Samantha Michelle travels the world, spreading both nostalgia and good vibrations through her song choices.
“My DJ style is old-school, soulful, slinky, and upbeat. I am all about blending the past and present within a contemporary context, and building unique sounds for the brand or client.”
Samantha is well known around the world for her soulful and groovy sound. She is called upon to spin for industry and music festivals, luxury fashion houses, media publications, art galleries, hotels, nightclubs, members clubs, and private events. She has opened for music legends such as Mark Ronson, Miley Cyrus, DJ Ruckus, Bachman Turner Overdrive, and headlined shows with audiences in the thousands.
Blaring music through the speakers, she focuses herself in the fashion, media, arts, and charity arenas. “I’ve recently spun for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Lotus Cars, YPO, Bulgari, WSJ, Rolling Stone, Christie’s, Liquid Media Group, and so the list goes on… I tend to play large global festivals, from music, to film, to politics.” She also plays the occasional club and works a lot with exclusive membership clubs.
Samantha’s music reflects her personality, where she strives to create a fun and free space where people can come and experience her music. “I love bringing that happiness and joy to people and, in many ways, that is why I DJ.”
With her soul-spinning and wild-at-heart attitude, Samantha looks at her creative process as “a service that can make someone’s world just a little bit better, if only for a couple-hour boogie.” Through her music spins, she encourages those around to sing, dance, shimmy, and shake along to.
Samantha’s sound distinctly blends the past and present, the vintage and contemporary, as she fuses familiar classics with remixed hidden gems. Moving swiftly between the genres of soul, funk, disco, electronic dance music, she works around these using the bass of rock and roll to fuel her choices. She finds comfort in the 60s and 70s vibes; it holds power and “twiddles her soul.”
“I bounce around spreading the gospel of nostalgia. These days, I am turned on by the blend of past and present. I love excavating and creating groovy, upbeat remixes of classic bangers – these modern re-edits offer the space to experiment technically, and I love playing with loops and mashups, layering to create a fresh sound for those living in the moment.”
For Samantha, DJ-ing is electrifying. “Part of the fun for me is reading the room, feeling it out, taking the crowd on a journey. It’s so healthy and important to let loose in a sense of togetherness, in a live experience we share as a collective. I think we’re all craving that right now particularly; I’m grateful to be able to create and share those experiences.”
Through adventures and globetrotting, she’s lived everywhere and seems to be bouncing around the world spreading her love of soul and rock and roll. “I am admittedly a gypsy at heart. I grew up in Toronto, then moved to NYC at 17 for school, then to London where I spent my 20’s and then back to the states about four years ago. The US is now where I’ve made my home. I’m lucky enough to be able to split time between the two coasts.”
Samantha currently presents a bi-weekly radio show on Soho Radio, excavating deep cuts and hidden gems from the 60s and 70s. Each edition of the Samantha Michelle Show is its own unique journey through the past, a feel-good auditory odyssey of sorts, packed to the brim with classics, covers and bangers. Always eclectic, she likes to “toss in everything from psych rock, folk ballads, French pop, and a little sleazy rhythm and blues.”
Keep an eye on her wild ride… Follow Samantha on Instagram and check out her website: www.sammichelle.com/dj
