PITONES UNPLUGGED

Pitones

Un

plugged

A Syracuse junior is elevating the standard for DJ’s on campus.

words by Berri Wilmore photos by Miguel Fresneda

In August of 2019, the Princeton Review released its annual Party School ranking, hailing Syracuse University as the number one party school in the country. The school wore the title like a badge of honor, with the official @barstoolcuse on Instagram issuing a press release, stating: “We could go on for hours about the possible reasons that Syracuse earned the top-ranking. But the only thing that matters is that we are #1. Suck it nerds (Duke, G’Town, UNC, UConn, anyone not ranked #1).” Whether your party interests lie in shaking ass at UV, going to backyard darties, or getting blackout drunk at Sigma Chi, no party would be possible without a fire playlist. And if there’s anyone who can sonically maneuver through party scenes with ease, it’s DJ and SU Junior Khari Brandes, known professionally as Troyce Pitones.

While it’s obvious that music selection plays a crucial role in the success of a party, there is something about Brandes’ gigs that put them in a completely different ballpark. Brandes got his start in DJ-ing in the eighth grade. He explained that he was that kid who would play his music loudly from a speaker during lunch. When a friend of his saw him doing it, he suggested that

Brandes look into DJ-ing more seriously. That’s when he learned the technical basis of being a DJ. From there, he only grew as an artist.

If Syracuse DJ’s were cities, Brandes would be New York: innovative, subversive, and bustling all night long. From frats to house parties to clubs, Brandes always manages to draw a crowd and give them a night to remember. “I always have a direction of where I want a party to go,” explains Brandes. “But it’s like, adapting that for different audiences. You’re clued-in to the party, so they don’t have to come up and request a song.” Though Brandes clarifies that there’s nothing wrong with requesting songs during a set (so long as you’re not weird about it), there is something really captivating—and really rare— about going to a party where you can basically

guarantee that the vibes will be good. “I try to never play music that I don’t enjoy,” Brandes says. “A lot of it is based on what I would want to hear other people play.” And based on the sets played at his shows, this process seems to work out well—there’s always going to be something for everyone. Trap, throwbacks, afrobeats, rap, alternative, and probably some shit you’ve never heard of, but will have you discreetly Shazaming the title.

This diverse array of music is summed up in the way Brandes views Dancehall—a genre of music born out of Jamaica in the 70s. (You know how Drake woke up one day and decided to be Jamaican, and we ended up with One Dance in 2016? That was all Dancehall’s influence.) While Brandes isn't

necessarily the biggest fan of Dancehall, he still finds ways to incorporate the music into his sets. “Something I’ve been working on is finding Dancehall songs I like, and learning to appreciate that genre more,” he explains. “That’s definitely part of it: learning what people are into, and figuring out what about it appeals, and applying that to my own taste.” That’s a major part of Brandes’ philosophy on the artform—being a DJ is about give and take. It’s not all about the DJ’s wants, nor is it all about what the audience wants, either. If the DJ plays music that only appeals to themself, then there’s no guarantee that the crowd is going to enjoy what’s being played. On the flip side, if the DJ only plays music that they don’t personally enjoy, it zaps the passion out of the experience. In a way, the audience and the DJ are in a mutually beneficial relationship—one where the DJ drives the boat, and the party

crowd is along for the ride. Part of being a good DJ, he explains, is “recontextualizing and presenting music in a way that, if the audience doesn’t know a song, they’re still going to enjoy hearing it.” For this reason, Brandes cites music lovers, and people open to new experiences, as his favorite kinds of audiences. So maybe that’s why Syracuse is the number one party school in the country. Sure, it’s fun to get dressed up and go out and put your liver up to the test. But, there’s also something magical about parties—those moments where a song comes on, and everything just clicks. It’s Brandes’ favorite part of DJ-ing: the times where he is able to connect with crowds. The bass is thrumming throughout the room, everyone is dancing, and the crowd comes together in this moment of collective effervescence where worries about class, and schoolwork, and drama fizzle away, and you can just get lost in the music. JM