DJ Holographic Shoots For The Stars On Debut Album 'House In The Dark'

"I only want to work with people that do inner-work at this point in my life, I don't want to keep working with people that just want to be famous," Detroit-bred DJ Holographic shares.

DJ Holographic is a star.

The DJ and producer born Ariel Corley in Detroit in 1989 has made a name for herself with lively house-centered, gay party-ready DJ sets, filling many a hallowed dancefloor over the past 15 years, from Marble Bar to smartbar to Basement, Pacha to fabric to Panorama Bar. She's played her hometown's iconic Movement Festival the last six years (she'll be helping close out the twenty-fourth edition on Memorial Day), as well as some of the other biggest and buzziest fests around the world, including Belgium's Tomorrowland, Barcelona's Sonar, and Chicago's ARC. She proudly holds the torch for the next generation of Black Detroit DJs and keeps the forward-thinking, roots-honoring, genre-agnostic tradition of Motor City alive and well.

While Corley's certainly found her groove with a successful DJ career that continues to blossom and shine on the global underground house scene, she's taken her time to find her voice as a producer, serving up a sprinkling of original releases (and a heartier dose of remixes) since her first in 2020. In March, that changed when she released her ambitious hour-long debut album House In The Dark, a personal project inspired by the twelve astrological signs.

Astrology, like music, has been a guiding force in her life, and connecting and sharing the two comes naturally to her, from her lively astrology-themed playlists on Beatport, dreamy astrological reflections on Instagram, and channeling the current zodiac season in her DJ sets.

DJ Holographic. Photo: Nate Sturley

She approached the album-making process not only as a way to further develop her production techniques and explore her sound, but as a deep practice of self-exploration and personal growth. She looked at her astrological chart as a way to understand her life and its patterns on a deeper level, imagining what each section (or house) needed for deeper healing, using that energy to inspire each song. (While most people know their sun sign, that's just a small part of one's astrological chart, a wheel-shaped diagram representing where the stars were when you were born, with twelve houses that cover different aspects of your life. Each house is ruled by one of the signs, and differs from chart to chart.)

To celebrate her debut album, I caught up with Corley, who called in from her Berlin apartment — she's newly living between the German techno capital and her and techno's birthplace — to dive deep into its creation of and the powerful self-exploration behind in.

I wanted to start with going through how each astrological sign informed the creation and the sound of each track.

The whole project is House in the Dark, so I used my personal zodiac chart house. Sagittarius is my number one [house], my "I am." Capricorn is my second house, which represents your home and financial stuff. I started with Aries on the album to give everybody what they're used to from beginning to end of the zodiac year. Aries is in my sixth house that's dealing with romance, child-like [energy] and creativity. I don't have any planets in that house. I meditated on and felt my childhood and my romantic life. It was interesting. It felt very empty and sparing or a very rushed in-and-out energy. I asked for a chakra that would help heal that, which are the key notes for each song as well.

So, [working on the album] got me to learn more about how the energies for each house is based upon the sign it's in, even if there's no planets in it. This is really deep in astrology, but if you go into a room inside of a house and it's empty, you don't use it; it's kind of that feeling you don't really stay in that space. So, I looked at how can I bring more presence into that room with the music, and that's my idea for this whole project, especially the rooms that are kind of empty for me, like Aries or Gemini. Songs like "Taurus" or "Capricorn" were some of my favorite ones, because I already had planets in those spaces. I have a Taurus moon and "Taurus" is my favorite song because honestly, that's where I sit at in my feelings the most.

Wow, I thought the album title was just referring to house music. It's so interesting to have the album as an exploration of the different houses and how they impact you and your life.

I really love it. It was definitely a challenge when you're in a room where you don't like being in that energy often, or you realize, Oh, this is why my childhood was like this. I'm like, Oh, this makes so much sense. Or why DJing is so easy for me compared to other creative endeavors — it's fun, it's great, but it's a very quick in the moment experience, unlike painting or making music, that take quality time if you do it right. For DJing, it takes long periods over time to improve your skills, which I guess is everything. I've been DJing for 15 years, and I can see why I was intrigued with it because it was an instant gratification, like an Aries would be; not to judge them, but it's just how it is. [Chuckles.]

Is there an example of a track that felt very healing for you to work on? That, say, helped you channel an energy you haven't really known how to yet or have a shadow work-type of embracing of something.

The majority of them were shadow work, that's why it's called House In The Dark. The hardest shadow work one — I had to really look at a lot of things — would be "Gemini." As soon as I started working on it, honestly, my life went to shit. With healing, a lot of things fall to the side that no longer serve you and I had to accept that. It sucked, because I was clinging on to — some of my spiritual buddies call it a shitty comfort blanket. [Laughs.]

My Gemini is in my eighth house which deals with committed relationships or business relationships. There was this thing about duality, of here's what they're showing me in their face and this is what I'm getting, but then the other hand is doing something else. They're coming to a relationship for another reason they're not telling me about. Acknowledging that, all I want is divine relationships where I can be my full self without having to sacrifice or belittle or change myself, and I also want that for the person. Anytime I feel like they're sacrificing for me or in a codependent relationship with me, it is not a divine relationship, it just feels bad. So, when I made that song, 20 to 30 relationships dropped out of nowhere, and half of them, before they ended, were some of their most abusive experiences I've had in a while.

How did you turn the feelings and energy of the signs and houses into sonic and production elements?

The best example is "Taurus," because I sit in my feelings a lot — I try to do a lot of heart meditations and be in my feelings all the time and let that be my guide. That one was a little easier to tap into. It's a funky house track. I was even inspired by Luther Vandross — one of my favorite Tauruses — and made it into a nice melody and loop it. It's not Luther Vandross' voice, but he's a prime example of what I was aiming for when I feel my feelings. It was more of a nostalgic feeling. I'm pretty sure I went with a heart chakra.

When I started, I was making samples of the chakras, but they didn't always turn out to be the key instrumentation of the song. Once I started building it up, I might replace it with different sounds, different instruments. But normally, I kept a key in the beginning, added a theme, and maybe even broke down three to four song notations of other songs that remind me of the feeling I'm going for, and took samples of some of the instrumentations they were using, or broke down how they had a song laid out, and then kind of go in. For me, making music is still kind of a recipe book. I kind of copy a recipe I really like, and add my favorite parts to it and make that a loop, and then string out the food elements in the meal as much as possible so it becomes my own. That's how I would break down every song, based upon the feeling of what I want of the song.

DJ Holographic sees you. Photo: Nate Sturley

How was this process of working on the album and being inspired by astrology different from the way you've produced tracks before?

It was very different. My main goal for this album was to do inner-healing and to try to find a workflow that I enjoy doing. I still didn't have a workflow because I was working a lot with other people [before this], I only had one or two songs that I made solo. It's fun to do remixes, and but they're really not my song. For this album, I really was like, Okay, how can I heal? What's my process? Why am I doing this? I got to know why I actually wanted to make music, instead of just being told, "You're a DJ, you should make music." I never really liked that idea.

Yeah, there has to be purpose behind making music because it is art at the end of the day, versus being "I need to have tracks on Beatport or Spotify."

Right now, we're saturated with that. Seven Davis Jr. recently posted that he's done DJing. He wasn't trying to be a big DJ, but he became one and he's really good at DJing. When [I saw his post] I was like, Oh, that sucks. When I want to go out and dance, who am I gonna listen to? Same thing for production, if I'm only having to listen to DJs that are making songs to be either A. famous, which is happening more, or B. just to be on Beatport or get Spotify listens, I'm gonna be sad and not go out anymore.

It's definitely a key element for me to be artistic musically, as well as in other places, and to have purpose, like you said. Like how your writing has purpose. I love reading your writing because of how you angle a creative flow of expressing to an artist and ask them what they actually feel; it's a big deal.

As a DJ, an outwardly facing person where people know your name, I'm sure there's always people acting like they know you, or like you owe them something, as well as people you meet that are amazingly creative and inspiring. You have to deal with a lot of energy and intensity as the master of ceremonies at a party. How do you balance being in these spaces?

Boundaries, a lot of boundaries. [Chuckles.] It's such a big question. As a DJ, the best thing to do is be prepared. I'll have my track selections; depending what season it is, I'll have, say Aires or Taurus [inspired songs] and adapt and move things around. There is my best way of having intentions for each [DJ] set. That puts me in the right mind, [helps me find] new songs and get to express myself more. Most of the work is what you're doing before you get there, and so I try to make sure everything's very easy getting to that gig as much as humanly possible, so I can be as present as humanly possible. I'm not on my phone. I'm there. That really helps a lot.

And there's moments, like you were saying, when there's people that want something from me, or a codependent relationship that someone's trying to offer me, now I can turn it down because I have been doing the inner-work and because I've seen that pattern so much.

I'm sure it's a recurring thing unfortunately because there's a lot of ego in the scene. Some of it is the male DJs and their managers, who can have even sometimes bigger egos than them, and then people that are like, Oh, I know so and so. Maybe Detroit is less like that; I would assume people have less tolerance for that kind of behavior.

I feel like Detroit has more humbleness to it because people are actually really good at their craft.

Everybody has an ego; men, women, non-binary. No one is too distant from ego unless they do the inner-work. That's why I stay present, because I can have boundaries for that and I'm able to see when it's an opportunity to make a healthy relationship. Because if I don't have boundaries, what ends up happening is the loudest kid in the room will take up most of my energy. Really good people tend to be the quietest. Real power can be quiet, it can be gentle. It doesn't have to be the loudest person in the room. It's observing the person that runs or owns the whole club or bar, who hired everybody, but you would never know.

Having been able to witness you in so many different cities and venues, I can say your crowd is very queer. There's so much joy and self-expression and queerness at your sets. What does it mean to you that the queer community is such a core part of your audience, and, in the best of cases, is giving you that energy back?

I'm very honored. It comes down to paying homage to the people that are actually there for nothing but love; love for themselves, for the community. It's nice to be in such a raw space that I can contribute my love to their love and it builds and compounds.

When I play in a majority cis[-gender], straight space, it doesn't feel like it's compounding. I'm not trying to be rude. I feel like I gave people a lot energy or love, and it was fun, they had a good time, I had a good time, but sometimes the energy is just in that room, or it went to social media. If I'm lucky, maybe some people fell in love with the dance floor, or maybe some people did really get down. That is always a possibility, of course, but it feels like a little bit less of the collective in that room, and [like the energy and love] goes somewhere else.

When I play a queer party, it feels like what I just brought will now compound for the next DJ, or for a group of kids that were on the dance floor and had a moment. Or a group saw me play in New York, and now they have to come to Miami, so that relationship would compound and they will take that energy to another group or community, and I might not see them for three years. It grows and develops more; I think that's why it makes our spaces a little bit more supportive.

Sometimes you get that in straight clubs too, like the club you saw me play in New York [Public Records]. I feel like that building compounds on itself because the owner really likes music a lot. I think it basically compounds for the venue, but maybe not the group of people at the time. And that staff compounds [the energy] because they're always there. I've been making friends with those people and communicating with them and seeing how they're doing. That's the funny part of watching clubs shutting down, is that the spiritual or energetic feeling of love is compounding, but people are really coming in there to just take and then dip.

What are some specific ways that leaning into your astrology and learning more about your chart has helped you work better with yourself in your professional pursuits?

During the pandemic when we all had to sit with ourselves, I really wanted to take more time to figure out who I am. Some of that I embodied with my astrology, focusing on where all of my planets are at. That's when I realized I had no air [in my chart] and a lot of Capricorn. I've been doing this for a while, but when I figured out why I have so many [planets in] Capricorn, which is in my second house of finances and home, that makes sense, that's why I always try to create a lot of income streams and try to financially take care of myself. In order to do that, you have to be an entrepreneur to some degree; my Capricorn keeps wanting to grow and expand financially, which I look at as security in my life.

When it comes to my creative energy, it was interesting to see how my Aries leads that. I really had to figure out ways to adapt it and have more fun in my creative space, like how I love being creative with my astrology playlists. When I'm spinning or making these playlist ideas, I like to embody making a mixtape for a lover, and that makes it more fun for me.

When it comes to the business and relationship parts from Gemini, like I was saying, I've always had weird encounters of this is what people are telling me but this is what they're doing. Now I'm learning from that experience. So [astrology] helps, a lot, a lot.

Can you speak to how the Afrofuturism of techno inspired the album?

When I was making this album, I was like, this is definitely Afrofuturism because I'm talking about stars, I'm talking about astrology. My Star Trek energy is like, it's time to venture into space and time. Maybe this space and time is looking within and healing yourself, of having that adventure [to discover] who you are and what you're gonna go deeper into. My Afrofuturism is self-love, is healing, is processing; who I am is a divine soul, because we all are that energy. Some of us have forgotten or hidden that, or kind of belittle ourselves to make other people more comfortable. For me, Afrofuturism is definitely people healing themselves.

Mike Banks always talked about, how [Underground Resistance] made this music to deprogram our minds because the radio stations were playing the same shit. He was like, "I'm making music, not only for the DJs and the clubs, but also to un-brainwash people." Their music made me think for myself and get to really know what music is. So with my music, if it could go one step further; you're already un-brainwashed, now it's time to rediscover yourself.

You released House In The Dark on your newly launched Through the Veil imprint. Why did you decide to launch a new label versus rebooting your past one, Hitchhiker?

I just made that one [debut] EP on Hitchhiker. I made it with other people who had no actual intentions [for it], it was very rushed. It was very much the Gemini conversation I was having; I thought we were building it because of what my goals were, my values, and I expressed that. That's funny part about having a lot of Capricorn and Mercury, it’s like, I said what I said, I thought this is what we're doing? But come to find out, everybody had different agendas, opinions and ideas. They were more just like, I want to be famous, I just want wealth. That's not at all what I stand for, not what I want to do.

When I made Through the Veil, it was an understanding of seeing past what people express and the physical world to really seeing through your heart and soul. I started it for the album but I want to do more with it. On the first weekend of Aries season, we threw a party in Detroit, which was great. It was fantastic. It felt like home. I want to throw more of those parties.

I also want to start bringing more people onto the label. To be honest, instead of it just being about the sound, I want it to be a more intentional project with people. Some of my favorite labels are because they chose a particular sound and it works, and I'll create-dig that label forever. But for me and how I work, it might not be like that, it might actually be that this person's music is uplifting and inspiring, or it could have been they did some shadow work and their music is raunchy and expresses what they were feeling, on top of spreading the message of you gotta do the inner work.

I only want to work with people that do inner-work at this point in my life, I don't want to keep working with people that just want to be famous. I'd rather work with people that want to grow, take care of themselves, teach others, develop a community. So, I really made a big shift, and really had to focus on that.