Laurie Piña is a San Diego-based dj and record collector who sometimes performs under the moniker Crushed Peanut.
At Part Time Lover Hi Fi. Photo by Christian Gonzalez.
Laurie’s versatile approach to djing has been honed over many years of dedicated crate-digging, web trawls & rabbit holes, and unbounded curiosity. Her focus on worldbuilding through mood and texture is inspired by the relations between sound and disciplines of design, including illustration, graphics, interiors, fashion, and film. These intersections are reflected in her ability to skillfully merge cheeky leftfield exuberance with slinky atmospherics.
While she embraces a wide accumulation of styles, her specialty lies in the sounds of the 90s and early 2000s. Her extensive vinyl collection encompasses trip hop, chill-out, big beat, groovy breakbeat, lounge pop, IDM, clubpop, and Happy Charm Fool Dance Music/Shibuya-kei. As a vinyl enthusiast and a dj, her aim is to spin inviting ambiances and share overlooked, under-appreciated, and unexpected delights with others.
She hosts Rare Charm, a monthly radio show which explores a wide range of music and other sonic source materials based around a unique narrative, concept, or mood. It broadcasts one to two hours every last Wednesday of the month at 8pm Pacific on Particle FM, a San Diego-based DIY internet radio station that reaches 600 unique listeners each month.
Over the years, she has brought her eclectic collection and sensibility to Space 4 Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, INTERVALS, the In Sheep’s Clothing x Folk Arts Rare Records x Japonesia Spring ‘23 Market at Quartyard, and brought support to several other community events, record shops, pop-ups, and local shows.
In 2021, along with her partner Aaron Pretty, she cofounded Soap, a curated lounge and dance party surveying global electronica that aims to put turn-of-the-millennium styles in conversation with present-day electronic artists that draw from these sonic antecedents. This interplay gives context to the present while underscoring the enduring legacy of the past. Overall, the event seeks to provide a space that showcases a deep scope of electronica that rarely receives focus—at least in San Diego—and prioritizes a fun and playful atmosphere. Though it is not a prerequisite for guest selectors to spin strictly on wax, the night emphasizes the format for its intentionality.
Additionally, since a good chunk of the records spun at Soap have been lost to time, digital migration, or are not readily accessible on streaming platforms, it is an active effort to preserve music history by keeping these tunes alive on the dance floor.
Past guest djs include local selectors: Giuoco Piano (Pablo Dodero), Estrella, and Atrevido.
Soap is BYOB — bring your own bubbles!~ 🫧
Laurie with DJ Estrella at Whistle Stop, 8/14/22. Photo by Kevin Huynh.
