about me
Hi! I'm Jordan Brown aka DJ brownsounds (full bio below)
I'm a black feminist DJ-scholar from the Inland Empire (IE) in Southern California. You can find me behind the DJ booth, on the dancefloor, facilitating learning spaces, or chatting/thinking/writing at my local coffee shop/bar. I love to play genre-bending tunes that help release stress from the body. I've been DJing in Southern California's grassroots art/music/activist scene since 2021. In 2019, I earned my BA in History from Spelman College. Currently, I am preparing to defend my Ph.D. in Anthropology at University of California, Riverside (UCR).
In 2023, I was awarded a Dissertation Fieldwork Fellowship from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst or, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). I also served as a Visiting Scholar in the Department of European Ethnology (iFEE) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. During the fellowship, I engaged with a wide variety of people involved in Berlin's nightlife scene, or rave ecosystem, as one of my comrades (Kerstin Meißner) calls it, to create community-centered research.
You can learn more about my dissertation research, Emergent Dancefloors: Berlin Memories and Worldmaking Through a Crisis of Care @ this link –> [https://jordanbrownsounds.net/research]
My music practice is not separate from my academic work, nor my spirit. From hip-hop and neo-soul to techno and jungle, I take pride in bringing a wildcard to my sets. I view DJing as a ritual that offers sound as a way to soothe the tension from living with an violently oppressive culture.
I began this journey by playing art markets and pride month parties at local venues. I started DJing digitally and eventually practiced on turntables. I kicked my turntable practice up a notch and graduated from the Beat Junkies Institute of Sound! I've played at various local events including Riverside Art Walk at the Cheech Museum, San Bernardino Art Walk, and the LA County fair. Non-profit and corporate events including galas, graduations, and conferences.
Most frequently, I play at bars (like W.Wolfskill), restaurants, mutual aid events, weddings, any-reason celebrations (I once DJ'd an all-womxn's rock-climbing gym event), and house parties. I am committed to healing through sound. In the summer of 2025, I collaborated with other local DJs in the IE to create Somebody’s Birthday, a get together for the people by the people, a happening, a celebration. We collaborated with local librarians, archivists, and activists to give away free books and zines for our community, while providing a family friendly atmosphere at a local park. Always with music, movement, and resources at the forefront.
You can hear more about my DJing here –> [Link](yet to be created jordanbrownsounds . net / music) (create link)
In Solidarity, JB