Getting ready for FKA twigs’ album launch with Reenie

From go-go dancer to one of London’s hottest DJs, Reenie’s world has been shifting at lightspeed. As we rifle through potential looks for her supporting set at FKA twigs’ Eusexua launch night, her energy is electric but focused. “I’ve been working on finding my sound, and I feel like I’ve finally cracked it, which feels so great!” she tells me, a mix of pre-show jitters and quiet confidence that comes from hours of preparation. I had only met Reenie once or twice before she moved in with me. That’s the kind of warm person she is. She might even come across as someone to whom things come easily, but, unlike her ridiculously toned stomach (I’ve never once seen her do a sit-up), her recent successes were hard won. It’s those endless hours of effort, signature grin intact, that make her special.

The first time I styled her was for a Halloween rave. Even before becoming a performer, Reenie took dressing up seriously. And Halloween was her moment. I had been sewing a lot in our flat at the time, and, the morning of the event, she asked me if I could teach her to sew a look for that night. The timeline was impossible, but it turns out a can-do attitude and delulu optimism can achieve anything. I lent her a white silk corset I had made recently – the first I’d ever sewn – and we DIY’d a mini skirt to match for a kind of edgy Tim Burton Corpse Bride look — and off she skipped into the night. Now, as I watch her trying on pieces from Hyfae, Agent Provocateur, Mowalola and KNWLS, I remember us sitting together over the kitchen table sewing patches onto that corset, afterwards left in tatters after a few days of dancing. I can’t help but laugh at how far we’ve come. In a few hours, she’ll be dropping her Ceechyna “Peggy” remix and soundtracking FKA twigs’ album launch, transforming from the person dancing above the crowd, secretly mixing beats in her bedroom, to the one commanding one of London’s most iconic dancefloor moments this year. “I can’t believe I’m actually going to play a gig for FKA twigs,” she laughs, touching up her makeup in the mirror. “How is this happening?”’ The answer lies in five nights that changed everything.

Go-go dancing for Confidence Man, Glastonbury 2023

“It was the perfect Glastonbury — pure blue skies without a drop of rain in sight. I remember the crowd was so big that the queue wrapped around the entire tent. The energy was wild. The band were amazing too, playing these electronic ’90s-inspired tracks, pure feel-good music. I hung out with the band for the rest of the festival, chatting about music, chatting about everything. We had so much fun together that I spontaneously danced for their DJ set on the Sunday night, too! That weekend really inspired me to start sharing my music. I’d been DJing a lot at home, but that was the moment I decided to release my first public set online. I was really touched when Confidence Man listened and liked it so much that they invited me to play the warm-up for their October show. My first public gig! I was so nervous that I spent days trying to cultivate the most exciting playlist. It was a breakbeat mix filled with pop nostalgia and it went down really well. I ended up playing with them in the lead up to the next Glastonbury after that. From dancing for them to playing for them, that’s the kind of progression that feels surreal.”

Romy’s London Boiler Room

“At the start of 2023, I was in Romy’s “Enjoy Your Life” music video, dancing at the front of the crowd with her. She always casts people from the queer community, so it felt like family on set. She was feeling quite nervous, so, between takes, we were just having nice chats and getting to know each other. The next time we met I was go-go dancing for her at All Points East. I’d been working a lot on my music so I was feeling elated, knowing it would be one of my last festival dancing gigs. It was a beautiful day, super sunny and the crowd was gorgeous. I just remember being so touched when she greeted me because Romy does not forget people. It’s just such a lovely quality in her. So, later, when she saw the Boiler Room I hosted for Chase & Status (which has a crazy eleven million views!), she asked me to host her first Boiler Room, too. I got to introduce her to the crowd, which was really special, and she asked if I could stay near her for the entire set. We had this really beautiful moment where her necklace got caught on her headphones while she was playing, and I had to help her untie it quickly before the next track. We managed just in time! A year later, she messaged me about supporting her at Brighton Dome, for her Club Mid Air tour — that was good girl shit.”

UNFOLD’s Steam Room 

“I got the message just two days before the gig, which was happening on my birthday. As a Leo, birthdays are sacred to me, so this felt like cosmic timing. I almost couldn’t believe the words on my screen — insanity! I didn’t feel nerves, just pure excitement because I felt genuinely ready for it. My sweetest memory from the night was how supportive my friends were the whole evening. Before the gig they showed me that they’d all put a picture of me as the background on their phones, which was incredibly cute. The gig was in the Steam Room, during the day. You could see the sun setting through the gaps in the blinds as I was playing, so there was this dreamy atmosphere. The room was completely packed, hot and sweaty in the best way. Throughout the entire set, my friends stayed behind me and in front of me so I was surrounded  by loved ones. One of them voice-noted the last two minutes of the set and when I listened back I could hear the crowd screaming and clapping over my last track. It’s so beautiful, it makes me so happy I feel teary now just thinking about it.”

Glitterbox, Ibiza

“I’d been with Glitterbox for about three years. They were my first really big party to dance for worldwide. Their parties are like confetti explosions of colour, with some of the world’s best-known DJs and the biggest clubs everywhere — they’re very iconic. We formed a really tight-knit crew of dancers over the years. Dressing up was always a fabulous bonding experience, picking out the most flamboyant bedazzled thongs, latex sets and chrome swimsuits together. For my last gig with them we were flown out to Ibiza. All the dancers stayed together in an apartment run by our dance mum, Lucy Fizz, so the weekend felt like one long sleepover. It meant so much because I’m so grateful for all the incredible experiences and travelling we did together. I was doing quite a bit of modelling at the time so they even put me on a billboard — a huge billboard in Ibiza! As we drove around the town I’d catch sight of myself, blown up massive against the sky, which was very surreal. Every last song at that final party meant something too. It was a really beautiful way to close my go-go career.”

FKA twigs’ Eusexua Launch

“This is super exciting. I’ve loved FKA twigs for so long — her style, her music, her energy, everything about her. The way she combines dance with music has been a massive influence on me as both a dancer and musician. What makes this even more special is that she’s doing this with the queer rave community — my community, where my career was born. Eusexua feels close to home. It’s a real pinnacle moment seeing past and present come together, with so many people I’ve grown with either performing or in the crowd. I’m DJing alongside incredible artists like Virgen Maria, and I’ll be dropping my new EP, an acid techno mix I’m super excited to release. As a Black person producing techno – a genre started by Black people – it’s important for me to bring my Black Britishness to the set. That’s why I’m including grime samples — it’s my London identity coming through. The Cause is the perfect setting for this too — raw and abandoned-looking, how London parties should be. I can’t wait.”

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