Alexandra Mascenon is a DJ based in Manila and an Interior Designer. Don't miss to listen to her mix below.

Welcome, a glass of?
 

Amaretto Sour! I’m definitely a girl’s girl. But if I’m being real honest, iced coffee would be better. 



Where do you come from? 
I grew up in a little town called Roxas City, I moved to Manila to pursue Interior Design and eventually got into DJing.


Your first experience with Djing? 
It’s been 8 years— I had to count back and I suddenly realized how long it’s been since I started DJing, and how much I’ve grown as an artist. But 8 years ago, back in 2017, I found myself in a new city and I had a thought of taking music production and DJing lessons. At that time, I was interning for Scout Magazine and my boss gave me my first gig which was the magazine’s socials party. It introduced and gave me way towards the scene. I was the opening act for a lot of amazing local artists, so I’d like to think that was a really great first gig. It took me a month to get that set ready and I was really nervous. 



When you're digging music, what are you obsessed with? 
A really really good intro. I think that’s the most crucial part for me to get into a track.



Your ritual before a gig? 
I’m definitely an over-thinker so days before a gig, I try to analyze the event, the brief, possible crowd and plan my outfit at the same time— I think that’s equally important. Before the show, I’d usually make a few song combos, say a little prayer and head to the venue. What gets me really excited is when I find that one song that I feel would be perfect for the event, and bounce that energy and radiate it throughout my set.



What is your favorite dish?
A favorite weekly staple for me would be Karaage with Soba from Tetsuo before gigs, and dessert would literally be anything from this amazing Filipino restaurant called Lampara. I also love a good homemade grilled cheese with chili garlic fried eggs, that’s for sure.



What comes to your mind if I tell you : « Woman with Parasol »? 
I had new found love for pottery during the pandemic. It was the most therapeutic thing. A friend commissioned me to make her a lamp and I derived my inspiration from Claude Monet’s “Woman with a Parasol” which is still my favorite piece up to date.


What is your adage in life?
“Lilipas din ito”, in English: it will pass. 
When I was younger, there was a point in my life that got really tough, and my best friend’s mom told me, “this too shall pass”. I’ve carried that saying with me throughout my life and it’s a good reminder that even when things get rough, we’ll always get through it.



What is your favorite application? 
There’s this 3D app that I’m kind of obsessed with these days. It’s called Polycam which allows me to take a video of a space and its registers into a 3D model! Pretty cool and helpful in my line of work as a designer.

Bad Decisions Smell Good in 5 words? 
It’s more than just music.

What comes to your mind if I tell you design?
Aside from DJing, my other great love is Interior Design. This was something I really had to fight for. In college, I took Medical Technology at first but on my third year, I mustered up all of my courage to go to Manila and enroll into design school. It was the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.

I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity to design something you can walk into, with purpose and careful intentions. 



Can you talk about your experience in New York city? 
I have never been! But fortunately my work has. I had an amazing opportunity to design a bar in New York. It’s called Gugu Room located in the Lower East Side, inspired by a love affair between our national hero, Jose Rizal and Japanese woman, O Sei San.



Top 3 venues in Manila? 
My top venue, although not operational anymore, would definitely be Black Market. This was home base to my DJ crew Bad Decisions, notorious for making the most insane Hip-hop parties. As a baby Hip-hop DJ back then, it was such a dream to be able to play there. But breaking it down, it was more than that. It was a platform for local and international artist alike. I met friends there who I now call my family. 



Nokal is my design baby. It’s the biggest and proudest space that I’ve designed when I was 24. The job was hectic, centered around problem solving but overall the most fulfilling. It’s what actually made me believe that I could do it. Now, it’s had a lot of amazing sets from amazing local DJs to artists all over the world. It houses a personal favorite collective of mine called Planet Workshop, that broadcasts DJ sets of all genres in the most beautiful way possible. 



Annex House, home of the best Biko Latte and a big design inspiration for me. I love going here during the day, it’s almost impossible to not see someone you know. 



What are your top 5 new releases? 
- Saie "Nastygirl " Edit
- MrJetFly "Kulosa Future Kiwana" Edit
- Nicole Anjela feat. Lustbass "Dito Lang"
- Sica, Waiian "OPMAT" 
- Snow Aalegra "Do 4 Love"


What are your top 5 oldies? 
- Jess Connelly feat. P-Lo "Fool4u"
- Rjay Ty "The Good"
- Brent Faiyaz "Trust"
- Tarika Blue "Dreamflower"
- Amel Larrieux "Sweet Misery"

What job would you like to do if you weren’t a DJ? 
I’d still be doing Interior Design for sure! I love it just as much. But if it wasn’t something I was already doing, maybe a singer! I used to sing when I was a kid— I had those voice lessons and my school would invite me to perform with my mentors. My grandma would bring me to all these places where I’d do intermissions numbers. It was a fun time, you could say she was my manager.

Interviewed by Supa cosh...