Shaun J. Wright and Alinka are the DJs, producers, and promoters behind the respected house label Twirl Recordings and the hugely successful Chicago parties of the same name. Here they speak to Martyn Fitzgerald about life growing up house in the Windy City. Shaun J Wright and Alinka, start and finish each other’s sentences, testament to a deep friendship and years of late-night talks. As well as being label owners and promoters, they are sought-after DJs and producers and,

In 1992 Smokin Jo was the first woman to win DJ Magazine’s DJ of the Year Award. Shockingly, she remains the sole female recipient in 2026. I’m not one for awards and the top down competitive environment it fosters, not to mention the cultivation for external validation that it would be beneficial for us to counter in ourselves and others, but if we are going to have awards let’s try and say something important with them. In a sense Jo’s autobiography, You Don’t Need A Dick