Brooklyn celebrates artists of all stripes, but it’s rare you get one as versatile as Josh Craig. A professional DJ and, now, also a zine publisher, Josh has been a staple in the Brooklyn community for a few years. Now, he’s pulling double duty as he paves the way for his new publication, 11-18. Get to know this disk-spinning neighbor in this week’s Thursday Spotlight!
Greenpointers: Do you live in the neighborhood, and if so for how long? How’s it treated you?
Josh Craig: Currently I’m residing in Mallorca, Spain but I’ve been in Greenpoint for a good three years now. It’s treated me well. I’ve made some solid relationships, leveled up as a creator here and built my 1st home recording studio.
How did you get your start as a DJ, and what advice would you share with young artists getting their start?
I got my start DJing as a kid in New Jersey going to DMS parties on Fulton Street in Newark and making mix CDs for my friends with the Jersey Club tracks everyone loved at the raves we attended. Those mix CDs were my first stab at DJing. It wasn’t until I moved to Bushwick like six, seven years ago that I started playing records in clubs. Shouts to KLIENFELD of Suavehaus who put me on game.
The advice I have for any young artists getting started is to play what you feel in ya heart. Play your friends music not just top 40. Support only what is real and invest in some turntables. Vinyl helps too.
How’d the party at Magick City go? Was it for your birthday, and did you spin for your own party?
The party at Magick City was crazy. The fam came through and showed hella support. It was like walking on cloud 99. MC is my favorite place to DJ in America other than Detroit. Wassup Rich!
It was for my birthday yeah. I did spin at the party. Played straight fire records and some of my own tracks that are coming out on 12″ later this year.
I hear you’re also launching a wellness magazine. We love grassroots media, of course, so what can you share about this?
Yeah yo! My zine 11-88 is a dream come true. I’ve been wanting to make one for a while now. I submitted so many tracks and photos to magazines like Fader, Complex, and Rolling Stones as I was maturing but they never gave me a chance so I just started my own. I taught myself InDesign and went to town with my friend Will Cameron of Ninety Eight Point Six whose been printing zines for years. I wanted to make a platform to highlight my talented friends work and to talk about some real life topics.11-88 is an international lifestyle magazine with a central focus around underground music, photography and cannabis culture as well as health & wellness. Super proud of the cover I designed for issue 001. 52 color pages of real life energy.
What kinds of parties or raves do you most enjoy spinning for?
I enjoy spinning at raves in the most dark, disgusting places with boomin sound systems and people dancing like nobody else is there. The kind of raves where you don’t want the night to end so you keep pushing it til the coffee shop opens up. People letting themselves go and letting the music take over. I’m super picky about where I rave. I like intimate pockets in big cities with freaks who love great tracks. Not good tracks but great tracks. All speeds. All genres. Straight underground music.
Any upcoming projects you’re interested in sharing about? Where can we find you and your work?
I’m working on my debut 12″ LP right now but will be self releasing a sick cassette this summer. I’m doing some cool stuff with Topstone Projects. Shigeto and I have some great music coming out next year. I’m preparing a syllabus for this 70’s Jazz In America course at a university abroad. What else. Oh yeah, me and Dotan Negrin aka @pianoaround have a band called CyBn that’ll be releasing our debut EP later this year. Also have a project with Vagara called DEEP SPACE 99 that’s a vinyl only masterpiece that I’m finishing in Berlin in August.
You can find my work on my website thejoshcraig.com and you can find me in my studio or your local record store getting deep in the dollar bin. Thanks yo. ONE LOVE.
Nice read! Sounds like a cool guy to hang out with. Very relatable