KOOSHTY: The DJ putting Glasgow in a spin

From making mixes in her bedroom to playing Riverside Festival, and absolutely everything in between.

Few things can break the ever-present record spinning at Glasgow’s Rubadub. The institution for electronic music has housed legends of the scene.

Now, it’s Kooshty’s turn.

At 21, it’s possible Kirsty Fraser A.K.A. Kooshty has jumped the queue – few DJs of any age bag a residency at the legendary La Cheetah after just one gig in town – but, as Kirsty unravels her brief career, the hum of agreement among Rubadub’s patrons begins to drown out their own jukebox.

“There’s not lots to do in Callander except for walk, drink coffee, and eat chips.”

You’ve heard it before, music as an escape from small-town upbringings but, very few have escaped as far as playing Riverside Festival: “When I was in school I was really bored.

“I went through the whole guitar phase, the ‘I play keyboard’ phase but nothing ever clicked for me.”

Underage drinking, in questionable places, seeps into the social life of most Scottish school-kids. More often than not, these interactions are sound-tracked by a long-serving genre.

“I was exposed to a lot of electronic music but, it was more when you’re at a gaff and someone’s playing DJ Badboy or something.” She cringes.

From a pal’s set of “tiny” Hercules decks for 40 quid, Kirsty navigated the makeshift techno landscape formed during lockdown, gaining a name for herself among Glasgow’s promoters before ever stepping foot on Gordon St.

Although only playing her first gig in the city two years ago – a small set in The Locale – she speaks like Glasgow is her playground and why wouldn’t she?

You’d struggle to find a partygoer between Sauchiehall Street and the Clyde that hasn’t raised a hand and rolled their eyes back to one of her masterful, on the spot mixes.

She rattles off international DJs like family, for which she has warmed-up iconic Rare crowds.

The once-in-a-lifetime experiences continue to fall out of the student’s mouth, and she keeps going until her voice crescendos to the emphatic conclusion… She’s lucky.

“I’ve played up and down Scotland and I’ve never really had a bad experience.

“I was just so set out to do it, sometimes it does feel like it’s ‘who you know’ and all that but it did come from the middle of nowhere and I’ve just been very lucky with the people I’ve played with and for.”

It’s this enthusiastic modesty that makes Kirsty so likeable. While she’s “buzzing” to play Scotland’s biggest parties, she’s just as gleeful telling me about the ones before she made it to clubs: “I’d go to gaffs and bring my decks and be like, ‘I can DJ guys!’.

“I feel like a lot of people just thought it was a joke, even myself.

“But everyone’s always been so encouraging; my family, my pals back home especially here [Glasgow], I’ve got such a good group of people around me.”

Don’t let the humility fool you though, throughout the hour long chat I had with Kooshty every sentence sat in-front of a very composed, self-assured woman – a personality necessary to walk her many avenues of creativity.

Kirsty runs FA!TH, an inclusive club night run out of Broadcast basement in the city-centre.

Laughing, she says: “It just felt like the next thing I needed to do.” – because of course, what else is a 21-year-old, juggling university, headline shows, and a successful DJ duo, to do?

“It’s so stressful, I don’t like the pressure of having to sell tickets and that but, it’s so rewarding.”

An important reward at that.

The night aims to promote female and LGBTQ+ artists in the “sweaty basements” that Kooshty loves: “I wanted to create a space where everyone could properly feel safe because I know what it’s like to be in that environment and not feel comfortable.”

As we took a walk around the corner to a cafe, Kirsty tells me of some “cheeky” comments she received due to her quick climb through parts of the DJing career that many struggle to get a grip of.

Kooshty played Rare as it opened back up after lockdown.

“A lot of people were like: ‘Who’s this? Why is she DJing there when she’s hardly DJ’d?”

“It’s always more difficult when you’re a female and I kind of underestimated that.

“I thought it was just something people say – that there’s a lot of misogyny – but it really is quite prevalent.

Kirsty agreed that in small-towns, like her home Callander, it’s difficult to find a space for yourself.

As the city around The Clyde gains powerful people willing to make a change, safe spaces for the queer community are becoming more popular – maybe Scotland’s biggest city is finally catching up with its residents.

“I came out in high school as gay and when you’re in that kind of town there’s nowhere to express yourself then, you come to Glasgow and there’s so many outlets.”

Kirsty tells us it’s not only the culture of the scene that’s changing.

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Then, in July she plays TRNSMT’s Boogie Bar, an entirely different environment to the low-ceiling boxes she’s used to.

“It’s crazy. It was the first festival I ever went to when I was like 16.

“I’ve seen videos of last year of Rare residents Testpress and it looked bouncing – I’m really excited for it.”

Standing face-to-face with Rubadub’s eclectic record collection, Kooshty tells me about a couple songs she’s been working on with her Knees Up partner, Charlie Preston, that are set for release this summer.

Dan Lurinsky of Rubadub and label DABJ, tells me: “We only buy in music we would listen to ourselves and our core aim is to share that music with the wider community.”

So, when the time is right, It’s not unlikely that Kooshty’s first releases will be tucked in-between her biggest influences.

Frequent Glasgow clubs and you’ll find Kirsty Fraser with a crowded, sweaty basement at her fingertips.

At the rate she’s going, Kooshty has Glasgow in the palm of her hand – its only a matter of time before she tightens her grip.