Today we’d like to introduce you to SANiTY aka DJ SANiTY aka Demitri Kesoglides.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started in the business side of the music industry. I graduated from Baruch College with my Bachelor’s in 2011 and then came out of New York University with a Master’s degree in 2013. I had tunnel vision in pursuing a 9-5 job in the music biz. Along the journey, I worked/interned for Atlantic Records/Warner Music Group, EMI Music Publishing (when it was still standing), Kinetic Management, Sony Music, and Mercury Records/Island Def Jam/Universal Music Group. I tried my hand at all departments — everything from digital media to music publishing/sync licensing to sampling administration to business & legal to artist management to A&R/talent scouting.
I started DJing during my undergrad years, and after grad school, my DJ career started to gain some traction. I was getting consistent bookings and producing original music as well. I traveled for a few out of state gigs to Cali, Miami, and Texas, but things really started to move for me as an artist when I honed in on a specific sound. This sound is called ‘G-House,’ which is basically a fusion of house music and hip-hop. The g-house tracks being released in earlier years were house/techy beats that sampled hip-hop vocals from old school rap tracks. DESTRUCTO aka Gary Richards was doing something different on the West Coast — he enlisted actual west coast rappers to spit original lyrics over his beats — his ‘West Coast EP’ featured the likes of Too Short, YG, and Ty Dolla Sign.
His EP inspired me to do something like that on the East Coast, and thus the #EastCoastGHouse movement came about. I worked with three other producers and six rappers for the first volume of the #ECGH Compilation, and actually had a personal shoutout from Destructo, which was nothing short of awesome! The release, in general, featured a ton of good press including two write-ups on the prominent blog EARMILK, and a music video which really showed off the aesthetic of the movement. The official clip features rapping, DJing, shuffling, dancing, and graffiti art — showcasing an organic fusion of the worlds of house and hip-hop. The artists featured in the video are the famous old-school graffiti artists SJK 171 (my dad) and MIKE 171 (my uncle) of the “Wall Writers” collective. You can tell where I get my artistic side from, haha.
The team and I are currently working on the second volume of the compilation, and we are aiming for a late fall 2019/early winter 2020 release date!
Has it been a smooth road?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. It wasn’t easy finding the job I wanted after grad school. It should go without saying, but I didn’t pursue a Master’s to feel “entitled” to a full-time job… I did it because I was accepted into a great program within my field and I wanted to further my education. My mom was hard on me (in a good way) when it came to my schooling. She had a tough life growing up in the South Bronx, and so did my dad growing up in Washington Heights.
My brothers and I also went to a middle school that, at the time, was considered one of the worst schools in the district. It will always have a special place in my heart because of all of the amazing staff and teachers who busted their asses to make sure all of us kids stayed out of trouble. A lot of the teachers and staff were like second mothers and fathers to the students, who were all coming from very tough neighborhoods. My mom became PTA president and further enforced that none of us would act up, LOL! To this day, a lot of my friends and fellow students who went to our middle school call her “Mama Kelly.” All in all, my parents wanted a better life for me and really pushed me and still allowed me to follow my heart.
At one point during my job search after graduate school, I was told by someone in an HR department to try taking my master’s degree off my résumé (basically to “dumb it down” at risk of being overqualified for certain positions). I wasn’t about that. I invested a lot of time, money, energy, blood, sweat and tears into that degree. I didn’t wallow in self-pity. I kept aiming high… and was so close to acquiring my dream job. Ultimately, I didn’t get the job. It made me rethink a lot of things, as I also went through a tough breakup during this period.
I guess, you know, they say everything is a blessing in disguise right? Well, almost right after all of this happened I acquired the stability I needed to drop everything else and become a full-time artist/DJ/producer. It’s been two years now doing this full time, and I’m enjoying life like I never have ever before. I’m traveling more (not just for business but to see the world), have extreme flexibility, and have so many exciting things in the works.
It’s still tough — working in this industry ain’t for the faint of heart. Things change up on you pretty quickly and there are a lot of shady characters in entertainment/nightlife. Also, speaking in general, it’s always hard as hell because every time you reach a certain level of success, you have to work THAT much harder. However, the good thing is if you ENJOY the work you do, it’s that much more rewarding. The payoff is incredible!
We’d love to hear more about what you do. What sets you apart from others?
I think what sets me apart from some artists is that I’m 100% real and authentic. I don’t put on a front or a facade. As an artist, the whole ‘East Coast G House’ movement is so organic, and that’s why I’m pushing it this hard. It feels so right. Not to sound cheesy, but the excitement shared by all the artists that I’m working with on the project just makes me smile thinking about it. Our collective represents a fusion of rap and house music that’s never been done like this before — true lyrical hip hop bars over house beats!! Not to mention the aforementioned incorporation of aesthetic elements from both worlds like shuffling/dance and graffiti art. With a lot of the rappers I work with, I actually grew up DJing some of their hip-hop showcases (being their hip hop DJ for events and such). So it’s pretty dope to see everything come full circle — now they’re spitting over some of my house music ish, haha.
…but you know what? I do listen… and I’m still listening. I do try… and I’m still trying. I’m here for the long haul y’all! Ultimately, I followed my heart. I just turned 29, and I feel I’m entering my prime. I was so scared of 30 but not anymore. Some people set age-based “deadlines,” and that can become really unhealthy. It’s great to have goals, but PLEASE don’t consider yourself a failure if you don’t reach them by a certain age. As long as you don’t expect things to be handed to you and you work hard, what else can you do? Some things are out of our control and life has a funny way of working itself out. It took me five years since I graduated with my Master’s to get a good sense of where my life was actually going. Again, be good and do good. Try being a free spirit and positive light for others. Don’t waste energy on people who have no interest in being a part of your life. Those who want to make an effort to be a part of your life WILL. You can’t force human connection, some people just don’t have matching energies, and that’s OK. 🙂 Learn from these failed relationships, grow from the lessons you learned, and focus that energy on yourself and others who DO appreciate you!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I highly recommend New York City because you pick up so many different artistic influences. I mean obviously, NY is the mecca of hip-hop. Back in the day, there was also plenty of legendary clubs for dance music. The city itself is a melting pot of culture — especially Queens where I grew up and lived all my life.
I’m Greek, Irish, and French-Canadian… and my extended family tree is made up of Dominican, Filipino, Black, Puerto Rican, and Chilean ethnicities. I’m so thankful growing up around this amount of diversity as a child and thankful to my family for raising me to be the kind and understanding person I am today. If you are planning to move to NY, come with a motive and a strategy. I think that applies when you’re uprooting/moving anywhere, really. But this is a big city and the rent ain’t cheap!With that said, a lot of people are saying I should head over to the West Coast. There are big things going on in the EDM/electronic scene over there — a lot of thriving niche communities. Brooklyn is the closest thing we’ve got to match the West Coast’s scene — Schimanski, Brooklyn Mirage/Avant Gardner, Analog Brooklyn, TBA Brooklyn, Elsewhere, House of Yes, Bossa Nova, (RIP Output!), etc are all unique and amazing venues in their own right. The only problem is that Manhattan is truly lacking a large dedicated space for house/dance/electronic music (venues that aren’t bottle service-focused/boujee and have a top 40 music format), especially with the closings of Pacha and Cielo over the last several years.
Contact Info:
- Website: djsanity.com
- Phone: 6465058886
- Email: sanity@djsanity.com
Image Credit:
Bernadeta Serafin Photography, Ambrose Eng Photography, Larissa Nowak Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
