Despite the daring premise and unconventional creative approach the raison d’etre and mission statement of N/UM is simple: The opposite of war is a dance floor. N/um translates to medicine or supernatural potent energy. The word is used by the !Kung (formerly Bushmen), an indigenous people of Botswana and Namibia, to describe a healing energy used to cure sickness, both mental and physical, in individuals as well as the community as a whole. N/um is a central part of weekly dancing ceremonies, lasting typically from nightfall into dawn, in which the tribe’s members gather to dance for many hours until dancers enter into varying states of trance. As the trance deepens the n/um builds in the stomach, travels up through the spine and eventually explodes in the brain as the healers reach !Kia, the state in which, according to the tribe’s beliefs, a healer can transfer n/um to those in need of healing as well as to the community where it is said to maintain unity and relieve jealousy, greed and lack of gift giving. Among the !Kung everyone is encouraged to take part in the rituals and over half of the tribe’s members have become healers by the time they reach adulthood. You dance, dance, dance. Then n/um lifts you up in your belly and lifts you in your back, and then you start to shiver. [N/um] makes you tremble, it's hot. . . . Your eyes are open but you don't look around; you hold your eyes still and look straight ahead. But when you get into !kia, you're looking around because you see everything, because you see what's troubling everybody . . . n/um enters every part of your body right to the tip of your feet and even your hair. - Kinachau (via Richard Katz)Their RA profile lists Visionquest, Lost Diaries, Duro and Ninetofire.Recently at public records, Apollo Studio, H0L0 · often with Greg Paulus, O.BEE, Tomas Station, none of them here that night
“DJ Houseplants is the alias of American-Cambodian DJ, producer, and designer Justin Av.”
their own biography
the whole biography
DJ Houseplants is the alias of American-Cambodian DJ, producer, and designer Justin Av. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest and currently based in Brooklyn, Av brings his wide-ranging experience as a musician and a fresh perspective to New York’s house scene. Before finding his home in electronic music, he cut his teeth as drummer in punk and doom metal bands at age 14, going on to explore sounds ranging from shoegaze to IDM and make a footprint as a prominent producer in the golden era of soundcloud rap. His productions and sets weave together elements of classic house, jungle, breaks, and bass music, pulling you in with a hypnotic bounce and four-to-floor hooks drenched in an undeniably nostalgic feel. Drawing inspiration from his frequent retreats to the forest, DJ Houseplants envelops his listeners in lush, hypnotic and familiar soundscapes — allowing dancers to photosynthesize together like plants reaching for the sun, opening and thriving from the positivity of the music. With an emotive sensibility, Houseplants pays homage to the early producers and greats that have come before him by seamlessly recontextualizing hidden gems into raw and driving sets. Having shared the stage with the likes of Todd Edwards, Ashlyn Lauryn, Park Hye Jin and DJ Seinfeld, and recently returned from a 2024 world tour, Houseplants is making waves as a prolific producer and performer. A graphic designer working in fashion, an environmental conservationist, a first generation immigrant from Cambodia—he lets his life experiences inform the type of music he makes, inviting you to explore music through a more introspective lens. Driven by the vibrancy of dancers, he channels the spirit of the community to amplify the energy of the dance floor.Deep House on 5, Techno on 3, House on 3 and Electro on 2. styles on their catalogued releasesReleased on Dublab (2), Dancing On Wax (1) and The Nursery (1). labels on their catalogued releasesRecently at Elsewhere, Xanadu, Market Hotel · often with Florence Cecile, LANSUH, Jay Dalawa, none of them here that night
“Asha Jasz, a Polish-born vinyl enthusiast now based in Brooklyn, NY, has been passionate about music from a young age.”
their own biography
the whole biography
Asha Jasz, a Polish-born vinyl enthusiast now based in Brooklyn, NY, has been passionate about music from a young age. A dedicated digger with an ever-growing collection of records, her infectious smile and vibrant energy light up dance floors wherever she plays. Asha’s sets take listeners on a journey through sound, influenced by the European music scene she grew up with, and seamlessly blended with newly discovered vinyl treasures from record shops around the globe. Her selections span underground house, techno, electro, minimal, and timeless classics, creating a sonic journey that bridges the past, present, and future. Asha also has a deep love for ambient and downtempo records, which she occasionally weaves into her performances for a unique touch. In addition to her DJing, Asha plays an integral role in Brooklyn Sway, a vinyl-only music label, and is a co-founder of Freshly Pressed, a music collective and event series focused on raising funds for music-oriented nonprofit organizations in the New York City area.Acid House on 1, House on 1, Minimal on 1 and Tech House on 1. styles on their catalogued releasesRecently at Signal, Apollo Studio, H0L0 · often with Vivian Wang, Connie, DeWinter, none of them here that night
“Jay Prouty (Brooklyn Sway, Praxis, Dojo Sessions, Cenote Records, NYC) Frankie Knuckles once said: “The minute you think you’re greater than the music you’re finished”.”
their own biography
the whole biography
Jay Prouty (Brooklyn Sway, Praxis, Dojo Sessions, Cenote Records, NYC) Frankie Knuckles once said: “The minute you think you’re greater than the music you’re finished”. Most of us are still trying to identify the description of the term underground in today’s diversified world of electronic music, but Jay has mastered the description. His dj sets are a constant reminder that music is greater than us. Jay is a house music dj, producer, and vinyl connoisseur with over 20 years of experience, currently living in Brooklyn, NYC. He relocated to the Big Apple from Boston where he played an integral role in the development of the house music scene by exposing the city to new and up-coming artists: including first appearances by Booka Shade, Peace Division, Seth Troxler, Dyed Soundorom, and many more. As a dj, Jay held residencies at some of Boston’s most prominent clubs inducing Avalon and Rise Afterhours. Currently Jay is a regularly in the NYC and Washington DC club scenes with previous appearances at Output and regular appearances at TBA Brooklyn and Flash in DC, where he hosts a monthly event titled “Brooklyn Sway”, which showcases local Brooklyn underground heads. His all vinyl dj sets are a journey through the history of house music, weaving in the old with the new, with a focus on hypnotic rhythms and old skool acapellas. His recent production efforts include a well-received vinyl only EP titled "Dojo Sessions Vol. 1" with David Paglia, a single titled "Style" released on Boston-based Cenote records, a single on Soul Clap’s sister label and compilation DJ’s for Climate Change titled “Pelican”, a forthcoming remix for Brooklyn based band Kamalata, as well as an EP with Brooklyn-based artist After Touch. www.soundcloud.com/jayprouty http://cenoterecords.com/artist/jay-prouty/ Dojo Sessions Vol.1 https://soundcloud.com/davidpaglia/sets/dojo-sessions-volume-1-dojo-vinyl Style (Cenote Records) https://www.beatport.com/track/style-original-mix/7081897House on 8, Acid House on 4, Minimal on 3 and Tech House on 3. styles on their catalogued releasesTheir RA profile lists Cenote Records.Recently at Moondog Hifi, Signal, Apollo Studio · often with DeWinter, Elon, Kevin Osha, none of them here that night
names these artists often play with — not that night
- DeWinter7 with Jay Prouty and 4 with Asha Jasz
- Vivian Wang7 with Asha Jasz and 4 with Jay Prouty
- Connie6 with Asha Jasz and 4 with Jay Prouty
- Elon6 with Jay Prouty and 3 with Asha Jasz
- Emma6 with Jay Prouty and 3 with Asha Jasz
- Lauren Ritter3 with Asha Jasz and 2 with Jay Prouty
- Jamie Jar2 with Jay Prouty and 1 with Asha Jasz
- Florence Cecile8 with DJ Houseplants
Sound
House and Acid House.
styles on the acts’ catalogued releases103 said they were going — busier than a usual Friday at Apollo Studio.
how this compares
- Median final count, Fridays at Apollo Studio55
- Middle half finished between18 and 76
- Past Fridays at this venue counted107
The room
Apollo Studio — 307 events and 588 distinct artists since Aug 2023.
Holds about 150.
Who put it on
Brooklyn Sway — 18 events and 45 artists since Aug 2023.
Javier Pedraza Polo — 227 events and 541 artists since Aug 2023.