Astani Ballah

Astani Ballah (The Vinyl Cutie) is a Fort Lauderdale–based vinyl DJ and curator whose practice explores memory, intimacy, and community through recorded sound. Working exclusively with vinyl, she treats records as both archive and instrument—objects that carry histories, textures, and emotional residue. Her selections move fluidly across house, disco, soul, funk, and experimental grooves, prioritizing narrative flow and sensory experience over genre boundaries.

Astani’s sets often blur the line between listening session and dancefloor, inviting audiences to slow down, notice details, and feel the weight of sound. She is interested in how music functions as a social technology—how sharing records creates connection, vulnerability, and collective memory.

She hosts Open Spin, a monthly vinyl listening and open decks series at Connect Record Shop, which functions as a communal listening lab and gathering space for DJs, collectors, and music lovers. Her work on platforms such as Jolt Radio, Radio-Active Records, Technique Records, and All LGBTQ+ Run Club Southern Nights reflects her commitment to amplifying vinyl culture in inclusive, queer-friendly, and community-centered environments.

Astani’s practice resists elitism in DJ culture, foregrounding softness, curiosity, and accessibility. Through vinyl, she builds worlds where people gather, listen closely, and move together.