OK Carty | Soundcloud | Instagram | Resident Advisor
For our third episode of this Truancy Sessions season, Washington, DC-based artist OK Carty invites listeners to “step for a while out of the flicking numbers…outside of time” in a mix that captures the transcendent essence of the dancefloor experience. Enveloping from its opening moments, the mix traverses a diverse spectrum of electronic sounds, encompassing off-kilter techno, waterlogged bass, beaming electro, peaktime tech house, explosive hardgroove, ecstatic club, abstract experimentalism, and deep dub techno. OK Carty’s passion for high-octane yet impactful selections shines through as he adds warmth and depth to seemingly minimal tracks through deft blends and effects, creating a surreal escape that mirrors the ebb and flow of a night lost in music. Riding waves of raw intensity, the mix evokes both personal introspection and collective energy, capturing the essence of connecting to the shared experience of the dancefloor. OK Carty’s meticulous curation and immersive mixing reflect the catharsis, joy, and fulfillment that the best moments in dance music can provide, all while showcasing a spectrum of contemporary electronic productions.
An active member of DC and Baltimore’s music communities, OK Carty is involved with numerous projects that include organizing de-escalation and narcan trainings; finding and coordinating safer space volunteers; helping to build, plan, and operate the punk and electronic campout festival Zap Outdoorz; and throwing parties called tender. alongside DJs side ii side and Nocturnal Wax; in addition to his constant participation in underground events, political rallies, fundraisers for marginalized communities, and general support of the local scene. OK Carty’s generosity, passion for educating others, and desire to learn from those who’ve come before him extend to every facet of his interests, informing his musical appreciation and archival approach to digging, along with influencing his goals for the local community and methods for facing adversity.
Drawing inspiration from Berlin’s techno scene and the power of collective experiences, his DJ style is characterized by long blends, a focus on meticulous selection and timing, and a distinctive set curation system. As he ventures into production, OK Carty aims to synthesize his own sounds and incorporate them into hybrid sets, further pushing the boundaries of his artistic expression. We invite you to delve into the accompanying interview, where this exceptional artist shares insights on his musical background, approach to DJing, recent forays into production, artistic inspirations, and his vision for the future of the DMV’s (DC, Maryland, Virginia) vibrant dance community.
Can you take us back to your first experiences with electronic music? What specific tracks, artists, or moments sparked your passion? “When I was a lonely, sad kid, my older sister cheered me up by burning CD’s of tracks she was hearing out, corny and whacko club edits, Club-Box.com stuff, but also classics like The Prodigy. I must have heard some of those tracks 1000x. I started digging music on Soundcloud and Hype Machine, sorting a bunch of ripped 128kbps, pushing monthly playlists onto my friends. I wouldn’t hear any of that out at bars or skateparks, unless I begged whoever held the aux. With a few exceptions, I heard electronic music alone.
I pivoted when I first found community around electronic music from 2017 to 2019: renegade open airs, underground clubs and DIY’s in Cologne and Berlin, Nowadays with my sibling. My people organized some nice parties, setting a higher standard for sharing space. Once I grasped that collective experience, where people could also sink into their own space, techno became the soundtrack for my everyday. At that point, Berlin’s Frisbee Tracks and Dystopian were my gateways. Nostalgic, I played out Sascha Zastiral’s “Midnight Funk” at my first club set, a HdF party at 618.”
When did you start DJing, and how has your approach evolved? What’s your process for discovering new music and curating your sets? “I’ve been digging and organizing music for most of my memorable life, but only started playing with a mixer a couple years ago. So I’m earlier along the technical path than someone like side II side, who I gladly b2b’d with last NYE at The Compound. Experienced heads in DC & Baltimore share their time, space and wisdom generously, giving me chances to learn from genuine, stellar people.
So yeah, I’ve heard so many damn good DJ’s that my style keeps changing. To quote side II side, “you learn from just being in the same room as Baronhawk [Poitier].” Overall, I hold blends for a long time, and rely on selection, timing, EQ, low-pass, and echo. I plan to replace my pioneer XDJ with a Xone 92 + DD500 + my microfreak, now that I grasp my own ideal of smooth, continuous mixing. Someone, please come take my flanger away :p
Heeding the advice that “90% of DJ’ing happens away from the decks,” I’ve spent much more time digging than mixing. I dig the archive methodically by hearing a label from the earliest release to the newest. When a track from an artist clicks, I check out all of their work, and then return to that first label. It’s a lot of tabs, endlessly exciting and exhausting. And my brilliant friends extend themselves deeply in different directions, exposing me to new corners. At the end of the month, I sort my new tracks by movement- and color-coding (i.e. how would I move to this groove, sway?, stomp?, and what lighting would fit a track?).
For sets, I first consider the crowd, the space, the rest of the bill, and my time-slot. How will I fit into this night, but still offer a different energy? How do I want the dancer to feel? Then I comb through my playlists to build a specific bag, charting different directions to cater to what’s moving people and what isn’t.”
Who are the artists pushing boundaries in electronic music right now? Can you describe a recent set that left a lasting impression on you and why? “This question is easy to start answering and impossible to stop answering.
As DJ’s, Joyce Lim and Kiernan Laveaux. No hesitation, no qualification: two sonic wizards. Techno tracks share similar structures and motifs, so originality is limited to creativity within certain bounds. Joyce and Shane approach the decks like instruments and deconstruct that predictability. They bewilder you, then rebuild you. The face people wear during their sets is priceless, it reminds me that creative artists will never let this little world get stale. I feel bad for tired critics kvetching about “the same old,” because I’ve experienced what they’re missing. My words fail to capture the diverse, deep feelings these two conjured at Zap this year.
Production-wise, Evelyn and Azu Tiwaline keep (dub) techno fresh for me. Towards left field, Notte Infinita and Atrice. This mix presents a gem from each of them. Evelyn scratches the Stef Mendesidis fan in me, the way her synths float on her low-end feels like a model. Azu soundtracks the forest or your bedroom. Notte Infinita produces the equivalent of my praise for Joyce & Shane. Atrice delivers that DHIPCON or FOG MAN grit in clever arrangements.
I’m emphasizing sound here, but I believe any radical artist who makes their community more resilient has pushed boundaries. Most labor is toil, and most of our tax dollars from that productivity fund wars, cops and prisons: our government kills people. We’re so blessed to gather in spaces that aren’t fully determined by a few people’s profit. So creating spaces where people can feel hopeful and safe, collaborate across the gulfs they inherited, learn techniques to game the system, to challenge and expand their capacities, to learn who they are and who they want to be — that’s the work of boundary-pushers, too.”
How would you characterize Washington, DC’s electronic music scene? What are its unique strengths, and where do you see room for growth? “I’m blessed to have been welcomed and accepted here. The constellation of creative, radical people here steals my breath. I think the familiar feeling people catch entering these rooms makes it easier to be authentically ourselves. It feels like people are in it for each other, not for themselves.
When a crisis arises, like a Baltimore club owner allegedly snitching on dance parties with fake 911 calls, siccing cops on QTBIPOC, diverting emergency medical services to fake assaults and overdoses that never happened, organizers came together and strategized. The scene responded to one man’s alleged reckless indifference with a wave of solidarity. No notes!
Also the combination of politics with the dance scene — Stop MVP at Zap, fundraisers across DC for people impacted by the genocide in Gaza and Lebanon — isn’t unique, but does differentiate us from the corporate, white-washed apolitical alternative. I’d welcome more connection, fundraisers, and solidarity for the people longest in DC and facing the brunt of our police state.
Gentrification (rent increases, policing, restrictive zoning, politicians bowing to real estate developers) is making affordable space more scarce. But my concrete dream is a community space for the non-club hours. An ambient tea bar, a music studio, a no-frills couch. Like Berlin’s kwia meets Baltimore’s Mace St. warehouse.”
What roles do you play at zap outdoorz and tender.? How do these experiences shape your vision for the future of DC’s dance community? “Alongside Baltimore’s Laurel, I organize de-escalation and narcan trainings, find and coordinate safer space volunteers. We work with Celestial Spaces and some terrific medical professionals in the scene. The experience and passion at Zap amplify my optimism for the future. I saw this careful mix of politics and music, shaping cultural spaces to connect and educate each other. And seeing people from DC, Baltimore, Richmond, Philly, New York, and Pittsburgh come together to build and animate the space so immaculately reminds me of those moments in Germany 7 years ago that pulled me into this hot mess.
tender. keeps that fire going. BPM’s with TLC! Nocturnal Wax, side II side and I are throwing lively dance parties, inviting a talented artist to headline each party. Each resident comes from a different musical tradition, so every party runs the sonic spectrum. The Dreamweaver crew has generously powered our parties, and local heads have blessed us with patient support as we move into our second year. Our 1 year anniversary party is 11/9 :)”
Can you walk us through the creative process behind this mix? Were there any particular themes you wanted to explore? How does this mix reflect your DJ identity? “If sets are dialogues between dancers and DJ’s, this is straight-up a monologue of me idealizing raving, flowing outside of time under the paused clock in Red Mars’ “time-slip.” We can’t leave the world behind us, it stubbornly follows us everywhere, but for a short time we might fashion something new and beautiful. Hopefully when we leave, we will have shedded some of the nastiness that we’ve internalized. I think sharing space with y’all has shaped my growth.
Musically, I built a bell-curve of energy and BPM, gently climbing with techno, riding that peak up and down, and then ending with a dubby aftercare chapter. Along the way, I disoriented the timing and pitch of songs and muddled the sway with echos. I tried for something a bit more playful than a straight-up hypnotic techno mix, without getting too hectic (hopefully).”
What’s on the horizon for you musically? Are you venturing into production? What upcoming projects or events are you most excited about? “Outside of Zap and tender., producing moves me. I first opened the DAW a year ago and still feel hopeful facing that infinity. I know production and DJ’ing are vastly different skills, but producing has changed how I listen to music and taught me a grammar for what I want to share and how.
Right now, I’ve just shared ~2 dozen drafts with friends, un-mastered and raw. I’m in a vulnerable learning phase, figuring out my process and synthesizing my own sounds, far from submitting to a label. My long-term goal is to place my own tracks as lodestars in my mixes, putting my ideas in dialogue with other people’s art. In the mean time, I’ll be incorporating more of my production in hybrid sets.
I’m looking forward to how our scene’s artists channel this summer into heaters to keep the frost at bay. Gigs-wise, I’m grateful to play the Watermelon Seeds Collective’s mutual aid fundraiser for families displaced in Lebanon and Gaza at Rhizome 10/26, then tender.’s anniversary party on 11/9 at Sinners & Saints, and finally a queer-forward techno event TBA 11/22 at the Compound, so follow me and @tenderfullstop :)”
Mix artwork by Lolo: Instagram, Soundcloud
Photos 2 and 3 by R’Angel Marcelino, Zap Outdoorz 2024
You can download Truancy Sessions S02 E03: OK Carty in 320 kbps on Patreon here. Your support helps cover all our costs and allows Truants to continue running as a non-profit and ad-free platform. Members will receive exclusive access to mixes, tracklists, and discounts off future merchandise. If money is tight however and you’re desperately after any ID, please leave us a comment over on the Soundcloud link and either us or OK Carty will get back to you :)
