Hour Of The Wolf: A DJ Laying Asphalt

“Working in the night is not only working with a different routine—it’s like working a whole different economy altogether,” says DJ Danni Deluxe. Danni has been a big name in the Icelandic DJ scene for years, and is also well known for his contributions in radio and music production.

“It was hilarious because people I’d been DJing for the night before would pass me drunk on their way home. And there I was, their DJ, just laying asphalt.”

While he is currently taking a breather from the night shifts to focus on weddings and party gigs this summer, Danni says he is used to DJ at two or three night clubs a week. “It really messes up your schedule,” he says. Danni explains that in contrast to a 9-5 Dolly Parton job, a DJ is waiting all day to for his shift to begin, trying to ensure that he is geared up for the night ahead. “It gets really extreme when you also have a day job,” he explains.

Danni recalls a particular memory with a laugh: “I used to DJ at Prikið. I’d spend a full night DJing there and once the shift was over, the work car would pick me up, I’d put on my gear and head straight to Öskjuhlíð for my day job of laying asphalt. It was hilarious because people I’d been DJing for the night before would pass me drunk on their way home. And there I was, their DJ, just laying asphalt.”

As a DJ, Danni has had to deal with his fair share of drunk partygoers and has certainly witnessed the gamut of embarrassing dance moves. But he says that people are rarely as ridiculous as they remember: “People always come up to me the day after, apologising for having been ‘so annoying,’ even though there was nothing wrong at all.” So get your groove on and let that DJ save your life, because apparently nobody judges your bad moonwalk as harshly as you do.