‘Don’t Be Afraid to Dance!’: DJ Profile: Audrey Morgan, A.K.A. Orch111d

Audrey Morgan is the live DJ for the Astra Collective AW25 Fashion Show ‘FUCHSIA’ in support of the Pink Ribbon Foundation. Here, she’s been interviewed by the Astra Collective’s Marketing & Social Media Officer, Geneva (Eva) O’Hara. Read on for introspective insights from Audrey, A.K.A. orch111d, on her inspirations for her craft and for ‘FUCHSIA.’ 

EVA: Okay, we are starting… ‘DJ Profile with Audrey Morgan’ … Is that how you want me to credit you?

AUDREY: Yeah, and my stage name is orch111d. With three 1s, like angel numbers. I don’t have a lot of stock in angel numbers, but I do like being silly. I like recognising patterns. That’s all DJing is, is recognising patterns. 111 is new beginnings, new opportunities, new chapters, and personal growth. 

EVA: I love that.

AUDREY: I really like it with DJing because I was really stuck trying to find a medium that I resonated with that didn’t have a high barrier. I used to oil paint, I used to do a lot of sculpture, and obviously those take a lot of time and a lot of resources that I just – as a uni student – don’t have. But DJing has been really therapeutic for me. It’s really helped me relieve the tension by creating something.

EVA: Can you walk me through your process?

AUDREY: I use a DDJ-FLX2 DJ controller from Alpha Theta, which is one of the most bog-standard, basic decks. I love her. She’s wonderful. And then I just use some very basic, free DJ software. I am a big believer that you don’t have to pay crazy amounts of money for good results. And if you want to create, you will find a way to create things, regardless of how you do it.

EVA: How do you mix the songs?

AUDREY: I like to break down the songs that inspire me into stems, and a lot of the time I’ll be able to imagine something in my head and combine two songs. I think combining songs and combining beats has been where I’m most inspired rather than straight up traditional DJing. I’ve always loved a good remix. I love some interpolation, and to put a new, fresh spin on things.

EVA: You DJ’d the Astra Collective Fashion Show in April last year. What was that like?

AUDREY: It turned out a lot better than I thought it was going to [she laughs]. It was my first time playing music I had mixed out loud in public, and I was pretty proud of it. I took a lot of inspiration from, rather than just high-end fashion shows, what would be most inspiring to walk down the runway to. I mixed in some phonk, some Brazilian pop, and, of course, ‘Vogue’ by Madonna.

EVA: Of course.

AUDREY: I also used song suggestions from other members of the Astra committee, but rather than just playing the song, I would take elements from it and mix it. And I think that was a really fun and fresh way to approach something that originally I wasn’t a part of. 

EVA: What are some things that inspire you outside of the DJ and music world?

AUDREY: Movie trailers – especially horror films with a final girl type plot can be very inspiring. There’s kind of an epicness, and the tone of it that really suits the fashion world and the runway. You’re trying to make these designs seem as epic as possible.

EVA: It kind of feels like you’re the only girl in the world when you’re on the runway. You’re the final girl.

AUDREY: Right, because you modelled last year.

EVA: I did! I remember when they told me, ‘Audrey’s the DJ. She’s very cool.’ I was like, ‘We have a DJ?’

AUDREY: Oh my god [she laughs]. I’m also obsessed with fragrances. I love multisensory experiences, which I think is why it’s so important that we have good music for the fashion show, because when you’ve got these models on the runway, the audience isn’t experiencing the fullness of the design. You’re not feeling the texture, or the way it moves, the way it sits on the skin, which is so important to fashion and movement, and touch and tactile. It’s always so interesting to go outside the medium.

EVA: What about any influences that are directly related to music?

AUDREY: I get a lot of inspo from just basic, really popular DJs. I don’t think I’m niche in any way. The guy who got me into DJing is Nick Cheo [@nickcheo] on Instagram. He’s currently on tour opening for PinkPantheress, and I liked how simple his mixes were. He would mix Clairo with a Playboi Carti track.

EVA: I think I might’ve heard one… I know the mix of Clairo with ‘Gucci FlipFlops’ [by Bhad Bhabie and Lil Yachty].

AUDREY: That’s him.

EVA: Oh my god. I’ve heard that a hundred times.

AUDREY: He’s just so talented. He gets it. 

EVA: You’re DJing the next show for the Astra Collective, ‘FUCHSIA.’ What are you looking forward to with that?

AUDREY: I’ve been looking at Tara Sankey, the president of the Astra Collective, looking at her moodboard and what inspired her to put together the Fuchsia theme. With the vibes of the pieces, I can put together a playlist that sonically reflects the energy of Fuchsia.

EVA: You recently DJ’d another Astra Collective fundraiser called ‘On Wednesdays, We Wear Pink’ in support of the Pink Ribbon Foundation. What was that experience like?

AUDREY: It was my first time DJing to a live audience, so obviously I was nervous. I was just absolutely in my head about it. I liked it when people were dancing. I was really proud of some of the work I did, and I ended up coming up with some of it on the fly. I’m DJing the after party too – everyone must dance! I think the vibe is just going to be: How much fun can we possibly have?

EVA: Yes! Everyone must dance. I love that.

AUDREY: It’s interesting because, as a student fashion show, we don’t have a lot of resources at hand and we want to raise as much as we can for [The Pink Ribbon Foundation] and prioritise breast cancer awareness and funding for that. It’s such a poignant issue, and under-researched. And the fact that there is a way to check your boobs yourself is not talked about enough. 

EVA: Definitely not.

AUDREY: I think at uni age, a lot more people need to be doing that.

EVA: What are you most excited about DJing for the show? I know you’re DJing ‘FUCHSIA’ live.

AUDREY: Being onstage is both anxiety-inducing and also so exciting. I’m going to be so nervous, but I’m going to have a good time. DJing is so intuitive, and it’s something I can really lose myself in. I’m nervous in anticipation, but also excited. It’s a chance for me to share my art, and bring the party [she laughs]. And then for the after party – don’t be afraid to dance!

EVA: Okay, I have one last question for you: What songs scream ‘FUCHSIA’?

AUDREY: I think the most Fuchsia songs right now… ‘Spit’ by Gelli Haha. It’s so colourful and girly. ‘Britpop’ by A.G. Cook, Eko by Yeule, and then… ‘I Felt Love’ by Blue Hawaii.