Clubbing Isn’t Dead, You’re Just Doing It Wrong

For Dennis Free, global DJ Mix partnerships lead at Apple Music, club-goers in New York aren’t experiencing all the city has to offer.

Between his roles as a DJ, curator, and manager for alternative R&B artist Black Hibiscus, Free has worked with artists, festivals, and nightlife professionals around the world. Ahead of his London set at Gou Talk and the release of his first EP Lost Telemetry, out now, Free speaks with ShelfMAG about partying for the wrong reasons and the Manhattan-Brooklyn divide.

On DJs as facilitators of community

“Some of the best people I've ever met were in a smoking section of a club when I went to some party a DJ I knew was playing at. And it's those types of experiences, although not necessarily related to the music, that are the coolest, because you realize that that DJ attracts people who are similar to you, and as a result creates a natural community without even having to be present to talk and introduce those people. Groups like That Good Sh*t have done a really good job of not only being a champion for younger artists, but also a champion for younger artists across genres.

Recess in the UK is a really cool group that's just pushing community gathering in general. No Signal is more radio-based, and David, one of the co-founders, started this new program called Better Listening that's specifically a listening-session type of environment. I think groups like that are really cool because they are positioning themselves as the go-to for all music. It makes me feel comfortable going to cities where I know that if I go here, I know that a No Signal party is going to be a good party.”

On the difference between going out in Manhattan and Brooklyn

“In Manhattan, the majority of people are going out to be seen and to be a part of something that has nothing to do with the music. The music is a secondary aspect to a primary goal of talking to some girl or getting blackout drunk or being able to sing whatever song at the top of their lungs. There's not really an exploratory aspect to the nightlife scene. That's definitely a way to party, and I think that there are times and places for that, but it's selling the city short by thinking that's all it has to offer. There are so many other things going on across genres.

Brooklyn spaces are starting to build out to be far more interesting than a lot of Manhattan spaces. There are those key, staple clubs that will always exist in Manhattan, but there are very few new spots opening that I’m like, ‘Oh, I really want to go here every night.’”

On where to go out in Brooklyn

“Nowadays, H0L0, Nightmoves, Bossa Nova Civic Club, and Silo. Places like Silo are architecturally crazy. These buildings that are taking over — these concrete structures — are pure party spots. And I think, in that same vein, the overall music ecosystem has kind of shifted away from hip-hop to more dance-leaning stuff. As a result, people are wanting to go out longer and drink less. So to be in spaces that are much bigger feels better to a lot of people.”

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On what’s missing in New York nightlife 

“A lot of people go into nightlife spaces with expectations that are just unrealistic. For someone to go into a club and be like, ‘I want to hear X music,’ it's just a really poor way to approach nightlife. Because if that DJ doesn't play exactly what you want to hear, you're immediately turned off. And I think a lot of spaces also buy into that mentality by being like, ‘We're a dance club or we're a hip-hop club’ or that type of self-labeling. 

I think in nightlife, people have to let their guard down a little bit more. Not in a way of talking to anybody who talks to you, but more so with your relationship to that space. Of course, you should try to find places that align with your interests, but when you go into a space, you have to trust that that it’s going to serve you well and it knows what its doing. For someone to go into a club and request a song from the DJ, that's kind of weird. It makes it seem like you just want to take over the club, and you could have just done that at home. We could have bought a bottle of tequila and just sat in the crib for three hours.” 

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On the perception of NYC clubs

“You’ll probably have one of the best nights of your life at an Amber Room, Little Sister, or Kind Regards. But I think people take that, and it becomes a thing of, ‘I want to go to Kind Regards on a Thursday night so I can maybe see this influencer.’ I think the spaces themselves do a great job at facilitating people having fun, getting drunk, but that then comes with a lot of people who try to be there for the wrong reasons. One of my really good friends, Dilly, plays at Amber Room quite a lot, and you can see during her sets when people are there because they want to listen to her music. And then there'll be people on the wall, with their sunglasses on [looking bored], and they're not additive to that space. They’re underutilizing the resources in that space to be able to facilitate dancing and letting loose. And the club is a place to let loose. A lot of people will go into the club to try to be their Instagram self. Literally nobody can see you.”

Curious about what else Dennis is into? Get real-time updates at shelf.im/dennisfreee