CITIZEN TEN

When asked about his name, Bay Area Dj Citizen Ten said, “As a DJ, I’m a listener, if that makes sense. I’m a citizen. A bystander watching an explosion. And I’m talking about the explosion. It’s not about me. I’m a nobody. Check out this explosion that’s happening over here. It’s crazy”.

The “explosion” in question, may be referring to the instrumental beat scene that he has been a part of since he first arrived as a DJ in San Francisco 13 years ago. Citizen Ten is known for the many styles he weaves through his explosive Dj sets, at events like the long-running Change the Beat party in San Francisco, that he helped start with fellow residents DJ Centipede aka Mophono and The Gaslamp Killer. He’s always leaned towards the dirty drum sound while remaining melodic – if not dark, dropping intermittent soul, psyche, hip-hop and electronic tunes.

As beats evolve, so does Citizen Ten, now incorporating more bass-heavy tracks in his performances alongside artists like Flying Lotus, Eprom and Amon Tobin “It’s a crazy time we’re living in and the music is, appropriately, crazy right now… But I’ll never stop playing old songs that never got their shine. If anything, THAT’S what I’m here for. To share with the listeners some stuff they may not have heard about – and, y’know, throw something cutty in for my connoisseurs”.

Citizen Ten (along with partner Mophono) are residents of Bay Area beat-series’ Resonate and Smart Bomb – both of which continue to push the envelope of music, beats, and sound.

B&W photo Vince Moy