- 5 minutes ago
Is dance music coming back to the mainstream? On this week’s episode of Billboard On The Record, John Summit — DJ, producer and founder of Experts Only — discusses what makes the dance music industry unique, how DJs went from underground clubs to arena shows and festival headliner slots and why he decided to launch his own label. With his own discography evolving from singles to full album releases, Summit walks through how he laid the foundation for his upcoming arena tour while losing $1 million in the process — and yes, what led to him lighting a Rimowa suitcase on fire.
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00:00You still see the comments of all the pop fans being like, who the fuck is John Summit, blah, blah,
00:03blah.
00:03I'm like, damn, I thought I was doing pretty well, but I still have a lot of heads to turn
00:07still.
00:08The dance music industry, it's very singles driven.
00:11And also people kind of hop around to different places.
00:14So can you talk to me about how you came up and what was your strategy in aligning with these
00:18different labels?
00:19I always had aspirations to making these bigger records.
00:23Do you think that the visuals in dance music these days are almost kind of like an arms race?
00:28Yes, which is why I kind of want to do the antithesis of visuals.
00:32Everyone's just one-upping each other.
00:33Experts Only has its own community now.
00:35We have a festival that's like 60,000 people in New York this year.
00:38And we're going to start going international with it.
00:40I can't say anything yet, but there's a lot more to come.
00:46John Summit is one of the biggest stars in dance music today.
00:49And not only that, he's also the founder of one of the hottest dance labels today as well.
00:53His company, Experts Only, regularly ranks at number one on B-Port's global label chart.
01:00And it releases music from artists like DeVault, Leighton Giordani, Max Steiler, among many others.
01:07Between the release of his new album, Control Escape, hosting multiple skiing-based music festivals on Whistler and Vail,
01:14playing Coachella, and gearing up for the second year of his New York-based festival, also called Experts Only,
01:19he's one of the busiest producers in the genre today, and one of the few that's bridged the divide between
01:24dance and popular music.
01:26So today I'm here with John to ask him about his career journey from accountant to EDM superstar,
01:32how he made Experts Only such a success, and what makes the dance music industry so unique to any other
01:38genre.
01:40All right, John Summit, welcome to On The Record. Thanks for being here.
01:43Thank you for having me.
01:44As you guys can see, if you're watching this video, we got switched up today. This is John's good side.
01:52I like being on the right side. This is my comfy spot.
01:56Okay, so you always DJ if you're going back-to-back on that side?
02:00Okay, fair enough. You know what? We're here to do new things today.
02:03Exactly.
02:05Okay, so you just came from EDC this weekend?
02:07Yes.
02:07Okay.
02:08I was there at 7 a.m. yesterday, so 24, 28 hours ago.
02:14Damn.
02:15Wait, how late did the set go?
02:17Well, I didn't even play yesterday. I was just there to have fun.
02:20Okay, fun. That's great.
02:21And a little bit of market research, I like to think, because I try to stop by every stage and
02:26see what all the other DJs are playing.
02:28And I try to get inspired by other genres because I'm so multi-genre nowadays, where I used to just
02:32be like house and techno,
02:34where now I was checking out the hard style stage, the hard techno stage, the dubstep stage.
02:38So it's fun going to EDC and get a little taste of everything.
02:42Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's actually something I was going to ask you about.
02:45How do you make time for artist discovery and making sure you're still on the cutting edge when you have
02:49so much going on all the time?
02:51Well, it's very tough and it's easier said than done, but I try to do a couple hours every day
02:56of going through demos and going through promos and try and listen to new mix.
03:00And then, you know, I kind of just during the day when I'm just doing like normal day-to-day
03:05tasks, I'm always trying to find new music.
03:07And then when in the studio, that's when I kind of make my own music.
03:10So it's either half the day finding new stuff, half the day making new stuff is the goal.
03:15I love it. I love it.
03:16Well, do you feel like having experts only and constantly like going through all of these kind of inbound requests
03:22to be on the label, does that help you find new stuff too?
03:25Yes. And we work with so many artists nowadays that I get sent so much new music every day and
03:30I'm super backlogged, which is tough.
03:33But there's also being so many new labels every single day too.
03:36That's cool that I think we're like on the forefront of electronic music, but just awesome seeing all these different
03:41artists inspired in so many different ways.
03:43But yeah, I get sent like hundreds of demos every single day though.
03:47Experts Only has been around since what, like 2022?
03:502022, yes.
03:51Okay. Yeah. So I'm curious, like, were you inspired by any other artist labels to start your own?
03:57Yeah. So it was big time inspired by Lee Foss's Repopulate Mars.
04:01He really put me on. I mean, one of my first big parties ever was during 2020, we did a
04:0710-hour set back-to-back out here in LA when parties weren't really supposed to be happening.
04:12So that was definitely a legendary one. And he's a Chicago guy too, so he helped put me on.
04:17Same thing with Gene Ferris, with Ferris Wheel. Defected was huge for me, putting me on.
04:22Yeah. That was an artist-run label, but it was just a very artist-run label and like, you know,
04:28an institution for house music, so.
04:30Yeah. Well, that's something that I find really interesting about the dance music industry is that it's like very singles
04:36-driven and also people kind of hop around to different places.
04:40So can you talk to me about how you came up and like, what was your strategy in aligning with
04:45these different labels, if there was a strategy at the time?
04:48So, I mean, a lot of labels throw events too, which Experts only does as well.
04:51And if you wanted to play, like, I always wanted to play in Europe.
04:55And the only way to really do that is by playing, like, Defected Croatia and their events in the UK
05:00and everything like that too.
05:01So, but to get on these parties and get to get, you know, their community to know you, you kind
05:06of have to release music with them.
05:07So, it's just a, I mean, like, Circle Local, of course, is the same way.
05:11There's so many label, I guess, event-run labels.
05:15But yeah, and then I think Experts only has its own community now.
05:18We have a festival that's like 60,000 people in New York this year.
05:22So, yeah, it's becoming a huge thing, which is awesome.
05:24So, that's crazy.
05:25And it's, is your next festival on Randall's Island?
05:27Yep.
05:28Yeah, so we did the first one last year.
05:29And then we're doing it again this year, a little bit bigger, and just expanding it a little bit more,
05:33adding an extra stage, having a big, like, list of talent there.
05:38So, yeah, that's exciting.
05:39And we do the Ski Weekenders in February as well, too.
05:42So, we did Vail and Whistler this year.
05:44And we're going to start going international with it.
05:46I can't say anything yet, but there's a lot more to come.
05:49Okay, okay.
05:50I'm interested to hear what you do next.
05:52That's really exciting stuff.
05:53And I feel like the ski angle feels very unique to you.
05:57Was this just, like, born out of your own personal desire to go to a party like this?
06:01Yes, yes.
06:02Because I used to ski every year growing up.
06:04And then I started touring so much.
06:06I started doing, like, 250 shows a year that I had to, like, get that out of my life.
06:09And it was sad.
06:10And I'm like, well, what if we had best of both worlds is, you know, skiing and house music and
06:15partying.
06:16And it turns out all the fans like doing that as well, too.
06:19Because, you know, you ski by day, party by night.
06:21It's, like, kind of the ideal scenario for me.
06:23Yeah.
06:24Where did you ski growing up?
06:25We went out to Colorado.
06:26We did kind of just everything, really.
06:29So we're trying to look into other ski resorts to work with as well, too.
06:32So, but the ones we've been working with have been amazing.
06:35So we'll see.
06:36Well, why not do a festival in Chicago, your hometown?
06:40Is that coming?
06:42Because Chicago already has such amazing festivals.
06:46I'm one of the headliners in Law Palooza this year.
06:48And then there's ARC, which is my homies that run that.
06:51And it's a true house and techno festival.
06:52There's North Coast, which I've played as well, which is awesome growing up.
06:55So I guess that is the dream one day.
06:57But I don't think there's the biggest demand.
07:01I mean, we're going to be doing huge shows in Chicago for sure.
07:04But festival is a little tough.
07:05Whereas New York never had E-Zoob.
07:09And then that went out of business.
07:10And there was a huge demand for an electronic music festival.
07:13So it worked out great.
07:15So, yeah.
07:16Okay.
07:16So you are headlining Law Palooza.
07:18I'm wondering, do you feel like as a dance artist, you kind of have to prove yourself even more than
07:24a pop artist to earn that headliner slot in a multi-genre festival?
07:27And you still see the comments of all the pop fans being like, who the fuck is John Summit?
07:31I'm like, damn.
07:32I thought I was doing pretty well.
07:33But I still have a lot of heads to turn still.
07:36Which is awesome, though.
07:37And it's like, you know, I've kind of touched the pop realm.
07:40But I still think I'm just fully in dance music, though.
07:43Because I still haven't had like a Billboard Top 100 track or anything.
07:46Wait, really?
07:47Yeah.
07:47And none of that.
07:48Oh.
07:48Yeah.
07:48Like, they chart in dance music.
07:50Yeah.
07:50In the dance charts.
07:51Yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:52But it's just like, it's just a different world.
07:53So.
07:54Yeah.
07:54Maybe I have.
07:55I don't even check the charts myself, to be honest.
07:58Well, add a correction if you're like, actually, he had a top 10.
08:00Yeah, yeah.
08:01I checked the dance charts, though.
08:03So we do well there.
08:05Well, is that something that's an aspiration of yours?
08:07That you want to break into that, like, Hot 100 realm of pop music?
08:12Or are you having to be in that dance?
08:13It's one of those things, it's like, if it happens, it happens.
08:16And I don't really have any control of that at all.
08:18And I'm going to try to make the best music possible and try to reach as many people as
08:21possible, of course.
08:22I try not to have too many goals like that, because then it causes too much disappointment.
08:27It's only so much.
08:28I don't know.
08:28It's like, one of my favorite acts of all the time is Rufus.
08:31And they're doing so well.
08:32And they're doing full arena stadium tours.
08:34And they've never really had, like, a crazy chart-topping track.
08:37But they've had, like, culturally incredibly impactful records, like Inner Bloom.
08:40So that's more my inspiration, I guess.
08:44Is making records that, you know, are more timeless, I guess.
08:48But a mix of both would be awesome.
08:50Yeah.
08:50Yeah, of course.
08:51I feel like there's probably endless demand for you to DJ at various events.
08:56I mean, across the world.
08:58You're doing, like, what did you say?
08:59250 shows last year?
09:01Well, that was a few years ago, because that's when I did more clubs.
09:03Where this year, I'm being more manageable with 100 to 150.
09:06Okay.
09:07A manageable 150.
09:08Which is still a fuck ton, but.
09:10That is still a ton.
09:11Well, yeah.
09:11I'm wondering, like, where do you draw the line for yourself?
09:14Because you don't want to burn out and not be able to, you know, make your own music,
09:18label, all that stuff.
09:19That is something we try to figure out every single day.
09:22And, I mean, I burned out, not this past weekend, but the weekend before.
09:27And I canceled my first ever shows.
09:29And I still, like, feel bad about it.
09:30But I just had, I got, like, sick, I fucking sprained my ankle, and I was, like, fully,
09:34just mentally exhausted.
09:36And I just came off this Asia tour that went into South Africa.
09:39And it was, like, because I literally went from Red Rocks, Five Hour Set, to Coachella,
09:44then dropped my album, then Bali, Bangkok, Singapore, China, South Africa.
09:50And then I had to go to South America.
09:52But then I just did four shows in Miami.
09:53So, yeah, it was too much going at once.
09:56So, yeah, and your suitcase.
09:57Yeah, and then if you guys saw, I had a full-on crash out during that.
10:03So, I was like, yeah, maybe I should take a chill pill for a second.
10:05You know what?
10:06You said what everyone was thinking about it.
10:09Exactly, exactly.
10:09I've had a lot of people with issues with those suitcases.
10:11It's so tough.
10:12I mean, I come back from tour, and my whole suitcase has exploded,
10:15and I lost half of my clothes.
10:16Next, so I have this arena tour in the fall for Control Escape, the new album.
10:21And I think after that, I'm going to chill out for a little bit, is the goal.
10:26Fair enough.
10:27Go on a little vacation.
10:29Yeah.
10:29Knowing me, though, I take five days off, and I'm like, okay, I'm fine.
10:32Let's go.
10:33Yeah, yeah, yeah.
10:33One of the things I find so interesting about dance music is
10:36it technically could be one of the lowest costs of production for a show possible
10:40because it's a person with portable equipment.
10:42Yeah, which is funny, though, because I just came from EDC,
10:44which has to be the highest-cost festival in the world, but go on.
10:47Yeah, yeah, no, that's exactly what I was going to get to, though.
10:49It's like you can have up to animal-level visuals that cost tons and tons of money,
10:56so much cost, so much staff to have that put on.
10:59Where do you find your sweet spot is, and when do you decide to bring out the big visuals
11:04and the big production value, and when do you decide to do more of an intimate set?
11:09I think it's just a balance because, I mean, this year I did a pop-up set, the Doolab,
11:14which is a perfect example where the production is still amazing there,
11:16and, of course, they spend money on it all, but as the artist, I just showed up, ripped it, and
11:20left.
11:21All I needed, literally, was my USB.
11:23So we added just a little control escape blocks on the stage, which is kind of nice.
11:27It's really fun doing that because I can be fully, I guess, improvisational in my sets
11:33because there's no visuals, no lighting, and then, but even when I have that,
11:37the team knows how to punt and how to follow, like, when I go fully off script,
11:40but then I'm doing, like, the arena tour, and that's going to be full-on production, you know,
11:44like, you know what an arena tour is kind of like.
11:47We're still figuring out the visuals and figuring out how minimal I want to be,
11:50if we want to be more of a lighting show.
11:52Like, when Four Strokes and Fredegaand did that last-second headline set at Coachella,
11:57but they, like, used, like, Frank Ocean's, like, leftover production
12:00and kind of just DJed in the middle, and it was just about the music,
12:03and it was so well-received because I think dance fans truly are music first,
12:08and then everything else is just bells and whistles, so.
12:10Yeah, well, I mean, if you think about it, like, in the club setting,
12:12like, there's definitely a reality where there's some DJs where you're not even,
12:15they are not the main event.
12:16You're not looking towards the stage.
12:18It's just when you get to, like, the festival setting and trying to shoehorn dance culture into it.
12:23It's interesting because you go to, like, Fabric in London,
12:25and you can't even see the DJ,
12:27and I've played there before myself, too,
12:28and the decks are in front of my face.
12:30They're really like this.
12:31So, like, I literally can't even see the crowd.
12:33I'm, like, going like this,
12:34and then the whole crowd is facing away from the DJ, too,
12:38so you see people, like, living their best lives.
12:40It's really cool, but then it's, like, then I'll play, you know,
12:43like, an arena show and stuff,
12:44and then I'm kind of, like, the center of attention,
12:46which is kind of weird because that's not where I come from,
12:49but I've gotten used to it,
12:51and I've gotten used to the spotlight by now, of course,
12:52but I think it's just a fun blend of both
12:55because as soon as I get bored of one thing,
12:57I do the other,
12:58but, yeah, it's definitely a weird space in dance music right now
13:01where the artists are becoming huge brands themselves, you know?
13:07So I listened to this other interview that you did,
13:10and you were talking about your Madison Square Garden shows
13:12and how you ultimately, like,
13:14I think you ended up losing money on it
13:16because of the amount of production you put in.
13:18I invested a million dollars.
13:21I invested a million dollars, so I'm correcting that.
13:23Invested a million dollars yourself.
13:25Yes, yeah.
13:26Yeah, so I'm curious, though, like,
13:28why did you decide that that was a moment
13:30where it was worth, you know, that expense?
13:33I mean, that was a huge flagpole moment for me
13:35and it was, you know, like,
13:37one of the first DJs to really do Madison Square Garden.
13:39There's been a few others, of course,
13:40but from no one really from my world,
13:44from the tech house world,
13:46has gone to the stage like that before,
13:48and it was kind of a proof of concept
13:50that I always knew I wanted to do a full arena tour,
13:52so we're doing 20-plus dates, you know, in the fall now,
13:55but I didn't even know if an arena was possible,
13:57and you can't start with doing 20 dates
14:00where now I can, if I want to go full business right now,
14:03I can amortize the production over 20 dates
14:05and the whole team and everything, too,
14:07so we can actually make money,
14:08which is why someone like a Harry Styles
14:10has 30 Madison Square Gardens.
14:11Totally.
14:12Because if you just do a one-off, you know,
14:13you spend so much time, money, and energy
14:15just for one show, you really got to take it on tour.
14:18But then I did that, and I realized it was possible,
14:20and all the fans loved it,
14:21and because so many people didn't think, you know,
14:24club music could work in an arena setting
14:26because of the seats and everything, it's kind of...
14:28But then we did three nights at Kia Forum in L.A.
14:31in the end of 2024,
14:32and that went fucking awesome, and I broke even.
14:35Nice. Congratulations.
14:36Congratulations.
14:37So, but now I just know that arenas are a lot of fun,
14:40and now I can take it across the whole country
14:42and hit a lot of markets, like Charlotte and stuff like that
14:45where I've never hit before really on my own production show.
14:50Yeah, I mean, it's interesting you bring up Harry Styles.
14:53I think it's really interesting to see how many people
14:54are doing the residency kind of model
14:56where it's like you stick around somewhere for a few nights.
14:58I think for him, though, it's like he just wants to, like,
15:00train for marathons and live a normal life
15:02and, like, have a normal sleep schedule
15:03where, you know, some people like me are, like, kind of more road junkies
15:07and like to be in a different city every night.
15:09Yeah.
15:10But it's interesting.
15:11But, yeah, I guess for someone like Harry Styles,
15:13he's obviously so big and so popular
15:15that people fly in from all over for that.
15:18And MSG is just so iconic and everything, too.
15:21Yeah.
15:21Like, this year we're doing two nights at Barclays instead of MSG,
15:24which is where the Nets play.
15:25Yeah.
15:25So, but I've seen really good reviews from that.
15:28I mean, Tim and Paul had a big arena show there.
15:30He had friends that went and stuff.
15:31So I think it'll be a good time.
15:33Yeah.
15:34Yeah.
15:34Well, okay.
15:34Do you have any travel tips, given you're on the road so much?
15:38Travel tips.
15:39Yeah.
15:40How do you stay healthy?
15:42Like, I feel like I would be going to sleep in two days.
15:44I have no idea.
15:45I mean, I try to get a workout in
15:46and just have to power through.
15:48And luckily, I can sleep in planes very well.
15:53There's people I know that don't do that so well.
15:55So you have to be built different.
15:59You get used to it, though.
16:00It's like anything.
16:01I mean, I was, like, training for a marathon
16:02while doing touring and all that.
16:04I don't know.
16:05Try to have some sense of routine in your life, I guess.
16:07Do you think that the visuals in dance music these days
16:11are almost kind of like an arms race?
16:13Like, it feels like it keeps getting bigger and bigger.
16:15But you know the space.
16:16Yes, which is why I kind of want to do the antithesis of visuals.
16:20We've never been quite a visual show.
16:21I mean, we've had, you know, we use a lot of iMac to show me on screen
16:26and so I can really connect to the crowd better.
16:28And then we have abstract ways of doing it
16:30where we get creative with the filtering
16:33and then the camera cutting and stuff.
16:34And we like to show the crowd as well, too.
16:36Stuff, too.
16:37But I don't know.
16:38I need to, for, like, the arena tour,
16:39I need to plan out how we do the visuals
16:41and how we incorporate the crowd.
16:42I mean, I saw, like, Jamie's XX Sun Tour,
16:45and he did a really good job of abstract showing people dancing.
16:48Because when you show people dancing,
16:50it gets them dancing themselves, too.
16:52Which is why I had a bunch of dancers on stage,
16:53if you saw me when I played at Boulder and at ACL, too.
16:56So we're going to get very creative with it.
16:59But I think the visual...
17:01I don't want to tease it too much,
17:03but we're going to bring that Control Escape
17:05kind of office world to life is the goal.
17:08Yeah.
17:09Well, okay, I loved all the visuals
17:11that you were doing for Control Escape.
17:12It felt like such a gigantic rollout for you.
17:14I know this is your second album.
17:15It feels like it was an even bigger event than the first one.
17:18So can you walk me through, like,
17:20how you approached the rollout for this album differently?
17:23It feels like it was just, you know, times ten.
17:26Comfort and Chaos was...
17:28I obviously spent a ton of time on the music,
17:30but then on the rollout artwork,
17:32I worked with, like, Marcus Alvarado,
17:34and we did this, like, abstract art with it,
17:36which was a lot of fun.
17:37But then I was like, for the second album,
17:39I want to do the opposite,
17:40because I like to, you know,
17:41if I go left one way, I have to go right the next.
17:44And I just really wanted to make it more of a personal album,
17:47really tie in my journey.
17:48I was kind of hiding the facts for a while,
17:51like, my background, who I was,
17:53coming from, you know,
17:54Southern Chicago, being an accountant,
17:56and then going into this crazy dance world
17:58where I really wanted to bring that to life
18:00and the whole escaping the Matrix kind of thing.
18:03So I always had this idea,
18:05but now we've put more time set aside
18:08for music videos and for art
18:10and making a world out of the music.
18:12I think this next album I do is going to take me,
18:14probably, like, the concept I have in my head
18:16is going to take me, like, two, three years,
18:18because it's just, like,
18:20really bringing it to life for the next,
18:22because I always try to one-up myself.
18:24Yeah.
18:25But even just the music itself
18:26takes a year or two as well, too.
18:28So, yeah, it's a super fun process, though.
18:32Yeah, no, I loved the tie-in
18:33of all the, like, kind of accountant office core
18:35kind of stuff.
18:36It was a fun way to bring it in.
18:39But also, yeah, the Matrix tie-in as well.
18:42Yeah, and I think my fan base
18:44has kind of grown up over the years, too.
18:45When I came out with the first album,
18:47they might have still been in college or whatever,
18:48but there's a lot of people now
18:49who are working in the corporate world,
18:52who are working nine-to-fives,
18:53who I think can really connect with it.
18:54And because I truly come from that life,
18:56it's cool that I can be able to comment on it
18:58a little bit.
18:59Yeah.
18:59Well, okay, so like I said before,
19:01in dance music, it's super singles-driven,
19:03and you spent, I think, probably, like,
19:06five years or so, like, releasing
19:08just single after single.
19:09Yeah.
19:10I guess I would have done,
19:11I've done singles for eight years.
19:13Eight years?
19:14Yeah, yeah.
19:14Okay.
19:15How did you make the transition
19:16from singles artist into album artist?
19:18So I started just making club records,
19:21and then I made some more vocal-driven records,
19:25you know, like, started probably with
19:26What a Life into Human,
19:29into Where You Are.
19:30I had to build my songwriting,
19:31because I started as just, like,
19:32really a producer using samples,
19:34and then got into songwriting as well, too.
19:36And once I felt like I was complete enough
19:39as a producer, as an artist,
19:41then I'm like, I can actually make an album
19:42that has, you know, has a story,
19:44is a bit of a roller coaster,
19:46has some album records that aren't meant for the club,
19:49meant for home listening.
19:50So, I mean, you could,
19:52and there are DJs who make full club albums,
19:54but that was never my goal,
19:55because, I mean, like, seeing, like, Kid A right here,
19:57like, Radiohead's one of my biggest inspirations
19:58of all time, and they do a perfect job of that,
20:00of, you know, creating, like, a full, proper journey.
20:04And I'm still learning as a producer every single day.
20:06I still think I have a ton of room to grow,
20:08but I felt like it was the right time
20:10to, I don't know, take the next step as an artist
20:13and make albums.
20:14Yeah.
20:15Well, okay, so there's, like,
20:16a little bit of, like,
20:17a exclusivity gatekeeping culture in dance music,
20:20and you come from Tech House.
20:22Walk me through the process of deciding
20:24that you're going to put vocals on the albums,
20:26like, a little bit, something that's a little bit
20:28more palatable for the general audience,
20:29and were you nervous about, kind of,
20:31having people see you differently after that?
20:34I was very nervous, and I got a lot of hate,
20:37and I still do, and then the fans,
20:39my, like, original fans think I almost, like,
20:41cheated on them by starting to do vocals,
20:43and they're like, I missed the old summit,
20:45so I don't know if you saw my, like,
20:472024 EDC intro, where it started,
20:49well, with, like, the,
20:50I missed the old summit, and stuff like that,
20:52where I'm kind of, like, just, like,
20:53making fun of that, because, I don't know,
20:56like, I mean, I'm still there,
20:57and I still like to make club records time to time,
20:58but I always had aspirations
21:00to making these bigger records.
21:02I mean, one of my favorite records of all time
21:04is I remember Deadmau5 and Cascade,
21:06which I was able to remix a couple years ago,
21:10but that was always a goal to get to that point,
21:13but you have to, you have to start by getting,
21:16you know, your production really good first,
21:19so, yeah, if, I mean,
21:20if they don't like my vocal records, whatever.
21:23There's plenty of other stuff in the catalog.
21:25At the end of the day, artists,
21:25you got to make music for yourself, I mean.
21:27Yeah.
21:29You see what people like Rick Rubin and stuff say,
21:31where it's like,
21:32I can only please the fans so much, I guess.
21:36At the end of the day,
21:37you got to do it for yourself a little bit.
21:39Yeah.
21:39Yeah, well, okay, so I'm curious with,
21:41like, kind of the pre-release strategy
21:44in dance music is really interesting to me,
21:46like, trying to tease things out at your shows
21:48and then maybe giving it to some friends
21:49so maybe they can incorporate that into their sets.
21:51How do you typically go about that
21:53when you're trying to tease out a song
21:55before you fully do the drop?
21:58So, I used to send my records to everybody
22:01and I always made sure I was number one
22:02on Beatport with everything
22:04and I sent, like,
22:04but now I've gotten to this position
22:06where it's like,
22:07I kind of make music that's so John Summit,
22:10it's hard for other artists
22:11who aren't John Summit to play it.
22:13Interesting.
22:13And so the only way other artists really do
22:15is, I guess, when they do their own remixes
22:17and their own spins of it.
22:18I'll play other people's club records
22:21and stuff like that, too,
22:22but it is,
22:24I don't really send my music out
22:25to other people anymore.
22:27Interesting.
22:27I kind of keep it under wraps,
22:29but then people end up remixing,
22:31like, it's like Lights Go Out, for example,
22:32if you saw,
22:33that was a huge record for me
22:34and then I did a remix competition
22:35and then there's, like,
22:36thousands of producers
22:37started doing their own remixes,
22:38which was really fun.
22:40But then, yeah,
22:40the big, big vocal ones
22:42that are very song-driven,
22:43I think are almost a little too personal
22:45for others to play.
22:46Well, okay,
22:47so I'm wondering
22:47how that process works, though.
22:49Is it truly just, like,
22:50word of mouth,
22:50I'm reaching out to my friend
22:52and seeing if they want to play it,
22:53or?
22:54Kind of, like,
22:55spam,
22:56email,
22:57DM,
22:58WhatsApp,
22:58everyone.
23:00I mean,
23:01I used to send, like,
23:02hundreds of emails a day
23:04when I was first sending out demos
23:05and then I got, like,
23:07I really talked to other artists
23:08to, like,
23:09just WhatsApp and Instagram,
23:11really,
23:11and you just DM it out
23:13to everybody, really,
23:14and you say,
23:15make a personal message,
23:16of course,
23:16and I only sent it to the DJs,
23:18I think,
23:18that would actually fit their set
23:20because I don't want to, like,
23:21legit spam people.
23:22But, yeah,
23:24nowadays I'm kind of
23:25on the other side
23:25of the coin now
23:26where other DJs
23:27and artists
23:28are doing that to me
23:29because, obviously,
23:30I have experts only.
23:31So it's interesting
23:32switching positions
23:33in the industry,
23:34but it's very cool
23:35that I can be
23:36on the very tastemaker side.
23:38Yeah.
23:38Yeah.
23:39Well, so,
23:40what was the inspiration
23:41behind founding experts only?
23:43Was definitely
23:44that I wanted to have
23:45a platform for other artists
23:47and build kind of
23:48my own community
23:49and really have full artistic
23:52and creative freedom
23:53with what records we put out
23:55and, yeah,
23:56and then have fun with it.
23:58I mean,
23:58now we're doing more
23:59than just house and techno.
24:00Like,
24:00I just signed a couple,
24:01like,
24:01hard groove records
24:02and getting up to 150 BPM.
24:04Of course,
24:04we do a little bit of dubstep
24:05and UKG now.
24:07And at the end of the day,
24:09the goal is,
24:09I guess,
24:09to be like,
24:12just one of the biggest
24:13and best dance music labels.
24:15Yeah.
24:15Well,
24:16I mean,
24:16I feel like with dance labels,
24:19including yours,
24:20the curation is like
24:21such a key part of it.
24:22When I compare that
24:23to pop music,
24:25it's like,
24:25I don't really know
24:26if Olivia Rodrigo is on,
24:27well,
24:28I do.
24:28I know where Olivia Rodrigo is.
24:29She's on Interscope.
24:30Yeah,
24:31I found that out yesterday.
24:32But like,
24:33she could have been on Atlantic
24:34and you wouldn't think
24:34anything differently of her.
24:37I'm still figuring out
24:38what these labels are.
24:38I don't even know,
24:39I'm going to sound like
24:40such an idiot right now,
24:40but I do like,
24:41just figuring out
24:41like what Republic is.
24:42I guess that's like
24:43a big A label
24:43and Taylor Swift
24:44and whatever,
24:45but I don't read
24:46the bottom line on things.
24:47Yeah.
24:48And so it's very industry,
24:49I guess,
24:50right?
24:50It is.
24:51So,
24:52and it hasn't really affected
24:53me at all.
24:54Like,
24:54I work with Darkroom Records
24:55for releasing music,
24:56which is kind of
24:57like an indie label themselves.
25:00Yeah,
25:00with the UMG tie too.
25:01Exactly.
25:02Best of both worlds.
25:03Yeah,
25:03because then you use their,
25:04you know,
25:04have their resources,
25:05but also still have kind of
25:06full creative freedom
25:08a little bit.
25:10Yeah,
25:10but I do feel like
25:11in dance music,
25:12like,
25:12it sounds like
25:13you were really studying
25:14what Defector was putting out.
25:15Yes.
25:15And like,
25:16that was a really big deal.
25:16I could list you
25:17every single label
25:18in dance music,
25:19like probably up to
25:20like a thousand plus labels
25:21and I know
25:22every label is sub-label
25:23and I know they're sub-label,
25:24but you just get so
25:25entrenched
25:25in the dance music world.
25:27But like I was saying
25:28with pop music,
25:28people are seeing me
25:29on the Lollapalooza lineup
25:30and half the Lollapalooza comments
25:31are like,
25:32who the hell is John Summit?
25:33And then it's like
25:34the dance music fans
25:35are like,
25:36well,
25:36what are you talking about?
25:37Like,
25:38so it's just funny.
25:39We're just totally
25:40in our own world,
25:41which is,
25:41I think it's pretty awesome.
25:42Yeah.
25:43Yeah.
25:43Well,
25:44I'm wondering like,
25:45what does a like
25:46kind of independent
25:47dance label tend to do
25:48in this kind of,
25:49I'm saying this more broadly
25:50than I guess experts only.
25:52Like,
25:52what do you usually expect
25:53when you partner
25:54with one of these other
25:55labels that you partner with?
25:56Do they just distribute
25:57the single
25:58and then you get to move on
25:59and you get to sign
25:59to a different label
26:00the next single?
26:01Yeah.
26:01So I only did sing,
26:04like sign for singles.
26:05Okay.
26:06Like I've released
26:07through Insomniac Records
26:08as well too.
26:09And that was like
26:09the first time I played EDC,
26:11I dropped this record
26:11called Make Me Feel,
26:12which ended up being
26:13this huge record
26:14in the EDC world,
26:16which is awesome.
26:17And they really crush it too.
26:18It's just cool
26:19to be able to have
26:19a taste of everything.
26:20And then every label
26:21has their own community,
26:22like I was saying before.
26:23So I didn't have
26:24a fan base in the UK
26:25until I dropped
26:26the record undefected
26:27and then played
26:28their parties
26:29and everything there too.
26:30So it's very interesting
26:31in that regard.
26:32Yeah.
26:33I mean,
26:33is it a guarantee
26:34when you sign to
26:35one of these labels
26:36that like you will
26:37be on the lineup?
26:38No,
26:38there's no guarantees.
26:39I mean,
26:40because then,
26:41but yeah,
26:42I mean,
26:43I guess you couldn't
26:44negotiate that
26:44in the contract
26:45if you want.
26:46Yeah.
26:46But I never really did that.
26:48I mean,
26:49I always just thought
26:50that like if the record
26:51does very well
26:52and then the fans
26:52receive it very well
26:54and then there's going
26:54to be the demand
26:55for you to be
26:55on the lineup
26:56and then so
26:56you naturally
26:57will be on the lineup.
26:58Yeah.
26:59Yeah,
26:59yeah,
26:59yeah.
27:00That makes sense.
27:01Well,
27:01okay,
27:01so what's one
27:02of your highlights
27:03of one of those
27:03early festivals
27:05that you got to play
27:06through one of the
27:07record labels
27:08that you released through?
27:09So that was the first
27:09time I ever played
27:10in Europe
27:10was Defected Croatia
27:11and then I did like
27:12they have these boat parties
27:13I did the boat parties
27:14I played their main stage
27:15and then of course
27:16that was when I was playing
27:17like five sets a night
27:18and then I played
27:19in some guys
27:20Kitchen Afterers
27:21as well too
27:21and then
27:23it was a really fun time.
27:25I mean,
27:25do you,
27:26like this might sound
27:26like a dumb question
27:27but I've never DJed before
27:28do you just
27:28ever run out of
27:30material
27:30or you like
27:31have to loop back around
27:32and hope that no one
27:33notices?
27:34The goal is no.
27:35I mean,
27:35my USB has like
27:36over 4,000
27:37songs on it
27:38at all times
27:39and whenever,
27:40I mean,
27:40when I play Club Space
27:41I'll go up for 8 hours
27:43I'll play to 3 p.m.
27:44and I won't play
27:44the same record twice
27:46unless I get a little
27:47too tipsy
27:47and I forget
27:47if I played a track once
27:49it'll be like
27:49six hours on my set
27:50and I'm like
27:50did I play this record?
27:52I have no idea.
27:54Man,
27:54well,
27:55okay,
27:55this is more
27:56of a philosophical question
27:57but like
27:57we talked about
27:58like how many
27:59shows you played
28:00like you were just
28:00talking about
28:00like five back-to-back sets
28:02and you know
28:03I'm wondering
28:04do you think
28:05there's such a thing
28:06as overexposure
28:08nowadays
28:09given everyone's
28:10you know
28:11attention spans
28:11are so scattered
28:12like is there a way
28:13to play too many shows
28:14release too many songs?
28:15I mean,
28:15a thousand percent
28:16and so we're narrowing down
28:18the amount of Vegas dates
28:19I do
28:19we're narrowing
28:20I mean,
28:21I think after this arena tour
28:22in America
28:23like I don't know
28:24when I'm going to play
28:25America next at all
28:26I'm going to take a long break
28:27and yeah
28:29it's definitely
28:29getting to that point
28:30I mean
28:31I think things are
28:32expanding so rapidly
28:34and it's like this
28:36that
28:38it's kind of wild
28:39so I mean
28:41especially
28:41I mean
28:41I just did EDC
28:42this past weekend
28:43and there was over
28:44a hundred thousand people
28:45at the stage
28:45and it was just so crazy
28:46and so nuts
28:47that
28:49yeah,
28:49I really need to figure out
28:51where
28:52I think
28:53it's getting to the point
28:54I need to take a break
28:55Yeah,
28:56yeah,
28:56well
28:57yeah,
28:57I've been thinking a lot
28:59about the idea
28:59of if overexposure
29:01is possible these days
29:02because
29:03I mean
29:04it just feels like
29:05you can
29:06you'll see artists
29:07do this all the time
29:08they'll tease a song
29:09like 50 times
29:10on TikTok
29:11for example
29:11before it comes out
29:12but it works though
29:13no,
29:13no,
29:14it totally works
29:14what I'm saying is like
29:15I might see
29:17and have
29:17on my FYP page
29:19one of those 50
29:21and so those 50
29:22are worth it
29:23in that
29:24because it's a shotgun approach
29:25really
29:25yeah,
29:26and so I could also see
29:28someone taking that same approach
29:29to releasing singles
29:30like
29:31oh my gosh
29:31there's been a few artists
29:32who've done like
29:33the single a week
29:33kind of model
29:34where they're trying to build
29:35I mean I did
29:36I did every other week
29:36for the singles
29:37leading up for the album
29:38wow
29:39so that was manageable
29:40I think
29:41because it gives you time
29:42to do a little music video
29:43and stuff like that
29:44every week is tough
29:45I mean you have Drake
29:46who just did three albums
29:47in one day
29:47so true
29:48and I'm like
29:48I look at this
29:49and no offense to Drake
29:51but I'm like
29:51this feels like homework
29:52I'm like
29:52there's so many songs
29:53how the hell
29:53do I have to skim through
29:54like it's hard
29:55it's hard
29:56it's hard to keep up
29:57yeah
29:57no I'm
29:58I'm still working
29:59on the first album
29:59I'm still working
30:00through the first one
30:01and I'll get to the other ones
30:02but there's
30:02there's one of the songs
30:04on one of the other three
30:05or no
30:06one of the other two
30:07that I haven't hit yet
30:08that's like named
30:09after my hometown
30:10I'm like
30:10why did no one
30:10tell me about this
30:11that's so interesting
30:12I'm from Fort Worth, Texas
30:13like no one
30:14no one ever
30:14he wrote it
30:15he wrote it for you
30:15he wrote it for me
30:16obviously
30:17he listens to the podcast
30:18and he definitely wrote it for me
30:20but it turns out
30:22none of my friends
30:23had gotten to that
30:23next album
30:24oh really
30:25that's funny
30:25well each album
30:26is a different genre too
30:27so maybe
30:28maybe his thought
30:28is that like
30:29that'd be like
30:30if I dropped
30:31like an underground
30:32like club album
30:33a pop-leaning album
30:35and like something else
30:36I guess
30:37all at the same time
30:38so there's a little
30:38something for everyone
30:39I don't know
30:40if that's the thought process
30:41it's interesting
30:41but there's just
30:42there's so much content
30:43in all media
30:44or entertainment
30:44every single day
30:45like you go on Netflix
30:47there's three new shows
30:48that have a full season
30:49drop at the same time
30:50so then there's also
30:51the whole loss
30:52of monoculture right now
30:53because it used to be
30:53that everyone would tune
30:54in Game of Thrones
30:55every single week
30:56everyone would listen
30:57to the same album
30:57when it came out
30:58and whatever
30:59where now
31:00it's interesting
31:01it's just
31:01there's so much stuff
31:03out there
31:03I get overwhelmed
31:03I almost watch nothing
31:04yeah yeah yeah
31:05no sometimes you're like
31:06okay I have this
31:07or at least I do
31:08in my notes app
31:08like an entire list
31:09of all these like
31:10books I need to read
31:11yeah yeah
31:12because I've been recommended
31:13and I just get stressed out
31:14and I just do nothing
31:15yeah yeah yeah
31:15that was like
31:16this whole idea
31:17of kind of like
31:18oversaturation
31:19and music
31:19was the subject
31:20of my last episode
31:21of the podcast
31:22actually
31:23because yeah
31:24there's like over
31:24100,000 songs
31:25that are being released
31:26every day at this point
31:27and that's like
31:28not including
31:28like your kind of
31:29SoundCloud type
31:30like official releases
31:31so yeah anyways
31:33I think it's
31:34really fascinating
31:35and I have been
31:36toying with the idea
31:37of like whether
31:37or not I think
31:38there's ever
31:39such a thing
31:40as too much material
31:41in that kind
31:42of environment
31:42I mean there is
31:43there a thousand percent
31:44is but then
31:45there's the thought
31:45that the cream
31:46will always rise
31:46to the top
31:47yeah
31:47and I mean
31:48like a lot
31:49of like talking
31:49about Billboard Top 100
31:50I forget what the stat is
31:52but it's like
31:52a large percentage
31:54is like records
31:54that came out
31:55like 10 plus years ago
31:56or something like that
31:57yeah there's an
31:57increasingly large
31:59you know percentage
32:00of listening
32:00going to older tracks
32:02yeah
32:02yeah which just shows
32:03that like I think
32:04just these true
32:05great songs
32:06do last forever
32:07and there used to be
32:08was more gatekeeping
32:09of getting music
32:09because on the radio
32:11and on you know
32:12these DSPs now
32:13where anyone
32:14from anywhere
32:15can upload any song
32:16which is awesome
32:17I mean it gives
32:18full creative freedom
32:19to like the whole world
32:19but yeah it is
32:21just way tougher
32:22to break through
32:23I guess
32:23well how do you feel
32:25like the music industry
32:26has changed
32:26since you got started
32:28it has changed
32:29so much
32:30I mean
32:30well it's interesting
32:31though because
32:31I got into
32:32dance music
32:34started touring
32:35when it was kind of
32:35after the whole
32:37bubble of
32:38the EDM bubble
32:38you know 2012
32:392013
32:39which just blew up
32:41so much
32:41and everyone was
32:42all over the radio
32:43from you know
32:44Calvin to Avicii
32:45to Zedd
32:46where I mean
32:47that was full on
32:48mainstream mainstream
32:49I mean they're doing
32:49collabs with Justin Bieber
32:51they're like
32:51you know
32:52like Zedd produced
32:53Beauty and a Beat
32:54and let alone
32:55like Where Are You Now
32:56and stuff like that
32:57so but then
32:58it kind of got more
33:00underground again
33:01and that's where
33:01I really thrived
33:02and now we're kind of
33:03blown up again
33:04now too
33:05but not as
33:06commercial
33:07it's like
33:07like I said
33:08like my stuff
33:09is really not
33:10on the radio
33:10radio
33:11it's on like
33:12Sirius XM
33:12and stuff
33:13I mean does anyone
33:14listen to the actual radio
33:15I have no idea
33:16is that a thing
33:17it was when I was
33:18in high school
33:19it depends on the
33:20demographic I think
33:21it depends on the
33:22demographic
33:22and yeah
33:24that's super interesting
33:25and it's funny
33:26that you mention
33:26Zedd producing
33:27Beauty and the Beat
33:28because after
33:29Justin Bieber
33:29performed at Coachella
33:30that song ended up
33:31charting again
33:32yeah it ended up
33:32being like the number
33:33one song in the world
33:34right
33:34but then he ended up
33:35not playing it
33:35weekend too
33:36which didn't make
33:36any sense to me
33:37but
33:38it's a banger
33:39it's a good song
33:40there's a bunch
33:41of artist-led
33:42labels
33:42in electronic music
33:44catch and release
33:45is one
33:46I mean there's
33:46a ton of them
33:48how much involvement
33:49do artists typically
33:49have with their labels
33:52and how do you
33:53compare and sit
33:54in that landscape
33:54I have a ton
33:56of involvement
33:57I mean I did a few
33:58calls before this
33:59of like
34:00didn't you
34:01because I have this
34:01new idea for
34:02artwork direction
34:03then we had a call
34:04of just an A&R call
34:05and then we have a call
34:05of how we want to
34:06schedule the releases
34:06and then I have
34:08a call later today
34:08about the scenic
34:10design for the events
34:11and because we're
34:11doing a couple nights
34:12at Toff Manor
34:13in the UK
34:14and how we want
34:15to do that
34:16so there are some
34:18that are
34:20more hands off
34:21on everything
34:22but A&R
34:23in playing it out
34:25I just
34:26it's just such a
34:27passion project for me
34:28that I like to be
34:29very involved
34:30but
34:31which is also
34:31why I want to do
34:32less touring
34:32and so I have more
34:33time for stuff like
34:34that
34:34and getting creative
34:35in that thing
34:36but yeah
34:37and then we have
34:37the whole universe
34:38residency this summer
34:39so I'll be there
34:40every single week
34:40of course
34:42but yeah
34:43I'd say on a scale
34:44I'd definitely
34:44be on the most
34:45involved end
34:46yeah
34:47well okay
34:48so also
34:48for your events
34:49is this like
34:50an in-house events
34:51team that you have
34:52or
34:52yeah
34:53so we have
34:54our own events
34:54manager
34:55our own booking
34:58and then our own
34:59team for creative
35:00and for
35:00you know
35:01we work with
35:02other you know
35:03designers and stuff
35:04for like flyers
35:04and assets
35:05and stuff
35:05but it's been
35:06all pretty in-house
35:07from day one
35:08which is awesome
35:09yeah
35:09yeah
35:10I mean I feel
35:10like it shows
35:11that all the events
35:12feel very curated
35:13yes
35:14exactly
35:14so I think
35:15you can't
35:15totally get the same
35:16thing with a freelance
35:17crew
35:18that's still going on
35:18it's just such a
35:19family vibe too
35:20because we're like
35:21the backstage at the show
35:22it's not just like
35:23a bunch of random
35:24girls who stood in my DMs
35:26it's like truly family
35:28it's like truly us
35:29who put on this event
35:29and it's like
35:30once it gets to the part
35:31like of the music
35:32it's like that's like
35:33the celebration part
35:34because all the work
35:34is the months leading
35:35up to it
35:36how do you feel
35:37about generative AI
35:37I didn't use AI
35:38in my album whatsoever
35:39I understand the uses
35:42of it
35:42I mean I went to
35:44like Apple's
35:45like this presentation
35:48they did
35:48about how to use AI
35:50in your workflow
35:51I mean I love like
35:52things like stem
35:53splitting
35:53I guess
35:55extracting acapellas
35:56or drums
35:57I think
35:57or synth lines
35:58people do use
36:00things like
36:01Suno's idea generators
36:02where if you write a song
36:04you can put it in
36:05and be like
36:05what does it sound like
36:06it's disco
36:06what does it sound like
36:07it's trap
36:08or whatever
36:08and so
36:09now would I actually
36:10use those stems
36:11or actually use
36:12that direction
36:13I haven't
36:14and I don't like
36:14the thought of it
36:15but then
36:16you know
36:17I watch a podcast
36:18with Elon Musk today
36:19and he says
36:20that AI is taking
36:20over the world
36:21and that nothing
36:22will be done
36:22by humans
36:23within a year
36:23I'm like
36:24is this guy
36:24out of his fucking mind
36:25or is he being
36:26for real
36:26I can't tell
36:29it's so interesting
36:30I always like to ask
36:30musicians this
36:31especially musicians
36:32in kind of the realms
36:34of electronic
36:34and in rap
36:35because I feel like
36:36those are two genres
36:37where these artists
36:39tend to be very
36:40tech forward
36:41and so they might be
36:42more interested
36:43or they've toyed around
36:44with it
36:45but it's great
36:46that you pick up
36:47that you talked
36:48about stem splitting
36:49because I think
36:50that's an area
36:50that people don't
36:51really even know
36:52is like a really
36:53great tool
36:54of AI
36:55that doesn't have
36:56anything to do
36:56with generating music
36:57no no it's really awesome
36:58because I mean
36:58you technically
36:59can do stem splitting
37:00yourself through Ableton
37:02it's like when I used
37:03to like steal a kick
37:04from a record
37:04or steal a clap
37:05or whatever
37:06and I had to EQ
37:07everything out
37:07it was just like a process
37:08it would take like
37:0930 to 60 minutes
37:10and now I can just
37:11do it in a half second
37:12so stuff like that
37:13is like a tool
37:14to assist
37:16I mean humans
37:17always have made tools
37:18since the dawn of time
37:19so it's like
37:20it's like the dawn
37:21of human civilization
37:22that is
37:22so I think it'd be stupid
37:24to not use
37:25as a tool
37:27I guess
37:27I'm just still
37:28figuring it out
37:29and I don't know
37:31I'm kind of
37:32it's like how
37:33I mean DJs were like
37:34when it went from
37:35vinyl to CDJs
37:36they're like
37:36real DJs
37:37don't use CDJs
37:38now every DJ
37:39in the world
37:39uses it
37:40so it's very
37:42interesting to me
37:42so I'm trying to
37:43still figure it out
37:45and feel how I feel
37:46about it
37:46yeah yeah
37:47that's fair
37:47I mean I think
37:49everything is still
37:50very early
37:50and I think it's easy
37:51to think that it's not
37:52because it's been
37:52around a couple years
37:53now but
37:54it really is still
37:55very early
37:55so I'll just
37:56have to wait and see
37:57but I'm hoping
37:59that Elon is wrong
38:00about the year estimate
38:01I feel like a year
38:02is like a little fast
38:03I mean but he also
38:04thinks we're gonna
38:05like be living on Mars
38:06in a year too
38:06so and he's been
38:07saying that for five years
38:08so who knows
38:09another trend
38:10that I've spotted
38:11in you know
38:12I guess the last decade
38:14or maybe even
38:15just five years
38:17in electronic music
38:18is I see a lot
38:18of DJs
38:20performing in like
38:21all sorts of strange
38:22places
38:22like pizza shops
38:24and they're live
38:24streaming it
38:25or on a hot air balloon
38:26or in front of the pyramids
38:28or whatever
38:30everyone's just one-upping
38:31each other right now
38:31so it's like
38:32I've had all these
38:33other ideas too
38:34but then like
38:34I think like the pyramids
38:36is like overplayed
38:36at this point
38:37like every DJ
38:37has done it
38:38in my head
38:38it's lame to play
38:39at the pyramids
38:41too many pyramids
38:42there's also like a KFC
38:44right across the street
38:45from the pyramids
38:45it's kind of a weird
38:46setup
38:47yeah
38:48have you been to
38:48the pyramids before
38:49no but I've
38:50I don't know
38:51I just I've heard
38:52mixed reviews
38:53I actually have too
38:54I've heard that it's
38:55actually not quite as
38:56a great visit
38:57yeah where it's like
38:58no one's done a rave
38:59at Machu Picchu yet
39:00yeah
39:01well
39:02I'm not saying
39:02I'm doing that
39:03but like
39:03yeah what if it's like
39:05next week you see
39:06John Sutter live
39:06at Machu Picchu
39:07oh my goodness
39:08I almost feel like
39:09that would be like
39:10I think that's like
39:10sacred grounds too
39:11where it's like
39:12kind of weird
39:13to bring in
39:14a bunch of like
39:14ravers to like
39:15a place that like
39:16yeah
39:17is like kind of
39:18holy for the local
39:18population so
39:19I don't know
39:20well but I'm wondering
39:21kind of like
39:22what you make of
39:23that rise
39:24and also like
39:25along with it
39:26is the live streaming
39:27element
39:27because a lot of people
39:28are not actually there
39:29and they're still
39:30getting to experience
39:31it at home
39:32why do you think
39:33that that's become
39:33so popular
39:34in recent years
39:35um
39:35I mean I just did
39:35this live stream
39:36from Bali
39:37and it was in front
39:37of like
39:38it was like
39:38next
39:38it was like
39:39in one of their
39:40like national parks
39:41and they had this
39:42iconic statue
39:43that's like
39:43it was like
39:43top five biggest
39:45statue in the world
39:45that was there too
39:46so just amazing
39:47visual
39:48and it looks
39:48amazing on stream
39:49and it was just
39:50so epic
39:50being there
39:51at a place
39:52that you know
39:52you don't think
39:53that you could
39:53throw an underground
39:54rave at
39:55so I think
39:56it's just dope
39:57I mean it's like
39:57how I do the parties
39:58in the mountains
39:58and everything too
39:59we're just adding
40:00the experiential
40:01factor
40:01to that
40:02it's like
40:03we don't even need
40:04you don't need visuals
40:05when you're on top
40:06of like
40:06in the Alps
40:07or whatever the hell
40:07it's like
40:08that is the visual
40:09and I think
40:10during COVID
40:10I mean circle sets
40:11were huge
40:12I had big inspiration
40:13for that
40:14when I did my live streams
40:15and their whole thing
40:15was all about
40:16being location based
40:17yeah
40:17well can you explain
40:18what a circle set
40:19is for someone
40:19okay circle set
40:20is where
40:21I guess
40:22they find
40:23scope out
40:23amazing unique locations
40:25for then DJs
40:27to perform at
40:28I mean
40:28but it could be
40:29like a live electronic
40:31it's like
40:32FKJ did this epic set
40:33that was like
40:33in the middle
40:34of this like
40:35in the middle
40:36of the ocean
40:37I don't know
40:37what the location
40:38really is
40:38but it's like
40:39it looks like
40:39it goes on forever
40:41so
40:42and just awesome
40:43to just put it on TV
40:44like while you're
40:45just hanging out
40:45with friends
40:46or when I'm just
40:46chilling
40:47you know
40:47so
40:48it's like a giant
40:49it's like an hour
40:50long music video
40:50kind of
40:51yeah
40:51yeah yeah
40:52that's so true
40:53and I feel like
40:53it kind of goes into
40:54I mean like
40:55there's been so much
40:56discourse online
40:56recently about
40:57like the rise of
40:58clipping
40:58and stuff like that
40:59and the perfect
41:00thing to do
41:01or the perfect
41:02thing to clip down
41:03is kind of like
41:03just a long form set
41:05I mean we're doing
41:05an hour long video
41:06right now
41:07yeah exactly
41:07and we're gonna
41:08clip it down
41:09and we're gonna
41:10clip it down
41:10so
41:11yeah no I mean
41:12it's like
41:13you have to make
41:14things palatable
41:14for people
41:14of course
41:15but also
41:16the long form too
41:17but I love doing
41:18that though
41:18because I think
41:19clips then drive
41:20people to watch
41:21the long form content
41:22it's no different
41:23than watching a trailer
41:23for a movie
41:24or something like that
41:25and if I see
41:25a few clips
41:26from a podcast
41:27and I love it
41:28then I end up
41:28listening to the
41:29whole thing
41:29yeah
41:29yeah yeah
41:30do you have any
41:31favorite podcasts
41:32that you listen to
41:32because it sounds like
41:33you're listening to
41:34like tech ones
41:35yeah so I love
41:36everything from
41:36Diary of a CEO
41:37I really love
41:38and I actually
41:38just stayed at
41:39his place
41:40unknowingly
41:41in South Africa
41:42so he had this
41:43badass villa
41:45and I didn't realize
41:46until I was
41:46logging into
41:47the Netflix
41:48account at night
41:48that it was
41:49his name
41:49Stephen Bartlett
41:50and it was
41:51misspelled
41:5112 times in a row
41:52I'm like
41:52why the hell
41:53is this
41:53and I end up
41:54finding out
41:54it was his
41:54villa
41:56so that was
41:56kind of funny
41:57and then I love
41:59fun comedy ones
42:01like Matt
42:01and Shane
42:02Secret Project
42:02Shane Gillis'
42:03podcast
42:03which is a lot
42:05of fun
42:05so it just
42:05depends on the mood
42:06if I feel like
42:08being educational
42:08I'll listen to
42:09if I feel like
42:10just being silly
42:11listen to the
42:12comedy one
42:12yeah I love that
42:13okay well
42:14I feel like
42:14those are
42:15most of the
42:15questions that I
42:16had so
42:16I want to move
42:18on to the
42:18games portion
42:19of our podcast
42:20okay so
42:21we do two
42:22things on the
42:23show
42:23the first one
42:24is called
42:25Spin the Record
42:25and I have
42:26this DIY wheel
42:30is this a good
42:33one
42:34it's okay
42:34a Chicago
42:35dance music
42:36hero of yours
42:39I have to
42:40shout out
42:41Green Velvet
42:42I mean the
42:42legend
42:43he also goes
42:44by Cashmere
42:45as well
42:46I mean it's
42:47time for the
42:47Percolator
42:48he's one of
42:48the most
42:49legendary
42:49Chicago house
42:50records of
42:50all time
42:51I've had the
42:52honor of
42:53playing with
42:54him multiple
42:54times and
42:55remixing his
42:56records and
42:56he just truly
42:58shows what
42:58Chicago artists
43:00are about
43:00because he's
43:01super creative
43:02doesn't care
43:03if it's the
43:04most underground
43:05or can add
43:06a commercial
43:06aspect he
43:07just has fun
43:07with it
43:08that's why
43:08he's been
43:08around so
43:09long I
43:09think
43:09I love it
43:10okay spin it
43:11one more
43:11time
43:17okay so
43:18you have a
43:19place in
43:19Miami
43:20what are your
43:20recommendations
43:21for the best
43:22Miami clubs
43:24best Miami
43:24clubs
43:25well there's
43:26there's the
43:26two that I
43:27play that I
43:27love it's
43:28either space
43:28or live and
43:29it just depends
43:30what you want
43:30I mean do you
43:31want to rave to
43:323 p.m. the next
43:34day space is your
43:35place if you just
43:37want like a fun
43:37night out and
43:38then you know
43:39more of the
43:39bottle service
43:40vibes go to
43:41live and as
43:42an artist it's
43:43amazing too because
43:44I play more
43:45commercial at one
43:45and more underground
43:46at the other and
43:47and I at this
43:49point I truly love
43:49both so it's
43:51kind of a pick
43:52your posing type
43:52of thing
43:53yeah I love
43:54that and also
43:55by the way I
43:56gotta shout out
43:56Jolene which is
43:57this like kind of
43:57more speakeasy
43:58underground venue
43:59where now now
44:00they have a no
44:00phone policy so
44:01someone like me
44:03love no phones I
44:05mean I was just
44:06at EDC I was
44:06full incognito the
44:07whole time so I
44:08was able to
44:08navigate without
44:09too many pictures
44:10and stuff okay
44:11well my mind
44:12jumped to asking
44:12you what your
44:13incognito mode
44:14looks like but
44:14then it's gonna
44:15then the fans are
44:16gonna find out
44:17well I saw
44:18videos of it
44:19afterwards too I
44:19was really just
44:20hoods up hood
44:21up in shades but
44:22by day three
44:23of EDC and
44:23this is at
44:24like 4 a.m
44:24everyone's so
44:25cooked and in
44:26their own world
44:26I think they
44:27don't even
44:27notice until
44:29like once they
44:30do notice then
44:31that's when I
44:31just move
44:32spots
44:34also I guess
44:35while we're on
44:35the Miami of
44:36it all what
44:37is the vibe of
44:38the local Miami
44:39dance music scene
44:40in comparison to
44:41kind of I mean
44:42it has a much
44:43more international
44:43feel I mean
44:44there's a lot of
44:44Latin America
44:45culture in Miami
44:46and it's it's
44:47more like well
44:48it's more like
44:49the Ibiza vibe in
44:50Miami than I
44:51mean I live in
44:52Miami it's in
44:52America but it
44:53doesn't it feels
44:54like you're in
44:54an international
44:55country there I
44:55mean 75% of
44:56people speak
44:57Spanish I think
44:57more people speak
44:58Spanish than
44:58English there so
44:59just it's very
45:00refreshing for me
45:01living there but
45:03then you go like
45:04a couple hours
45:05away and you're
45:06in Orlando and
45:07it's like the
45:07most America
45:08America place in
45:09the world so
45:11it's a it's it's
45:12it's a weird
45:13world but it's
45:14awesome there
45:14yeah well I
45:15mean you're
45:15dipped into
45:16Latin music just
45:16a little bit on
45:17your album yeah
45:17yeah I'd fade on
45:18the record and he
45:19lives in Miami
45:20too so that's
45:21why we talk about
45:22Miami and the
45:23record and we
45:24wrote it in my
45:24studio in Miami
45:26too so that was
45:26truly kind of
45:28inspired by the
45:29place I love that
45:30I definitely was
45:31like I need some
45:32tequila if I'm
45:32listening to it on
45:34the way here and
45:34I was like this
45:35is not the right
45:35vibe I need to be
45:36like at a club or
45:37something and we
45:38had some tequila
45:39while we made it
45:39too so that makes
45:41sense there you go
45:42okay so let's move
45:43on to what would
45:44you cue we do this
45:45on every episode of
45:46the podcast and
45:47basically I'm just
45:48gonna state a
45:50couple scenarios and
45:51you just name one
45:52song for that
45:52scenario so what
45:55would you cue to
45:56take you back to
45:57your childhood
45:58probably some rush
45:59or some ACDC
46:00because that was my
46:02dad and mom's
46:03favorite music they
46:04always played it in
46:05the car so they
46:06come from a very
46:06rock background
46:07they're from
46:08suburbs of Detroit
46:09or from Lansing
46:10actually but then
46:11you know moved
46:12all over Michigan
46:13so I think that
46:15that that's it so
46:17there's a little bit
46:18of a rock energy
46:19in me I love it
46:20I love it okay
46:21what would you cue
46:22to represent your
46:22favorite era of
46:23music I'm so biased
46:25that my favorite
46:26era music is right
46:27now I think dance
46:28music is the best
46:28it's ever been so
46:32yeah it'd either be
46:33that or when I
46:34first got into
46:35electronic music which
46:36was like the 2009
46:38to 2011 yeah is
46:40there any one song
46:42that could represent
46:43that time period I
46:44guess I think and
46:45I mentioned it
46:45before it was
46:46definitely I remember
46:47Deadmau5's Cascade
46:47that's just like just
46:48pulls at the heart
46:50strings so much and
46:50that's kind of when I
46:52like really it was
46:52like electronic music
46:53is my shit and kind
46:55of went full in there
46:56but also I remember
46:58if you listen to the
46:59chord progression it's
47:00very especially
47:02Deadmau5's Strobe
47:02too it's very
47:03Radiohead inspired
47:04which Radiohead was
47:05my favorite band in
47:06high school so I
47:07naturally went from
47:08like the radio I was
47:09more of like a
47:09pitchfork kid in high
47:10school so it was more
47:11Radiohead Animal
47:12Collective Arcade
47:13Fire and and then
47:15then I went to
47:16electronic music parties
47:17I'm like this is
47:18lit so I got more
47:20into electronic music
47:21well did you ever go
47:23to the pitchfork
47:23festival in Chicago
47:24yeah yeah I'd go
47:24over here to that
47:25yeah there's a video
47:26of me online like
47:28raving at Carly
47:29Ray Jepsen I'm like
47:32the only dude in the
47:33crowd I'm like this
47:33is so yeah no one
47:35dig that up I bet
47:38it's great yeah it's
47:39great she's fantastic
47:39yeah that was fun
47:41what would you cue to
47:43represent the best
47:44concert you've ever
47:45been to which I
47:46imagine is a tough
47:47question for you
47:48well it depends which
47:49world we're talking
47:50about I mean the only
47:52time I've ever did an
47:54arena show was when I
47:55was in high school
47:56no I recently went to
47:57the Tame Impala show
47:58in LA so that was
48:00at Kia Forum so that
48:01was the second time I've
48:02ever been in an arena
48:03so the only time before
48:05that was watch the
48:06throne tour of Jay-Z
48:07and Kanye so that's
48:09an iconic album and
48:10it was at United
48:11Center in Chicago which
48:13is where I'm playing
48:13two nights at now so
48:14that's going to be like
48:15the huge I made it
48:17I've had a bunch of I
48:18made moments at this
48:19point but that one
48:20specifically because I
48:21just have such vivid
48:22memories of that
48:23concert and I never
48:26thought that electronic
48:27music could really be in
48:28that setting so yeah
48:30wow that's a great
48:31answer and then this is
48:33just a wild card what
48:34would you cure to light
48:36a Ramona on fire what's
48:40the sound oh my god
48:41yeah I see like some
48:43like system of a down
48:45so I'm like chop suey
48:46or something like that
48:47it's just like because
48:48that if you go on my
48:50old my I don't know if
48:51myspace still exists I
48:52think it was system of
48:52a down they fully wiped
48:54it so that that was
48:55what was playing if you
48:56went to my page because
48:57I was a little fucking
48:58emo kid and that's the
49:00kind of shit if you're
49:01going full emo I think
49:02if I'm lighting shit on
49:03fire oh my gosh you
49:05have like truly an
49:05encyclopedic knowledge
49:06of music that's
49:07incredible you've been
49:08through all the phases
49:09I love it I'm old I'm
49:1131 I've been through it
49:12oh my gosh not that
49:13old um well John
49:14Summit thank you so
49:15much for coming to on
49:16the record this was so
49:17much fun awesome thank
49:17you for having me that
49:18was awesome all right
49:20thank you so much to
49:20John Summit for joining
49:21me to talk about all
49:22things dance music and
49:23the rise of his label
49:24experts only and thank
49:26you for listening to
49:27this week's episode of
49:27on the record if you
49:29like today's show give
49:29us a follow on
49:30instagram or on our
49:31brand new tiktok page
49:33at billboard on the
49:33record where you can
49:34find new clips of this
49:35show every single week
49:36we'd also appreciate it
49:38if you rated our show on
49:39your favorite podcast
49:39platform because all of
49:41these things help on the
49:42record grow bigger and
49:43better than ever again I'm
49:45your host Kristen Robinson
49:46and tune in next week for
49:47another peek behind the
49:48curtain of the music
49:49business I'll see you then
49:50and I'll see you then
49:55in next week we'll see you
49:55next week we'll see you
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