(Heart) beat junkies

Dan Oh and Gina Turner

Meet Dan Oh and Gina Turner—neon bright and cutting-edge. Though they’re among the characters in Steve Aoki’s coterie—they met through Aoki, and Oh plays with him at Cinespace—they’ve also created their own niche at clubs like Vine Bar and Boardner’s. He’s more hip-hop scratch; she leans towards house. Who’s the better DJ?  “My girlfriend’s better than me” says Oh on his MySpace page.  “She'll school you too.”

Metromix: How did you meet?
Dan Oh: There used to be after-parties at the old Dim Mak office after Cinespace Tuesdays. I usually ended up playing cards with Aoki and friends. That night I was wearing a black all-over-print L.A. New Era. I heard someone say "Hey, I like your hat." I looked up to see a cute girl with bangs sitting on the other side of the poker table. Wait, I think we were actually playing blackjack, with Aoki being the bank. Whatever. But that's how it all started.

Dan, how would you describe Gina’s DJ style?
Heavy on the house, but not deep. It’s hard to explain. Go watch her play; I promise it'll be mind-blowing.

Gina, who has the most embarrassing records?
Dan probably has a few electroclash records he might be ashamed of, whether he chooses to admit it or not.

Do you ever play clubs together?
Dan: Yes, all the time.

Gina: And sometimes we even go by the name “DJs Adorable.”

Where was your first date?
Gina: I had a pair of tickets to go to the Rock Out Music Festival at the San Bernardino Fairgrounds. I posted a Myspace bulletin asking if someone wanted to go with me, and Dan was the first to respond because he was excited to see Prodigy perform. The ride there was awkward. I think we were both nervous. So we finally get there and realized: it wasn’t just a concert. It was a full-blown rave!  Dan says it was the first rave he had ever been to.    

Dan: Whatever she says. But it's true!

Describe your first kiss.
Dan: I guess NYE 2007? It wasn't a full-on sloppy make-out session. Just a nice kiss. Sloppy make-out session followed soon after.

If you were to play a song for each other, what would it be?
Dan: "The Way You Look Tonight," the version performed by Tony Bennett. I heard this on the “My Best Friend's Wedding” soundtrack and loved it. I'd like to learn the piano parts and sing it to her.

Gina: “Smack My Bitch Up” by Prodigy. It's our song.

See them DJ together at Boardner's "Nuvo Rouge" Valentine’s Day bash Feb. 17.