Shaun J Wright
Shaun J Wright
27-01-14
This Saturday we welcome DJ, producer and vocalist Shaun J Wright over from the Windy City to our little Dalston laser basement for B(e)ast's 3rd Birthday! As a former member of Hercules & Love Affair, and now an acclaimed producer and DJ in his own right, this banjee boy is sure to set the basement on fire! Ahead of the party we posed a few questions to him about running hot gay nights in Chicago, releasing on Classic Music Company and his time living in London...
What inspired you to set up your night Twirl?
My close friend and musical partner Alinka and I were constantly discussing the type of party that we wanted to attend prior to starting Twirl. We wanted an intimate night with quality dj's that focused on house music and where we could test run our new demos with little pressure. Berlin, the legendary venue where we have the party, is a Chicago landmark. Everyone is welcome at Berlin. The full spectrum of sexuality and gender expression can be found in the club and it creates a unique, pulsating vibe. The door policy is very relaxed and everyone is up for a good time instead of posing. That sense of inclusiveness was important to us from the beginning. A Club Called Rhonda, the incomparable monthly in Los Angeles, was also a source of inspiration. I would talk endlessly about how I wanted to start a mini-Rhonda in Chicago. A party that felt inspired and free. I hope we're on our way to having a Rhonda-ita or a Rhonda-ette.
Boystown was recently voted "most incomparable gay neighbourhood". As a Chicago native, can you attest to this and if so, what is it that makes it so special?
Honestly, I've spent the majority of my adulthood away from Chicago. I've only had the last couple of years to reacquaint myself with the city and that has been disrupted by frequent travel. I spent a lot of time in Boystown during my teenage years skipping class and shopping at the vintage shops with my friends. It was a very safe space for me then and it still feels that way now. My favorite place in Boystown is a bar called Wang's that everyone traveling to Chicago must visit. It's off the beaten path on Broadway and is the most charming space in the city. There's a cute dancefloor tucked in the back where my friends Harry, Jpeg and Ace throw a party called Men's Room that is off the charts. There's always something fun happening there. I also love Smartbar, which is in the neighborhood directly north of Boystown. Queen at Smartbar sets the bar for impressive gay parties in the city. This past Sunday the line-up included Michael Serafini (Gramaphone Records), Garrett David (Bell Boys), Derrick Carter, David Morales, Lil' Louie Vega, Ultra Nate and Inaya Day for Frankie Knuckle's Birthday Bash! I spent part of the night chatting with Robert Williams from The Warehouse. I guess those kind of things are what make Boystown specifically, and Chicago in general, special.
Can you tell us something we should know about your girl -and close collaborator- Alinka? Any plans to release together on Classic again?
The most important thing that I can tell you is that she is awesome! She's an amazing dj and super talented producer. We have such a great mutual respect for each other and we also encourage one another to grow, grow, grow. I have learned so much from her. As a singer I'm often faced with collaborations where the roles are super rigid or there are geographical and time constraints that don't always allow the nurturing of a personal relationship prior to working. With Alinka I'm free to express myself in a very open manner and I think that translates into our music. We talk about life experiences and hang out together and that makes our music much more personal and cohesive.
Classic will be releasing a remix package of Twirl Vol. 1 very soon. We hope to release a Twirl Vol. 2 with Classic, too.
What, in your opinion, is the most pressing issue facing queer people of colour in the US at the moment?
I can not answer this question sufficiently with a singular issue. I would say, in general, there is a very widespread and accepted disregard for the humanity of queer people of color. This manifests sociopolitically with policies and practices that continue to allow and encourage discrimination based on sexuality, gender, class and race. Queer people of color tend to find themselves the most vulnerable with the least amounts of resources and agency when their historically oppressed identities intersect (e.g. black, transgender and impoverished).
I'm often left shocked by the lack of advocacy for the end of violent transmisogyny by larger LGBT organizations that tend to focus primarily on the issue of acquiring gay marriage while our sisters are being murdered everyday. While I believe fighting for marriage equality to be a noble cause, transwomen of colour, particularly black, are murdered at a disproportionate rate to others in the community. If they receive any media attention they are often misgendered and blamed for their victimization. It is tragic that their lives have not been regarded as a cause worth fighting for on a much larger scale.
Who would you say are your protégées right now?
I don't think of myself as someone established enough to have protegees. I'm still learning the ropes myself. I do have a few close friends who are at an earlier starting point to their careers as far as releases are concerned. Some, like Newbody or Banjee Report, have been working on music as long as I have and they are dope. We share experiences and encourage one another. I'll get back to this question in about five years. Hopefully, I'll have some names.
Signature catch-phrase...
My signature catch-phrase is literally catch in all of it's variations. Catch it (punctuated with a finger snap)... You caught?... CAAATTCHHH!
What's your most tangible memory from your time with Hercules & Love Affair, like if you could step back into that frozen moment right now...?
There are just too many! It was such a special period in my life and the friendships that I was able to establish with the other band members are so precious to me. What sticks out the most was our tour with Gossip. We opened for them in sold-out stadiums throughout Germany and France. That was exhilarating enough but to top it off we had so much fun with them backstage after the shows, laughing and carrying on until the bus call. It was a blast!
What was the absolute best thing about studying fashion at London College Of Fashion and what impact (if any) has that time had on your life now?
Living in London was the absolute best part of the entire experience. It had been a lifelong dream of mine to live in London. During early childhood my grandmother shared with me the movie 'To Sir With Love' starring Sidney Poitier and Lulu and I knew that I would live in London one day. The kids were so cool and I loved everything about their environment. In the U.S.A. we have much fewer historical buildings so when I arrived in London and it still resembled the imagery from the movie I fell in love again. It is my favorite city in the world and I hope to live there again.
I studied MA Fashion Curation at LCF and it was such an enlightening course. The approach to education and research was much different than I had experienced during my undergraduate studies in the US. The process was much more relaxed, but the expectations were just as high if not more so. I feel like the experience helped me become more confident in my ability to create and execute my own ideas instead of relying on others to see the value in them.
You've spoken at length before about your introduction to the ballroom scene and your decision to join the House of Escada... If you were setting up your own dream House, what would it be the House Of and who would be your children?
[read the article on ballroom that features Shaun here]
Ooooh, very interesting....It would be the House of Revolution and my children would be a mix of fab, progressive political figures, vogueing children, and fashion icons. We would cause a stir on the steps of D.C. goverment buildings as we sashayed (instead of marched) for change. Yes we can, Hunteeee!
Join Shaun this Saturday 1st February at B(e)ast 3rd Birthday at Dalston Superstore from 9pm - 3am.
Photo by: Emily Marren
Shaun J Wright