Ready to dive into a world of dreamy shoegaze, seashell pop, and more as each song builds a narrative of wonder? DJ Arc Antica will be your sonic guide on the new BFF.fm show, Sound Spiral. A native of San Francisco, Emily (DJ Arc Antica) grew up in the Sunset district, where the ocean's influence reigns strong. They then went to college in San Diego, becoming acquainted with the DIY punk and alternative scene by ways of a co-op community and local venues. However, NorCal beckoned, and lucky for us, led DJ Arc Antica back to our beloved Bay Area to bring Sound Spiral to the airwaves. DJ Davia of SF Retro sat down with them recently to ask about their origins and what is next!

You can tune into Sound Spiral every Tuesday from 8:00-10:00 pm!

Q: What genres do you explore on Sound Spiral?

Arc Antica: My genres are a little all over the place! Definitely a lot of experimental, trip-hop, ambient, electronic– kind of a mix based on the theme of the week I'm going for. I'm trying to choose a different environmental place for each of my episodes, or a specific time. I've done one based on the year 3005, featuring more futuristic artists that are currently coming out with music that seems like it has its own sound that hasn't been explored before. I'm doing one that's based on a mermaid's living room, trying to be inspired by songs that I could imagine that would be in that environment. So kind of like, trying to take ideas of a story or an environment and creating a show that is based on what I think those sounds could be.

Q: How does the Bay Area influence you?

Arc Antica: I am born and raised in San Francisco, I lived here almost for all my life except for college. I went to San Diego, and I came back during COVID for a bit, then went back to San Diego. I ended up moving here after college which I wasn't really sure if I would be coming back or just be here temporarily. I'm still here a couple years later and I don't have plans to leave! I love this city and we probably have both seen it change a lot over the years.

Being an adult now, versus being a teenager, it feels like starting over, interacting with the culture in a different way especially with nightlife. Going to live shows brings in a totally different perspective. And because the city has changed so much, and also stayed the same, San Francisco has always been a transitory and migratory place– there's always going to be a polarity between the people who have been here for a while and the people who are coming.

Q: Besides DJing, are there other ways you explore your creativity?

Arc Antica: Well, I am also a playwright and a songwriter, so I definitely want to drop some narrative seeds in terms of world building for the radio show. I am definitely curious to keep exploring the local scene and explore live DJing as well!