DJ Zenner here. I host a freeform show called The Zenner Zone. It's been on-air and running strong since October 2019.
How did you hear about KVRX and what made you want to do your show?
I first heard about KVRX through one of my best friends, Chris Burleson. We bonded and became friends over a similar music taste during my freshman year. He would often talk about how much he loved being a KVRX DJ and would occasionally suggest that I join the station and host a show, but I didn't seriously consider it until later.
The summer after my freshman year, I was at a Weyes Blood show in my hometown of El Paso, and Diego Britton, former programming director, happened to be standing right behind me on the standing room floor. We made some small talk before the show, and I remember being pretty shocked to run into a fellow UT student at a Weyes Blood show in a completely different city. I told him how I wanted to find a community of people at UT who loved music as much as I did, which made it pretty easy for him to sell KVRX to me. Our talk eventually evolved into him convincing me to finally get a show at the station. That next fall, I attended the first info session, got trained, and fulfilled my shadowing requirement as fast as I could (thanks to Lauren Johnson aka DJ LJ) and from there, The Zenner Zone was born.
What kind of music do you play on your show and what is its overall theme?
The Zenner Zone's theme is The Zenner Zone. Over the past year and a half of hosting my show, I've made it a point to not confine myself to any rules or regulations in terms of what I play on my show (hence why my show is freeform and not specialty). In the Zone, you'll hear a cosmic country track followed by a ridiculously over-the-top prog rock song. You'll hear a gorgeous string-laden ballad followed by a raw, crude punk song. My music taste is all over the place and The Zenner Zone perfectly embodies that. You never know what you're gonna get in the Zone and that's what makes it special. On a side note, while the music on my show is widely varying in genre and style, melody is crucial to me. Interesting, nontraditional chord progressions and key changes are the keys to my heart.
Another aspect of what makes The Zenner Zone unique is its special guest interviews. Over the past year, I've interviewed a handful of artists, ranging from Margo Guryan to Pearl Charles to Tyler Parkford of Mini Mansions / Arctic Monkeys and more. Be on the lookout for tons of more interviews coming soon…
What is your favorite part of being a DJ?
Honestly, being able to interact with so many musicians and music lovers, both inside and outside of KVRX, has been my favorite part of being a DJ. Through DJing at KVRX, I've met some of my best friends and have created incredibly meaningful relationships and friendships with fellow DJs, artists, and music lovers from all over the world.
Who are your favorite artists and what are your favorite albums?
Ahhh, the dreaded question. This is impossible to answer and my answers are constantly changing, but here's a rough list of my favorite artists (in no particular order):
Ween, The Lemon Twigs, Wand, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Cardiacs, of Montreal, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Harry Nilsson, David Bowie, Brian Eno, Faith No More, MGMT, Kate Bush, Jungle Green, Weyes Blood, Osees, Belle & Sebastian, QOTSA, Foxygen, John Cale, Arctic Monkeys, XTC, Cut Worms, Sparks, The Strokes, Jim O'Rourke, Harry Nilsson, Mr. Bungle, and many many more.
As far as favorite albums go, some of my all-time favorites are:
The Beatles - The White Album
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Love - Forever Changes
Brian Eno - Another Green World
Ween - Quebec
Mr. Bungle - California
Cardiacs - Sing to God
Belle & Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister
Listen to The Zenner Zone every Thursday from 11:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.