As You Like It Podcast

Ivan Ruiz is that kind of West Coast DJ, an old-school Bay Area selector with forward-thinking taste. He’s put his time in working in various San Francisco record stores and is a founding member of Moulton Music, a crew of producers and DJs that embody that particular deep, soulful house music sound.

Ruiz has mixed the latest edition in the As You Like It podcast. He’s DJing this Saturday, Aug. 3, when As You Like It takes over the Gingerbread Danzhaus for a two-floor shindig featuring one of the best new players in the biz, rRoxymore, alongside other talented locals.

African-born, Oakland-based Guy Nado — aka DJ Ra-Soul, Digi-Soul, Killa Green Buds, Madd African, Politix of Dancing, San Frandisco Sound Outfit, and many more — has been producing and DJing killer disco-flavored house music in the Bay Area for decades. His first record as DJ Ra-Soul landed in 1993, with a steady stream to follow.

He quickly became known for deep, funky, hard-hitting house music, and was a key player in the developing West Coast scene. Recently, he went on hiatus — which is why some newer heads might not be familiar with him — but he’s back in action, producing psychedelic political house music with fellow Oaklander Don Crisp as Black In Time, and returning to the DJ circuit, recently playing As You Like It’s annual picnic in Golden Gate Park last Sunday, July 21.

For a couple years running, Dan Harris has thrown a small party in San Francisco called Blank. It's about as non-pretentious and unassuming as you can get. It showcases Bay Area DJs, not out-of-town headliners, and its focus is on the dancefloor — and dancing. (Each iteration of Blank, he respectfully asks attendees to keep their phones off the dancefloor.) 

Naturally, Harris is a DJ himself, too. He tends towards vintage disco and funky party jams, the kind of tunes that makes you put your arms up in the air with a smile on your face. More than disco makes him tick, though — which he shows off in the stylistic spread of DJs he books at Blank — and this latest mix for As You Like It's podcast series sees him exploring that range.

This Saturday, July 6, Harris joins a cast of talented locals (AYLI resident DJ Patrick and Vinyl Dreams' Infinite Jess) to support Detroit veteran Andrés, whose cut “New For U”might be one of the most successful deep house records of the 21st century. (It is, indeed, that good.) It’s all going down in the basement at Monarch. Snag tickets now and read on to learn more about what makes Harris tick.

The latest edition of As You Like It's podcast is mixed by Lindsey Herbert — and it's a session recorded live, opening for British techno purist Ø [Phase] in March of this year. Dive into the mix while you read her interview below — and make sure to snag presales for Spanish maestro Oscar Mulero‘s return to San Francisco, landing Friday May 31 at F8.

For techno lovers, San Francisco dance-floors are a good place to be right now. Techno with a capital T — fast, tough, rough, and rugged — has taken the city by storm, and that's in no small part thanks to the efforts of people like Lindsey Herbert and parties like Robot Ears, the techno-focused crew she’s worked with for years.

After nearly six years running, Robot Ears has brought some of techno's most well-known players (Speedy J, Chris Liebing) plus new-school favorites (Truncate, Tommy Four Seven) to San Francisco. Lindsey's been one of their resident DJs for almost as long, honing her craft and pushing a deep, psychedelic techno sound.

Some of the most exciting new energy in San Francisco dance music has come from a close-knit group of techno heads — often spotted out together on the dance-floor, usually clad in black. Two of those techno heads, David Grunzweig (aka Tape Ghost) and Eugenia Puglisi (aka sleepygirl), have commandeered the latest edition of As You Like It's podcast series. And although they are techno fanatics in the true sense — read below for some of the recent club nights and gigs that have inspired them — their AYLI podcast features a house-flavored twist, a lighter mood than we might expect from them.
The two will DJ back-to-back this Friday, May 10, as part of a two-floor As You Like It takeover at Monarch in San Francisco. They’ll heat up the Lounge upstairs while Call Super, Jason Kendig, and Dr. Rubinstein turn the basement into a techno dungeon — the last batch of tickets is available here.

If you go out regularly in San Francisco, you've probably met Steven Feiler. You've probably seen him fluttering about at Public Works — doing any number of different things, all at once — or on the dance-floor, chatting and dancing like he was born to do both.

Lately, he's also making appearance on the other side of the floor, behind the decks. As nonsuit, he mixes up out-of-bounds techno, heavily percussive club music, and acid house, all laid over with queer flavor and intent.

He’s making his first appearance for As You Like It this Friday, March 1, at The Great Northern, as AYLI celebrates all things Pisces with two of the heaviest hitters in the biz: Omar S from Detroit and DJ Nobu from Tokyo.

He also mixed up an excellent AYLI podcast (his first!) and gave us some insight into his background and practice. Read on below, tune in, and make sure you catch Omar & Nobu.

Without hyperbole, it's safe to say that the San Francisco dance music ecosystem would simply not be what it is today if it weren’t for the mostly thankless work of Ryan Merry - now better known as Elexos Park, but formerly known as Ghosts On Tape. Landing back in San Francisco after a stint in Berlin had him refreshed and revitalized, with a new sound and direction to match. His new AYLI podcast shows off that new sound. Make sure to catch him this Saturday Oct. 13 at an undisclosed warehouse location in San Francisco, supporting DJ Seinfeld on his DJ-KiCKS tour.

We've released an exclusive podcast by one of AYLI's favorite people in the world, Jordee. Jordee is a partner for Mixed Forms and also co-runs Kosmetik weekly at The STUD in SF. Please take a moment and listen to their mix before joining us tonight. Quality, indeed.

Humphries' Club Zanzibar residency began in 1982, and more than 30 years later, he plays to audiences around the globe, on stages large and small. He's making his As You Like It debut this Saturday, August 25, for an all-night DJ set at Monarch. Enjoy his AYLI podcast, an excerpt of a live mix recorded in Perugia, Italy.

Nina Sol makes her As You Like It debut this Saturday, August 18, for an open-air day party (1 p.m.-9 p.m.) on The Midway's sun-kissed patio. She’s supporting Detroit's funky house maestro Kyle Hall and jazzy beat-maker Byron The Aquarius. Dive into her stellar mix below and catch her live behind the decks on Saturday.

Max Gardner, Oakland native, is a founding member of Direct To Earth and one of its mainstay DJs. He's been involved in Bay Area techno since DTE's inception, maintaining a regular presence in local clubs, both on the dance-floor and behind the decks. He's put together the latest installment of the As You Like It podcast series, a proper techno onslaught that just so happens to feature a slew of Gardner’s own unreleased productions. (His first 12" came earlier this year on Bay Area label Excise.) Give it a listen before Direct To Earth and As You Like It collaborate to host Mark Broom and Pangaea this Friday, August 10, at San Francisco club F8.

Throwing a party takes planning, work, and coordination, most of it happening behind the scenes. William Wardlaw is one of those folks working behind the scenes of As You Like It, responsible for making sure artists get where they need to be and are taken care of along the way. Naturally, he’s a great DJ, too. He put together the latest installment in the AYLI Podcast.

Patrick Lotilla, aka DJ Patrick, is a founding member of the Brouhaha crew, a cast of characters and DJs who have been throwing parties around the Bay Area with their five-year anniversary is coming in August. DJ Patrick's making his As You Like It return this Saturday, June 21, for a day party at The Midway featuring the one and only Omar S. 

Indy Nyles supplied the latest edition of the As You Like It podcast, a lush 90-minute live set that journeys through moods and sounds, all produced with two drum machines. He's making his live debut for AYLI this Friday, June 15, supporting Sandwell District don Function at Monarch in SF.

This latest installment of the As You Like It Podcast is a recording of Sepehr's live set, re-created in the studio based on a performance earlier this year at Monarch. No track IDs on this one — just Sepehr's own productions and jams. Make sure to catch his live set Friday, Mar. 9, when As You Like It and Parameter join forces to host Kassem Mosse and Tin Man live at Public Works in San Francisco.

Lily Ackerman is responsible for the latest installment in As You Like It's podcast series, a 70-minute trip that shows off her penchant for melodic, groove-focused techno and deep house. On Saturday, Dec. 16 at basement rave-cave Monarch, AYLI hosts its annual holiday "Ugly Sweater Party" featuring a live set from one of the most evocative new voices in techno, Sweden's Dorisburg (aka 1/2 of the duo Genius of Time). Ackerman will step up to the decks alongside AYLI residents Sassmouth and David Siska.

If you've been keeping tabs on some of San Francisco's newest (and hippest) queer parties, you've probably danced to Trevor Sigler's selections. He goes deep in the zone on this latest mix for As You Like It's podcast, delivering slinky tunes interspersed with rolling house grooves. On Friday, Dec. 1, he joins Maya Jane Coles, Mike Servito, and AYLI residents David Siska and Mike Gushansky for a full-club blowout at Public Works.

Bézier is one of a kind. The alias of one Robert Yang, Bézier is an Italo-disco-inspired, synthpop-styled, science-minded psychedelic techno project. Beside his visionary and idiosyncratic live techno sound, Yang is also a skilled DJ (formerly known as Robot Hustle), one-fourth of the renowned Honey Soundsystem collective, who will be celebrating their tenth year in operation this November. The Honey boys are but one of many names decorating As You Like It’s seventh anniversary marquee lineup, taking place this Friday, Sept. 25, at The Midway in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood. To celebrate the occasion, Yang recorded this latest AYLI podcast.

For San Franciscans of a certain era and persuasion, Dave Aju should be no stranger. The musician, producer, and DJ was an SF mainstay for many years. Dave (aka Marc Barrite) has been busy lately, releasing a slew of records in recent past and with more on the way. He’s also no stranger to As You Like It dancefloors, having graced the decks alongside favorites like DJ TLR, Magic Mountain High (Move D + Juju & Jordash), Sammy Dee, and more. This Friday, Sept. 22, he’s making his return as part of AYLI's Bloom series at Monarch, supporting Canadian house music wizard The Mole during his San Francisco debut. Please enjoy his new exclusive podcast for As You Like It.

Mike Gushansky hails from Los Angeles, CA. Sam Kern (aka Sassmouth) hails from Chicago, IL. Both are As You Like It resident DJs and after a particularly memorable back-to-back session earlier this year at the annual AYLI Picnic in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, they're something of a burgeoning DJ duo, to boot. This latest edition in the AYLI Podcast series is a recording of that session, mixed live in the great outdoors. Next up, catch Mike and Sam going back-to-back at As You Like It’s 7-year anniversary blowout Friday, Sept. 29 at The Midway in San Francisco.