ON CREATING THE PERFECT POST-PANDEMIC PARTY PLAYLIST WITH MYLES HENDRIK
Interview by Olivia Lopez, Photo by Dana Boulos
Myles Hendrik is a creative polymath. Recognized as one of the most sought-after DJs in the world with a client roster boasting the most influential names in Hollywood, the fashion industry, and beyond, his talent to get bodies on the dance floor is a testimony of the depths of his musical taste and ability to read a room.
But beyond a mastery in setting the tune and tone of the room, Hendrik is also a sharp observer, documenting life through the lens of his Contax T2. His images capture the highs and lows of the fast life: from the chaos that erupts on the dance floor to the unconscious scenes of Los Angeles architecture.
With New York curfews lifted and our summer adrenaline at an all-time high, we ask the king of disco what’s on his post-pandemic party playlist, which he curated for Bon Weekender here.
How did you become a DJ?
It started with playing a party for a friend. They appreciated my musical taste and my knowledge of multiple genres. I'd always made mixtapes right from an early age, and I played in bands, so DJ'ing in many ways the next logical step without it even being a conscious one.
I don't think I 'became' a DJ until I got paid, and that was some years later. Technically, it was at The Standard Hollywood way back, and I got a whopping $100.
What is the "ideal" party ambiance?
The ideal party ambiance is where the environment essentially becomes a dance communion: Everyone, every single person, has genuinely let go and is in it together, and you're just right in the moment. We spend so much of our lives focused on what's next or thinking of what’s next or what was then, that the "now" is missed. So if I can give you a sense of place with a sonic tapestry that locks you into the "now" right there and then, well, then my job’s done.
What music do you listen to while you get ready for dinner?
How long have you got? Let me see....Roxy Music, Minnie Ripperton, Khruangbin, Steely Dan, Sade, Michael Kiwanuka, Quincy Jones, for starters.
To go out dancing?
Cerrone, Patrice Rushen, Giorgio Moroder, Frank Ocean, Megan Thee Stallion, ESG, Nirvana
On a Sunday afternoon?
Henry Mancini, Fleetwood Mac, Gil Scott Heron, Neil Young, Chet Baker, Julee Cruise, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye. I could go on for days answering these.
You are also an avid analog photographer — how did you get into this medium?
My father gave me a camera when I was around 10-11 years old. I was a very inquisitive child, always looking around, investigating, looking beyond the surface, so I think he saw that perhaps I inherently had an eye that a camera might help realize. My school report cards often had comments like "too often distracted" as my eye, my mind was always elsewhere rather than straight ahead. Being slightly dyslexic, the linear to me was always confusing and, looking back on it now, boring.
I'm always looking for the lines beyond the surface, the invisible prairies, trying to condense a layered narrative into a single image. That's what I'm always looking for, the poem within.
What are your favorite venues in Los Angeles?
Genghis Cohen on my DISCO DISCO DISCO Friday nights, the Hollywood Bowl, The Greek, The Troubador, Chateau Marmont, Musso and Frank's
What is the strangest place you've ever played? The most glamorous?
The strangest place I've played was in my kitchen during the pandemic, with my DJ set up on the bar playing disco sets for Purple Magazine's virtual IG Live.
That was pretty strange. Fun to play, but strange nonetheless.
In real life, it was on a DJ platform above Hollywood Boulevard for the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Premiere. I also DJ for The Royals: Kate and William at a pretty glamorous theatre downtown. All gigs are glamorous on one level or another as I'm getting to do what I love.
It's closing time. What song do you close the night with?
That's a great question. Set ending songs or closing songs are something I put a lot of thought into. I have folders dedicated just to these types of songs. And typically, when the venue or the event says, "wrap it up, last song", I'll agree and then play another three or four more until they once again come up. Sometimes I just don't want to stop. No DJ ever wants to stop.
But in getting back to your question: The song will largely depend on the flow of the night. If people have been going for it from the get-go then I might drastically drop it down at the end to give the whole night a sense of resolution. So I might play something like Sunny (Mercury Edit) by Marvin Gaye, or if I want to switch gears up I might throw down 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me’ by Dusty Springfield. If the night's been a slow burner but has really ramped up, I might end with something more sing-a-long like 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough' by Inner Life. It's such a jam and great to sing your guts out too. In saying all of this, I do love a wildcard song to end the night with, perhaps something completely unexpected. You'll just have to come to the next party and see for yourself.