From hypnotic sex club dancefloors to melancholic club bangers, flirty800 (aka Harley) isn’t just spinning tracks, he’s warping realities. With a debut EP titled “My Mind” on the horizon, the NYC-based producer opens up about slut grunge aesthetics, obsessive crate-digging, and his dream of spurring new sonic collisions. In this no-holds-barred convo with Fucking Young!, we dive into the psyche behind the persona, and it’s just as wild, raw, and genre-fluid as you’d hope.
You’ve built a reputation with high-energy house tracks and remixes. What’s the wildest reaction you’ve seen on the dancefloor during one of your shows?
I recently played at a sex club in NYC. There was a swing set up in the middle of the dance floor with at least two guys in it all night. The way it rocked back and forth to the beats was weirdly hypnotic.
As Harley stepping into the flirty800 persona, do you see it as your alter-ego? If so, what’s the craziest thing you did as flirty800?
I think I just have one ego that encompasses everything that my alters might. I don’t feel like I have to turn into someone else to channel a certain vibe, it’s all in me. I have aliases though, but those are for my other jobs…
What’s your approach when it comes to selecting music for your sets?
You gotta listen to a ton of music. To find forty-five perfect songs for a 2-hour set, I’ll probably dig through like, 2000 at least. Sometimes I want a track to make people jump, other times it should make them grind on someone next to them. Whatever is speaking to me the most when I’m preparing, and whatever I think will be the most exciting and surprising for the party-goers, that’s what will make it into the set. There’s nothing better than having a whole bag of new tracks to drop. Playing the hits is cute, but when a song goes off for the first time it’s euphoric, like placing a bet and winning big.
“I recently played at a sex club in NYC. There was a swing set up in the middle of the dance floor with at least two guys in it all night. The way it rocked back and forth to the beats was weirdly hypnotic.”
You’re based in NYC. How does the city’s energy influence your sound, and what’s a hidden NYC spot that fuels your creativity?
I love New York. I’ve been here for 11 years and it still feels like there’s so much to uncover and intrigue around every corner. In strangers apartments, weird hotel rooms, on dead quiet streets that feel suburban but still gritty. It’s simultaneously hyperactive and absurd, romantic and stupid, soul-crushing and horny, which could also describe my music. A lot of the songs I’m making these days are born walking through different parts of NYC.
You recently dropped “Just Like That.” What was the creative trigger behind that single, and how was the energy with Memphy during the writing process?
We knew we needed to make a sexy club banger and It really came about just like that. Memphy’s my longtime sis, and working with her is fun and easy. She has amazing musical instincts and a sharp tongue, we’re definitely going to make more tracks together.
Your debut EP is coming soon. What’s the vibe you’re aiming for across the tracks and can you reveal its title?
Yea 🙂 The EP is called “My Mind”. A friend recently gave me the perfect words to describe it: slut grunge. It’s electronic and indie and a bit emo, but has danceable moments too. I kept telling myself that it was very different than anything I’ve put out yet. In some ways it is, but I realized that over the years, even my clubbiest tracks have an underlying melancholy to them. I’m drawn to that wistful feeling, in my own productions especially. Like dancing through the emotion.
How does the process of building a full EP compare to dropping stand-alone singles for you, more freedom or more pressure?
I’ve been making and releasing music for a while, my earliest tracks on SoundCloud are 11 years old. It’s wild to me that I never put together a body of work before now. I think I became known primarily as the gay anthem remix guy. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to make the perfect artistic statement, and I would fall out of love with songs I was working on or they wouldn’t feel right for my debut EP. With this set of songs and the sound I’ve landed on, something clicked. I listen to them all the time and still love them. They still ring true to me. Putting them out in the world feels like setting
myself free, creatively.
Looking ahead, who’s the dream collaborator you’d want to work on your next releases?
I’ve recently started collaborating more with other artists, and it feels so good. I love producing and writing pop songs, club tracks, RnB, reggaeton, everything. I just started a band with my dear friend Sausha called Bravo. I’ve been writing and producing songs with DJ Thank You, I love her music so much. Vapordog of course is my forever collaborator. I’d love to get in the studio with Cece Natalie, Isabella Lovestory, Mackepper, there are so many. A big wish I have for this EP is to reach more artists and spur new collaborations. I’m really hopeful that’ll happen and I’m excited for whatever comes next.
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