PAPER Presents The Tear: DJ Miss Parker

Today, we’re presenting a mix from DJ Miss Parker, a Brooklyn-based sonic architect whose encyclopedic knowledge of dance music has made them a true educator for scores of Brooklyn’s bleary-eyed dancers. A true DJ’s DJ, DJ Miss Parker can be seen most weekends spinning throughout the city’s hot spots with a crate of vinyl and a fabulous multicolored look.

With one ear pointed towards today and another towards the legends of the past, DJ Miss Parker is quick to reference a bevy of sounds, styles and clubs from NYC’s many eras throughout their sets. That wel- studied, scholastic ethos has empowered them to begin spinning vinyl — a practice DJ Miss Parker has tirelessly perfected since October 2023 when they began practicing. “The reactions to my vinyl sets have been mind-blowing, honestly,” DJ Miss Parker shares. “My fans are seeing me grow and I love that they are seeing how I do my research when digging.” Plus, their deep knowledge has rooted them in a sense of local pride, and the firm belief that NYC should honor what it uniquely does best. “My biggest hope for the future of NYC nightlife is for the clubs, raves, and promoters to FULL STOP fetishizing European dance music culture. THIS IS NYC!!! We have our own culture,” DJ Miss Parker tells PAPER. “There is a reason why people travel from all over the world to be here and to have the NYC experience. We need to preserve the energy and the cultures that make this city so fab.” Hear, hear!

DJ Miss Parker brought their strong sense of local pride and deep research to their set for The Tear. “I wanted to use this mix as an opportunity to pay homage to ‘90s NYC clubs, producers and record labels,” DJ Miss Parker tells PAPER. Throughout the epic hour-and-a-half all-vinyl set, DJ Miss Parker weaves in sounds from sonic legends like Junior Vasquez, Kevin Aviance, Peter Rauhofer, and Peter Presta, as well as labels like Strictly Rhythm, Club 69, Twisted America, Night Grooves, and Deeper Rekords NYC. The mix’s sound — cinematic, eclectic, never-quite-settled but always firmly in the groove — is splattered with acid lines, tribal drums and harkens back to NYC clubs of yesteryear like The Limelight, Palladium, The Tunnel and The Soundfactory: clubs, which DJ Miss Parker shares, “have had a huge influence and impact on me in terms of track selection, production, and the energy that I would like to bring when playing out.” School is in session, and while we may be too busy dancing to take notes, we’re still thankful for the education from one of Brooklyn’s most thoughtful historic minds.

What inspired you to start DJing with vinyl? What's the reaction been like to your vinyl sets in NYC?

I’ve always been inspired by the DJ greats. I’m a huge fan of Carl Cox’s sets from the ‘90s and early 2000s. He is one of dance music’s LEGENDS: a Black DJ who has crossed so many boundaries in the culture. He can play so many different styles and do it flawlessly, plus he can build energy in his sets in a really exciting way that few DJs can.

Frankie Bones is another legend that has inspired me, also very versatile in his style. This one mix of his from 1993 — “Mayday Judgment Day (Dortmund)” — made me want to take DJing much more seriously when I first started. It might still be the nastiest vinyl mix I’ve ever heard.

But honestly, just watching my friends Devoye, 1morning and Rage.inald has inspired me to pick up the wax. All three of them have encouraged me greatly to just jump in the deep end, head-first and put that work in. Plus I love the CRAFT of DJing, and owning the physical records. Digging for records is like being an archeologist. I love spending hours in the record shops learning about artists and labels and finding new tracks. It’s also been great to meet other like-minded DJs and shopkeepers at the record store. I used to feel really lonely in my passion for dance music, and now I feel like I’ve found my community.

The reactions to my vinyl sets have been mind-blowing, honestly, I only started spinning records in October 2023 and it’s been amazing how much I’ve progressed in that time. Also people respond to my sets in a much more meaningful way than when I was playing on CDJs. My fans are seeing me grow and I love that they are seeing how I do my research when digging. I’m way more connected to my tracks and the crowd can feel it, too!

Where was the first set you played in NYC?

Ren G and I had a little party called Low Ki Ki at The Rosemont when it first opened. I would play off my laptop on virtual DJ. But the first legit party I played was Juliana Huxtable’s Shock Value in 2017.

Favorite NYC nightlife memory?

Too many to name! But I’ll do my top 3 because they are all still really special moments for me.

1. Lydo’s X-tra Gear rave Valentine’s Day 2020, right before the pandemic hit NYC. Everyone was on these Lego-shaped Ecstasy pills and there was so much love in the air.
2. Tongue in the Mind at Market Hotel last winter. This show was so mind-melting and SEVERE. That group gave what was supposed to be gave. It was giving Lords of Acid meets Psychic TV DOWN: live instrumentation; nasty synth lines from Via App; Joe the guitarist getting off the stage to play drums in the crowd; Juliana commanding the crowd. A truly special live show.
3. Eris Drew b2b Octo Octa for their T4T LUV NRG party this past fall at The Chocolate Factory. They played seven hours of all vinyl, NASTY euphoric dance cuts. I’ve never heard a more professionally played DJ set in all my years of raving. I only left the dancefloor once to have a smoke break, and I did some of my FIERCEST runway walks on the dancefloor that night.

Favorite set you’ve ever played?

There are so many fave sets I’ve played, too! I love to DJ, but I think Merge November 2023 was my fave. I ripped that shit up. I saw so much love on the dancefloor while I was playing. I saw generations of people bridging. It was really a switch in my style of DJing too. I felt like I was boxed in as a Trance DJ and I played a DISGUSTING house set with crazy acid lines, tribal drums, trancey melodies, vocals that oozed sex. I feel like that set really solidified me as a DJ in NYC.

Biggest nightlife pet peeve?

ACTING LIKE YOU DESERVE ALL THE NIGHTLIFE PRIVILEGES WITHOUT PAYING YOUR DUES.

Biggest DJ inspo?

Frankie Bones. He’s one of the main reasons why we rave in NYC. He brought that shit over from the UK in the early ‘90s and started the first renegade raves in the city. Also, his music productions and mixes are DIGUSTING. He can play any style. He’s very prolific. That’s a nasty white man fr! I’ve never fan-girled so hard meeting a legend. I still get goosebumps running into him.

What makes NYC nightlife unique?

The artists and DIVAS and eccentrics that keep this city alive. You can also hear so many sickening DJs every week, we also have some of the best parties in the world. The girls go hard for what they love, and we love to dance all night!

Biggest hope for the future of NYC nightlife?

My biggest hope for the future of NYC nightlife is for the clubs, raves, and promoters to FULL STOP fetishizing European dance music culture. THIS IS NYC!!! We have our own culture. There is a reason why people travel from all over the world to be here and to have the NYC experience. We need to preserve the energy and the cultures that make this city so fab.

Photography: Zach Doung