A sonic Daisychain journey.

Name: Alicia Greco
Alias: Leesh (@dj_leesh)
Pronouns: they/them
Location: Chicago

Influences: Flowers, prisms, the sun and moon and stars and planets, addiction and recovery, kung fu, interconnection, acceptance, love.

Affiliations/Residencies/Projects: Daisychain

Favorite Quote:

“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Advice for the DJs, producers and artists of our community:
You are good enough. Your voice is important. Do not let anyone put you beneath them, and if they try to – use your FORWARD ENERGY. When the punches get more intense, relax harder. Breathe. Keep going. You’ll get stuck sometimes, and then you’ll keep going. Things will change, and you will keep going.

There is not something deeply broken inside of you. We all have parts of us that are hurt and need healing, but the core of you is not broken. The core of you is beautiful and whole. And that beauty can be found. Listen to your inner voice, speak kindly to yourself. Healing is not linear. When you feel the urge to isolate, reach out. It is OKAY to ask for help. Learn what form of self-care works for you at any given moment. You deserve to love and be loved.

Imposter syndrome happens to all of us. But all of those minutes you spend questioning your sound, your message, your decisions, your selection, your transitions – all of those minutes you spend questioning and judging YOU – enough time will pass and you’ll look back or listen back and you’ll be proud of who you are and what you made. The mistakes that felt blinding will fade. You’re still going to sweat about it, just try not to sweat too much because it will keep you from enjoying the moment. You are not a machine! You are a human!

Fuck the system. Use that DIY energy to create the space you long for but don’t go it alone. Find others, build something, do it together. Play the game if you wish, but remember you also don’t have to. You can forge your own path, one that’s less trodden. It will be hard and you will have doubts but if you keep going, you will find authenticity. It’s never too late.

Know yourself. Learn to love yourself.

About the mix:
In all of these years, I myself have never made a Daisychain mix. Now, here it is. Talk about daunting pressure! But with these ideas of time, transition and change, I did a retrospective to create this concept: my sonic journey through Daisychain. I went back and listened to all of my old mixes to select tracks that were of utmost significance to me during this span of time. I wrote down 125 tracks on 125 post-its that took over the walls of my dining room. I somehow narrowed it down. This was a truly wild task and an exercise in reflection and acceptance. I listened to myself going through various stages of life, various stages of being a DJ. I heard the moments of heartbreak, the moments when I gained more confidence in my sound. I heard myself playing it safe as a baby DJ, to taking absolutely wild risks as time went by. But one of the most interesting parts of this: I didn’t hear the mistakes the same way as I did then. We are all our own worst critics. When I made a mix or released a live recording there were moments when I would cringe to no end at something that sounded totally off or came in at the wrong time or had the dial turned the wrong direction when I turned on the LPF/HPF. I would obsess. Enough time has gone by that I didn’t hear any of that anymore. All I heard was me trying my best and expressing how I was feeling as authentically as possible. Mistakes are beautiful. They are what make us human. It’s progress, not perfection. I dusted off records from my past and grabbed some digital. But all of these tracks have been deeply important to me in the past 7 years, and gathered together now tell a special story.

With this mix Leesh asks for you to please learn more about and consider donating to:

❁ Dogs Matter: An organization that provides temporary foster service for folks going into rehab for alcoholism and addiction. Folks going into rehab knowing their furry friend is safe and will be waiting for them helps them on their journey of recovery.

❁ FreeFrom: This LA-based organization was created to help survivors of domestic violence achieve financial security and help to dismantle the systemic economic structures that perpetuate the violence. As a survivor myself, this organization is doing something incredible and I truly believe in it.

❁ Beagle Freedom Project: Beagles are the most used dogs for experimental testing due to their kind and trusting nature and temperament. BFP rescues and rehomes beagles from these labs to provide for them a better, safer life. If you know me, you know Yahtzee. He’s the rescued beagle baby angel of my life. Rescue the beagles! Watch beagles touching grass for the first time after living their whole life in a cage.

Find Leesh on…
✿ Soundcloud ✿
✿ Instagram ✿
✿ Resident Advisor ✿