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  • Nature Is Healing on horsegiirL’s Debut Album (+ My Club Underground Set List 6/05/16)

    horsegiirL Nature Is Healing album cover
    horsegiirL Nature Is Healing album cover

    You might not expect to read this, but I’m way into Nature Is Healing, the new album from horsegiirL. If we’re IRL friends, though, you might think, yeah, Liz would totally be into something that sounds like the rave at an anime convention. And that’s true. But, there’s also a lot more to horsegiirL than DDR beats and pitched up vocals.

    Just to back up a second for anyone who is like, wtf are you talking about? HorsegiirL is a DJ/producer/singer known for wearing a horse mask, or horse prosthetic face makeup, who had a viral hit some time back called “My Barn My Rules.” She’s known for playing hard, fast dance music- roughly equivalent to what ‘90s ravers would know as hardcore or happy hardcore- and has been buzzy for a good while. She played Coachella in 2025, made guest appearances during Wet Leg and PinkPanthress’ sets at this year’s Coachella and will be opening for Robyn at the Forum in September. 

    Nature Is Healing is horsegiirL’s debut album. It dropped yesterday and it’s a genuinely strange and subversive album. Musically, it’s not really something you can categorize. You’ll have something like the single “That’s My Beach!” that brings together a summer party sound with a play on words to talk about respect for the beach or “Only the Best,” which satirizes materialism. Then there’s “An Apple a Day,” with its relentless kick drum and campy, Europop-style lyrics and vocals, and “Fun Guy Fungi,” an avant-garde, new age interlude. Last night, I tried out “Hands Hands Hands,” a synthpop tune with bit of a Kylie Minogue vibe and a touch of house percolating underneath. Hopefully, sometime soon, I’ll have the chance to play “Music Goes On” because I love how it morphs from euphoric rave track to Pure Moods jam. The sounds are all over the place on Nature Is Healing, but it makes sense as an album because the songs all seem to tied to this very My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic-meets-Nausicaä Valley of the Wind message about taking care of the planet and each other. Right now, it’s not too often that we see people making art that’s both light-hearted and serious, so, if you’re looking for something that hits those notes, I recommend checking out Nature Is Healing. 

    Last night’s set list from Club Underground is below. As always, the new-ish stuff links back to previous mentions on this blog.  In addition to horsegiirL, the other brand new song from last night is “Every Single Weekend” from The Avalanches and Jamie XX. 

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  • That HiNRG Madonna Remix From Peggy Gou and More of What You Heard at Club Underground 5/29/26

    Accidental photo from DJ booth at Club Underground on May 29, 2026
    Accidental photo from the DJ booth, 5/29/26. (Pic: Liz O.)

    I’ve never been super into Peggy Gou, but her “Energy” mix of Madonna’s new single, “I Feel So Free,” is incredible. It’s an ‘80s hiNRG throwback that works because it doesn’t sound like what Madonna was doing in that era, so it becomes this crazy speculative fiction mix, like imagine a 1984 where Pet Shop Boys and Madonna collabed and it was all produced by Bobby Orlando in between sessions with The Flirts and Divine. That’s what this Peggy Gou remix sounds like. Anyhow, the remix has been out for a couple weeks and I finally had the chance to play it last night. It was one of those now-or-never moments because I had just played “Blue Monday” and “Living on Video” and figured there wouldn’t be any other moment during the course of the night where a new banger that sounds like an old school jam would work. 

    Two other songs that I tried out for the first time last night are the Fcukers mix of the Angelé and Justice song “What You Want,” which worked really nicely in between new Slayyyter and old Daft Punk, and “Piss Artist,” which is honestly my favorite song on Gelli Haha’s album, Switcheroo. I love it because it’s the sort of NSFW song that you used to only hear in clubs- trust me when I tell you that “Fuck the Pain Away” and “Frank Sinatra” were not radio songs- and that’s a bit of a dying breed of music. 

    Anyhow, set list is below. Songs that are from the past two years are highlighted and (usually) link back to other references on the blog. 

    Next week is Interpol Nite at Club Underground. It’s going to be a vibe, so make plans to go. Advance tickets are online now. 

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  • Slayyyter “I’m Actually Kinda Famous” + Underground Set List 5/08/26

    Slayyyter Worst Girl in America album cover
    Cover for Wor$t Girl in America by Slayyyter

    I’ve been trying out songs from Wor$t Girl in America since the new album from Slayyyter came out a handful of weeks ago. So far, the songs have done pretty well, but last night, “I’m Actually Kinda Famous” kinda popped on the dance floor. TBH, it was a song that I had been thinking about playing since the album came out, but I wasn’t sure if I could make it work. But, hey, you gotta take some chances in life and your DJ sets.

    Anyhow, last night I was DJing at Club Underground. (I know I said I wasn’t DJing this weekend. Surprise!) It was somewhere after midnight. Sextile “S Is For” (also on this month’s mix) was playing and people were getting really into it, especially a group near the DJ booth. I mixed in Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Heads Will Roll,” the A-Trak remix, and that group by me screamed and danced even harder. I thought, okay, if they’re down with Sextile *and* Yeah Yeah Yeahs remixed by A-Trak, they’re my people and probably already into Slayyyter. So, I slowed down “Heads Will Roll” a pinch, sped up “I’m Actually Kinda Famous” a lot and mixed them thinking, this is either going to suck or it’s going to slayyy. I guess the latter happened because the group I had been eyeing was now all over the dance floor and other group at the back of the dance floor started jumping up and down and screaming for the song.

    Anyhow, kids, the moral of the day is to go with your gut and make it work. Here’s the set list from last night. Songs from the past year or so are in bold and link back to other other mentions on this here blog.

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  • Tomora, Fcukers and More of What You Heard at Underground 4/17/26

    Fcukers Ö album cover
    Cover for Ö by Fcukers

    Come Closer, the debut album from Tomora, was released on Friday and I’m already way into it. Tomora is Tom Rowlands from the Chemical Brothers and Norwegian singer Aurora and, if you’re into either/both of those artists, you have to hear it. Come Closer pulls a lot of different elements from across the club music spectrum and, in the process, becomes something so strange and cool and completely different from what’s been dominating dance music for the past five or so years. I went with “Somewhere Else,” the second single from the album, last night at Underground and it did pretty well for a first spin. There were more people on the dance floor when the song neared its end than when it began, so it will probably stick around in my sets. That ‘do do do” Aurora sings is such an earworm of the classic rave “It’s a Fine Day” variety. I love it. 

    Last night was Darkwave night at Underground, but I’ve been meaning to play something off Fcukers’ album, Ö, for a minute and I figured that “if you want to party, come over to my house” was electroclash-y enough to work with the crowd. Basically, if they were into Green Velvet— and they were— then they would get Fcukers. The song went over really well, which is a bit unsurprising given how much the resale price are for tickets to the duo at The Fonda. The whole album is killer. I’m impressed at how Fcukers basically fit the arc of a raging party into an album that’s less than a half-hour. 

    The set list for last night is below. Songs from 2025 and 2026 link back to other references on the blog. Thanks for dancing! 

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  • New Kneecap, Ladytron + More of What You Heard Upstairs at Underground

    Kneecap "Fenian" single cover
    Cover of “Fenian” by Kneecap, which came out on April 1, 2026

    It was great to see people dancing to “Fenian,” the single from Kneecap that came out last week, upstairs at Club Underground last night. It’s such a killer song. Plus, it fit into the ‘90s Nite vibe. TBH, a lot of today’s dance music does. 

    I wasn’t in the theme room last night, so it was kind of anything-goes upstairs, but I did dig up some of my ‘90s to drop in the set. “Born Slippy,” “Halcyon and on and on” and “Papua New Guinea” are all songs that are pretty formative to my taste, as in I heard them when they were new and was like, “WTF is this?!” Also got in some early 2000s jams that I haven’t played in a minute, like “La La Land” from Green Velvet, which I used to play so often that I have multiple copies on vinyl with multiple remixes. 

    As for new tunes, “A Death in London” from Ladytron was also in the set. I really like the sax on that song and it sounds so good early in the night. It might end up becoming my go-to from the band’s latest album. 

    Anyhow, thanks for dancing at Underground last night. See you next week! Set list is below. Songs from the past year or so link back to other mentions on this blog. Also, three songs from last night are on this month’s Beatique mix, so give that a listen on Mixcloud when you have a chance. 

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  • New Gelli Haha, Slayyyter and More of What You Heard Upstairs at Underground 3/27/26

    Gelli Haha "Klouds Will Carry Me to Sleep" single cover by Daniela Buvat
    Gelli Haha “Klouds Will Carry Me to Sleep” single cover by Daniela Buvat

    I have to admit that it took me a minute to get into Gelli Haha. “Bounce House” kept coming up on my Instagram feed and I thought the song was fine, but not as interesting as the video. So, it wasn’t until a month or so ago that I sat down and listened to Switcheroo. What a fun album! There’s a song called “Piss Artist” that I love because it’s irreverent, like the early ‘00s club hits that only the people who were there still remember. And “Tiramisu,” which I can only describe as sounding like someone playing a tribute to ‘90s house live a DIY art-punk show, has been getting stuck in my head. But, I didn’t play either of those songs last night at Underground because Gelli Haha has a new single out, “Klouds Will Carry Me to Sleep,” and it’s super cute in a way that reminds of a cross between The Avalanches and The Go! Team. I played it early last night, mostly to see how it sounds in the room, but I think I’ll keep it on hand. 

    The other new release that I want to mention is Wor$t Girl in America by Slayyyter. I wasn’t expecting to like it, but, every now and then there’s a pop album with a bunch of hype surrounding it that doesn’t bore the crap out of me and this is one of those moments. It has the sleazy club sound that I love, where it sounds like your dancing on a beer-sticky floor under a ceiling that’s dripping sweat. I didn’t really know what to play off the album. “Yes Goddd” has a killer Gesaffelstein-ish beat, but it didn’t work with the rest of the set this week. Maybe next time. I ended up going with “Unknown Loverz,” which has a much lighter sound, at the last minute.

    Anyhow, the set list is below. Songs from the past year or so link back to previous mentions on the blog. 

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  • Klub Nocturno New Wave vs. Darkwave Setlist March 6, 2026

    Sam Quealy Jawbreaker album cover
    Cover for Jawbreaker by Sam Quealy. Get this album!

    Thanks to everyone who hit the dance floor in the new wave vs. darkwave room at Nocturno last night. Was very happy to see you dancing to “Londontown” by Sam Quealy. Wasn’t sure if I was going to play that or not last night, so I’m glad it went over well. Her album, Jawbreaker, is overloaded with bangers. Give it a listen when you have the chance. Lots of Depeche Mode in last night’s set, because that was the theme, plus new music from Night Ritualz, a few of last year’s club hits from the likes of Sextile, Pixel Girl, N8NOFACE, French Police and Alice Glass, lots of throwbacks from Soft Cell to Ladytron and more. Set list is below and, as always all songs from the past year link back to other references on this blog. 

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  • What You Heard Upstairs at Underground for Gorillaz x Daft Punk Night

    Cover of Gorillaz The Mountain
    “The Happy Dictator” is the first single from The Mountain, by Gorillaz, out on February 27, 2026

    I am really excited for The Mountain, the new album from Gorillaz that’s due at the end of month. Three of the album’s already-released singles made it into my Gorillaz x Daft Punk set upstairs at Club Underground last night. The set list is below and, as always, songs from the past year or so are highlighted and link back to the artist’s tag on this blog. Thanks for dancing!

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  • A Gorillaz Earworm + More of What You Heard at Club Underground on 1/30/26

    Cover of Gorillaz The Mountain
    “The Happy Dictator” is the first single from The Mountain, by Gorillaz, out on February 27, 2026

    “The Happy Dictator” is an earworm. On the few occasions that I’ve been able to play the Gorillaz song at a club, I’ve woken up the following day with it stuck in my head. This morning is no different. I played it early at Underground last night and now it’s lodged in my brain, with Damon Albarn and Russell Mael trading off vocals on a loop. 

    I don’t plan sets at all. I just drop 24+ hours of music on my laptop, sort it by BPM and then figure it all out as the night goes on. So, it’s only in hindsight that I can say that last night’s set at Underground was probably influenced by being at the anti-ICE protest/march in downtown Los Angeles earlier in the day. “The Happy Dictator,” “Police on My Back,” (We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang,” “Shout to the Top,” “Tubthumping,” blah blah blah. Whatever is stuck in my head makes it into the set and then the set gets stuck in my head. That’s a DJ brain for you. 

    Anyhow, thanks to those of you who made it out to Underground last night. It was a blast as always. See you next Friday for Gorillaz x Daft Punk night! Set list is below. New-ish songs link back to previous mentions here. 

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  • Sextile “S Is For” + More of What You Heard at Klub Nocturno 1/09/26

    View from the DJ booth in the new wave vs. darkwave room at Klub Nocturno on January 9, 2026 (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
    View from the DJ booth in the new wave vs. darkwave room at Klub Nocturno on January 9, 2026 (Pic: Liz O.)

    Yes, Please by Sextile was my favorite album of 2025 because it has bangers for days. Last year, I mostly played “Women Respond to Bass” and “Rearrange,” although “Freak Eyes” and “Push Ups” have gotten some love too. Last night, for the first Klub Nocturno of 2026, I finally had the chance to play “S Is For,” which I love because it has such a early ‘00s electro punk vibe. Also, who doesn’t just want to shout out “shit” over and over again while raging on the dance floor right now? 

    Full set list is below and the new-ish releases link back to previous mentions on this here blog. As always, thanks for dancing! To keep up on when and where I’m playing next, either check back here or sign up for the newsletter or follow me on Instagram. 

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