Dozens of adult entertainers have followed in his footsteps, some have even tried to mimic his work, but there is only one DJ Pornstar.
Dominic Pacifico began DJing for the San Francisco underground dance scene in 1998, but it wasn’t until 2004 that his career behind the decks really took off. A big shift in music had occurred and the circuit scene that had dominated gay dance floors for much of the late nineties and early turn of the century had fallen out of favour.
Electro-clash was now blasting from club speakers, being played by a new crop of young DJs who’d abandoned the hefty crates of records and CDs used by their predecessors, choosing to use computer generated music instead. All of a sudden, every gay clubber with an iPod was calling himself a DJ.
Dominic Pacifico needed something to separate himself from the pack. He’d already made a name for himself in gay porn. His close friends called him DJ Pornstar and although it was meant as a joke, Pacifico embraced it, often spinning party gigs shirtless or in fun outfits; even jock straps. For the first time, however, he considered making ‘porn’ his brand.
His manager, at the time, was adamantly opposed to the idea. He warned Pacifico that promoters and bookers viewed spinning music as serious business and wouldn’t hire a DJ who billed himself as DJ Pornstar.
He said Pacifico would lose all the music cred he had worked so hard for. Pacifico disagreed. He recognised the sweeping change taking over the club industry.
The promoters and bookers that the manager said would denounce the name change were the same ones who, just a few years ago, condemned the mp3 DJs. Now they were hiring them. Their main goal was packing bodies on their dance floors and Pacifico was certain that branding himself as DJ Pornstar would attract crowds.
He wasn’t ashamed of his film work. Even today he views both his work in front of the camera and behind the decks as forms of artistic expression. Pacifico was confident that once promoters and bookers heard his music and realised he was a consummate professional, they would look past any concerns they had with the name.
And they have. Since parting ways with his manager over the name change disagreement, DJ Pornstar has performed around the world on five continents, in some of the biggest gay clubs and festivals. He’s also worked with some of the most well known promoters and holds residencies with many of them.
When he officially became DJ Pornstar, he quickly fell into the Tribal House sound. He describes his music as Techie Tribal with an emphasis on pop vocals. It’s happy and fun. “Sad songs are for the car radio or at home,” he says. “They have no place on the dance floor.” He’ll take a sombre song like Adele’s SkyFall and bring it to life with a vibrant, high-energy remix.
His crowds don’t want anything too serious or dark, he explains. “Great Latin beats and familiar pop vocals go a long way. Mix that with hot dancers, cheap drinks, great lighting, and voila, you have yourself a fun night out!”
Taking inspiration from the big DJ superstars like Calvin Harris – those who produce, sing, and collaborate with pop artists – Pacifico is currently working on his first EP of original production work.
He plans to debut the album this month under a new moniker, Pacifico. “My adult persona is just one of my many layers,” he says. “DJing is another and when my new album comes out, I believe people will see that producing is still another.
“Whether I’m Dominic Pacifico, DJ Pornstar, or now, Pacifico, my artistry stems from a love of play. I live to play… and I will play for life.”
• To find out more, check out www.djpornstar.com.
