The Cheat Codes
Labellatini has her hands in a lot of things.
But at this moment, the Los Angeles DJ christened Isabel Reyes at birth sits pensively in her Zen garden nestled in the hills of Highland Park.
The tranquility stands in stark contrast to the usual flurry of activity the Ventura, California native normally undertakes.
The DJ, activist, teacher, Twitch streamer, and producer is currently in high demand and enjoying her most fruitful spell since she learned to DJ under the world-famous Beat Junkies at their Institute of Sound school.
Reyes shared that her fears of becoming disconnected from the community that had supported her and nurtured her since she started out during the pandemic were the catalyst for her taking on her many roles and ventures around Los Angeles.
Now flush with projects like Brujxs y Brunch, a weekly fundraiser she started over a year ago for different causes in the wake of George Floyd’s murder that has raised over $20,000, and Grand Performances, a free global performing arts program where she is “program advocate,” Reyes was surprised to find that her connections and opportunities got even stronger.
“I’m definitely riding a wave of some kind,” the 44-year-old former television producer confessed, somewhat surprised. “It just kind of fell into place and evolved organically. You blink and you’re here.”
When Reyes quit her job producing shows for legacy studios in 2017 because the work no longer fulfilled her, she initially took up DJing as a hobby, or “parlor trick she could bust out for friends at parties.” She arrived at the Beat Junkies Institute of Sound not knowing what to expect but was floored when DJ Babu himself opened the door.
Reyes soon discovered that the craft of DJing was much more technical than she knew.
“I found out real quick, I’m actually in school,” Reyes said of her time with the Institute of Sound school. “When my friends were out, they would invite me and I would tell them ‘I can’t, I have to practice.’”
The practice paid off.
Through her dedication to her craft and some fine mentoring from the Beat Junkies, Labellatini started Djing various times a week and making a living for herself doing something she loves and fulfills her.
“I cast spells with music,” Reyes claimed. “I can feel the energy in the room. I feel the vibe and I take it where I want it to go like a pied piper. I seduce people with it, but always try to connect and elevate things.”