Ahead of his all-night set at BIRD, legendary Detroit DJ and producer Theo Parrish sits down with journalist and broadcaster Andrew Makkinga for an intimate conversation about the music, cities and spaces that shaped him.

Rather than a conventional career retrospective, The Dancefloor as an Archive begins with Theo’s own experiences: his earliest musical memories, growing up in Chicago, his move to Detroit, how his musical identity developed, and the relationship between a DJ, a room and the people in it.

The conversation also looks at how music travels through time. What happens when older records meet younger audiences? What do particular clubs, record stores, sound systems and returning audiences make possible? And what becomes harder to pass on when independent cultural spaces disappear?

Through personal memories, stories, and reflection, the evening explores listening, place, history, exchange, and how music can connect different generations, allowing the wider history to emerge through Theo’s own experiences and practice.

The conversation concludes with a moderated exchange with the audience.