Subphonic Events Founders Discuss their Journey in the EDM Industry and the Vision Behind Their One-Day Festival Featuring NGHTMRE

Subphonic Events has been a driving force in the EDM industry for years, and its founders – Dennis, Brandon, Michael, and Armene – have been at the forefront of it all. Their passion for creating unforgettable experiences has brought them through countless events, performances, and industry changes. It’s clear that the journey has been anything but easy, but these friends have never wavered in their commitment to producing high-quality events. In this interview, they take us behind the scenes of their incredible journey and share the vision behind their upcoming one-day festival featuring NGHTMRE. It’s been an honor to watch these individuals grow and innovate over the years, and it’s exciting to see what the future holds for Subphonic Events.

Can you give us some background on your experience in the EDM industry and the vision you had when founding Subphonic Events?

(Dennis): I’d love to. I’d say our background in the industry ranges anywhere from event coordination, promotion, and marketing, to being a part of the performance act ourselves (Xhale Ghost), and even getting our hands dirty to get the events all set up and technically sound.

(Brandon) : Definitely! We’ve been working in the EDM event industry independently for 5+ years in the Sacramento area. From a very early point, we envisioned Subphonic Events to be an all-encompassing production and promotion house, capable of organizing and operating through every step of any event from start to finish. We started off implementing this idea in smaller settings, refining it, and have been gradually scaling up over the last few years. 

(Michael): Yea, we’ve been coordinating our own EDM events for 5 years and have envisioned Subphonic Events to be an event coordinator that specializes in full-production EDM events. We envisioned ourselves creating a stage that will give an opportunity to rising DJs/Producers in the scene and a place where anyone can come hang out. 

(Armene): I think it’s safe to say most of us were heavily engrossed in the scene in one way or another before taking on this endeavor. 

What inspired you to create Subphonic Events, and how has the company evolved since its inception?

(Dennis): When first getting Subphonic Events off the ground in 2018– I think the overall goal was to challenge ourselves to create opportunities when it seemed like there were few. Between the four of us (Brandon, Michael, Armene, and I) there always seemed to be a lot of ideas brewing in our heads. After a while, you get tired of thinking what if and just make the move and start throwing things at the wall and seeing what sticks. I’d like to think we got creative to make momentum for what we were passionate about most, performing and creating experiences that we would remember for years to come. 

Looking back on our humble beginnings, hunkering down at the Republic Bar and Grill for our weekly Bass Therapy Night, I feel like we’ve come a long way. It has taken us some time, but we’ve finally worked our way into bringing some incredible touring acts to our market on a consistent basis (Tynan, Aweminus, Samplifire, Infekt, Bandlez, to name a few) which has always been a goal for us. The shows that we have been putting on at the Colonial Theatre have been a big step for us in the right direction, having a local event that is affordable and safe with killer production has always been imperative to us. 

Looking at some bigger projects such as the ones at Marysville Raceway, It really does feel like a dream come true. Something that started out as a desperate mission to host safe events post-pandemic, turned into a spark that turned our eyes towards festival-style events, which I would’ve never thought as a possibility in the early days of Subphonic. Needless to say, we’re all excited to see what the future has in store for us.

Can you describe the unique aspects that set Subphonic Events apart from other EDM event companies?

(Brandon): Some of the unique aspects of our company is our relative experience in most departments in the music and event industry because we double as artists, Xhale Ghost, and promoters. I feel like this has helped give us a double-edged perspective that influences our decisions in the event-hosting process heavily. A lot of times when we are booking artists or making creative decisions, we simply ask ourselves, what would we want to see happen? What would our friends want to see happen? Who do people want to see play? Does it make business sense? Screening through questions like these has helped us develop our own internal processes that feel is more authentic and practical. Also, our core team of Dennis, Mike, Armene, and myself have been best friends since high school and that’s helped make the whole process more fun and rewarding each step of the way.

(Michael): Subphonic Events sets itself apart by being the one of the first weekly EDM events in Sacramento and the organizers of the amazing shows that have been happening at Marysville Raceway. Like Brandon said we double as artists, but also triple as production technicians who specialize in Lighting, Audio, & Video. We can all fill the roles necessary to provide a great experience and are always more than happy to provide these amazing shows. We’ve all devoted our whole life to this and I’m sure we can all say we wouldn’t change a thing.

(Armene): For me, the most unique and gratifying aspect of Subphonic Events is having the opportunity to work and grow alongside your best friends. Taking on challenges with your friends is an adventure and the memories we’ve been able to create these past few years will remain with us indefinitely.

What are some of the most memorable and successful events you have hosted so far?

(Dennis): Oh man, I think having Virtual Riot, Modestep, and Hairitage out for one of the raceway shows would have to take the cake. There was something magical about that one, hearing all these tunes that I love being performed right in front of my eyes during the dark days of COVID was honestly just what I needed. And I saw that same look in a lot of the attendees too, just so grateful to be there in the moment. I can recall Val and Josh doing a b2b to finish the night off, Josh hopping on the mic to sing “Nothing” while Val was spinning. Can you say EPIC? Plus there may or may not have been an Xhale Ghost b2b VR b2b Modestep that night at an afterparty…. which I had tried my very best not to fan girl about hahaha. Great group of guys.

 

What was the inspiration behind organizing this one-day festival featuring NGHTMRE, and how does it align with Subphonic’s vision?

(Brandon): For us, the inspiration behind this show definitely stems from our series of events we hosted at the Raceway back in 2021. We took 2022 off from outdoor shows and were hungry to get back into it once the weather and other factors started to line back up. We always wanted to scale up our vision for the Raceway in ’23 and teaming up with Olympus and FourFourOffset was the perfect opportunity to do just that, as we share a lot of similar visions and goals as companies and individuals. We started planning mid-last year to get all the pieces together and a lot of trial and error we managed to create something 

I feel we’re all proud to be a part of!

Can you tell us about some of the other acts on the lineup including Xhale Ghost and what attendees can expect from the supporting artists?

(Dennis): I’d love to!

2DY4: Devyn has been absolutely crushing it in the bass scene! We’ve had the pleasure of performing alongside her at the DNA Lounge with Must Die! and she definitely brought the heat. Her music is very heavy, drawing inspiration from the newer tearout sound that has been hammering clubs around the US. You will not want to miss her performance!

Xhale Ghost: We’re coming prepared with a full live set, drums, blistering doubles, some guitar, the whole 9 yards. We’ve just recently released our first official tune, so we’re itching to pump it through the insane sound system that will be there. RAIL RIDERS ASSEMBLE!!

Deuxces: We met Scotty in Hawaii when we came out to play the Nghtmre and Svdden Death shows. Two words. INCREDIBLE DJ. He showed us a great time at all of the local spots he holds a residency at on the island and the man certainly knows how to rock a crowd. Digging from deep in cuts in multiple genres, he definitely keeps the dance floor guessing on what’s next in the mix.

Ace Aura b2b Jon Casey: Did you read that right? Why yes you did. I’m incredibly excited to see how these two acts will blend their signature sounds together. Ace Aura’s sound is pushing the envelope for dubstep, bringing back those infectious melodies and heavenly sounds that seem borderline otherworldly. Where Jon Casey has incredible percussions, swinging trap beats, and banging 808’s that will put people in a groove. CANT WAIT.

Effin: I loveeee the sound that Effin has been pushing, it has been a breath of fresh air and fits the DRMVRSE bill perfectly in my opinion! From the insane gnarly sound design and super clean, hard-hitting bass to dreamy vocals and beautiful chord structures, this man has it all.

Spag Heddy: Spag Heddy in Sacramento!? NO WAY! I am way too hyped to hear the classics. This meatball man is a festival mainstay act for a reason, and he’s coming to town to show you why!

Kill the Noise: Coming off his last big hit “Song of the Year” with WOOLI I can’t wait to have Jacob back at the Raceway for his 2nd time! KTN is one the first acts I’ve ever had the chance to see live, being captivated by his metal-driven sound in “Black Magic” and his other records. I’m very happy to have him returning to lay down some new music at the race track!

Can you tell us more about the venue for this event, and why you chose it for such a large-scale festival?

The Raceway just made sense to us — We had prior experience working with this spot and seemed like the right move to continue working with this place and to gradually scale the vision up to newer heights. It has a unique aesthetic and layout that allows us to create a focused experience for the attendees that looks and feels like more than just an artist playing on a stage. We’ve done a lot of venues searching and most options in the Sacramento area just don’t work well for outdoor festivals like ours.

Can you share any exclusive experiences or attractions that festival-goers can look forward to at the event?

(Brandon): The VIP area will have an excellent view of the stage and whole event with a private bar, and elevated stage. It’s definitely the nicest VIP area we have done so far. There will also be five different food truck/vendor options, numerous independent vendors, and an official NGHTMRE / artist merchandise booth for anybody looking to grab some artist threads at the show!

What can attendees expect in terms of stage design, visual effects, and sound quality during NGHTMRE’s performance and the entire event?

(Dennis): The stage design is going to be top-notch. We’ll be bringing a massive mobile stage out, fully equipped with a video wall basically covering the entire height and width of the stage itself. The special fx and eye candy will be out of this world as well, with c02 cannons, pyrotechnics, lasers, and the whole nine yards. Expect the most! Sound quality won’t fall short of the visual bling either. We’ll be having an LAcoustics rig (similar to what you’d see at any mainstay festival such as EDC) that will be shaking the ground underneath everyone. Juiced to say the least!

Are there any unique partnerships or collaborations with local businesses or organizations for this festival that you would like to highlight?

(Brandon): We have several sponsorships and partnerships for this event that we haven’t had in the past at this venue! Olympus Events introduced us to One n Only, a top-notch shuttle package provider for festivals and large events. They are handling the logistics for our shuttle services from major cities in Nor Cal. We also have sponsorships with several companies including Redbull, June Shine, and Espolon Tequila to name a few. They will be helping us in a lot of ways to enhance the experience for our attendees!

Can you provide any information on transportation options, parking facilities, and accessibility for attendees of the event? 

(Brandon): We’re releasing the full festival grounds map and more info early the week of the show for everyone to get comfortable with the space. We have two large parking lots attached to the Raceway that can fit well over 600 cars. We also have party shuttles doing round trips for people looking to enjoy a different experience heading to and from the show! Pickups include Sacramento, Chico, Davis, and the Bay area!

What are your plans for the future of Subphonic Events following a large-scale festival featuring NGHTMRE?

We plan to continue hosting more large-scale events at this venue, developing our fruitful partnerships, improving on our festival-grounds model, and building up the community that we love through ethical, quality, and enjoyable music events! We want to bring more artists that people rarely see in our region, bringing bigger names that typically might overlook Sacramento. We’re also continuing to focus on our Bass Therapy events and collaborative indoor shows! The support on that project over the last four years has been overwhelming and blessed that it’s going stronger than ever. We’ve been lucky to be able to start bringing a lot of bigger acts than ever before this year and have a lot more planned for the remainder of ’23. Excited for what the future holds!

It’s clear from our conversation with the founders of Subphonic Events that their passion for the EDM industry runs deep. With years of experience under their belts and a unique approach to event production and promotion, this team has established themselves as one of the leading voices in the industry. Their upcoming festival featuring NGHTMRE is a testament to their hard work and dedication, promising attendees an unforgettable experience full of top-notch music, incredible production, and a community of like-minded individuals. It’s inspiring to see how far this group has come, and it’s clear that their vision and commitment to excellence will continue to push them forward in the years to come. We can’t wait to see what they have in store next, and we know that the future of Subphonic Events is bright.