Let it be known, the Peaches Crew are the real deal. This Bay Area based DJ collective has been representing for the ladies for over seven years, party rocking at numerous events in-and-out of the region. The current roster is filled with some notable selectors: Lady Fingaz, Deeandroid, Umami, That Girl, Deejay Andre, Pony P, Smokey Rose, and Lady Ryan. All styles of sounds represented, with the techniques and skills to match.
We got down to talking with Umami and That Girl before their sets at The Changing Same (San Jose, CA) to hear about their experiences and influences as DJs and as avid music appreciators. Check out their answers below, and make sure to set aside some time in your life to see these ladies live.
DJ Umami
UG: Could you name some of your DJ influences, locally and abroad, who have helped to shape your signature style? What were some of things you took away from their approach to mixing and sound selection?
Umami: Craze, Atrak, Shortkut, Apollo, Spinna, J-Rocc, Vinroc, J-Boogie, Eko, Neil Armstrong, to name a few. I used to jock Neil Armstrong's old mixtapes where he incorporated samples and blend them with songs. That's something I try to do in some of my mixes.
For the most part, I have been locally influence more than anything. The Bangerz hold a real huge part in influencing me in my earlier years, attending Music Machine at SoFA Lounge back in the day. I consider Cutso my mentor and hold his opinions and critique high.
UG: How did you come up with your name?
Umami: A friend of mine who was a chef, told me what the meaning of Umami was. I thought that a 5th flavor could also be applied to music. Plus, it sounded like “ohh-mami”, which I thought was fitting being a mother of two.
UG: Do you have a particular artist you enjoy working into your sets every night?
Umami: I hate and love him, but I always find myself playing hella Drake. Why God, why?
UG: What are some of your favorite parties to spin at, or attend?
Umami: I have an 80s, 90s, and “New Shit" party in Oakland called "Word!". The crowd there is so receptive to everything, and I look forward to it monthly.
UG: If you could meet one of your musical heroes, who would it be and what question would you like to ask them?
Umami: I would LOVE to meet queen Erykah Badu. She's my heroine. I don't know what I would ask, but I might do a “I’m-not-worthy” (Wayne’s World) her on my knees and bow-the-fuck-down. But nah, I would probably ask her to tell me stories about her and Dilla and about the time when he came through and produced some of her tracks on Mama's Gun.
Once I met A-trak and ended up talking to him about his hair. I regret it everyday, and wish I'd have asked something more substantial.
DJ That Girl
UG: Could you name some of your DJ influences, locally and abroad, who have helped to shape your signature style? What were some of things you took away from their approach to mixing and sound selection?
That Girl: My earliest DJ influences spanned both locally and abroad across all different genres.
- Hip-Hop: DJ Revolution, Jazzy Jeff, DJ AM, Mark Ronson, Beat Junkies, Invisibl Skratch Pickles.
- House: Osunlade, Masters at Work, Mark Farina, Black Coffee, Moodyman, Rich Medina.
- Downtempo: DJ Cam, DJ Krush, DJ Shadow, Nightmares on Wax, Jazzanova.
- Locally: The Bangerz, Triple Threat DJs, Sake One, Teeko, Pam the Funkstress, DJ Zita, DJ Neta, DJ Eko.
I recognized how different types of music could conjure different moods. I studied the ways that DJs could tell a story by weaving together tracks. They could take you up, take you down, make you want to cry, fuck, fight, fall in love, or start a riot. I play pretty much everything depending on where I want to take the crowd.
UG: How did you come up with your name?
That Girl: When I first started DJing, I would often hear people in the background making comments such as “There’s that girl”, “It’s that one girl again”, “Who’s that girl”, etc. I didn’t know what else to call myself so “That Girl” just stuck.
UG: Do you have a particular artist you enjoy working into your sets every night?
That Girl: No one in particular, it changes all the time.
UG: What are some of your favorite parties to spin at, or attend?
That Girl: The Changing Same @ The Continental, San Jose. The People @ The New Parish, in Oakland. The Do-Over @ various locations.
UG: If you could meet one of your musical heroes, who would it be and what question would you like to ask them?
That Girl: If I could meet one of my musical hero’s it would be Sade and I would ask her to be my wife.
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