HEADS KNOW founder ariellenyc channels Too Future mixes of the past for her latest mix that’s filled with plenty of trap tunes and more.
If there’s one person who is helping keep rave culture and its history alive in New York City right now, it’s Arielle Lana LeJarde, aka ariellenyc. It’s been impossible to ignore her impact since taking the leap to become a music journalist years ago. As her writing career blossomed, she began to collect bylines on some of the most esteemed outlets in the electronic music space, like Resident Advisor, Billboard, Mixmag, and DJ Mag, with features also finding a home on MTV News and Rolling Stone along the way. But writing is just a part of the legacy that she’s creating for herself.
Not only has Arielle become an advocate for a diverse range of artists, genres, and other aspects of electronic music culture, but she’s taken another step forward by starting her own platform and party series, HEADS KNOW. According to her, this new project, which was launched in 2023, intends “to put music history at the forefront by showcasing dance and electronic music legends as well as exciting emerging talent in my city.”
HEADS KNOW has already seen success since surfacing in the scene with several showcases throughout Brooklyn, along with a growing list of mixes and newsletters. Arielle isn’t stopping anytime soon either, telling us, “I have a stacked schedule for our HEADS KNOW TAPES series, where I bring on the selectors and journalists who inspire me, and if you’re in New York City, I have plenty of events lined up, too!”
As for the rest of 2024, Arielle said, “This year is going to be filled with more DJ sets, more articles at publications like Resident Advisor and Rolling Stone, and I’m even planning to start doing video interviews with some of my favorite artists on Instagram.” And while that future may be bright, today sees ariellenyc harken back to the era when trap reigned supreme with a Winter Waveforms mix that will surely spark a fire in your soul.
I actually got into electronic music through instrumental trap music by way of names like TNGHT, Stööki Sound, and Keys N Krates. In the 2010s, I was religiously listening to mix series like RL Grime’s Halloween and Run The Trap’s Too Future programs. For Winter Waveforms, I wanted to make my own “Too Future” mix—it’s what I would have made if I was a big room trap DJ sprinkled with some of my taste right now. You’ll hear throwbacks, modern rap hits, and my staple bootlegs. PS—I recorded this on Rekordbox, and I’ve only been DJing for less than a year, so it’s a bit rough and ready but made with love.
ariellenyc
Give this exclusive guest mix a listen on SoundCloud. Make sure to follow ariellenyc on social media for details on her upcoming HEADS KNOW shows and more!
