ELECTRIC LADY LAND

It is a common scenario: You’re walking around some city’s downtown and a guy will hand you a glossy card promoting some club. The flier—three times the size of a business card— looks like it was made by an overzealous design major who utilizes seven different fonts, overuses Photoshop and features an impossibly gorgeous girl who has never and will never step foot into the place advertised. Unless that girl is DJ Megan Daniels. The blonde baby doll has the softest of looks but is actual fire on the decks—she doesn’t just lead the party, she is the party. There was a time when a DJ was in a dark booth—not seen, just heard. But in the current era the only successful mixers without a public face are Daft Punk. “At the moment being a DJ has become largely about image,” Megan says. “It’s almost like the DJ is the new rock star. People want to see you and connect with you. You have to be very front and center.” So it’s not just about the music anymore. But obviously music is integral. “I am a female, and because I began as a model people are skeptical if I am really deejaying or just trying to bank off of the way I look,” she says. “But all I can say is I am the real deal when it comes to my DJ career and I take it very seriously. I started spinning on vinyl and have never used a sync button or a pre-recorded set. I’m always mixing live when I am performing.” Emphasis on her last word, performing. When she is in the booth it is very much a live music performance. While she comes into a venue she has an idea for a playlist but also takes into account the vibe of the crowd and freestyles her sets. “The DJ has huge responsibilities that I don’t think many people actually realize,” Megan says. “The DJ controls the whole atmosphere. Music really has an impact on people. It can relax people, excite them, or make them more aggressive. It’s pretty crazy. I really try to switch it up during my sets. I will vibe off of the crowd to see what they are feeling, that dictates what I am going to play. But during a typical set you will hear me play anything from electro house to trap to hip-hop.” You can get a feel for her tastes through her podcasts and mixes which can be found through her website, but her live shows are influenced by local flavor. As a traveling DJ (she’s spun sets in places like Hong Kong, Mumbai, Saint Croix and even Salt Lake City) she checks to see what’s trending on the specific city’s charts before those glossy fliers are printed. Oh yeah, her looks. Beyond Megan’s bee-stung lips and flowing blonde hair is her impressive collection of tattoos, a number paying homage to music. “I fell in love with Social Distortion at [age] 13, so I have their skeleton on my inner elbow,” she says. But most precious is the pair of headphones with her initials on her shoulder. “No matter what happens down the road with my DJ career, that tattoo will always serve as a constant reminder of an amazing point in my life.” And in case you thought that was code for you missed out on seeing her perform in person, she adds, “I’m not planning on quitting anytime soon, though.”