KNOW a KAOS DJ: DJ Petunia, Serenades for Sex Kittens

What's your name? Lorelei, or DJ Petunia.

What's your show called?  Serenades for Sex Kittens. Meow!!

What's your show about?  Bygone popular muzak from elsewhere a long, long time ago... 

When and how did you start at KAOS? Started as a community member volunteer back in October of 2024 - a few hours every week helping with reorganizing the CD library and whatnot. Eventually took up your DJ training course, as well as a bit of shadowing for some of the KAOS DJs. I was determined from the start to secure my own show - kind of underestimated how quickly the opportunity would hit me, honestly! Serenades for Sex Kittens is definitely in its state of infancy.

Do you remember the first song you ever played on-air? Spring is Coming with a Strawberry in the Mouth by Operating Theatre.

What’s the most memorable moment you’ve had live on the air?  Oh goddd. Besides the somewhat frequent bouts of dead air where I'm like literally clambering around the studio like a maniac because the next song just flat-out refuses to play, I'm pretty sure I accidentally let half of the f-word from a Disco Inferno song slip through during my last rookie session. Keeps me up at night, to be honest LOL. The FCC is scary girl.

How do you prepare for a show — or do you just wing it? A bit boring, but as of now, it starts off with a handful of first-listens and other songs in my current rotation, then it builds into a larger, cohesive setlist. I tend to expose myself to new music in somewhat vigorous but short-lived hyperfixations around certain genres - this week's was Eurobeat and Hi-NRG. I have so many plans for the show though. It'd be fun not only having to account for playing the songs correctly and not absolutely mucking up my forward announcements. 

What’s something you wish more people knew about community radio? I wish people just knew about their local stations point blank!

What’s the last song you completely fell in love with? The Mercury Girl by the Cleaners from Venus.

What record made the biggest impact on your life?  Flavoury Music by Ichiko Hashimoto. It can take a few listens for me to really warm up to full-length projects but this hit me like a brick wall on my first listen. Unimaginable impact on my life - I truly wasn't the same since LOL. Released only on cassette in 1987 as an image album for her novel Furebarīgāru wa ocha no jikan ni tabi o suru (Flavoury Girl Travels During Tea Time), it's just so brilliant. Wistful, and melancholic, and GORGEOUS. Unapologetically enchanted and romantic. It really is a dream come true. "Little Farewell" is my favorite song of all time.

What was your first concert? An Aquabats concert when I was less than ten-years-old in Portland. It was a blur. Also scorching hot. The opening act really tripped me up, I think. It was a blast, though.

What music-related hill will you die on? Appreciating and listening to music is intrinsically a personal experience and has everything to do with one's own ego. It honestly baffles me that people can think otherwise. 

What’s your favorite local music memory from where you grew up? Riding on my bike north of Olympia listening to Godsend by Beat Happening. I think that should count.

What’s your favorite local band or artist right now? FR34KY9U9 rocks.

What genre do you secretly know way too much about? So many. I'm an absolute genre geek. I could probably write a thesis on how 9/11 killed indie pop.

What artist do you like that would surprise your audience and friends the most? American Football, probably.

What artist do you not like that would surprise your audience and friends the most? The Smiths. Yucky. Rusholme Ruffians is freaking great, tho.

If you could interview any musician—living or dead—on your show, who would it be? Madonna

What are a few of your desert island discs?

Exile in Guyville by Liz Phair, Burning Farm by Shonen Knife, Retreat From the Sun by Thatdog, Yasimika by Djeli Moussa Diawara.