Then there’s DJ Aurora. She doesn’t play 80’s music, she doesn’t play trance on Saturdays, she doesn’t wear pants.This is my first article for SL Newser, so I picked DJ Aurora Aliva who I’m been shaking my tail to for a while now. You won’t see her in a human club because she doesn’t DJ at one. Aurora plays video games remixes straight from Mega-Man Metroid and Final Fantasy games. You have to travel to the distant furry club of AX, aka AnthroXtacy, as she plays there. I asked her a few questions and here’s what she told me.
Grease Coakes: I wrote up some questions for that interview whenever you're ready. (smile)
Aurora Avila: Cool.
Grease Coakes: What made you want to be a DJ in SL and play the music that you play at your sets?
Aurora Avila: Well, I first started DJ'ing at a club I already frequented. It just seemed like a fun way to be a little more active in the get-togethers! As for the specific music I play... That actually started out of necessity, and just became my gimmick. Video game remixes all around! Because that's just what I had ready.
Grease Coakes: oh? So you had plenty of game music already? And you liked DJing to hangout more with your ax friends?
Aurora Avila: Well, back then, I hadn't even heard of AX. There was a place called Ari-Sen that I was attached to.
Grease Coakes: Ari-sen, is that a 1/2 human 1/2 furry club? That sounds familiar.
Aurora Avila: It was phoenix-themed. And in a gigantic tree, which was kind of cool.
Grease Coakes: Oh wow, that sounds fun! The big tree sounds cool, like something out of a fantasy book or video game.
Grease Coakes: So you started at Ari-sen not AX?
Aurora Avila: Yep! First DJ job was out there. It's funny how it started because one of the owners was all 'We're looking for DJ's...' I joked that I would try, but my selection sucks, and he said that there are specialty DJ's all over the place, so... I figured why not?
Grease Coakes: Yeah, you are a specialty DJ if you walk into any human clubs, and most furry DJs play dance music.
Grease Coakes: So I would say and most other people who come to your set your music is very special and outside the norm.
Grease Coakes: DJ Qwark and Healer for example play psytrance, and Amariel plays 80's music, so your genre fits in its own box.
Aurora Avila: I'll be honest; I get intimidated by human-majority clubs. I'm aware of my demographics’ reputation, and it's hard not to feel self-conscious sometimes... But as for the music, I'm just glad so many people like it! I'll admit I mostly just rip OCR right the heck off, though, so it's not like the listeners can't legally grab the majority of my playlist for themselves if they like it.
Aurora Avila: Which, I guess, is a pro AND a con!
Grease Coakes: OCR I guess that's where you get your video game music what does OCR stand for?
Grease Coakes: Just curious why do human clubs freak you out?
Aurora Avila: Well, OCR's a great resource if you like video game remixes. Gigantic site with categorized music. Overclocked Remix (www.ocremix.org). Totally free for download, even! And, well, human clubs sort of freak me out because I tend to really stand out. Most humans, by necessity, are not penguins!
Grease Coakes: Oh I see, so you just download your music from that website? Cool. And you're right, not many humans see penguins or foxes.
Grease Coakes: If someone was curious about your DJ set what times would they stop to see you play?
Aurora Avila: Not all of my music is OCR! I've got a lot of remix albums from Japan, and a few independent albums as well. But I won't lie, OCR's kind of a huge chunk. Anyway, at AX, I go for morning slots. 6:00 - 9:00 AM, SL time, on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I also do two-hour sets from noon to two (SL time again) on Monday and Wednesday. It's all the same kind of music, though. I'm kind of a one-trick pony. Or, uh... penguin.
Aurora Avila: The latter mention is at Blue Bear, which... sort of fits me a little more, thematically, being all icy and such.
Grease Coakes: That's not exactly a bad thing. DJs in the club scene just mix on genres of music, say for example Charles Feelgood. All he plays is house music but he DJs around the world. Or Akira, she plays club music too and does a great job.
Grease Coakes: Yeah I’ve been to the blue bear too it's a cool place to be.
Grease Coakes: Because your music is based on mostly video games along with the Japanese music what are your fave games?
Aurora Avila: Oh, Lord. I actually tend to look at the ambience of games a lot. I'm all about Mega Man, Metroid, and games like Star Ocean and Xenosaga because I'm kind of a massive sci-fi nerd and I really like the worlds those different series depict. If I had to pick a genre, though, it'd be somewhere between platformers and RPG's.
Grease Coakes: So sci-fi is something that interests you? I guess a mega man or Metroid RPG would be heaven to you.
Grease Coakes: Just one last question, as a furry what are your fave furry avatars?
Aurora Avila: They actually made a Mega Man X RPG. Not bad, but not really game-of-the-year quality, either. And, honestly, I think of myself as Trans-humanistic, but anthropomorphic animals are just too cute not to have predominance! But I like birds. Always have! If I had to have a favorite, I'd have to say it's my AX penguin. It just represents me the best, I guess.
Grease Coakes: Oh cool. So birds in general are your fave furry avatar, including the penguin. I have a 1/2 bird avatar as a griffin so I guess that makes me 1/2 bird like Aurora? Haha.
Aurora Avila giggles.
Grease Coakes: I grew up playing those same games as kid, Mega-Man, Metroid, etc. Maybe that's why your music sets are popular because everyone has played or at least seen video games it's a part of popular culture.
Grease Coakes: Thanks aurora for your time. I'll work this into an article and talk to Bixyl or Gemma about it.
Aurora Avila: Well, in that case, it'd be good to know I'm not a COMPLETE pop-culture Martian! I never watched cartoons or movies as a kid.
Aurora Avila: And cool. Thanks for the interview!
Just a FYI to the reader AX is an adult club/sim. Aurora does have her own fan group “Aurora’s squeebity army.” You can catch her djing at club ax at Tuesdays/Thursdays and Saturday at 6-9am SL time at AX. Saturday is also naked penguin Saturday. She also plays at another furry club called the blue bear Mondays and Wedsdays 12noon to 2pm also SL time.
Grease Coakes
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