Today we’d like to introduce you to Shay De Castro.
Hi Shay, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Sure! I fell in love with techno and trance when I was around 12, listening to it on Sirius radio, haha. I would hang out on message boards, talking to people around the world about the music since no one in my “real life” was into it. I mean at this time, I was living in Boise, Idaho. There was no electronic scene.
I was recommended a “How to DJ” book, and I remember buying it with birthday money from Barnes and Noble, haha. It actually is an amazing book and there are tips in there I still use all the time.
Anyway, I didn’t have the money to buy equipment and neither did my parents, so I really didn’t get to put what I’d learned into practice until high school playing on a friend’s setup.
It’s funny because the other day, my grandmother was talking with me on the phone, and she said, “You’re so brave. I could never have done what you have”. And I thought, “I don’t think what I did was brave.”
Being the black sheep, being queer, it definitely set me apart in Idaho. People are always talking about how hard it is to leave your comfort zone, but my school and my home life never were places of comfort for me. I always wanted to kind of “escape” to LA to find peace, in being able to be myself with people who get me. Who got the music? I think when you have nothing left to lose, it’s very easy to pursue your crazy dreams.
It wasn’t until I was living in Guadalajara, Mexico, that I really had the chance to focus nearly entirely on music, and I was soon playing around the country. I’ve played in, I think, 28 Mexican states, and I miss the crowds there all the time.
When I came back to LA, I was like, there’s no way I’m stopping now. Through the pandemic and everything I kept working through and now it’s finally paying off. I’m lucky enough to have met and been supported by so many incredible people. And it’s all because of the love of music.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh man…no, it hasn’t been the smoothest, haha. But I don’t know if I’d change anything about the journey.
To be honest, I surprisingly encountered quite a bit of misogyny in techno. I think it has to do with more women getting into DJing now and I think there are people who feel threatened by that or feel that certain people aren’t “in it for the music”. I prefer to keep my blinders on and focus on me. Whether someone is doing something for the passion for music or sheer fame is none of my business.
I have struggled with self-doubt before. I grew up severely shy, and having all eyes on me used to make me physically sick. Now, after years of working on changing my way of thinking, I rarely feel that way and can just relax and enjoy the music with the crowd. Connect with them and live in the moment.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a techno artist focusing more on “peaktime techno”. I have released music on Factory 93 repeatedly, which is Insomniac’s more “underground” techno and house label. I’ll be playing at Beyond Wonderland this March.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
As cliché as it sounds, just do it. Whatever you are passionate about. Block out the noise from the doubters and make it happen. Don’t live with regret and the “what-ifs.”
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Instagram.com/Shaydecastro
- Facebook: Facebook.com/djshaydecastro
- SoundCloud: www.soundcloud.com/shaydecastro
Image Credits
@subjekmedia
