Sounds of Detroit: Loren

Just a couple of bars. That’s all it takes with Loren’s sound. You’ll hear a clip of one of her mixes and instant obsession ensues. With a refined palette that one would expect from a music industry vet with 10+ years in the scene, Loren shatters preconceived notions with her delectable song selection. Ranging from lounge-type rhythms to plunging into the depths of the minimal techno abyss, she knows how to play the “perfect moment” set – an assembly of songs that fit the room, the audience size, the vibe and the time of the night. With an openness to learn from everyone and absorb music from everywhere, the TV Lounge resident has set herself apart with her smooth mixing abilities. Primed to take off in 2016, Loren is making her debut at Detroit’s Movement Electronic Music Festival where techno’s most diehard fans from around the world will get a taste of this emerging talent. We caught up with the rising star to chat about Detroit influences, upcoming gigs, and her life before becoming one of Detroit’s hottest DJs.

RP: Did you always know you wanted to do something with music?
Loren: Definitely not. Everything I always did in my life was out-of-the-box. So I used to be really involved in BMX bikes before I started getting into music. Back during my school days I would come home after school, not do homework, ride my BMX bike everywhere and just shred. I used to travel around the U.S. for riding, too. I went to the X-Games when I was 15 to teach demos to younger girls who wanted to learn to ride BMX bikes. I wanted to give them confidence and show them they could kill it at something even as a girl in a male-dominated activity.

Your name “Lauren” is spelled with AU but your DJ name is with an O…is there any significance behind that or just to change it up?
Originally I went by my full name – I like the sound and look of it but then I kind of realized that I was constantly spelling my name for people who wanted to find me online and they would forget by the time I was done spelling my last name. So having Loren is an easier gateway for people to find out about me and find my stuff online.

You mention that seeing Punisher, Cassy and Nina Kraviz play inspired you to want to DJ… Now that you’re a DJ, you may be in a role to inspire a young girl who sees you play. What would you say to aspiring females who wants to learn how to DJ? Any advice you would give?
I would say if you’re feeling something, you should jump on it and you should go for it. I’ve learned that with everything I’ve always done and it’s always been something out-of-the-box. No matter what, if I just do it and I’m not scared to jump into it and fight those boundaries, something can happen and sometimes people don’t realize how reachable those things they want are – they’re right in front of your face and you just have to want to do it. Once you realize that, you realize how much you can achieve. I would say to anyone in that position, fucking go for it.

You moved to Detroit after you graduated high school, how has that influenced your sound?
Detroit was a big question mark. It was very undiscovered and unclaimed territory to me. Once I actually moved down here, it morphed into what I did on a daily basis, what I surrounded with. With time I was able to discover all that the city has to offer and the deep roots in arts and music. Seeing iconic Detroit techno artists like Norm Tally, Delano Smith and Derrick May out at a party is a normal occurrence and at first it’s kind of a shocker. It makes you realize how attainable the scene is and that getting involved is something you can do here – it’s not a fairy-tale when you’re living in the city.

How do you discover new music?
I discover music daily! Social media is a huge way to discover music because you’re constantly seeing new releases on Facebook and other platforms so it’s really about just finding those people who you enjoy and taking that and branching out and seeing who they follow and going on their Soundcloud to see who they like and who they’re re-posting. I also look at different record store websites.

This will be your first year playing Movement. What does it mean to you to play this festival?
Man, this has been everything for me for a while and I think it’s weird because I feel like if it happened to most people they’d be like “Ok I made it,” but this is the just the beginning of how I’m going to live in my life because it means everything to me. Ever since I was in high school, I always told my teachers, “I’m going to play that festival – I’m going to do that.” I did my senior project on Movement Festival and presented it to my senior class. I was so about it and I was trying to tell everyone I could about it. So for me to be playing there 8 years later from the first time I went is a dream come true. This is life now – it’s my reality.

What can festival-goers expect from your set? Any teasers?
They can definitely expect some burners for sure. I’ve been digging through my collection lately looking for records that mean a lot to me that maybe changed the way I play or influenced a new sound. You can expect a lot of new records that I order online from Europe and a lot of cool tracks that mean a lot to me that I think people will enjoy.

Any upcoming gigs our readers should know about?
May 20th @ Citizen Yoga Detroit

May 21st @ Detroit Clothing Circle
(Stein Van Bauel Fashion show)

May 27th TBA @ TV Lounge

May 28th  Cosmic Disco @ Marble Bar W/ Kenny Glasgow, Daniel Bell, Doc Martin and more

May 29th Movement Festival 3:15-4:30 on the Opportunity Detroit stage

May 29th OK COOL @ TV Lounge W/ Seth Troxler, The Black Madonna, Eddie C, and more

May 30th TBA – Detroit