Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Brown
Hi Kristen, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After having my best friend take me to my first festival, I knew this is a space I would love to be in. I have always loved music and how it can change your emotions so quickly, so I was very eager to learn. Around 2020 during the pandemic is when I started to get more serious about the idea of djing and producing bass music, but my ideas were very frequently laughed at by the people I was surrounded by, majority being men. There already was, and still is, a large gap of women in the music scene in general, from behind the scenes to behind the decks, so their intentions of making me a joke just would add fuel to the fire. I still get hit with misogyny here and there, you just can’t let it get to you. But in Salt Lake the community here has welcomed me with open arms and is so inspiring that it has given me a great space to really thrive and create my specific sound. Just last year I played my first festival as a solo act at the Halloween festival ‘Get Freaky’ and I just played Sundance festival as a direct support for Wooli, which was a huge step in my progress for the Spunelli project.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been smooth always, but in order to succeed you have to fail. I have no music background and wasn’t taught how to play an instrument growing up, so I had to learn everything myself. Djing is one thing, but producing is a whole other skill set, and it has its ups and downs every day, but that’s what makes it so exciting. One silly idea can turn into the best song you’ve created. It honestly is pretty funny looking back at where I started even though it was just a few years ago. I’ve had some amazing mentors and friends that have helped me progress through my music career as well, I believe it is a huge key factor surrounding yourself with people who lift you up and can be there to pick you up if you fall.
Also as a woman, some people think you get booked for the ‘inclusivity factor’ on a lineup or just bluntly say we get booked due to our bodies… you just have to take all that with a grain of salt. Sure, it stings when things are said but laughing it off is just the best way to handle that type of situation in my opinion.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I produce mainly experimental bass, which has gotten a lot more attention this past year. It’s my favorite because you can honestly do whatever you want in it. People who have seen me play before know they are going to be bouncing for the entirely of my set. I like to bring in a lot of energy from behind the decks and just have a dance party with my fellow ravers. I never play the same set twice and I never record my sets, so it’s a new experience every time. I spend hours making music weekly and digging for underground artists because I believe being a Dj’s role is also introducing people to artists/songs they have never even heard before. And if I can do that, its a job well done!
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
People have a lot of different opinions on goals for their level of success in the EDM world. Mine personally is really simple: I want to make fun music with my amazing peers and friends and share that with a crowd. Having a sense of community when the world is going crazy makes you feel just a little bit better, and if I can do that to even just a handful of people, then I feel successful. The rave scene is a loving and kind group where we are all here for the love of music and being surrounded by people who can just be themselves, and I am so happy to be a part of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/spunelli?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=3e2999e7-6b04-4b38-bcf9-6eca2fbfa0e4
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spunellii/
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/spunelli
