HANDS+KNEES (The Mixtape): Yolo Ono.

We’re launching a new monthly mixtape series today thanks to GUN$ Garcia, who is curating the talent. Today she brings us her friend Marissa Le, otherwise known as DJ Yolo Ono, a member of the Yellow Girl Mob and recent addition to the Hands+Knees party at The Barbary. Our Sharnita Midgett spoke with Yolo about this weekend’s party.

Who inspired you to get into DJing? How did you first start?

I’ve always been a really underground party girl. I was always really into finding remixes and stuff like that, and I listened to a lot of indie music. So, I got more into music like that. But Regina definitely inspired me to DJ because I never thought about something like that, you know? I never thought that was something I could do. Every time I would come out, she would be like, “Hey Marissa is this something you want to learn?” Regina showed me the ropes and everything so she’s the one who really inspired me to do it.

When did you realize that you were actually good at DJing?

Well, I think that when it comes to trying anything new, it’s like, I personally never really sat back and said, “Hey, I’m good at it!” I would say I saw myself making fewer mistakes. After the first year, you know, I stopped making the rookie mistakes here and there, like pressing the wrong cue point.

What types of music do you like to spin?

Definitely right now I’m really into club and house. I always liked playing indie because that’s just the kind of music I liked growing up and in high school. Club and house is just really fun. I definitely have a guilty pleasure in progressive house.

What songs can you drop that will get the crowd hype?

Everybody loves Miley Cyrus and everybody loves Calvin Harris, so definitely either one of them. And Clarity never gets old. Regina and I still sing that song to each other at the club.

Do you ever play certain tricks with the beat to get a certain reaction with the crowd?

I guess you could say you can really ramp it up at the end of the night, start spinning in a dance-y BPM. It’s fun when Regina and I play back-to-back. Sometimes we’ll hang at 140 and jump down to 70. Back and forth between 140 and 70 keeps people moving.

Who are your musical heroes or DJ mentors?

Regina Gun$ Garcia and Dirty South Joe (right) are definitely my DJ mentors. I’ve learned a ton from them in Philly. I really like Anna Lunoe, who is kind of a really inspiring female DJ. I’m a huge fan of her music. I definitely like to see more women in this industry, I guess. To be honest, Regina and Dirty South Joe have been like the ones who really got me focusing on music. They are constantly pushing to do more and more and more, which is really inspiring. I really think just being around them was definitely beneficial.

Who is the Yellow Girl Mob?

It’s me and Regina Gun$ Garcia. Yellow Girl Mob started the way me and Regina would work together, just back-to-back, spinning events together when I definitely needed her as a resource. Really, it’s just something that we both embody. It’s just something that’s true form. When we DJ together, we try to switch back and forth so to make whoever’s DJing feel more comfortable because we’re very different. We have very different styles and we always try to tell a story and put on a show through our kind of music.

How would you describe the Hands+Knees party?

Hands+Knees is a ton of fun. People get really careless and reckless in there because it’s always like a place where people are just ready to have a good time. You don’t have to deal with all the, you know, regular club crap. Even with the weather that’s been down, people still come out and dance on top of all of the speakers. Everyone’s just really there to party. Hands+Knees is really fun because of working with Ian St Laurent and Jhn Rdn. With them jumping back and forth and us jumping back and forth – me and Regina, we definitely are all performing together, and creating a cohesive vibe. It’s pretty interesting how we’re all kinda pushing each other to try new stuff and adapt from whoever was playing before us. It really is tons of fun. Mario of Fame Lust is always there snapping pictures too, which is a huge element of the party, being able to roll out of bed and see some pictures from last night.

See our recent interview with GUN$ Garcia protegé Maggi “Magglez” Nagel and listen to her debut mixtape.