DJ Post Meridian // Paris Mancini

What is your name and DJ name?

My name is Paris Mancini, and my DJ name is DJ Post Meridian.

What is the name of your show and when is it on?

It’s called Where Is My Mind? after the Pixies song, and it’s on Tuesdays from 3 to 5pm.

Please describe your show. What is its format?

It’s as freeform as it gets. I basically DJ everything live, to suit my whims in that moment. And if people call in I’ll take requests, and I kind of treat it like the way someone would during a dance party, where you’re doing everything in the moment.

What drew you to participate in KMRD?

I was in a band with Lilia, who is a DJ, and she said it was so awesome. And I was a DJ in New Haven, Connecticut, where I’m from.

What is the appeal of doing a radio show? How does it fit into the rest of your life?

In pandemic times, it’s certainly the highlight of every week. It also anchors my week, which is very nebulous. In regular times… I’ve always been a radio listener – as a really little kid, and my whole life – and I love being able to control a broadcast, and add to the collective broadcast that’s out there. Musically, I am a big music nerd so I love playing stuff you probably wouldn’t hear on the radio. More local bands, underground things, stuff I wish I could hear on the radio. 

It does tie into my life, because normally my life is pretty full-time to half-time musician. So it gave me a great excuse to listen actively to music that’s not just what I’m playing and what people I know are playing, but kind of looking for new things and gathering them each week. Kind of harvesting, and then putting them back out there. It ties into my life as a loudmouth, a creative person, someone who is interested in current events. I feel like people who do the radio kind of are at the forefront – it’s kind of journalism, in a way, although what we’re doing is more art-focused. It’s definitely a necessary ingredient.

What difference has being a DJ made in your life?

It definitely gives music listening more significance, because I can then share it. I think being an extrovert, I don’t do a lot of stuff if it’s just for me, but if there’s other people in my mind – so if I hear something great and “ooh, I can share it” that week, that’s really nice. The radio community is amazing, and meeting lots of different people, but likeminded in that we love the radio, is wonderful. I think in Madrid in particular, is extremely unique, because it’s such a strange, tiny place. And we’re broadcasting out of it! So that’s very cool. Madrid having a voice is very cool.

What are your hopes for your show?

I hope some people listen to it! I hope people enjoy it. I like to take an Afrika Bambaataa approach, which to me means hitting people with really disjointed songs, things they wouldn’t expect, lots of deep cuts, lots of songs that may not flow together at all. So I’m trying to educate people, find lots of new tunes for myself to keep myself interested… I hope people leave surprised, even a little disturbed is ok. I think if they’re moved in some way or touched in some way, that makes me happy.

What are your hopes for the station?

I hope it, obviously, continues. I hope that in the “after times” of pandemic, that we can start to bring people in again and have interviews and have live shows and live recordings, and more interaction with the station, like we were before. It’s kicking ass. We have so many DJs! I guess I would say I hope it keeps growing, but I also love that it’s so local, and I don’t think it could become like a corporate-ish monster-ish horrible thing. I really like how it is! I hope it stays the same, kind of. 

Sometimes I’ll be in here, and I think especially during the pandemic, I’ll be like, “IS ANYONE OUT THERE??” and I had a lot of callers last week, and someone even said, “Hey, long-time listener, first-time caller”! My take-away, or my message to leave with people is that, and the radio reminds us of this: even though you might feel so alone and like no one is hearing you, your existence, and certainly your radio existence, ripples through the world. Literally, theoretically, figuratively, whatever. That’s my takeaway from the radio experience.