From chugging acid and EBM, to leftfield techno and disco, to cold wave and post-punk, Mozhgan is a DJ who revels in the unexpected. It's a fearless style the Iranian-born selector first cultivated through We Are Monsters, a legendary Bay Area party series she co-founded that was hailed for its unorthodox and open-minded approach to the dancefloor.
Since then, Mozhgan has built a similarly genre-bending reputation beyond California, playing for some of the most respected clubs and festivals around the world. Given her "sonic alchemy", Mozhgan seems to be the perfect guest for the subversive raves of homegrown collective Strange Weather. But before she applies her dark arts on the decks at MDLR on 28 September, we couldn't resist asking her about the records that shaped her.
View this post on Instagram
The first album that you first bought with your own money:
TLC - Ooooooohhh... On the TLC Tip
"They were so cool, I was a big fan of their music videos as a kid and I loved their style."
The album that never fails to make you cry:
Slowdive - Souvlaki
"This album is so sad and beautiful. I just saw them live recently and the tears were streaming down my face."
The album that never fails to make you dance:
Liaisons Dangereuses - Liaisons Dangereuses
"Incredibly influential album! I love every track on this."
The album that youโre embarrassed to like:
Lil' Kim - Hard Core
"I wouldnโt say embarrassed, I was really into hip-hop and R&B in the '90s and early-2000s. I remember getting this cassette tape when it came out on a road trip with my parents! I convinced my mom to buy it for me. I recently watched the music video for 'Crush on You' and it was still so good!"
The album that brings back your high school years:
Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York
"This came our the same year Kurt died. My friend and I would drive around and listen to this on repeat."
The album that you and your parents love:
Anything by Googoosh or Hayedeh
"My parents listened to a lot of Iranian music growing up and still do. Solar recently played the Googoosh's Googoosh album on Finders Keepers at home and it totally transported me to my childhood."
Your favourite blind buy record:
The Elephant Table Album (A Compilation of Difficult Music)
"I bought this for the cover and the fact that it was a compilation of โdifficultโ music, but it has so many good tracks on it and many artists I love."
An underrated album that you always recommend to people:
A.C. Marias - One of Our Girls (Has Gone Missing)
"This is a perfect record. I love Angela Conwayโs dreamy voice so much and have started collecting anything sheโs a part of.
A popular album that youโve never listened to:
Taylor Swift
"I donโt even know what her voice sounds like."
Purchase tickets for Strange Weather with Mozhgan (US), A'alely here.
Mozhgan also plays Klymax Discotheque at Desa Potato Head, Bali on Friday, 4 October. Purchase tickets for Solar + Mozghan here.
Like what you read? Show our writer some love!
-