Music Moves You

The DJs making you move this Pride season get in front of IN’s camera styled wearing two classic PUMA silhouettes: the Easy Rider and the Palermo…

CREATIVE DIRECTION & STYLING: Aram Eginliyan
PHOTOGRAPHY: Ness Devos
MAKEUP ARTIST: Priya Kumari
HAIR & GROOMING: Alan Ovalles

For queer people Pride is more than just the rainbows and celebrations. It goes beyond what we are queer people feel in our day to day lives, and instead gives us a reason to celebrate all the different thousands of facets of what being our true, authentic and unapologetically real selves are all about. Pride isn’t just a party, but a celebration so we sat down with three of Toronto’s musical mavens to keep partying and feeling our best through June and all the other fabulous times of the year to find out what pride means to them and what inspires them to keep us dancing all Pride season long.

DJ Sophie Jones
@sophiejones
Upcoming projects: FRUITIE – A new queer party co-hosted and curated by Sophie Jones herself and her partner Christina.

What does Pride mean to you?
Pride to me is more than just a celebration; it’s a profound sense of joy and belonging. It’s about being embraced by a community of beautiful, authentic queer individuals who inspire strength and happiness. Pride is not just an event; it’s a way of life where I feel truly seen and accepted for who I am.

How does music and DJ’ing play a part in your queer identity?
Music and DJing are the heartbeat of my queer identity. There’s an indescribable magic when I spin tracks for a crowd of queer individuals living their truth. Witnessing people shed their inhibitions in a safe space and owning the dance floor fills me with unparalleled joy. It’s not just about playing music; it’s about fostering an environment where everyone feels empowered to be their authentic selves.

Jaylen / DJ PSI
@eyeofpsi
Upcoming projects: Psi’s new dance single “sexy house music” can be streamed on SoundCloud and all other music platforms under Psi.

What does Pride mean to you?
For me Pride is a celebration. It’s where being different is celebrated and uplifted. I love going to Pride with my friends and dancing and feeling a euphoric sense of joy by being surrounded by other queers and knowing that for this moment we’re all free to just be. It’s a release.

How does music and DJ’ing play a part in your queer identity?
The first party I ever DJ’d was called “Bi or Bye” lol so my identity and being a Dj have always influenced each other. Ive played house and techno warehouse parties to club r&b hip-hop nights on king, and one thing I’ve learned is that the girls and the gays have the most fun. That’s who I play and make music for. When I turned of age, I dove in to the Toronto underground queer music scene (without knowing) and that sound and exploration has really influenced the music I make. In those spaces I was allowed to safely explore my sexuality and the music that was playing was the soundtrack to it. My new single really captures the essence of finding that escape on the dance floor and capturing the desire of a sweet admirer.

Krishawn / DJ Phys. Ed
@phys.edd
Upcoming projects: Catch Pys. Ed DJing and dancing all pride season long at events like ON TOP a legendary event by the nightlife queen Susanne Bartsch for the very first time in Toronto and giving us the beats all night long at this year’s Starry Night.

What does Pride mean to you?
To me Pride means expressing ourselves. For most queer people we have to come out multiple times. Coming out as gay was difficult. Coming out as queer was even more difficult. But coming out as myself was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Pride is a place where we get to celebrate more than just our sexuality or identity. It’s where we get to celebrated LOUDLY who we really are.

How does music and DJ’ing play a part in your queer identity?
I truly believe that music is one of the art forms that universal. There is no boarders or boundaries. No identity or colors. It’s just a melody that makes us move. Music is much bigger than just my queer identity it’s the closest thing we have to understanding the nature of this world. DJ’in helps me share that with others.

PUMA’s versatile Easy Rider and Palermo silhouettes, both recently pulled from the sneaker giant’s archives, are available at select retailers across the country including Foot Locker and JD Sports, as well as online at puma.ca. The Easy Rider is $110 and the Palermo is $120.