In a culture where visibility often feels like currency and constant presence can blur the line between passion and pressure, conversations about mental health for DJs are becoming increasingly important. Many artists quietly wrestle with how to stay authentic while navigating a fast-moving industry that rarely slows down.
In this artist interview, Miami techno DJ Mr.Proper and I explore the inner world behind the decks. From authenticity and self-criticism to boundaries, sustainability, and the evolving definition of success in nightlife culture.
Dr.Kyse: Do you ever feel a disconnect between who you are privately and who the industry expects you to be publicly?
Mr.Proper: Not really. I am who I am… publicly and privately. I don’t feel the need to create a separate version of myself just to fit into the industry. The person you see on the dancefloor or behind the decks is the same person I am at home.
There is pressure in the industry, especially within the more purist side of the techno community. Sometimes the expectation is to be strictly music-focused and almost mysterious, and to keep everything else out of sight. I understand that mentality, but I don’t believe in building a persona just to meet those expectations.
Authenticity travels further than performance. Being real with your personality, your flaws, and your perspective builds stronger connections than trying to fit into an image.
That doesn’t mean I’m open with everyone or that I share every part of my life. I value privacy. But I won’t distort who I am just to belong.
Dr.Kyse: Have there been moments in your journey where an opportunity, or the desire to belong, tempted your authenticity? Not in an obvious way, but maybe a quiet negotiation you almost made internally to progress.
Mr.Proper: Absolutely. In the techno scene, that quiet negotiation happens more often than people admit. It usually comes disguised as ‘evolution’ or ‘adapting to the market.’ There have definitely been moments where I was tempted to change my sound just to fit onto a specific lineup, or considered shifting my style completely to secure more bookings in places like Miami. It’s a very seductive trap, trading a piece of your authenticity for a faster route to progression, and it’s something I’ve definitely had to navigate.
Dr.Kyse: When you step off the decks after a set, what does recovery look like in the hours or days that follow?
Mr.Proper: To be honest, after almost every set, I struggle to sleep. My mind keeps replaying moments, transitions, track choices, and crowd reactions. There’s a lot of self-critique that follows.
Sometimes it goes deeper than it should. For example, after my set at Mode Miami, I wasn’t happy with how I played. That feeling stayed with me longer than I expected, almost two weeks of overanalyzing every detail. I tend to be my own toughest critic.
In the past, I would really beat myself up over it. But I’ve started to realize that growth comes from reflection, not punishment. Now I try to let myself feel the disappointment, learn from it, and then reset. Recovery for me isn’t just physical, it’s mental. It’s stepping back, spending time alone, listening, re-centering, and reminding myself why I do this in the first place.
The self-doubt is part of the process, but so is getting back up.
Dr.Kyse: When you were in that two-week spiral of replaying everything, at what point did you recognize that the self-criticism had crossed the line, and that it was actually draining you? What shifted internally that helped you move from punishing yourself to learning from the experience?
Mr.Proper: I realized I’d crossed a line when I just couldn’t sleep for a few days. It sounds intense, I know, but when you care this much about the music, it’s never just a gig: it gets in your head. That exhaustion was my wake-up call. I just had to finally tell myself, ‘Okay, feel it, process it, but then let it go.’ Because at the end of the day, anyone who’s seen me play knows I give it absolutely everything I have.
Dr.Kyse: Miami’s techno scene thrives on constant events, afterparties, and visibility. As someone who identifies as introverted, how do you build authentic connections without overriding your need for solitude?
Mr.Proper: Miami moves fast. It’s a city that never stops, and somehow, it’s still never enough. There’s always another party, another after, another wave.
For me, I don’t try to be friends with everyone. I don’t chase visibility, and I don’t build relationships for the sake of getting booked. I focus on genuine connections, with people who truly care about the music and the culture.
I support the parties I believe in. I show up with intention. Real recognizes real, you can’t fake energy, and you can’t force chemistry with a promoter or a collective. Either you’re there to contribute to the scene, or you’re not.
I also protect my space. I’m not constantly plugged into social media, and I’m okay missing events. That distance gives me balance. The constant stimulation and attention can be draining, and as someone introverted, I need solitude to recharge and stay creative.
For me, it’s about being present where it matters, not everywhere.
Dr.Kyse: It’s really important to be intentional about your capacity. I’ve seen people get unintentionally hurt by my personal introversion when I’m out, because they expect that I’m going to be hype 24/7. The reality is, if you know me, there’s like a 30-minute window of yap city, and then I’m non-verbal and dancing.
Have there been moments where your introversion was misread, like where your presence was interpreted as distance, ego, or lack of interest?
Mr.Proper: Always! Haha, this one definitely hits home. People tell me I’m ‘mysterious’ all the time, but in reality, I just keep to myself. I know in this environment that can easily be misread as distance or a lack of interest, but usually, I’m just taking it all in and enjoying the moment in my own way. I deeply care about my friends and the people around me, and they know that. I always try to be present and show up for their sets, and the people who really know me understand that I’m always looking out for them.
Dr.Kyse: What boundaries have you had to learn (the easy way or the hard way) in order to stay mentally and creatively sustainable in nightlife?
Mr.Proper: One boundary I had to learn, the hard way, was to stop trying to please everyone.
For a while, I felt like I had to show up to everything. Support every friend. Attend every party. Be present every weekend. But driving an hour to Miami almost every weekend takes a toll, especially when you’re doing it consistently.
I realized that constantly being “out there” was draining me creatively and mentally. Supporting the scene is important to me, but I had to ask myself: at what cost? If it starts affecting my creativity and long-term sustainability, then something has to change.
So I set a boundary: I don’t need to be everywhere. I can support from a distance. I can stay home, work on music, focus on video, or simply rest without guilt.
The parties will always be there. My energy won’t, unless I protect it.
Dr.Kyse: I had to come to terms that there will always be another opportunity to support your friends. Whether it’s being at their next gig or checking in on them with a phone call.
What was it like the first time you said “no” to an invite or opportunity to show up for someone? I think it feels empowering once you build the muscle, but in the beginning, what surfaced for you?
Mr.Proper: Honestly? It got a lot easier to say ‘no’ when my bank account started suffering from all those trips down to Miami! You realize pretty quickly you can’t be everywhere. Plus, I have a wife at home, and my lady needs her beauty sleep…so let that sink in, haha. Saying ‘no’ definitely becomes empowering when you’re protecting your peace, your marriage, and your wallet.
Dr.Kyse: If you stopped attending events and afterparties, what did you fear would happen to your career? And what do you think would actually happen instead?
Mr.Proper: If I stopped attending events and afterparties, part of me feared I’d slowly disappear from the scene. Miami moves fast so visibility does matter. When you’re not physically present, people can forget you.
But if I’m honest, I think something else would happen too.
I would probably channel that energy into making more music. Driving to Miami every weekend is exhausting. I’m turning 30 soon, and that brings a different kind of awareness. You start thinking about sustainability: mentally, physically, financially.
I’m at a crossroads. I love DJing and throwing parties, but I also love video work. Video pays my bills. DJing, most of the time, doesn’t. That tension is real for me. One side feeds my passion and identity, the other feeds my stability.
What I’m learning is that stepping back from constant presence wouldn’t necessarily end my career… It might refine it. It could force me to focus on production, on quality over quantity, and on building something more long-term instead of chasing every weekend.
I don’t have the full answer yet. But I know whatever direction I choose, it has to be sustainable and aligned with who I am.
Dr.Kyse: It sounds like sustainability is a value of yours.
How do you actually define “aligned” for yourself? Is it a feeling in your body, a sense of peace, a reduction in anxiety, creative excitement, financial stability… What tells you, internally, this fits me and is sustainable?
Mr.Proper: I think it’s a balance. It’s hard to be creatively aligned if you’re stressed about money, so financial stability is definitely a foundation for me. But the real feeling of alignment happens in the work itself, like when I’m deep into the creative process, everything just clicks. When I have that creative excitement, plus the peace of mind that I’m taking care of my real life, that’s what tells me this is sustainable.
Dr.Kyse: What’s one part of the music scene you’ve learned to tolerate but don’t actually enjoy? If you could redesign the scene, what would you eliminate, and what would you protect?
Mr.Proper: I’ve learned to tolerate how image-driven parts of the scene can be. The constant documenting, posting, branding, and sometimes it feels like the performance around the music becomes louder than the music itself.
If I could eliminate something, it would be the idea that visibility equals value.
What I’d protect is the dancefloor experience… dark rooms, phones down, raw energy. The music should be the center, not a social media post.
Dr.Kyse: I feel you on that. To quote the (in)famous Drake: “Do you like getting paid, or getting paid attention?”. The reality is: authenticity and providing value will bring the image, not constantly posting perfect images and chasing the algorithm.
How do you keep yourself from internalizing the need to be aesthetically pleasing and constantly active online?
Mr.Proper: I keep myself grounded by remembering my actual job. I’m an artist, not a content creator, and I think people often confuse the two. I have zero interest in making disposable, fast-food content just to look busy online. Everything I put out—from the music to the visual experience—needs to hold real value and accurately represent my sound. Spending hours on social media just distracts from the actual craft, so I choose not to do it. I’d much rather spend that time learning Logic or building out my video work.
Dr.Kyse: Is there anything you’re currently working on or recently released?
Mr.Proper: I’m currently diving into Logic Pro. I didn’t connect with Ableton as much, so this is a fresh start and an opportunity to learn something new. I’m hoping to create some really interesting music there.
On the visual side, I’m working on incorporating green screen videos into my DJ sets. I’m treating it as a little side project to expand my brand and experiment with new ways to connect with my audience.
Dr.Kyse: Where can people find you and your work online?
Mr.Proper: If you want to check out my latest youtube sets, watch the visual projects I’ve been building, or just see where I’m playing next, you can find everything at these links:
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@Duvan_Prieto
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/proper_305
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d_mr.proper