DJ Delish | The Astral Plane

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If you’ve only recently started following Philadelphia’s DJ Delish, you’d likely come to the conclusion that the producer, vocalist, DJ and host only recently started making music. That’s because Delish consistently takes down older releases and uploads from her various online platforms, resigning them to loose hard drives, her own DJ sets and time immemorial. It’s a somewhat common practice in the age of screenshots and Soundcloud, but Delish’s dedication to the practice is strong and belies how deep her catalog really is. It also belies how influential Delish is in both Philadelphia and on an international stage as she plays the roll of local DJ/host, as well as purveyor of some of the most rinsed ballroom productions of the last half decade.

We first got to know Delish in 2015 via “Piano Rage” (featured in our first For Club Use Only column), a stab heavy track that melds the gritty, corporeal energy of ballroom with an eye towards large rooms and an innate clarity. Obsession followed as did deep dives into Delish’s various platforms, of which her Youtube channel is one of the only places where you can hear original productions dating back to 2012. Those uploads, as well as a host of kinetic balls in Philadelphia, show a producer slowly developing a style that now traverses and incorporates everything from hands-in-the-air disco to the sharp thwack of kuduro and baile funk.

The fact that Delish deletes much of the older material as time passes does not mean that she has a dearth of material up at any given time though. August 2017’s HAZEL is a prime example of her recent work rate, comprised of four sparse, low end heavy efforts aimed squarely at the dancefloor. The release, put out through PUMPDABEAT, is a no frills affair, but its rhythmic twists (the switch ups in the 2nd half of “Reclaiming”) are captivating enough. Many of Delish’s recent releases and one-offs are included in her Astral Plane mix, a session that has been a long time coming and could not possibly disappoint. By extrapolating on the subtle inflections of her own productions, Delish effortlessly brings in tracks by contemporaries (Ase Manual, Habibiboi, AceMo, Sartana) and legends (El-B, Karizma, Kerry Chandler) alike, eliminating generational schisms via an assertive mixing style. We didn’t expect anything else, but this one has had, and will continue to have, us moving for months to come. Check out more DJ Delish at her Bandcamp and download Astral Plane Mix 155 here.

A key member of the Philadelphia-centered PUMPDABEAT crew, DJ Delish has established himself as one of the most exciting ballroom producers and DJs around, garnering attention from a wide spread of artists, DJs and curators from inside and outside of the ballroom community. Most recently, Delish has been trading tracks with Rabit, whose forthcoming Communion LP is as standout as debuts come, and will be appearing on the Houston-based artist’s Halcyon Veil label. To celebrate, we’ve got the call-and-response ready “Back To The Bump”, from the HeatbeatZ mixtape, for you today, as well as a little Q&A/introduction to Delish’s background and the wildly talented PUMPDABEAT crew. If you’re familiar with Delish’s work with Kevin Jz Prodigy and tracks like “Piano Rage”, you know he’s got next and his introduction into the rapidly progressing Halcyon Veil team is more than welcome. Check out “Back To The Bump” below and hit the jump for our Q&A session with Delish.