Image Credit: Joe FuryIt is fair to say that the resume of Sasha Grey is more colorful than most. Certainly it’s hard to think of anyone else who’s appeared in a Steven Soderbergh film (2009′s The Girlfriend Experience), essayed a fictionalized version of herself on Entourage, and won an award for Best Three-Way Sex Scene, a trophy she earned for her performance in the as-yet-unreviewed-by-EW 2007 movie F— Slaves.
But the recently retired adult film star is now getting fans hot and sweaty in a non-porn stylee thanks to her new career as a DJ. Her gigs so far include the after-show of a New York concert by post-punkers the Swans and an appeance at the Playboy Club in las Vegas. “I was getting a lot of offers to host parties in various clubs across the country,” explains Grey. “I mentioned to my manager that I was interested in DJ-ing and he ended up connecting me with some agents. For the most part, the response from people has been pretty positive. Of course, you’ll always have some naysayers. But they never want to say anything to your face. Which is a shame, because I like a good conversation!”
After the jump, Grey converses about her go-to DJ track, her band aTelecine, and whether it’s true that she likes to record naked. (Hey, come on, we had to ask!)
Entertainment Weekly: What kind of music do you play when you DJ?
Sasha Grey: It really depends. I have such eclectic taste and that doesn’t always work with clubs. I play a mix of Top 40, rock, and hip-hop. Then I always try and throw in my own stuff, like some post-punk, or some old school hip-hop. Just things that people don’t really expect to hear me play unless they’re really my fans.
EW: Do you have a go-to song that you know will get people up and dancing?
SG: I have my little pop playlist. One I really like it, and people dance to it when I play it, is Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own.”
EW: How serious are you about this?
SG: It’s been taking off. But I’m also focusing on acting, so it’s something that I’ll be doing—I don’t want to say “On the weekends”—but I’ll do it when I can and have fun with it. I actually plan on possibly touring with a few bands. I can’t say who yet as it’s not 100%.
EW: The music you make with your experimental techno band aTelecine could hardly be farther away from the Top 40 territory. How did you get involved in that?
SG: It was something that I started with a friend just for fun. We would record every now and then, in no professional capacity whatsoever. A lot of home made tape loops. Really rough stuff. Then in 2006, because of people’s social networking on the interwebs, I got a lot of responses about my interest in music. And I was like, “I wonder what people would think about the stuff we’re making?” We created a little MySpace page. A couple of months later we put my name on it and people were like, ‘This is your music? This is crazy!” As of now, all our music is released on vinyl only. We just released an LP at the end of August, it was a 500 limited run, and we’re releasing another LP on November 2 called A Cassette Tape Culture.
EW: I read that you performed on a recent CD by reggae legend Lee “Scratch” Perry. But then I came across an interview with him in which he said you didn’t. Could you clear that up?
SG: Yeah. I had been corresponding for a while with Andrew W.K. (who co-produced Perry’s 2008 album Repentance). We have mutual friends in the music industry. And he asked me to contribute vocals to the album. We swapped files online, so everything was done kind of on an individual basis, and my vocals are on the album. But [laughs] fans of Lee Scratch Perry also know that he’s one unique individual. So…
EW: Is it true you prefer to record naked?
SG: I like to have fun in interviews sometimes. Make of that what you will.
(Follow The Music Mix on Twitter:@EWMusicMix.)
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To quote Henry Rollins: DJs are record player players. A monkey could do this. There’s no talent involved, and I doubt she has a clue how to mix tracks. So big deal. People want to be cool and hire a porn star to DJ their party. Good for her making extra cash because people want to be so trendy and “edgy.”
Obviously there’s some talent involved. Besides, let her do her thing. Why do you think it’s cool to hire a porn star to DJ? Why do you doubt she has no clue how to mix tracks? If a monkey could do this, as you say, then wouldn’t it reasonable to believe a human being named Sasha Grey would be able to mix tracks? Besides being a DJ hasn’t been trendy or “edgy” since the late 1980s to early 1990s.
She’s cool because she spun records at the Swans’ after party. They’ll demolish you through the grooves of their records alone. … Also because she is a porn star. And, well, dang, she releases her albums (which is dark, heavy noise for the most part) on limited runs of vinyl. Smart cookie, and cool, yes.
How does someone like you survive day to day? I’m surprised you don’t get lost walking back to your car in the mall and just wander around aimlessly. Her type of “DJing” — which involves plugging her iPod in and playing her favorite songs — could be done by a monkey. Which is why I said she probably has no idea how to mix tracks, which does in fact take talent. Obviously I wasn’t saying hiring a DJ was edgy — but hiring a porn-star DJ would be considered, by hipster morons, to be edgy and trendy. Reading comprehension is a wonderful thing.
I hate people who reply to posts with comments like “How does someone like you survive day to day?” Like anyone would want to be in the glory that must be your head and perspectives. Your post reeks of shallowness, assumptions, and misguided, self-important arrogance with a sprinkle of anger. Your typing right should be revoked
You misunderstand something, I think. Rollins is talking about the standard DJ who just plays other people’s music. What Sasha actually does is using recorded sound to make her own, rather abstract music (i.e., often “noise,” by genre). Rollins would never say, for example, that Christian Marclay was a monkey. I would bet that he’d even consider Marclay a more daring artist than he is, in his way. “DJ” can mean a lot of different things.
Sometimes, when you hear something that doesn’t sound mixed properly, it’s not because the person didn’t intend it to sound that way… it’s that your schemata for actually listening to music aren’t developed in that direction. I had a friend who tried to convince me, for example, that Stockhausen had no idea what he was writing. That doesn’t mean that he didn’t; my friend should couldn’t interpret it.
That’s not to say that Sasha is Stockhausen, but she’s a pretty brilliant musician, in her way. And I think it’s badass that she was spinning after Swans! Haha! I’ll have to speak with some friends about this…
Literally laughing out loud reading this. Her “go to” track is “Dancing On My Own?” She is a failure! I would sooner listen to the radio than hear what Sasha would play in a club. So funny that she thinks she is a star. She is naked forever on the internet getting gang banged and she wants to be taken seriously as an artist? Sorry. Not gonna ever happen. Next. No more interviews with hacks please.
Well she’s more of a star then you’ll ever be
Sasha, you’re not mainstream and never will be. Stick to what ya know- getting nailed on camera.
Give her a chance, Shes A good Dj
Can we spell Robyn’s name correctly, please?
Thanks for changing it.
As pretty as Sasha is, honestly, she came across as pretty listless in TGE and also on ENTOURAGE – but kudos for trying to branch out. I can hear the phrase “DJ Montana Fishburne” any second now …
I adore Sasha Grey and think she’s beautiful and honest ! I want her to succeed ! My mother was a singing teacher and i Know Sasha is a natural as she has a good speaking voice ! She also has the best botty in the WORLD ! I think her blissfull pleasuring and grooming mens pleasure is amazeing ! I hope she is alway’s true to herself and ‘NO’ prudes get in her way ! I think this sexual revolutionary is the tops in The World of Sex ! A World of pleasure that not everyone experiences or enjoys ! I fortunately have much to my surprise discovered woman her age and older like me more than ever before now i’m 42 ! My reviews are printed all over the East Midlands Nottinghamshire escort sites X X X HARVEY
Sorry – saw her in Toronto and she was terrible. like, really, really bad. and i came in not expecting much. She has good taste indeed, but should focus on learning to mix and phrase properly before she starts taking celeb dj gigs
Hey guys,
Thanks for all the support.
- Sasha.
‘DAFT PUNK’ are PROFESSIONAL DJs, ‘Sasha Grey’ is some two-bit wannabe towing around an iPod full of her fav songs, End of Line