DJ Knives
IO: From house and techno to unexpected crowd-pleasers, your sets are known for getting the crowd seriously hyped. What’s your secret?
Nyall: I think the secret to a good DJ set is treating it like an airplane flight. A set has a solid takeoff: an opening song that should be unique and impactful to let the audience know you have arrived. Following that you should hit your cruising altitude of consistent energy for most of the set. Toward the end you want to reach your peak altitude where you play your heaviest bangers. Then the landing, where you play 1-2 vibey songs to end the set and bring the audience back down to earth.
IO: Dirty Not Sorry recently celebrated its 6-year anniversary. Looking back, what does that milestone mean to you, and how has Dirty Not Sorry evolved since you started it?
Nyall: As a promotion company and artist collective, I'm really proud of our accomplishments over the last 6 years.
Hosting over 30 events a year at clubs or venues all around SF and weekly live DJ sets featuring over 300 artists on our platform. We also release records under our label: Dirty Not Sorry Records, where we currently give a home to bootleg remixes from some of our favorite up and coming artists.
IO: What course or program did you take at IO Music Academy, and what originally brought you to IO?
Nyall: As a DJ for 15 years I felt like I had achieved many of the goals I set out for myself.
However I had never focused on production, or taken making music seriously, until I started in Building Blocks at IO Music Academy. It was my 2026 goal to start producing music, and IO has been the instrumental force behind helping me make this a reality.
IO: Was there something specific you learned at IO that ended up having a real impact on your DJ career or the way you approach music?
Nyall: At IO I learned how to be both creative and consistent when producing electronic music.
IO has a proven formula for getting you from zero to completing and sharing your first track.
The best part is the community and feeling of camaraderie you have with the instructors and other students.
IO: What's next for you creatively?
Nyall: I've recently finished a series of demos and I'm very excited to start shopping some of these tracks to labels and securing my first release. I also plan to release at least one bootleg remix this year, which will be another significant milestone for me. The style I'm currently obsessed with is heavily inspired by Hard Bounce, Hard House, and Speed Garage.
IO: What’s one thing you’d tell an aspiring DJ who wants to start building their own community and opportunities?
Nyall: Get out there both in person and online. Go to events and introduce yourself to all the DJs, security, bartenders, and event staff.
Build your network and interact consistently to establish your reputation and trust. Simultaneously record and share your mixes and tracks online and create content to promote them, in order to build a solid online presence.
This combination is unbeatable, if you consistently show up in person and online, people will take notice and want to help you get more involved.