Denni Longstocking Kindred, known as Longstocking, is a dynamic force in the dance music scene, seamlessly blending her roles as a producer, musician, DJ, artist, and label boss.
Photo credit: Longstocking – Official
As a key figure in reconnecting electronic dance music to its BIPOC, Queer, and Gender Queer roots, Longstocking has consistently secured top-five spots on various Beatport Top 100 Charts, with three tracks reaching No. 1.
After establishing multiple West Coast residencies, she now leads Seattle’s Feral One Records, a label dedicated to honoring dance music’s cultural heritage while shaping future sounds.
In this insightful interview, Longstocking shares her creative process, the inspiration behind her work, and her vision for Seattle’s vibrant underground scene. Discover how her distinct blend of house, breaks, and downtempo styles, along with a commitment to originality, drives her and her label’s success in the ever-evolving world of dance music.
EG: Hi Denni, welcome to Electronic Groove! Where are you joining us from today?
Longstocking: Thanks for the invite. I’m headquartered in the beautiful grey and green Pacific Northwest via Seattle, WA.
EG: Feral One’s latest compilation features a strong lineup of Seattle producers. How did you go about curating the third volume, and what inspired the track selection?
Longstocking: The Feral One Records annual Seattle Volumes are the only time Feral One opens up its demo submissions to the public. The caveat is that they are based in the Seattle greater area and that’s it. That is the only requirement to get your track reviewed in earnest. Many actual artists are kept away from DJ booths, due to promoters and bookers insecurity with being non-producing men with DJ superstar aspirations. In this kind of scenario, anyone with actual talent is treated as a threat. This has been one of the key factors as to why Seattle was never considered a hotspot for underground electronic music like Chicago, LA, NYC, Miami, or San Francisco. Thanks to online media avenues like Electronic Groove, Seattle artists have been able to sidestep these archaic barriers and show the world how stacked the raw talent is here.
EG: Your track ‘You’re A Cute Track’ kicks off the compilation with introspective indie vibes. Can you share the creative process behind this track and how you captured that signature Seattle mood?
Longstocking: The intention of ‘You’re A Cute Track’ was pure self-soothing. Traditional synths are a pleasure button for me and never fail to elicit a deep inner squee. Even so, a moody undertone does layer the track. While I’m struggling to feel a lightness with the world and my mental health being so heavy, this greyness like the Seattle marine layer is always looming. It’s often this light and heaviness will both be present in my tracks. It’s just my reality and has greatly shaped my sound, as it’s who I am.
EG: Seattle’s music scene has always had a unique identity. How would you describe the current underground scene, and how does it influence the direction of Feral One?
Longstocking: The upside to Seattle being so hidden over the years is it offers artists the freedom to truly do their own thing. With fame and club/festival support being so minimal, you gain an incentive to create for yourself. Out of this comes an inherent indie/alternative vibe, which is the true purpose of the underground. I feel like this is the reason so many incredibly innovative and adventurous artists come from smaller cities and scenes. The most extreme case that comes to mind to illustrate is Devo being from Akron, Ohio.
“The idea that my body of work would sound like a specific artist makes me nauseous”
EG: As a producer with a gravitational pull toward house, breaks, and downtempo, how do you balance such diverse styles in your productions? Do you have a particular approach when blending genres?
Longstocking: Blending genres and diverse styles happens naturally when you aren’t trying to recreate a well-traveled dance genre. The idea that my body of work would sound like a specific artist makes me nauseous. I push every Feral One artist to create with no other artist or label in mind, and to create what you would love to hear but aren’t seeing tackled in the music scene currently. It’s important as the head of Feral One to practice what I preach and I’d like to think my discography reflects that. The best example I can give is ‘Sunglow Pier,’ which is the melding of Surf Rock and House Music. It’s a sound I was hearing in my head and nowhere else. From that, the Swell House genre was born and I’d love to hear others do more of it.
EG: Feral One has consistently supported local talent, and this compilation is no exception. What’s your vision for the label moving forward, and how do you see it contributing to the growth of Seattle’s music scene?
Longstocking: The benefits are already showing as I’m seeing local Feral One artists playing not just out of state but overseas. While many of the local club lineups look identical to 5 or 10 years ago, we are definitely seeing some inroads here as well as bookers and promoters need to avoid looking woefully out of touch. Online media has played quite a large role in that regard.
EG: Being a time-traveling mind spy sounds like a fun backstory! How do you incorporate playful creativity and storytelling into your music and artist persona?
Longstocking: The time-traveling mind spy moniker was from an old friend, as I had a unique way of surfacing people’s obscure music tastes and obsessions from their youth and young adulthood. It just made me laugh and worked well as a silly bio descriptor.
EG: The Seattle area has a lot of new and emerging talent. Can you tell us more about some of the other artists featured on this compilation and what excites you most about their contributions?
Longstocking: I.S.H., a proud Queer and Palestinian American, is a name to watch for. He has the production and DJ chops to make you take a step back. Not only do we have established Seattle icons like EMUH, Jon Lee and the duo that is Lee Houser, we also have fresh new talent stepping up with Move Machine and another duo Intemporel Chốc Lát. The top-down production level and ingenuity of this year’s comp is humbling. The deep raw talent these Seattle dance producers show leaves no doubt about Seattle’s future in dance.
“Nothing is off limits. Good music is good music period”
EG: Outside of music, what are some activities or interests that inspire you creatively? How do they influence your work at Feral One or your productions?
Longstocking: My own musical obsessions don’t just run the gamut of every dance music genre imaginable, but they extend far beyond dance. I take inspiration from old dancehall, classical arias, surf rock, bossa nova, Japanese kodo drumming, 70s German synth, 80’s new wave, etc etc etc. Nothing is off limits. Good music is good music period. This definitely carries over to Feral One Records as there are no dance music restrictions. If it’s dance music or dance music adjacent, it’s fair game. This guarantees and protects Feral One Records from being classified or pegged into a single genre label that so many other labels have cornered themselves into. The only constant is an alternative indie streak. That will always be the case.
EG: Looking ahead, what’s next for you and Feral One Records? Any upcoming releases or projects you’re excited to share with us?
Longstocking: We always have releases lined up, but we try to keep our cards close. I will say I.S.H. and myself have a collaboration lined up for this Winter, which is dear to us both. We also have a couple returning artists that we are really excited about, but ya’ll will have to tune in to get the goods.
EG: Thanks for the time and all the best.
Longstocking: Thank you for sharing some time to spotlight Seattle artists. We appreciate what you do for dance music.
Feral One’s ‘Seattle Volume 3 compilation’ is now available. Stream and download here.
Follow Longstocking: Spotify | Soundcloud | Instagram
