I recently attended the Junglistic event and ran into Kittenbear. She's a sweet and interesting person, so I decided to get to know her a little better...
KC: DJ Kittenbear, What's up?
KB: What's up! Just "Kittenbear" - no DJ.
KC: Alright, alright. So, Kittenbear, we know that you are a very unique DJ. You span/spin across genres. How would you describe yourself?
KB: I would just say eclectic and I'm just always trying to bring the party, no matter what, so it'll be - the genres won't be specific, but, like, the party will always be there.
KC: That's what it's about. That's what it's about. That's how this shit started. The parties came first and the genres came later, you know what I'm sayin'? That's like the real hip-hop shit, you know what I mean? So how did you get started? What's your story?
KB: I've always wanted to DJ, like, since I was a kid. I always listened to, like, dance music. My Mom, like, had me growing up on Ace of Base and all that stuff.
KC: Nice.
KB: I listened to Dance Factory Radio in high school and I was always, like - mashups, I thought, were the coolest.
KC: Yeah, right, yeah.
KB: I was, like, "I wish I could do that one day" so, yeah, I always wanted to; but I only started a couple of years ago I finally, like, during COVID. I was like, "let me just get a controller and just try it and I've been, like, obsessed ever since.
KC: Right, right. So I saw somewhere on your social media and you were, like, basically, like "Mom, this isn't a phase. This is who I am. This is what I really do."Right?
KB: Yeah, yeah.
KC: Yeah, yeah. So, like, Mom's kinda like nervous cuz you're the Artist Child or what?
KB: Well, me and my brother are both the Artist Child. I think she was just hoping that one of us would be, like, a doctor or something.
KC: Right. Exactly, exactly. That's cool. Well, you're smart enough to be a doctor or probably anything you choose to be.
KB: I consider myself a "Mixologist".
KC: Yes. Right, right. Exactly, exactly. So what all do you like to mix?
KB: Literally, everything. I would say my sweet spot is, like, 160/170; but I'll play any genre. Like, I'll play house. I'll just speed it up to 160, usually; but I like it all. As long as it's got, like, good basslines and if you can dance to it, I'll play it.
KC: Are you originally from Chicago?
KB: I was born in Russia...
KC: Oh, really! OK. Where in Russia are you from?
KB: Vladimir.
KC: Vladimir, Russia. Do you go back and visit?
KB: No. I came here when I was really really little.
KC: OK, OK. You know, there's this DJ/Producer I really love from Russia named Neekeetone. Have you heard of him?
KB: Oh yes, yes.
KC: Yeah, yeah. He's sick, he's sick. Yeah.
KB: Yeah. Is he from Russia?
KC: Yeah he's from Russia.
KB: Oh that's dope. I did not know that. I did not know that. I love his tracks.
KC: Yeah Neekeetone's from Russia. You know how I found out about him? Toyacoyah played one of his tracks at the Roni Size show and I asked her on Facebook, like, "That track is dope - who is that?" She was like, "It's Neekeetone" and now I follow him. He does, like, live stuff online. Yeah, he's dope. He's real dope.
KB: Dope. Yeah. I eventually just want to get, like - I'm still pretty new. It's only been a couple of years, really - I eventually want to get to, like, Florida next where they do crazy mash-ups. That's really what I wanna do.
KC: There you go. Yeah. Well, down in Florida...you know, the dude that runs the American Junglist show (DJ Abe Hoffman) - he's from Florida. He's in Orlando area and...you should look up Suzy Solar when you get down there. She's like the Trance queen. I don't know if you're into Trance...
KB: I mean, I like everything a little bit.
