Wear Many Hats Episode 30 — Louise Chen

Hey everyone it’s Rashad and this is Wear Many Hats presented by Dahsar where we talk about your main gig then we talk about your side hustle.

We’re here with Louise Chen who is a DJ who has been promoting parties since 2012. First playing Hip Hop and R&B she has grown up with sampling culture and been a crate-digger for a long time hence the many Discogs tabs open on her browser. Her endless quest looking for soul, funk, disco and jazz has shaped her to playing clubs such as Rex and Concrete.

She hosts shows on NTS, The Lot Radio, Rinse France, and DJs alongside Floating Points and many of your favorite DJs.

She is a a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan, a huge fan of supporting artists, she hasn’t slept since 1999

Is this a fever dream? Is this a Siamese Dream?

Give it up for Louise Chen?

Where are you from?

What languages do you speak?

What record shops do you like to go to?

When did you decide to take DJing seriously?

At home records?

How did you get into DJing?

Record Magazine

Congrats on being on the cover of Record Magazine’s 8th issue!

Honestly if anyone wanted to get to know you more, they just need to check out the new issue?

Really enjoyed reading your beginnings. ET soundtrack

You talk about Diplo and Spank Rock, Me and minji used to go to all the Made Decent Block Parties that were actually on a block and Diplo went to the same school as me. Hollertronix was a party we used to go at The Barbary all the time.

Spank Rock has always been a friend of mine when we all lived in Philly and I designed the merch for his new project Naeem which is his name.

Guitar

So I read that your learning how to play the guitar, what songs have you learned so far, do you ever see yourself playing in a band? What kind of music would you play?

Is DJing work or fun for you at this point in your career?

NTS Radio — CHENTS

You have your own station on NTS called CHENTS

Short for Chentertainment

I love that you use your last name as a play on words because it’s so good. It makes sense.

Your show EMOCHEN where you play Teenage Nostalgia post rock post hardcore hits such as Explosions In the Sky, Pinback, At The Drive In. So damn good. If someone was hearing you for the first time, which mix would you have them hear?

If someone wanted to first find out who you were for the first time online, what video would you show them?

The Lot Radio

How much do you miss playing the Lot radio?

They’re still open, you know, having people come through to play here and there. If you performed here, you would shut it down.

Louise Chen Merch

Chentertainment that was released on Keep Hush’s Merch Service.

What was behind the merch? What’s your thought process behind it?

Cancel Spotify.

Resist the Algorithm!

SSENSE

For SSENSE you were paired up with my homie Nick Hakim rocking famous designers and talking about your favorite records. Nick Hakim is a good homie of mine, his brother Danny prints all of the DAHSAR collections. When I saw you two all dressed up, I thought this is the pairing we need. The first concert I want to see when this is all over is a Nick Hakim, Louise Chen show.

Vintage T-Shirt collection

Your vintage T-Shirt collection consists of a ton of Smashing Pumpkins, Janet Jackson, The Mars Volta, Public Enemy, Spankrock and Amanda Blank shout out to Naeem and Amanda! Jordan merch, what’s your favorite?

The Vogue feature, you also showcased your vintage t-shirt collection and you threw in a GIRLS t-shirt shout out christopher owens, The Strokes,

Big Acts

You’ve opened up for Harry Styles who would you like to open for in the future?

Fashion

So I’m just gonna throw this out there, you’re absolutely stunning sporting Sacai, Chanel, Dries Van Noten, Bode, and Prada but you stay true to your punk roots.

The Eric Hu Phil Chang shout out Pork Bun Porn Hub Hoodies, you’re a style icon. I peeped the Bjork bounty longsleeve in the Vogue video. You support the design scene as well.

What do you like to wear better?

DAHSAR

I peeped that you modeled the Peter Saville Paco collaboration a couple years back and DAHSAR is about to launch our Peter Saville collection with Commercial Type and Commercial classics, would love to have you on the campaign.

Public Records Winson.

If you were to get a chest tattoo quote in olde english what would it be?

Plug your socials where can people find you?

Till next time this is Wear Many Hats presented by Dahsar with your host Rashad. We out!