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 is characterized by an 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 variety 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. Special guests have included: Vida Beyer, Ella Blou, Aaron Pretty, POSSESSED MAGAZINE, Nami Hotatsu, and dubstronica.

Over the years, she has brought her eclectic collection and sensibility to several community events and spaces, including the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Space 4 Art, INTERVALS, and the In Sheep’s Clothing x Folk Arts Rare Records x Japonesia Spring ‘23 & Winter ‘23 Markets at Quartyard.
She has played with artists such as RJD2, Unknown Mobile, crushed, Cindy Lee, Freak Heat Waves, Molly Nilsson, and more.
She has made regular appearances at San Diego venues like Whistle Stop, Soda Bar, The Casbah, Longplay HiFi, and Part Time Lover. In June 2024, she made her international debut at 渋谷 Tangle - Music Bar & Floor in Shibuya.

rinse. relax. enjoy. 🫧

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 prismatic scope of electronica that rarely receives focus—at least in San Diego—and prioritizes a fun and playful atmosphere.

Soap consists of hybrid vinyl and digital sets. Guest selectors are encouraged to play vinyl to emphasize the intentionality behind collecting physical media as a vast majority of the records spun at Soap have been lost to time, digital migration, or are not readily accessible on streaming platforms. Encouraging the format 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, Sleepy zzZweet and Atrevido.

Soap is BYOB — bring your own bubbles!~ 🫧