Each passing year represents a shift in the music industry. The evolution of sound, how listeners consume music, rehashing old tropes. In 2021 we learned that there could be new ways to consume music even in a crowded streaming market. Twitch and Audius blossomed as two new platforms for dance music fans to get that house music fix. We also witnessed 90s nostalgia in full swing, whether we liked it or not.

2021 had a bit of everything. As we enter 2022, we can reflect on one thing 2021 has taught us: nothing is promised. The pandemic put a halt to live music and concert tours, and artists had to get creative in how they continued to reach their fans and put out new music. 

The slowdown of the music business in 2021 has forever changed the shape of the industry. Yet it produced some groundbreaking trends that we hope are here to stay. 




Social Media Livestreams


Livestreams became popular, with venues in flux in 2020 and 2021. Social media platforms with video streaming and sharing capabilities such as Twitch and Facebook Live have provided musicians and their fans the opportunity to connect through streams. They gave us a forum to enjoy our favorite artists and explore new tunes in real-time while interacting with fellow house heads.   

Whether the streaming media included short, raw performances hinting at future music or full-fledged online music festival. These performances allowed giants like Paxhau, Dirtybird, and Desert Hearts to move forward with doing what they do best, entertaining the masses.   

And for emerging artists, they provided limitless opportunities to advance their careers. By the time live shows returned, artists like Mary Droppinz and Nala had established new and growing fan bases that helped make them enticing to festival promoters. While artists like LP Giobbi and Sofi Tukker, while already fan favorites, streamed their way into superstar status because of their daily presence on Twitch.





Festivals such as Electric Daisy Carnival, Awakenings, Ultra, and Tomorrowland continue to maintain live streams, making festivals more attainable to the masses—further propelling house music artists to household names.  




Music Video Comeback

The days of MTV being an actual music network that played actual music video are long gone. Music videos used to be a must for any hit song. However, social media sites and YouTube have reintroduced them as a necessary promotional tool. And yet another way for artists to creatively express their vision.   

Music videos add a sheen to a song. They eliminate the uncertainty of understanding what an artist is trying to covey. They elevate the artist's vision and often add an additional layer of nuance to the message. There is power in creating curated and compelling visual narratives for the music. Artists like Will Clarke have mastered the medium, creating solid, visually stunning music videos.

Cross-Genre Collaboration

Collaborations allow artists to tiptoe the line between genres and maybe do something that lies slightly outside of their comfort zone. While they aren't new to dance music, cross-genre collaborations exploded in 2021 due to the pandemic. Artists were in discovery mode. They had time to experiment with music and the ability to collaborate across vast distances via Zoom, Dropbox, Splice, and any number of collaborative platforms.

The door was wide open in 2021 for performers to pair up with their favorite artists of any genre. And the collaborations were nothing short of magical. With critically acclaimed partnerships in-house music with pop, rock, and hip-hop artists alike, we've seen dance music explode into the mainstream in unprecedented ways. The underground is becoming truly massive.



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DJs Ditching the Decks

When a DJ drops the decks and plays live, it's a thrilling way to experience their work in a new way. Watching them actively create or remix their music is a kind of magic generally reserved for production studios. 







Over the past couple of years, we have started seeing a spike in Live Sets. Groups like Bob Moses, Wajatta, Rufus Du Sol, and WhoMadeWho are no strangers to the festival circuit. But seeing artists like this on more lineups only proves the value of "playing live." 

The immense creativity and emotional weight that artists like Georgia Anjuli, Hannes Bieger, KiNK, and Motez, have created in performing their music live are indisputable—and seeing someone working multiple machines to create soundscapes before our eyes create an immensely meaningful dance floor experience that is difficult to match. 

Here are some other producers taking the house music to new heights as live acts: Jacques Green, Rodriguez Jr, Rybo, and Jamie Jones with Kate Simko as Opus 1.




Rise of the Indie Artists 


The internet and its many devices have allowed independent artists to find inventive ways to get in front of broader audiences in 2021. With touring out of the question for almost half the year, younger artists stepped out front as they took control of platforms like Tik Tok, Twitch, and Instagram and created new opportunities for growth outside of live shows.

They've allowed people the advantage of keeping their music constantly at their fingertips with personally curated playlists, creative content, unique livestreams, and insider videos. They were masters at manipulating the algorithms. As a result, the ever-growing ability to find underground artists across a changing digital landscape is more powerful than ever.

2021 was a treasure chest of indie artists starting to shine. Niles Shepard, Sammy Legs, Arnold & Lane, Nick Siarom, and Lubelski harnessed their powers and are fast becoming names to watch. The future continues to be bright for the underground.   

5 Trends in House Music we Loved in 2021

United States

Mary Droppinz

Mary Droppinz, aka Alyssa Johnson, understands the power of faith in herself. The LA-based producer and DJ captured the attention of dance music fans because of her infectious positivity, unsurpassed skills on the decks, and a sound that seamlessly blends house, techno, and breakbeat electro. The latter is one of dance music's least represented but most impactful genres. And Johnson hopes that as a champion of nasty acid growls and rumbling 808 bass, she can help diversify the sound of the dance floor and the people who make the noises that keep the crowd hyped.

Before she fell in love with dance music, she was an emo kid from Nebraska. Her dad, an amateur drummer, instilled a passion for the classics. As a result, she grew up on a diet of Pink Floyd, the Doors, and late afternoon drum sessions banging from the basement.

"He wasn't a professional drummer, he would do it after work every day. Come home and just go down [and] start drumming," she reminisces. "So, I was used to the flow of having a little music practice at the end of the day. And so that's just kind of like where it all began."

She credits her love of emo-rock for opening her heart enough to accept dance music as her singular passion. She explains that while emo does not sound like dance music, the ethos and feeling are united.

"That style of music, it takes you away. You can escape reality for a bit. And it's head banging. It just takes you out of your body. And in a sense, it's emotional and passionate."

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Mary Droppinz @ ABRACADABRA NEW YEARS 2021

When she moved to California from Nebraska with her former partner, she was inaugurated into the underground scene of Southern California at a steak house in Orange County. The bizarre locations, passionately connected community, and peak dancefloor experiences of the rave scene made an indelible mark on her soul. And there was no turning back.

"Everything clicked. I was like, What the heck is this kind of music? This is what I've been looking for. I had no idea." 

Like other ravers who made it their life's work, she was quickly hooked. "I went to Coachella every year and 

 and started going to festivals. And that's when it was just like, this is what I want to do for my life."

Mikey Lion

Mikey Lion is a conduit of bright white light, a vibe conductor of the highest order, and a champion of positive energy and dusty funky beats. Positioned at the center of the West Coast house movement, he’s one of the founding members of the Desert Hearts crew. Alongside his brother Porkchop, childhood friend Marbs, Lee Reynolds, and Kristoff McKay, he’s created a loving community of wide-eyed dancers that believe house, techno, and love can change the world.

He embarked on his sonic journey at the age of 13. Young Mikey was a massive hip-hop head. When his parents offered to buy him any musical instrument, the DJ culture-obsessed teenager chose Technic 1200s. Undeterred by the fact that his parents didn’t think turntables were an instrument, he bought his own six months later. Mikey immersed himself in the world of turntablism and eventually proved to his parents that his decks were just as impactful and beautiful as any woodwind, piano, or stringed instrument.

“They saw how much I was obsessed with it and they saw how it could be a musical instrument. They ended up paying me back and just been my number one supporters ever since. My dad drove up to San Louis Obispo where I was going to college and surprised me for my first official gig at a bar. They were there the first time that I played Lightning In A Bottle. Now my mom does our accounting for Desert Hearts.”

When he was 17, he went to his first Coachella. His first festival was a life-changing day not just for him but for dance music culture. Coachella 2006 was a flashpoint. 

“I didn't have any idea what I was getting into," he remembers. "And the very first time that I took my very first ecstasy, which also happened to be the very first time I ever heard dance music at the debut of the Daft Punk pyramid.”

The steadfast hip-hop head was converted. “In that moment,” he explains “I'm just like, ‘Fuck hip hop this is what I want to do with my life from now on.’”

When he co-founded the Desert Hearts crew in 2012 he was several years into his journey in dance music. Attending Lightning In A Bottle and Burning Man inspired him and his crew to create something that could bring people together for the love of house and techno. The first renegade in the Mojave Desert was a near disaster. 200 attendees huddled around a campfire on the dancefloor with no sound until 6 am Saturday. And from then on things locked in. Desert Hearts has now grown to encompass a record label and a global community of thousands.

“It came from this really pure hearted place of just wanting to make the world a better place, wanting to build community wanting to show people, how they can be a part of community, how they can go back and create their own parties, their own communities themselves. And really, I think that that's, that's the stronghold foundation of our of our entire brand.”

Mikey has countless stories of Desert Hearts fam sharing how Desert Hearts has changed lives. “One of my favorite stories is this woman came up to me and Lee at Lightning In A Bottle a couple of years ago, pregnant woman, and she just grabs our hands and puts our hands on her belly. And she goes ‘this baby was conceived at Desert Hearts festival.’ I've heard about Desert Hearts changing lives countless times. But never heard of Desert Hearts, creating life.”

During the pandemic, Desert Hearts strengthened their community in an entirely unexpected way. The crew hopped on the streaming game early, and the nightly Desert Hearts streams welcomed tens of thousands of people. 

“I think the coolest thing about Twitch for us was just how amazing it was that we are able to provide this home for so many people online … It was such an unexplainable way of DJing. There's is a real deep connection that was made when I was playing music every Wednesday, It really was like, [we were] together alone. It was incredible.”

Mikey’s personal journey during the pandemic led him to reconfirm why he does what he does. After having a difficult time coping, he realigned his purpose and his place in the universe.

“I've noticed over the years that when I stray from the more spiritual path, which is trying to help people, trying to show people love, trying to just make the world a better place. When my purpose is misaligned, I think that things don't go nearly as well as they're supposed to. And so when I put out my album … I really wanted to make sure that I was completely realigning myself.”

His 2021 album For the Love is more than just a collection of psychedelic beats and basslines. It’s a declaration of love for the scene and his well-being. 

He recently released, “This Is The Beat,” a continuation of the inner work that he established with his album. Given his newfound focus and intention, writing music has become a more organic process. The song was written on a surfing trip in El Salvador. 

“The hotel that I was staying at had this million dollar studio…I ended up making that track, and basis for another track…It wasn't forced at all. I was going on vacation. And I had access to the studio, so I had some downtime in between the surf being blown out. I couldn't think of a better thing.”

Mikey’s newly aligned direction has been a source of clarity. He feels like he’s in the most comfortable space in his career. 

“I know that when I play music, I have a very positive impact on people. And I've learned how to harness my own energy to push this healing energy out. When I was first figuring this out, it was something that I was always thinking like, ‘Whoa, don't let your ego get too big there, dude.’ But then it was like, oh wait, no this is a real thing that is tangible. And I can see the effect that it's having on people. So, if you just lean into it and harness it, it's working. And oddly enough, once I've started moving myself in that newly aligned space, gigs have been better, parties been better. Everything's just been better. So that's my goal now.”

Inspired by her dad's daily drum sessions, she started her own routine. She came home each day from her ad agency job, powered up her laptop, and emersed herself in becoming an expert in digital DJing.

The budding bedroom DJ continued to explore the laser-lit recesses of the underground. And in the process discovered a community of house heads at her job. They helped give her growing love for dance music context in the local scene. Finally, she started to feel at home in LA and had a rave crew showing her the ropes.

But life in the ad world wasn't cutting it anymore. She wanted to do something that she cared about.

Mary Droppinz at Dirtybird Campout 2021

"Ultimately, I was sitting there at my job and just feeling so unfulfilled," she says. She was tired of advertising products she didn't use or even care about. And she asked herself, "what can I do with the skill set to get more integrated into music?"

The universe responded with a job at Native Instruments in marketing. And as she planned and executed events for a company that is one of the most well-known in producer circles, she solidified a network of other passionate creatives.

Her journey was far from complete, and she still had another massive leap of faith to endure. She decided to quit her day job to devote herself entirely to music.

"I had saved up enough to be able to support myself for the next six months. And so I was like, I'm gonna do this, I'm going all in. And so that was the game plan, but then that all the shows that I had booked, all canceled, and everything shut down."

The pandemic kneecapped the industry. Unexpectedly, however, it offered her an immense opportunity to put herself in front of thousands of people stuck at home in front of a screen.

"I felt a bit depressed about it." She tells Gray Area. She thought to herself, "I don't know, what's gonna happen, why did I make this decision? Now I don't have a steady income, I have to get on unemployment, I've got to figure something out. it freaked me out at first, but then it fueled me."

But she realized she had immense opportunity to help change people's worldview.  

"I realized, why I'm doing this. I'm doing this to give love and to help heal people through music. To share my passion with everybody and make people smile."

Throughout the pandemic, she dominated Twitch streams, appearing on the most prominent channels like Insomniac, Desert Hearts, and 

. And despite the physical distance of streaming, she found herself connecting with her audience in more profound ways.

Nala

It's not enough to call LA-based musician Nala, aka Stefania Aronin, a producer or DJ. She radiates artistry in everything she does. Informed by a slant towards the experimental, her off-kilter psychedelic house is a refreshing disruptor for a scene she says, “got wedged into this idea of what dance music was.” She shatters the formulaic chad-house aesthetic with her strikingly authentic lyrics. It’s proof that house music can slap the subs and captivate the mind. 

In 2020 she signed a management deal with purveyors of west coast weird, Dirtybird, a perfect match for someone who created her own lane so early in her career. COO Aundy Crenshaw and Claude Von Stroke encouraged her to embrace her unique style.

They were both excited that she brought a sound that broke from traditional tech-house. Her open format DJ sets and indie inspired beats are a vessel to help push the label forward. She says during one of their first conversations, Von Stroke expressed how tired he was of paint-by-numbers tech house.

Writing that way is simply at odds with who she is. “I just can't talk about things that are superficial. It's just not part of my character. It feels wrong. It feels like nails on a chalkboard internally.”

As she recites the words for “Sun Is Hot,” the second track from her Dirtybird debut EP Psychic Attack, she explains how she disguised a meditation on the health of Mother Earth beneath what sounds like something steamy and sultry.

“That’s a song is about global warming, first and foremost,” she says. “But then its open for interpretation. It could also be about sex. It's funny 'cause NPR was like, 'Oh, this is a dirty song.' And I was like, 'It's about global warming.” She tells the story with a perfect deadpan.

“I don’t know how to be a closed book,” she admits. “Most of my writing is confessional. I think a lot of what art is supposed to be on a philosophical level is something that people relate to. It's part of the human experience. And that's why we are obsessed with art to begin with. Because it makes us feel something. It makes us feel less alone. And I just love making people feel less alone.”

In college, Aronin switched from a psychology major to advertising because psychology got too dark. Yet she continues to find ways to dissect human existence. Nala's confessional lyrics seek to connect.

“I wrote Psychic Attack, because I was really overwhelmed with the news last year," she explains about the title song on her Dirtybird debut. "I wrote that song out of a space of anxiety. But I think a lot of people could relate to that, because it was so chaotic. It was psychological warfare.”

She spends several minutes reciting lyrics to new songs during our call. And with each turn of phrase, it’s clear how adept she is with her words. She’s also so clearly excited about every aspect of her work. She radiates positivity and bravery. 

Being bold is natural she says. “I don't have even like an ounce of doubt that it won't work,” she says about her fuck it Im'a go for it attitude. Her mental framework is devoid of the self-doubt that stops most people from trying. “I just don't have that kind of dialogue in my head for whatever reason. I push it out, probably as a self-protective measure.” 

Or maybe it’s a touch of confidence mixed with a dash of creative magnetism. She’s consistently able to draw exactly what she wants directly into her orbit.

Three months before she signed with Dirtybird she decided to break from her indie background and go full-on into dance music. She was already well known on the Dj circuit in Miami and LA. Her music was getting played in H&M stores across the country. But she felt she needed a label ecosystem to pull her off the plateau.

She set her intention and told herself, “I need to shift focus. What is going to be best for me? I need to find a label that I can work with. And out from the sky came Dirtybird!”

The family atmosphere that seeps through all that Dirtybird does was the perfect match for Aronin. "I got really lucky that I managed to find a community of people. Because even the other artists on the label VNSSA, Walker & Royce, Ardalan we're all family now. And it's so nice to be around people that are so positive and supportive, have a good message and [are] inclusive and happy."

She now sits in the perfect position to carry her message to a wider audience. “I want everyone to feel. I want people to relate. I want them to know that their experience is not isolated. And that to me is the most fulfilling. The best I can do is create music with a message that resonates with people.”

When people wondered how she could make lasting connections through a screen, she told them," We grew up in a digital age. I know when you are being passive-aggressive when texting me, I can tell the vibe that I put out and what they're feeling by their messages on chat.

"And so I just really honed in on that. Going out now in the real world, and DJing again, it's been super rewarding running into a lot of the community that I built online."

Her goal to spread joy was successful in the most pivotal time.

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"Them saying 'You saved me during 2020. I had nothing to do and nothing to look forward to. But every day like you came on and you brought vibes and music, and energy.'"

And she says that "You just got to make what you can out of it and always remember what your intentions are with doing this."

It also led her down a path to a new sound. LA is a house music city. But Johnson knew that with the breadth of dance music, other sounds could move dance floors. And she found a home in one of the most storied and influential genres, electro breakbeat.

It's the sound that in the 80s gave birth to dozens of classics like "

" by Afrika Bambaata and the Soulsonc Force, "

Establishing a fan base during the pandemic allowed her the leverage to implore promoters to look outside of the 

 bro scene and book her for her sound. And she gets to provide a valuable service to the dance floor in the process.

The birth of tech house is symbolic of the tenacity of electronic music. Dance music is malleable and constantly changes and evolves. It's the key to its decades of success. Tech house has a warm and funky style. A union formed in the ‘90s, tech house has evolved into the sound of mainstage dance music. Similar to Chicago house it’s heavy on loops, vocals, and syncopated basslines. It adds the weight of techno's percussion and sometimes a touch of acid from the Roland TB-303. By merging the symbolic genres of dance music a whole new scene developed with new creative feasibility.  

Where did this all begin?   

Tech house was born in historic London events like the Wiggle, Heart & Soul, the End, and the Drop. The Wiggle—hosted by Terry Francis Nathan Coles, and "Evil" Eddie Richards— spearheaded the genre's modern moniker. According to legend Eddie Richards received a mixtape from Mr. C, resident DJ at the Drop. One side was labeled “Tech” and the other side "House.”  

The term was adopted by Swag Records, a record store located in Croyden, London, and owned by the late Liz Edwards. Swag opened in 1993 and was the hub for the emerging genre. Swag Records wasn't just a record store. The in-house record label was the parent to a litany of early house imprints. Funknose, Surreal, London Housing Benefit, Pirate Radio, and Uhuru Beats all had a hand in expanding the UK house sound.

The staff at Swag was just as vital to the proliferation of the genre as the store. Carl Cox and Colin Dale may have been its most well-known employees. Producers and DJs like Terry Francis, Jazzy M, Archticht of French Touch Richard Grey, and Grant Dell also served behind the counter. 

Tech house steamrolled the UK scene. Chicago had house, Detroit had techno, London now had a unique sound that defined the dance floor. The goal with this emerging genre was to spotlight the local approach to DJing. UK ravers and clubbers responded heavily to the harder edge of acid house and jungle house. Tech house found the sweet spot between heavy and funky. 

Labels in the United Kingdom dominated the early days of tech house and were instrumental in defining the sonic footprint of the genre. Songs like “Blue Wig” by Terry Francis and Giddy Jackson, “Loop," by LFO and F.U.S.E. (with Richie Hawtin on editing), and "Tech House" by Mr. C are some of the greatest tracks to come from the early ages of the genre.   

As the ‘90s ebbed into the aughts, tech house drowned under the rise of progressive house and minimal techno. It wasn’t until 2005 when the synth-based, Euro-flavored sound began to prove popular again. M.A.N.D.Y. and Booka Shade’s 2005 classic “Body Language” beautifully reflect the resurgence of the sound with deep clarity. However, tech house didn't hit its stride until 2010.  

The New Kids on the Block

Labels like Jamie Jones’ Hot Creations founded in 2010 began to redefine and popularize tech house to the masses. Artists such as Steve Lawler, Lee Foss, Miguel Campbell, Solomun, and Marco Carola were responsible for the new class of tech house. Production techniques had progressed exponentially since the early days, and dance music was the advent of streaming meant tech house could now reach a global audience.

The summer of 2011 was a turning point. The Jamie Jones remix of “Hungry For The Power” by Azari & III and “Around (Solomun Vox Mix)” by Noir & Haze dominated global dance floors. Even with EDM looming large in the public eye, it felt like a new beginning for tech house.   

In the past decade, dozens of tech house-leaning DJs and producers have risen to prominence and become household names. Tech house has started to eclipse harder-edged EDM styles as the most popular (or hated) genres of electronic music.

Dubfire, Pan-Pot, Hot Since 82, Fisher, and John Summit are just a small sample of a much wider and diffuse scene that is everywhere. Most global electronic festivals have some, if not the majority of, real estate devoted to tech house, as it has become the defining sound of the moment in modern electronic music.  

The true legacy of tech house is, much like its original spirit, something both subtle and special. DJs reacting to audiences defined the genre. It was born in a community of dancers, DJs, producers, record shops, and promoters, created in the ashes of genres before it. 

 




The History of Tech House: Dance Music's Beloved and Derided Genre

 We caught up with LP Giobbi at elrow’s Rowsattacks! show in Brooklyn earlier this month. And as always, it was fantastic to speak to the queen of piano house. Her set was a blazing ride through classic house beats, Grateful Dead remixes, and of course, her vivacious spirit and expert improv work on the keys. 

After her set, we sat down for a bit of fun and asked her some totally random questions. We covered everything from her connection to 70s music to her favorite track of 2021. Check the video out below and read on to see how it all went down.


What was your first thought this morning?


"Oh, fuck." I played in Vail last night. Three days ago, I was in London. Two days ago, I was in LA. Last night I was in Vail and then I had to get up at five in the morning to drive down to Denver to get here. So, my first thought was ‘oh fuck!’ It's all worth it. Tonight was amazing.


Explain Elrow In three words to me like I've never been here.


Fucking next level hyphenated amazing.


If you could pick any era in history to live in. When would you pick?


I mean, this is a complicated one. I would probably pick the '70s because, you know, The Dead, Janice Joplin. But also, the world wasn't as progressive then. So, I feel kind of bad saying that. So, it's complicated.


Because, in terms of music, it was probably one of the best decades of music, let's just say you would mix the 70s with where we're going?


Yes, which is what I try to do in my sets.




If you weren't a musician, what would you be?


I'd be a midwife. I would deliver babies for women because I became a producer to empower other women to do this. And I think like helping a woman deliver a child is also an empowering experience. So I would probably do that.


My wife and I's midwife was absolutely amazing. 


And you'll never forget that, right? Like literally life-changing, like empowering women to like, empower her body to give birth is just, I honestly hope I do in this life.


Would you rather only be able to whisper or only be able to shout?


Definitely shout. That's the easiest question. 







I wrote this question for you. But I gave it to everybody else. And I knew what your answer was gonna be. What was harder? Learning to play a 20 page piano concerto or learning to do a mixdown?


That's a really good question. That's a, you did your research question. I honestly think pretty equal. I mean, it took me a few years to learn the Greek concerto from beginning to end. I would say like the same amount of time to really master production. Just, you know, consistent work. 

Same, same but different? 


Yeah, totally. But that taught me how to work, so for that, I'm grateful.


What sound or noise Do you love? 


Okay, well, I have a white noise [machine] to sleep. I need it to sleep and actually carry around a white noise machine with me, which takes up a lot of my suitcase. That's how much I love it.

Favorite Grateful Dead tune? 


Oh, "Franklin's Tower" I just did a remix of it. His lyrics are so weird. I did some research on them. And they're genius. The songwriter, John Barlow, wrote this crazy essay on it. It's just genius. 


I'm playing with The Dead actually in a few weeks. They do a festival in Tulum, and I'm doing their after-parties. My parents are coming. I've cried about it so many times.

808 or 909?


808. 


Favorite track of the year?


Bicep "Apricot." This whole album is cool. There's no vocals. It's just like weird electronic music and went to number one on the pop charts.



Intimate club or festival? 


Oh, that's easy, intimate club.

Intimate club or rave?


It depends on how long my set is.

Two hours 


Two hours for both? Then maybe rave.



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Dream collaboration?

I think I know the answer to but let me just think … Grateful Dead. 

Would you rather be forced to sing along or dance to every single song you hear?


Dance. I can't sing to save my life. 


One time I went on tour with a band and afterwards I was talking to the lead singer and I said 'I love that one song you do,' and I sang it to her. And she didn't know what song I was singing.


Would you rather swim in a pool full of Nutella or a pool full of maple syrup? 


Yes

New York or London?


I would say London because of the music scene.


Finish this sentence: I love house music because ...


it's body music.


On the Spot: LP Giobbi

Johnson is one of the many women in dance music that is helping shift the conversation and move the needle for more diverse lineups. Her work with Desert Hearts allowed her to book more women on lineups, and she's part of 

 Femme House collective. In 2022 she'll begin her own DJ course there.

LP Giobbi

There are few in dance music that combines their musical past and present as effectively as LP Giobbi. The classically trained jazz pianist injects her multi-platform DJ sets with syncopated notes of the roots of house music every time she lays a rhythmic keyboard improv over a looped 4/4 beat. She’s exuberant and charismatic as she twists and glides from piano to CDJs and back, never for a moment allowing the music to stop flowing through every inch of her body. She's harnessed an authentic activist mindset that reminds us of the mere act of getting out there on the dance floor, listening to a diva sing over a four-four beat with an acid squelching baseline, that's fucking activism, man.

“The only time I feel completely present as a human - and that sounds so cheesy, but it's true - is when I'm on stage playing music. “ She explains this as she tries to rationalize the constant struggle of the modern musician. Doing hundreds of things that aren't making music and still finding time for music.

“I'm not thinking about what I have to do on my to do list. I'm just thinking about getting to connect with the people that I can see in the audience and see their joy. This is where I'm actually living my life.”

Giobbi was always indelibly connected to the stage. Her first big break as a performer came when Peter Franco, Daft Punk's studio engineer, discovered her playing jazz in San Francisco. To have those moments ripped away was devastating. On the eve of joining her best friends Sofi Tukker on their European tour in March of 2020, her manager told her that the next 52 weeks of shows are canceled, it is time to start streaming. She reluctantly took the show to Twitch.

“I remember thinking standing on the other side of this tiny web camera is going to be pretty soul sucking but I don't know what else to do.”

She realigned with the joy of performance as the community affectionately referred to as the Freak Fam coalesced around her and Sofi Tukker, who spent nearly every day of the pandemic on Twitch. She soon realized how liberating it was to be free of one-hour set times.

“It also allowed me to get a little bit weirder, like sort of see myself more as like a one person jam band.” An important point to note for a woman raised by two Dead Heads. 

The world of dance music united across borders as fans from around the world hopped from stream to stream on Twitch. Giobbi was a huge part of that. “I've never felt more connected in a year where I thought I was not going to be connected at all.” 

With the increased visibility, Giobbi uncovered a larger platform for her 501 C Femme House. An artist collective and educational platform that is giving more visibility to women in music. She launched She Is The Producer in partnership with Alicia Keys’ She Is the Music, and GRAMMY-winning studio engineer Emily Lazar’s We Are Moving the Needle. With the support of music software giant Ableton, Giobbi’s organization gave 3000 women around the world access to music production software and classes to get started.

It was an emotional moment to scroll through the massive Zoom chat for the first class and see greetings from Mexico, Canada, Australia, and Brazil. It’s remarkable to think how many lives were changed she says. 

“I oftentimes think, ‘Okay, having more female producers. Is that going to change the world?’ And maybe that in of itself isn't, but what it does is it makes you see yourself in a role you didn't think you could be in before. It changes your general concept of yourself.”

With a year of reconning with the social failings of our system, I ask Giobbi if the needle is moving in the right direction. She feels headway is being made, but when she is still the only female DJ across two days of DJing major music festivals, there’s still much improvement to make.

“I understand that as a promoter, you need to book acts that will sell tickets. This is your livelihood, I totally respect that and get that. That being said, only the headliners are actually selling the tickets. That means that there's usually an entire lineup of you know, 40 other acts, below the headliners that people are excited to see but maybe they're not gonna' actually sell the ticket. So, just be aware and make sure that that area is diverse… the bookers and the agents just need to be finally more conscious on how diverse that bottom half looks.”

She does her part by sending notes to promoters on who they should book when she signs a contract to play. She makes sure that talent buyers have contact info for diverse talent in each area.

“Whenever I get booked, we send out a spreadsheet. I'm gonna make your job as easy as possible. Here's a list of artists. Here's their contacts. Here's their social numbers. Here's their Spotify numbers. Here's all the information that you would need to know before you book them, here it is, please reach out if you can.”

Shortly before our call, she's told that she hit the career milestone of having 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Just a year ago she hovered around 10,000, so she's understandably elated at the news. She has more festival bookings than she can shake a fist at, including what she reveals is a special set at Bonaroo. However, her selfless spirit shows when she discusses how her success relates to her ultimate goal.

She explains how she plans to demand more inclusion and equity in music. “The reason that I keep grinding in the studio and trying to build this platform is not for money. It is because I'm hoping that the more power and leverage that me and my team build that I can then do that. I'm not there yet. But I do think that, you know, as this builds, that's what I'm going to use my my power for 1,000%.”








"I'm glad that we had that platform to do that, because they actually helped a lot of those women get on the path of their career," she says. "there's obviously main big goals of doing like a femme house festival one day, and if I had the opportunity to curate stages, I absolutely would take it and put on everybody that I can that's that's truly crushing it and and then give them you know, an opportunity to shine that maybe they wouldn't have that because it is, it's tough to get out there really is like, you know, maybe like 5% Get lucky or in their way. But yeah, so anyway, I can help and do that. But it just, it makes me happy to do it."

Gray Area Spotlight: Mary Droppinz

Mary Droppinz, aka Alyssa Johnson, understands the power of faith in herself. The LA-based producer and DJ captured the attention of dance music fans because of her infectious positivity, unsurpassed skills on the decks, and a sound that seamlessly blends house, techno, and breakbeat electro. The latter is one of dance music's least represented but most impactful genres. And Johnson hopes that as a champion of nasty acid growls and rumbling 808 bass, she can help diversify the sound of the dance floor and the people who make the noises that keep the crowd hyped.

Read the full Spotlight: https://grayarea.co/artists/mary-droppinz

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
0:36 - Early musical influences
01:21 - Emo/dance crossover
02:25 - Moving to California/finding raves
03:23 - Finding her community
07:25 - Quitting her job
8:15 - "Why am I doing this?"
10:20 - Twitch
12:50 - Educating fans on new music
14:50 - Desert Hearts
16:12 - Supporting other artists
17:00 - Femme House
19:00 - Women in music
20:40 - Speed round

▪️Follow Mary Droppinz▪️
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Soundcloud - https://soundcloud.com/marydroppinz
Beatport - https://www.beatport.com/artist/mary-droppinz/981862

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Gray Area's mission is to build a bigger house music community in North America by helping fans discover exciting house music artists, event brands and festivals that are new to them. 

#grayarea #marydroppinz #housemusic

Gray Area Interview: Mary Droppinz

Mary Droppinz, aka Alyssa Johnson, understands the power of faith in herself. The LA-based producer and DJ captured the attention of dance music fans because of her infectious positivity, unsurpassed skills on the decks, and a sound that seamlessly blends house, techno, and breakbeat electro. The latter is one of dance music's least represented but most impactful genres. And Johnson hopes that as a champion of nasty acid growls and rumbling 808 bass, she can help diversify the sound of the dance floor and the people who make the noises that keep the crowd hyped.

Before she fell in love with dance music, she was an emo kid from Nebraska. Her dad, an amateur drummer, instilled a passion for the classics. As a result, she grew up on a diet of Pink Floyd, the Doors, and late afternoon drum sessions banging from the basement.

"He wasn't a professional drummer, he would do it after work every day. Come home and just go down [and] start drumming," she reminisces. "So, I was used to the flow of having a little music practice at the end of the day. And so that's just kind of like where it all began."

She credits her love of emo-rock for opening her heart enough to accept dance music as her singular passion. She explains that while emo does not sound like dance music, the ethos and feeling are united.

"That style of music, it takes you away. You can escape reality for a bit. And it's head banging. It just takes you out of your body. And in a sense, it's emotional and passionate."

When she moved to California from Nebraska with her former partner, she was inaugurated into the underground scene of Southern California at a steak house in Orange County. The bizarre locations, passionately connected community, and peak dancefloor experiences of the rave scene made an indelible mark on her soul. And there was no turning back.

"Everything clicked. I was like, What the heck is this kind of music? This is what I've been looking for. I had no idea." 

Like other ravers who made it their life's work, she was quickly hooked. "I went to Coachella every year and Desert Hearts and started going to festivals. And that's when it was just like, this is what I want to do for my life."







Inspired by her dad's daily drum sessions, she started her own routine. She came home each day from her ad agency job, powered up her laptop, and emersed herself in becoming an expert in digital DJing.

The budding bedroom DJ continued to explore the laser-lit recesses of the underground. And in the process discovered a community of house heads at her job. They helped give her growing love for dance music context in the local scene. Finally, she started to feel at home in LA and had a rave crew showing her the ropes.

But life in the ad world wasn't cutting it anymore. She wanted to do something that she cared about.

"Ultimately, I was sitting there at my job and just feeling so unfulfilled," she says. She was tired of advertising products she didn't use or even care about. And she asked herself, "what can I do with the skill set to get more integrated into music?"

The universe responded with a job at Native Instruments in marketing. And as she planned and executed events for a company that is one of the most well-known in producer circles, she solidified a network of other passionate creatives.

Her journey was far from complete, and she still had another massive leap of faith to endure. She decided to quit her day job to devote herself entirely to music.

"I had saved up enough to be able to support myself for the next six months. And so I was like, I'm gonna do this, I'm going all in. And so that was the game plan, but then that all the shows that I had booked, all canceled, and everything shut down."

The pandemic kneecapped the industry. Unexpectedly, however, it offered her an immense opportunity to put herself in front of thousands of people stuck at home in front of a screen.

"I felt a bit depressed about it." She tells Gray Area. She thought to herself, "I don't know, what's gonna happen, why did I make this decision? Now I don't have a steady income, I have to get on unemployment, I've got to figure something out. it freaked me out at first, but then it fueled me."

But she realized she had immense opportunity to help change people's worldview.  

"I realized, why I'm doing this. I'm doing this to give love and to help heal people through music. To share my passion with everybody and make people smile."

Throughout the pandemic, she dominated Twitch streams, appearing on the most prominent channels like Insomniac, Desert Hearts, and Dirtybird. And despite the physical distance of streaming, she found herself connecting with her audience in more profound ways.







When people wondered how she could make lasting connections through a screen, she told them," We grew up in a digital age. I know when you are being passive-aggressive when texting me, I can tell the vibe that I put out and what they're feeling by their messages on chat.

"And so I just really honed in on that. Going out now in the real world, and DJing again, it's been super rewarding running into a lot of the community that I built online."

Her goal to spread joy was successful in the most pivotal time.



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"Them saying 'You saved me during 2020. I had nothing to do and nothing to look forward to. But every day like you came on and you brought vibes and music, and energy.'"

And she says that "You just got to make what you can out of it and always remember what your intentions are with doing this."

It also led her down a path to a new sound. LA is a house music city. But Johnson knew that with the breadth of dance music, other sounds could move dance floors. And she found a home in one of the most storied and influential genres, electro breakbeat.

It's the sound that in the 80s gave birth to dozens of classics like "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaata and the Soulsonc Force, "I Need A Freak" by Egyptian Lover, and "Jam On It" by Newcleus. 

Establishing a fan base during the pandemic allowed her the leverage to implore promoters to look outside of the tech house bro scene and book her for her sound. And she gets to provide a valuable service to the dance floor in the process.







Johnson is one of the many women in dance music that is helping shift the conversation and move the needle for more diverse lineups. Her work with Desert Hearts allowed her to book more women on lineups, and she's part of LP Giobbi's Femme House collective. In 2022 she'll begin her own DJ course there.

"I'm glad that we had that platform to do that, because they actually helped a lot of those women get on the path of their career," she says. "there's obviously main big goals of doing like a femme house festival one day, and if I had the opportunity to curate stages, I absolutely would take it and put on everybody that I can that's that's truly crushing it and and then give them you know, an opportunity to shine that maybe they wouldn't have that because it is, it's tough to get out there really is like, you know, maybe like 5% Get lucky or in their way. But yeah, so anyway, I can help and do that. But it just, it makes me happy to do it."










Mary Droppinz

Articles

Alicia Baron