Afro House is becoming more and more popular in the EDM world, especially with artists such as DJ Snake, who debuted his own Afro House mix called “Get Low” at Coachella 2018, as well as promoting his mix on his Instagram. Other EDM artists such as Martin Garrix have incorporated this genre into their songs like “Scared to be Lonely” and “In the Name of Love” with Bebe Rexha, which can be found on their official YouTube channel.
What is Afro House?
This genre has a strong foundation in techno, with many artists adding a fusion of house music to their songs. Although it may seem like this genre blends several different genres into one, it actually has clear-cut definitions that separate it from other music. One way to recognize these songs on your favorite radio station is by looking for hard-hitting bass drums or tribal beats. The tempo ranges from 120 BPM to 130 BPM, which makes it slower than most EDM but faster than standard house music tracks. One thing that makes this genre unique among most EDM sub-genres is its usage of instruments such as saxophones and marimbas; whereas most EDM only uses synthesizers for horns.
The rise of Afro House
Although Afro house has been around for quite some time, it was not until recent years that Afro house has started to make waves in America’s music scene. However, with many American DJs now incorporating Afro beats into their playlists there are still a lot of people out there who don’t know what this genre is exactly or how it differs from other genres. For example, if you have never heard of this genre before then you may have listened to wavy beats or songs that sound like deep mix songs but yet feature different styles including Latino beats mixed with trap and pop. If so, these songs were most likely an example of this genre because these wavy beats as they are known come straight from South Africa where they originated and thus represent just one small style within a very wide genre.
Are there any differences between this style and other genres?
DJ Snake
Afro house music has a more mainstream sound than other EDM genres, but it’s still very underground. There are some major labels that have recognized this genre and have started to sign artists in Africa. This bodes well for this genre and also adds to its overall legitimacy in terms of being a true genre of EDM music. The biggest difference between afro house and other genres of EDM is that afro house is often incorporating African drumming into their songs, which gives them a unique feel among all of the different types of EDM. In addition, artists have had much success with creating remixes using American songs such as “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk.
Artists with Afro House influence
Tiesto
Tiesto, Afrojack, Steve Aoki, DJ Snake and Major Lazer. Many other EDM artists such as Martin Garrix have incorporated Afro House beats into their music. These Afro-influenced tracks are known as Pony in EDM lingo. Listen to these songs to see how much of an impact this genre has on them! Enjoy!
Polo G, the Chicaco Prodigy. One of the hottest names in hip-hop who took the industry by storm with his unique rise to fame came to town to showcase his third studio album, Hall of Fame. Polo brought his young artist Scorey who put on an electrifying and engaging performance for an early support act. Joining Polo on this tour is another hot artist on the rise. Hotboii, per usual, rocked the stage and had the crowd screaming word for word to his main hits Don’t Need Time and Nobody Special.
Finally it was time for Polo to take the stage. DJ Toney Tone had a short introductory set and finally dropped the beat to a fan favorite Flex. The crowd erupted and phone lights came out. Polo entered the stage with a ton of energy and appeared to be in a great mood. Surprisingly enough, Polo steered away from what most hip hop artists do and gave his fan all of their favorites. Playing a wide range of songs from his three album discography.
Remember, Polo’s rise to fame came without mixtapes, something his supporters praise him for.
House heavy-hitter BIJOU (Benjamin Dorman) continues to dominate the electronic music scene with his hip-hop and bass house-infused style, releasing countless bangers off of his very own label Do Not Duplicate Records, and strengthening the G-house genre with his constant production talents. This year is no different, with his new EP, Street Knowledgewhich was released on September 17th this month. The 6-track masterpiece features rhythmic bass paired with notes of hip-hop and rap, each song better than the last. Street Knowledge features a refreshing twist to the oversaturated bass music scene by adding rappers into the mix, including Rick Hyde, Tony Watts, Youngworld,ElCamino, and more.
House Heavyweight Brings the Heat
The Phoenix, Arizona-born house DJ has risen to fame in recent years and continues to push the boundaries of what defines house music in today’s growing electronic scene. “Roots are a nod to where it all started, and that’s what this project is all about. I took it to my roots in Phoenix and Buffalo. Two cities that are often overlooked and slept on,” saysBIJOU.
“I had the opportunity to work with some of my favorite rappers each one having their style while keeping things raw, street, and no BS. “Street Knowledge” is unequivocally every piece of me, what I’ve been through, and where I am now.”
We had the chance to chat with Ben Dorman (BIJOU) at Party Guru Press about the release of his EP. Check it out below!
Maddi: Thanks so much for chatting with us today. So this EP is a pretty big deal – 2020 was a crazy year for all of us, especially artists – and some might say 2021 has been equally as challenging. How would you say the past two years have influenced or shaped your sound? Or your vision for this EP? Dorman: I would say it really gave me more time to sit back and dial in a full-on concept. From the music to the art, to the artists that I worked with on the project, the vision included every single piece of the puzzle and allowed me to really flush it out how I intended to.
Maddi: Where do you see BIJOU heading next – any merch drops or concert tours we should be looking out for? Dorman: I’ve been on the road pretty much every weekend since mid-May its been CRAZY. There have been glimpses of time off but we’ve been full force playing shows to really get back into the market we didn’t have for almost two years. Merch wise we’re going hard this year. We did the BIJOU The Valley Jerseys last month and they sold out in 4 days. Next up we have hats and quite a few concepts this year. Everything is going to be super limited so once it drops you only can get it during that one time on sale.
Maddi: Where do you see yourself at the end of this year? What about in 5 years?
Dorman: At the end of this year I see myself really digging into the next body of work for me musically. I already have the concept dialed in so now it’s all about executing that vision. In 5 years I see myself deeper into the hip-hop world. It’s something that Has been part of the plan from the beginning.
Maddi: How would you say hip-hop has influenced your sound as an artist over the years? And how does this ties into Street Knowledge specifically? Dorman: I think it’s allowed me to think outside of the box. I bring sounds and different parts of that genre into what I do which is totally separate from your usual dance or house music lane.
Maddi: What would you say your number one inspiration in your life right now is? Dorman: My mom and dad. They continue to support and push me to the next level.
Maddi: How do you remain motivated to create? Dorman: My love for the music. I LOVE producing so it’s easy to sit down and be like okay I’m making this today. Part of it too is that I don’t only produce house music so I never really get burned out on one thing.
Maddi: Where is one place/venue you’d like to perform that’s on your bucket list?
Dorman: Tomorrowland – looks like such a cool festival.
Maddi: What is one goal of yours as a DJ?
Dorman: To have my own festival.
Maddi: Name 3 words you think best describe your sets. Dorman: Energetic, smooth, & intoxicating.
Maddi: The last question… do you consider yourself a true Party Guru? Dorman: You Know The Vibes.
BIJOU has been consistent in proving to his fans he is one to keep on the radar. We are so excited to see his international and national performances come this Fall. Be sure to keep up to date with his recent releases and all press coverage right here at Party Guru Productions.
Global Dance Festival is Colorado’s largest and most anticipated electronic dance music event of the year. After a year of waiting in solidarity, we are back. Thousands of EDM lovers from all across the US were eager to dance this year’s weekend away!
Being based in Denver, Colorado, Global Dance Festival has been held outside of Empower Field since 2017. Previously GDF could be found at Red Rocks, the festival was moved to expand capacity and follow sound limits. This year, the fourth official rendition of Global Dance Festival fell nothing short of amazing. The festival also exceeded all expectations – bringing some of the heaviest and biggest names in EDM today. Headliners for the two-night event included Excision, Doctor P B2B Funtcase, Zomboy, Kaskade, Illenium B2B Said The Sky B2B Dabin, Green Velvet, and Tchami (just to name a few)! The festival was filled with art installations, carnival rides, food trucks, bull riding, temporary tattooing, and much more. Stages were complete with full LED’s and high-quality sound systems. Those stages were where the experience and magic of the night really began.
Night 1 – Here’s The Recap
Night 1 started off strong with all four stages filled with different types of music. Each one holding their own unique vibe. Local heavyweights Paws, MPORT, Decadon, and Brondo were some of the openers with packed sets which filled all the way to the very back of the Northern Lights stage. If this wasn’t your thing, a silent disco was held at the Crystal Caverns stage. There was truly some place to be for every single person, no matter what your vibe was!
As the sun began to set, the Summit stage began seeing artists such as Tchami, who brought an insane house set complete with pyrotechnics. The Illenium triple B2B followed, which brought super peaceful, melodic bass music vibes to the main stage. Kaskade closed the night out at main stage with a garage-house infused set. Paired with all of his beautiful original songs, the crowd was singing at the top of their lungs. Meanwhile, on the Northern Lights stage, Funtcase and Doctor P were giving one of the heaviest sets of the weekend. Bringing their original filthy UK dubstep sound to Denver dubstep lovers. Be on the lookout for an interview coming out later this week!
Zomboy finished off the night by closing out with even more heavy originals and never before heard tracks. They don’t call Denver the bass capitol for nothing. This stage showed that all night! On the other side of the festival, Mersiv took over the Tundra stage and closed out the night with some crazy wubs and deep bass sounds. The eclectic mix of music selected this year was the perfect mix to satisfy any raver at any point in the night.
Global 2021 Was the Event of the Year
This year’s event felt much different than any before. Maybe because of the fact that music lovers were able to unite once again. It might have been the fact that this was the heaviest and most diverse group of artists to ever see the GDF lineup. The festival itself is always seeming to impress its guests. Being incredibly thought-out, it was musically balanced the entire weekend with a wide range of musical experiences to go see, and plenty of space to dance around at the stages. The festival is hopefully going to remain a Colorado raver tradition for many years to come.
There was something for everyone here at all times of the night – everyone was dancing, the vibes were high and the music was loud. This was an unforgettable experience. 2021 was one of the best years since its origin without a doubt! Colorado is proud to be the home to Global Dance Festival. We at Party Guru Productions can’t wait to see how the festival continues to grow in the future – what an unforgettable weekend it was.
We are so very proud to present The SeratonINN Sound Series! This unique event is set to take place inside of the Double Tree DTC providing an exclusive COVID safe concert experience.
Singer, songwriter, and musician Em Possible is a melodic music machine. Growing up in a household immersed around instruments and singing before she could even talk, evolving her talent into a profession was an inescapable part of her destiny.
Emily Geeves grew up in Ohio surrounded by family who also happened to be musicians. She grew up listening to a variety of different genres, which is visible in her production today. This is why genre flexibility comes naturally to Em, and versatility is one of her many talents. She can sing country, reggae, provide standout vocals on EDM production, and keep a staccato rhythm with hip-hop lovers alike.
It wasn’t until 2009 until Colorado saw the talented artist at her new home base. Since then, Em has released a full EP along with numerous singles, performed many intimate shows, and has been practicing trauma informed bodywork. You can also catch Em Possible every Tuesday on Instagram where she serenades us for #tinytracktuesdays.
We were lucky enough to get the chance and catch a moment with Emily to learn more about the past, present, and future of Em Possible.
Kicking Off
Danielle Sparano: How did you get started in the music scene? When did you first learn to play the guitar?
Em Possible: I’ve been singing since before I could talk, so I’ve always felt a calling to music. I guess I got into the “scene” around 2013 when a friend of mine who I used to just jam/sing with at my apartment asked me to open for her at one of her local shows. I started to play guitar when I was about 14.
Danielle Sparano: Who are your biggest influences?
Em Possible: My Grandmother, my Mom, my Dad, and my brother.
Danielle Sparano: What do you feel is the best song you ever released and why?
Em Possible: I think the best song I’ve released is Monday Morning. It was a song that I co-wrote with my guitar player, and it was one of the first songs I ever co-wrote with anyone. That process inspired an entire co-writing album with all of my band mates which was such an amazing, different approach to anything I’d done with them in the past. It’s also my first original song to get over a million plays!
https://soundcloud.com/empossible/monday-morning
Danielle Sparano: When did you move to Colorado? Do you ever think you will be traveling elsewhere to live, or is Colorado your home forever? You are originally from Ohio, right?
Em Possible: I moved to Colorado from Ohio in January 2009. I think that Denver/Colorado will always be my home base, but I do think that I’ll live a few other places in my life. Forever is such a long time!!
Em’s Favorites
Danielle Sparano: Do you have a favorite venue to perform at?
Em Possible: Larimer Lounge will always have a soft spot in my heart, but I think Ophelia’s is probably one of my favorite venues to play. I haven’t played the Ogden (yet) but I really love that venue as well (as far as indoor venues go).
https://www.instagram.com/p/CGA5Z67hpUx/
Danielle Sparano: If you could go back in time and relive one of your shows, which one would you pick?
Em Possible: Probably South Park Music Festival when I performed with Dirty Little Thieves in 2014. It was the biggest crowd I had ever performed in front of and one of my first festival gigs as well. I was just getting started in music, I hadn’t even released my first album yet.
https://www.instagram.com/p/qHmvfulyrg/
Danielle Sparano: Your music is so versatile. Do you have a favorite genre/sound design to work with?
Em Possible: I grew up listening to so many “genres/sounds” that I don’t think I can say I have a favorite. My mom has a very eclectic taste in music and she certainly passed it along to me, which I’m very thankful for. It’s allowed me to showcase versatility with my own music, writing, and collaborations. I think it makes me a better artist to not focus on just one type of genre. I’m sure some people would disagree but, that’s how I feel.
2020
Danielle Sparano: This past year has been a crazy rollercoaster; however, many artists coped in different ways to seek inspiration during quarantine. Did you turn to any specific activities or new hobbies that helped inspire you?
Em Possible: I honestly didn’t do much the first few months of Covid. I forced myself to pick up my guitar mid-April after not touching it for almost a month. Once the dust settled a little bit I became inspired to workout/do yoga regularly which helped regulate my mood. I also bought a ton of new books to keep my brain busy which was great. I’ve always been an avid reader, but I definitely read more books in 2020 than I think I have in years.
Danielle Sparano: What does your creative process look like?
Em Possible: Haha, chaotic and messy, but it works. I have notes on my phone and note pads all over my house/car for the moment’s inspiration hits. It is sometimes a word or phrase, sometimes I can write 4 songs in a day, and sometimes I write one hook over the course of 3 months. It really varies?!
Advice
Danielle Sparano: If you could give one piece of advice to other producers during this time, what would it be?
Em Possible: Oh gosh… I’d say keep going. I think as creatives we have this aversion to not make music or art or whatever when we know (or think) it’s going to be shit. You have to make the shit to move through the shit to get to the other side of the shit where there is better shit to be made.
Looking Forward
Danielle Sparano: What are you working on right now? What can we expect from you in 2021: Projects, tours, etc?
Em Possible: As much as I would LOVE to announce a tour in 2021, I think Covid has other plans for the music industry this year (again). I will say I got Ableton last year and have been taking lessons, so I’m excited to create and release some music using a different platform and to expand my abilities as a creator. I am currently working on a project with a new guitar player/sound engineer and percussion player, but that’s all I can say about it right now 😉
Danielle Sparano: I heard you are doing a Livestream soon! The first one of 2021, right? Can you tell us more about that?
Em Possible: I am doing my first livestream on Valentine’s Day! This will be my first livestream that isn’t at my house, so I’m really looking forward to being around other musicians/artists. It’s also at a venue I have never performed at, The Armory. It’s a singer/songwriter showcase of all women, and I’m honored to be on the bill. You may even hear a few new acoustic originals from me if you tune in!
Danielle Sparano: Is there someone that you want to collaborate with the most?
Em Possible: Haha, well that is a loaded question. I would LOVE to do a collaboration with GRiZ — I not only enjoy his music but I think as an artist he really utilizes his platform in a way that builds connection and community which I think is extremely important. I also have always dreamed about doing something with ZZ Ward. She’s been an inspiration to me for many years, and I think she’s underrated as an artist.
Em Outside Of Music
Danielle Sparano: Outside of music, what are your favorite things to do? Can you tell me more about EmBodymovements and how you got into the bodywork?
Em Possible: I have definitely always been a wearer of many hats. My EmBodyMovements page showcases the other passions I have which include movement, yoga, cannabis/CBD, and trauma informed bodywork/recovery to name a few. Having been to rehab for an eating disorder as well as working deeply with some therapists around my trauma, the connection of the body and the mind are just so vital. I’ve learned that when I’m disconnected from my body, everything else seems awry. When I can listen to what my body needs, whether that’s vigorous exercise, walking my dog, a yoga class, CBD for the brain fog days (I had a serious TBI at the end of 2019 and had to re-learn how to play guitar among other things), etc. it allows me to create in/from a space that is resourced and supported. Good body/connection days = better creative space.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDRhK9SlYQM/
Danielle Sparano: Where is your favorite hiking spot around the area?
Em Possible: I love St. Mary’s Glacier and pretty much any mountain trail. Steamboat and Breck were two places I spent a lot of time outdoors last years.
Danielle Sparano: If you could have any superpower in the world, what would it be?
Em Possible: I think I’d want a photographic memory to be honest. That or to fly cuz, who wouldn’t want to fly!?
Wrapping Up
Danielle Sparano: Final couple of questions here, let’s dive a bit deeper. We know you have an emotional support dog, how do they help in your musical creative process. Have you ever taken them to a show with you?
Em Possible:Dakota Bear is my emotional support animal, and he is amazing. He helped me through rehab in ways I never imagined possible. He loves when I play guitar or piano or sing — he’ll get as close as he can to me and just thump his tail and listen. It’s precious. He got to go to his first show of mine in September of 2020, I played an outdoor gig at the Walnut Room and he was front row. I definitely hope to bring him to more shows, but most likely outside only as dogs have 3x the muscles in their ears and I’d worry about that at an indoor venue.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIEisQNBCw4/
Danielle Sparano: How do you find creativity when in a drought? What sort of creative outlets do you have besides creating music?
Em Possible: When I can’t find it, I can’t find it. There’s definitely a difference between working through the shit and just having nothing to work with. When I experience those moments, I change my medium. I really love to paint/draw, and that usually helps me move back into a creative space.
Danielle Sparano: Your performance on TedxTalks in 2019 was awesome! Would you want to do another one again in the future?
Em Possible: I have SO much love for my TedX family and would be honored to have the opportunity to perform at one again.
Danielle Sparano: Final question, would you consider yourself a party guru?
Em Possible: It’d be a damn shame not to, now wouldn’t it 😉
Wether completing daily activities or relaxing at home its not rare to find one listening to a podcast. There is a podcast for everyone out there, including ravers. Colorado Springs local podcast, The Ravers Circle, has made their mark in 2020. Starting out with locals in the scene they feature artists of all walks of life. Hosts Alan Hyde Jr and Karisma Vacura takeover Level 4 Studio every Thursday night at 7pm MST.
We were lucky enough to have the chance to speak with both hosts of The Ravers Circle recently. With plenty of questions to ask these fresh podcasters this made for a great conversation. This interview is conducted by Patrik Essy. The following is an interview between Patrik, Alan Hyde, and Karisma.
Origins of The Ravers Circle
Patrik: This first question is obvious but it seems like a nice place to start off. I’m curious about how the Ravers Circle was created! Could you tell me a bit about its origins? Ex: How the name for the podcast was chosen, how the hosts were chosen, how guests are chosen, how the location was chosen etc.
Alan: The podcast was created out of an idea. I drew inspiration from some of my favorite podcasts that I enjoy viewing and listening to in my spare time. Since I am a huge fan of the electronic dance music scene, the idea came to fruition to pitch the idea of an EDM podcast. Though there is a few out there, the one that I had in mind would touch on everything EDM and rave culture. I love talking about the music and analyzing the different variances of the genre, so I chose to pitch my idea to a fellow DJ who also runs a studio here in Colorado Springs. I’ve expressed my interest about doing a podcast for the longest time and when he brought up the possibility of providing me an opportunity to do one, I absolutely jumped at wanting to get it launched. One of my very close friends Karisma, who is a seasoned raver also enjoys discussing EDM and is heavily into rave culture. I thought she would be the perfect co-host so it was a no-brainer to have her collaborate with me on this effort. As far as guests, we wanted to shine a light on our local scenes here in Colorado. This is the perfect platform to interview rising artists and our local talent. We felt this was a chance to give some recognition to the Denver aka the Bass Capitol of EDM. Colorado is a melting pot for electronic dance music and what better scene than here to show some of the most talented artists in the world. This was the perfect opportunity to highlight that.
Karisma: The Ravers circle was originally created out of friendship, and the want to share love and information to the community that means the most to us. AJ had made a post asking if he started a podcast about raving culture, who would want to help? I immediately reached out and inserted my interest and from there we met up to go over topics, plans, and goals. The name was agreed upon and I had my cousin design our logo. Guests are all of our friends and connections we have made over the years in the scene. The location was given to us by AJ’s good friend Kevin. Shout out to him for making our dreams a reality!
Visions and Options
Patrik: Have you always had an idea for a podcast or did you see it going in a different direction before starting off? Sometimes people don’t get their first choice right away when attempting to start something new.
Alan: I always had an idea and vision for it. I basically took the format from my favorite podcast (The Joe Budden Podcast) and put a different spin on it, which is for the EDM crowd. I knew there were a lot of popular hip-hop podcasts out there but not really many in EDM, especially for the format in which we do it in. The idea was to discuss this genre on both a local and national scale
Karisma: I personally have always wanted an outlet to share my emotions, thoughts, and beliefs with the world, I just didn’t know how to put that communication into place until The Ravers Circle was born. We both have always wanted this podcast to be a positive outlet and safe place for our viewers, a place to simply have fun spreading love during hard times in the world. That’s why I believe that the podcast has done so well, being our first time doing anything like this.
Questions and Guests
Patrik: As coming up with questions can sometimes be a difficult thing, do you plan all of your topics of discussion? Do you plan on what you are going to talk about? Or is it more of the type of thing where you all sit down and try to have a casual conversation?
Karisma: Honestly AJ Hollywood Hyde is the main person setting up our guests and our topics for each week. We choose together what we want to talk about, then each week we try to touch on different subjects that are important to us and the music industry. We do have a list guide for each episode but we also have a great balance of natural and casual conversation to keep things flowing uniquely.
Alan: It really depends to be honest. More often than not we do have planned topics that we discuss. We’ll discuss what is currently going on in the scene as far as the hottest trends, upcoming music releases, fun topics, etc. Then there are some weeks that we will freestyle topics and just have a casual conversation. The best example of that are our holiday episodes of the podcast. Those have been the most fun episodes to do because we just sit back and naturally discuss whatever comes to mind, even outside of electronic dance music.
Patrik: Being named the Ravers Circle, it obviously has to do with music. Do you all ever plan on introducing guests from all walks of life? Meaning if a comedian or chef was interested in coming on for the Thursday night episode would you give the thumbs up?
Karisma: Yes, we are The Ravers Circle, but we do touch on all different aspects of a ravers life. We are always welcoming everyone who may want to be a guest on the show.
Alan: Yes, we actually plan on expanding very soon with our outreach. The beauty about the world Electronic Dance Music, is that we live by PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, & Respect). We are very welcoming and inviting of all types of people. As of recently we thought about inviting guests that are non-ravers or not affiliated with the scene. My thought process is that I enjoy networking and building relationships with anyone and everyone. Plus, this is an opportunity to do cross-brand promotions and really expand our fan base outside of just EDM.
What is Level 4 Studio?
Patrik: Let’s talk about the space where you all are located, because it truly is a beautiful spot in an even more beautiful location! Taking place at Level 4 Studio in Colorado Springs, Colorado this is the spot. Having two full photo studios and a podcast studio makes this the ideal spot for any creator. Having enough room to also host live sets when possible, this spot is what some would call perfect. How did you get in with Level 4 Studio? Where was the podcast going to take place before Level 4 Studio? Do you all have any new ideas that you would like to do with the space or any areas around it? Do you think its location will be beneficial in the future? What big plans do you have in the works or have at least thought of? Where would the podcast be held if not for Level 4 Studio?
Karisma: Thank you! We are absolutely blessed with the space we have. Level 4 Studio truly is the perfect place for our podcast. Kevin, the owner of Level 4 Studio, reached out about using the studio as our own for the passion he saw in AJ, that is how the podcast was born. Having people believe in us and support us in such a way as Kevin is truly astounding to me. We definitely would not be where we are now without him. This location has been extremely beneficial in many ways to both AJ and I and it will continue to be resting grounds for many episodes to come, with many surprises in the future. The only times we will not be at the studio is when we are traveling. In those instances the podcast will be held remotely wherever we are at. Hopefully we will host an episode from the beach this year so stay tuned!
Alan: This opportunity definitely presented itself at the right time. The person that we use the studio from for the podcasts is also a DJ. His name is Kevin Davis and he is a prominent figure in Colorado Springs. We made the connection by DJ’ing together at a nightclub in downtown Colorado Springs named Thirsty Parrot. We were the resident DJ’s there for a long while and had built a good friendship. I mentioned a few times about wanting to start my own podcast and then eventually we had a meeting about starting one. He showed me Level 4 studio and I was amazed with how professional it looked. We sat and he asked what my goals were with what I wanted to do with the podcast. Once I pitched my idea, the rest was history. Luckily, Level 4 Studio is right in downtown Colorado Springs so I couldn’t be more gracious for the location. We get a gorgeous view of downtown and I get to see the beautiful city at night. We do plan on doing more soon for the studio. I plan on doing some livestream specials for myself and all of the local artists in the scene very soon. We also have plans on doing episodes of the podcast at various locations in the future. More will be announced in the upcoming weeks so be on the lookout for that.
First Attempts
Patrik: Let’s dive a little bit deeper here. Was Ravers Circle the first attempt at a podcast or have you tried and failed before? Most major podcast hosts have had multiple failed attempts at a podcast until finally finding what is right for them. Has this ever happened to you? Have you always had the support to begin a podcast? Who pushed you the most to create The Ravers Circle to be how it is today?
Karisma: I have always had family and friends tell me that I should find an outlet to communicate with the world! The Ravers Circle is my first real attempt of doing so. Both AJ and I pushed ourselves week after week to continue growing to be where we are now and for that I am extremely proud of the both of us. We both have amazing support from our loved ones as well. Even through hard times we have used the podcast as a positive outlet where we can let go and vibe like we used to at shows. I feel the quality of the atmosphere of the studio has helped my mental health flourish every time I am hosting an episode, we have had many guests feel the same way. I am forever thankful how amazing we have done straight from the beginning on our very first podcast. We adjust as we go and grow as much as possible and this is part of the cause of our success
Alan: The funny thing about it is that this is our first attempt doing this. I still feel that we have aways to go to get to our goals, but I am proud of the feedback that we have received so far. I think by episode 3, we had already hit over 1,000 views. I was a little in shock because I did not think we would even hit over 100 views, let alone over 1,000. We are still grinding away to grow our audience, I feel we are heading in the right direction.
Inspirations
Patrik: Who are some of your inspirations in the podcast world? Who do you “look up” to? Who has been a positive influence to you during all of this and even before you started the podcast. Who had support for you when the idea was just beginning? Who didn’t? Don’t say names here hahahah.
Alan: This might sound cliche, the entire electronic dance music scene. Literally of the major scenes across the world. I draw inspiration from places like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Denver, Chicago, and all over. Every scene is unique and different in its own way. It’s like your favorite restaurant, you have all of your favorite meals to choose from on one menu. That’s how I feel with EDM and this amazing world that I have became a part of. I can go to a show in Denver and it’s bass music galore. I can travel to Chicago and I am treated to some amazing house music. I can go to Detroit for Movement Festival and I will see the very best techno artists in the world. I draw inspiration from all of these different scenes and it’s a beautiful thing to experience.
Karisma: I honestly was not super into podcasts before our own but my main inspiration has come from the world of electronic dance music. I have always looked up to anyone who is spreading knowledge and love with the intent of growth. I have always had so much support from everyone in my life, and thankfully not too much hate.
Patrik: If you weren’t doing the podcast what would you be doing?
Alan: I have no idea, probably just music production honestly. Some may not know, but I’m an artist as well. I’ve been a DJ in this scene for 7 years and just started producing about three years ago. So outside of the podcast, I’m working on music and releasing two EP’s by spring and/or summer of this year.
Karisma: I would still be doing everything I do now if I wasn’t hosting the podcast (work, mixing, traveling, etc.) The podcast itself is an extra bonus to my life that helps the way I perceive the world and how I mold myself as a person.
The “Real World”
Patrik: What do you do for your “real world” job? Do you ever see the podcast and your real world intervene in negative ways? Do you ever feel that you don’t have time for the podcast? Have you ever doubted yourself and your abilities when it comes to hosting a podcast?
Alan: I do have a real world job in human resources. Thankfully it’s not as stressful as previous jobs. I do suffer from several mental illnesses unfortunately, so I tend to enjoy jobs that are lower in stress. A fun fact about me is that I am a military veteran. I served 6 years active duty in the US Army and it’s definitely the most stressful job in the world being a US soldier. I promised myself that when I left the military, I would enjoy my life and focus more on the world of electronic dance music. Traveling to shows, working on music, DJ’ing, and just being a raver. I’ve been a fan of EDM since high school and it has been a passion to be apart of this amazing world. I don’t feel that the podcast and the real world will intervene in a negative way. I do my absolute best to keep it PLUR at all times. As far as time goes, I just make time as needed. I am always busy between podcasting, being an artist, having a full-time job, and making sure I have time for hobbies.
Karisma: I have had so many jobs in life from medical billing, to stocks, and everything in between. I currently work at AT&T and I have open and clear communication about the podcast being a main responsibility in my life. Thankfully, my everyday life has only been enhanced by hosting the show. The only times I have missed the show was when I was playing a show or on my anniversary vacation, I do not plan to miss the show otherwise. Thankfully we host the show on a weekday that way when shows start coming back more we will both still be available. At first I was nervous about my abilities as a host, but now I look forward to every Thursday because of how much fun every episode is.
Plans for 2021
Patrik: What big things are planned for 2021? How do you plan to take over the podcast game? How do you plan to overcome Covid in 2021?
Karisma: We are expecting this year to be huge for The Ravers Circle. We have already had some decently big names in the scene and we look forward to keep growing and getting bigger and better names than before. We will take over the podcast game with honesty, love, and a little bit of spice that keep our listeners engaged and coming back for more. Our connection to the scene and our support has already taken us so far that we plan to keep going from here. We have been a light to the community with shows being gone and help during the hard times of Covid and we will remain safe, sanitized, and helpful in 2021.
Alan: We have a lot of announcements coming very soon that I’m excited for. We plan on bringing bigger artists, managers, venue owners, etc. I feel that the only way we will take over the podcast game, is with our audience. The rave community is what drives this machine. This platform will let the voices of every raver across the world to be seen and heard. Our takeover starts with our engagement. The bigger our fan base grows, the chances of us being a top-tier podcast will become a reality. As far as COVID-19, we plan on doing any and all necessary steps on our end so that we can get back to some type of normalcy. Social media has been used to our advantage during this pandemic thankfully. Our plan is to keep engaging with our audience during these troubling times and keep spirits lifted for all our fellow ravers across the world.
Conclusion
Are you looking for your chance to sit down with the Ravers Circle? They are actually still booking guests for 2021! For more information head to any of their socials below. With each episode being about an hour in length or longer it is sure to keep you entertained. Everyone has the ability to listen so why not check them out? They might just be your next favorite podcast! Stay tuned for all of the great things they will be doing in 2021.
Glass Cases is a pop / synth-rock band from Fort Collins, Colorado. Alex Van Keulen is bass/vocals, Austin Seitfert is piano/ukulele/spoken-word vocals, and Cameron Greene is the drummer. The vocals of Alex and the spoken-word stylings of Austin paired with the unique sounds of bass with ukulele and piano over the rhythm of drums gives Glass Cases a wholely original sound. Party Guru Productions had an opportunity to sit down with the band and do a short Q&A.
Image provided by Glass Cases.
How Glass Cases Began
To start, please tell me a little bit about yourselves and how you got into music.
Austin: “I’m Austin! I am the ukulele, piano, rapper of the band. I started playing the piano because my grandmother taught me at an early age. Later, I picked up the guitar and taught myself. After college, Alex and I got together, and we started playing more seriously and started a band”.
Cameron: “My name is Cameron. I got surprised with an electric drum set on Christmas when I was in 6th grade. That is how I started playing. My dad got it for me. I have been playing ever since then. I never really had formal lessons, but I have been playing consistently since then. And then, I played a lot for a church and different worship groups and stuff like that. I met these guys and started playing with them about three years ago”.
Alex: “I am Alex. I am the singer and I play bass guitar for the band. I grew up playing acoustic guitar, strictly acoustic guitar. It is kind of what got me into music and singing in general. Then, when Austin and I decided to start making our own music I dove into the actual computer side that Austin was pretty good at. Like, actually creating tracks. The more electronic side of music. I learned how to play bass once we actually started the band and got better at singing”.
Thank you for sharing that. Next, when and how did Glass Cases begin?
Austin: “It started when Alex and I played soccer in college. Soccer was our thing. We did it 24/7 and wanted to go pro. After college when that kind of died off we had all this drive to do something and we really didn’t know what to do. So, we just kind of threw it all into music. It wasn’t until I moved out to Fort Collins where Alex was living, cause he had a job up there, it wasn’t until then until we were like, ‘Hey! Let’s maybe just start a band and see where it goes!’ That was like three and a half years ago now. That’s crazy. But, that was kind of the beginning of Glass Cases. It wasn’t until a little bit later that we met Cam. Cam’s really good at telling this story so I think he should take over”.
Cameron: “I moved to Denver after graduating college about 3 years ago and I didn’t really know anyone. I got invited by some people that I had met through a variety of ways to what was basically a tea party on a Friday night. At this tea party I met Alex and Austin and they sang some tunes for everyone. Everyone was swaying and getting into it. I started talking to them and they told me that they didn’t have a drummer. We jammed the next day”.
It sounds like it was the middle of 2017 when everything started coming together?
Alex: “Yeah, and we met Cameron in September”.
Earlier this year you had an album release party at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, correct?
Cameron: “We tried to. The show actually got canceled because of COVID”.
Glass Cases & COVID-19
That is horrible! So, what were you working on before Covid hit?
Alex: “We were finishing up the album and getting ready to hit it off with a bunch of shows. We wanted to continue our development in the live Colorado scene. I think with Red Rocks being the capstone to that it really changed our outlook. We have been kinda waiting on that ever since. But, we’ve made some nice adjustments to keep ourselves occupied and creative since live music isn’t an option right now”.
Austin: “It was a bummer because we had Taste of Fort Collins which we were the local winner of, we had a show lined up with CSU for a skate show, and we just started kicking it off. We had other small gigs lined up. We were about to hit the summer hard, maybe hit a few festivals, and then it all dropped”.
That’s rough. So, what have you been doing to work through the pandemic?
Cameron: “One of the biggest things that we had the opportunity to work on, which is weird because we just released an album not long ago, was working on a song. We were blessed in that because we had the opportunity to come together and work on that song and be able to record it even though COVID season is happening. Another thing that kind of preoccupied us was, with winning Taste of Fort Collins even though there wasn’t an in-person live show, we got to record a really cool video that was put up for the virtual Taste of Fort Collins. We’ve had some more time to focus in on social media presence. We’ve also been meeting up for band practice about every week or two just to stay connected and stay sharp and be ready to go for when places begin to open back up again”.
Alex: “Me personally, I feel like I was inspired by all that was going on to write this new song. I sort of feel like that is the making lemonade out of lemons sort of situation. Otherwise, I don’t know if I would have ever written a new song. That’s my silver lining of COVID”.
New Music Video
You guys just launched a GoFundMe page. Tell me about that and what it’s for.
Alex: “We are making a music video for the new song. The GoFundMe is to fundraise to help cover some of the costs. As you can imagine, we have income from shows. Every year we have had it tabulated, like a couple of grand that comes into the band and is purely our money to dispose of for band stuff, that disappeared this year. So, getting a little extra help from fans, friends, and family through the GoFundMe and just getting people involved and being able to give out some merch is what we’re doing”.
Cameron: “I think what we have kind of noticed is that a lot of bigger artist get sustained revenue from streaming and sales. But when you are local and smaller the biggest portion of our income had come from playing shows. With that being taken away we wanted to shoot a music video but it’s going to cost some money. We were like, ‘How much do we have in the fund? Oh, I guess we don’t really have anything because we haven’t made any money in like a year now’. So that’s basically really letting them know our story and seeing if there are fans and family out there who would be willing to support us to help us make it happen”.
What else would you like readers to know about your band?
Austin: “I just want people to know that we like to have a lot of fun with our gigs. We want people to move around and have a good time but also just dive into the music and let the words just sink in and affect them and see how they’re feeling about it and relate to it. Hopefully. Outside of that we just like meeting new people. We are a very social band. On Instagram, all of our followers, we try to connect with them and talk with them through DM. We’ll shoot a message to them and say, ‘Hey, how’s your day going?’ You know, ‘what’s going on with you? How are things?’ It’s just a really unique situation because this is the first band that we have ever been in and to have a following has been awesome! So, to connect with them and share, like some people share music with us, or I’ve had the opportunity to write music to one of our fan’s lyrics. It’s been really sweet. So, we just like connecting with the fans, meeting them, and also just having a good time at shows.
Photos By Jesse Haswell
That about does it! Be sure to check out Glass Cases on their social media below.
Covid-19 hasn’t been easy for anybody. The music industry, mostly the live music scene, has impacted many lives. Said to be the “first industry gone and the last to come back” many promoters, artists, production members and many more have been effected. Venues having to close their doors and ticket sellers having to refund their customers are just a few of the issues that Covid-19 has caused. As time went by everybody seemed to start to adapt. Live music wasn’t on hold anymore.
Drive-In Shows
Denver being the bass capital of the United States, we were spoiled with some of the first ever drive in shows. Most of which were hosted by Denvers Dom, owner of Amplitude Presents. Bring insane lineups week after week he truly did mean it when he said, “It’s Colorado vs the world. EVERYONE is watching”. Dom created unique lineups for each show, first starting with headliners 12th Planet week one and Riot Ten week two. Moving forward we were blessed with two nights of Subtronics and friends. Full production for each show, a giant sound system, merchandise, and food/drink were all available. Social distancing was heavily enforced which made for one of the safest raves possible. There were a few drive ins north up in Denver also as we saw headliners such as Minnesota, Buku, Dirt Monkey, Peekaboo, SoDown and many more almost all in different shows. Be on the lookout as there may be more drive-in shows announced soon!
Livestreams
From the comfort of quarantine there was still live tunes played for all. From locals we are just discovering to artists we have all been listening to for years, these livestreams have been very unique. Some of our favorite production companies and artists putting together some of the best possible sets for us fans. Insomniac, Couch Lands hosted by Excision, Digital Mirage Festival and many more were some of the top livestreams during quarantine. Every artist seemed so happy to be back playing their music again. Make sure to go check out some of those livestreams, you may just find some new songs for your daily playlist.
Back to “Normal”?
As we all start to adapt to the times some have found a way to safely host a socially distanced event. Live music is making its way back into the world. Back into all of our lives. Red Rocks has been hosting limited capacity concerts, rooftop parties are being safely thrown at Club Vinyl, promoters are getting creative with how to keep the music playing. Now is the time to support your favorite local artist, promoter and venues. They need us. Be on the lookout for more socially distanced events happening near you. Photos by Amplitude Presents, Insomniac and Google Images.
