InkSpired Magazine Issue No. 32 | Page 144

How long have you been DJing? Steve: I started DJing in 1991. I was really into the straight-edge hardcore scene and somehow stumbled onto the “techno” thing. The harder, faster stuff really appealed to me. What did you do before you started DJing? Steve: I was actually a professional snowboarder - back when you didn’t have to try to kill yourself on a daily basis to be one. You have been called the “Godfather” of Denver Drum’n’Bass. Do you agree with this statement? Why? Steve: I think the idea is kind of funny, but I guess it’s sort of true. I was definitely the first one out here playing the music and throwing shows. I just love that Drum & Bass is still kicking. Reload has been the face of Drum’n’Bass in Denver for many years, can you give us a brief history lesson? How it started? Steve: Reload was actually the second event production company I started. The first was Lowerworld Productions. Under that name, I was doing the “Rewind” series that started in about 1994. After a handful of years of struggling, losing money, and ruining my credit (like all good rave promoters do), I decided to sell the 142 InkSpiredMagazine.com name...but I couldn’t stay out of the game. I got the itch to start doing DnB events again under the Reload name. It’s like a crack addiction - you know it’s going to go all wrong, but you just have to do it. I have always felt a need to stay involved to help push the music out there. It’s really just because I like the music and I want others to like it too. Plain and simple. You have helped pioneer DnB music in Denver for almost two decades, what have been some of the best years? And why? Steve: It’s hard to say when it was the best because it really depends on how you’re measuring it. The beginning, in the early 90s always holds a special place in my mind because it was a whole new sound. Pioneering a new thing is always exciting. The late 90s and early 2000s were super fun too, because we had a really strong core of supporters who we very educated and super enthusiastic - the Snake Pit “Breakdown” days. They were legendary. I’d also say it’s really great right now too though. There are a ton of new kids learning about DnB because maybe they first heard dubstep, but then wound up hearing it at the same show and learned to love it. It’s always going to be an underground sound. Reload has made it sixteen years. What is it like today in contrast to your beginning? Steve: Today, most younger music fans are really diverse in their musical tastes. They like everything. Now we’re promoting to kids who like all kinds of different music. Back in the “old days,” if you were a DnB fan, that’s pretty much all you liked. We’ve been trying to reach out to a wider fan base because of this. Gravity Fridays at Beta Nightclub is a great example. On any given night, you can hear a little bit of dubstep, a little bit of trap, and we can throw in some DnB too. What are some of the biggest acts you have played at a Reload event? Steve: I think we’ve had just about everyone in the bass world play for us at one point or another. It’s kind of crazy. Who are some acts you would like to have come out for future events? Steve: We’re trying to throw some more smaller and intimate shows this year to get back to the roots a bit again. We’re looking to bring out some of the artists that might not be able fill a thousand person venue and have been overlooked for the past few years. In sixteen years, Reload has seen many changes. What do you see for its future? Steve: I see losing a lot more money. Haha.