This is the first installment of brand new LocalCutter Nilina Mason-Campbell’s DJ interview series, Hang the DJ, which will run every Thursday on LocalCut.

More often than not, you can find DJ Linoleum aka Andrea behind the decks at many a Portland club. Playing a mix of electro and hip-hop, she comes with the unsaid guarantee that you will dance! And get this—her weapon of choice is vinyl—not CDs, not a laptop, but 12-inch hits that call you to the floor.

How did you get your DJ name?
A few years ago someone wanted a DJ name to list on their events calender, but I didn’t really feel comfortable calling myself a DJ then and thought DJ names for people that are just playing records for fun was dumb. Then every time I tried to think of a name the [Le Tigre] line, “your lyrics are dumb like a linoleum floor!” kept getting stuck in my head…so I picked Linoleum. Dumb, right!?!

“People don’t dance no more, they just stand there like this”—how often do you encounter this?
Every now and then I’ll have a night where that happens, but I feel like I’ve been really fortunate and all the nights where the dance floor is packed easily makes up for the off nights.

Ideal crowd?
People who really love music and aren’t afraid to dance to things they don’t know. People who are there to have fun.

How do you feel about requests?
I’m usually happy to take requests, so long as people are nice when they ask. I can’t always fill them or get to them as quickly as some might like, but I’ll always try to fit it in if I have it. I want people to have fun, and knowing what they want to hear can help. Plus, sometimes I learn about something new!

I once got paid $20 to play about five or six Pylon songs in a row. The guy was super sweet and insisted that I take his money, but honestly Pylon is one of my favorite bands and that was the most amazing request I’ve ever had, even if he hadn’t paid me.

Do you DJ full time? / What do you do outside of DJing?
I have a temp job at a professional photo lab and I’m also an interior design student.

Where can we find you?
No No No Disco @ Tube (18 NW 3rd) every Tuesday & New Romantix @ Branx (320 SE 2nd) every fourth Saturday.

How’d you get your current main gig?
No No Disco used to be hosted by DJ Nightschool and Neighborhood DJ. I’d been filling in with Neighborhood DJ when Nightschool was on tour with his band. Then Neighborhood moved to NYC and Nightschool is touring even more now [in a little band called the Gossip], so I was invited to jump in this past February.

How long have you been spinning?
I started playing records out something like 4 years ago, but I didn’t start learning technical DJ’ing stuff until about a year and a half ago.

What songs will we find ourselves dancing to with you?

Glass Candy, “Life After Sundown” — They have a couple of newer singles that I absolutely love, but I keep going back to this track.

Midnight Juggernauts, “Tombstone” — So dramatic!

Crystal Castles VS the Little Ones, “Lovers Who Uncover” — So catchy and cute! I couldn’t stop listening to it when I first picked up the 12″.

Rework, “October Love Song” — Cover of a Chris and Cosey song. Beautiful.

Reverse Dotty & The Candy Cane Shivs, “Egg Room (Copy Remix)” — This one is hot off the press! I love these kids so much! RDATCCS are way fun and full of surprises, and I don’t think you can go wrong with Copy.

Can’t get enough of Linoleum at her weekly night at Tube or even on Spin dot com? Check out her other October showings:
10/20 Golden @ Someday Lounge w/DJ Copy, DJ BJ, and DJ Mike Williams
10/27 New Romantix @ Branx w/DJ Beyonda

Links:
DJ Linoleum-space

Photos by Nilina Mason-Campbell