How long have you been DJing?Steve: I started DJing in 1991. I was really intothe straight-edge hardcore scene and somehowstumbled 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 yourselfon a daily basis to be one.You have been called the “Godfather” of DenverDrum’n’Bass. Do you agree with this statement?Why?Steve: I think the idea is kind of funny, but Iguess it’s sort of true. I was definitely the firstone out here playing the music and throwingshows. I just love that Drum & Bass is stillkicking.Reload has been the face of Drum’n’Bass inDenver for many years, can you give us a briefhistory lesson? How it started?Steve: Reload was actually the second eventproduction company I started. The first wasLowerworld Productions. Under that name, I wasdoing the “Rewind” series that started in about1994. After a handful of years of struggling,losing money, and ruining my credit (like allgood rave promoters do), I decided to sell thename...but I couldn’t stay out of the game. I gotthe itch to start doing DnB events again underthe Reload name. It’s like a crack addiction - youknow it’s going to go all wrong, but you just haveto do it. I have always felt a need to stay involvedto help push the music out there. It’s really justbecause I like the music and I want others to likeit too. Plain and simple.You have helped pioneer DnB music in Denverfor almost two decades, what have been someof the best years? And why?Steve: It’s hard to say when it was the best becauseit really depends on how you’re measuringit. The beginning, in the early 90s always holds aspecial place in my mind because it was a wholenew sound. Pioneering a new thing is alwaysexciting. The late 90s and early 2000s were superfun too, because we had a really strong coreof supporters who we very educated and superenthusiastic - the Snake Pit “Breakdown” days.They were legendary. I’d also say it’s really greatright now too though. There are a ton of new kidslearning about DnB because maybe they firstheard dubstep, but then wound up hearing it atthe same show and learned to love it. It’s alwaysgoing to be an underground sound.Reload has made it sixteen years. What is it liketoday in contrast to your beginning?Steve: Today, most younger music fans arereally diverse in their musical tastes. They likeeverything. Now we’re promoting to kids who likeall kinds of different music. Back in the “old days,”if you were a DnB fan, that’s pretty much all youliked. We’ve been trying to reach out to a widerfan base because of this. Gravity Fridays atBeta Nightclub is a great example. On any givennight, you can hear a little bit of dubstep, a littlebit of trap, and we can throw in some DnB too.What are some of the biggest acts you haveplayed at a Reload event?Steve: I think we’ve had just about everyone inthe bass world play for us at one point or another.It’s kind of crazy.Who are some acts you would like to have comeout for future events?Steve: We’re trying to throw some more smallerand intimate shows this year to get back to theroots a bit again. We’re looking to bring out someof the artists that might not be able fill a thousandperson venue and have beenoverlooked 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.142 InkSpiredMagazine.com
Can you tell us about some of your tattoos andtheir history?Steve: I actually got a bunch of tattoos rightwhen I turned eighteen in 1991. I had justmoved to Breckenridge, Colorado and I’d haveto come down to Denver to try and find goodtattoo shops. There weren’t a ton back then. Thefirst one I got was the typical bad idea, “tried todraw it myself,” tribal-ish thing that was done bya guy who really wasn’t very good. I think I sawAnthony Keidis from the Red Hot Chili Peppersand thought his looked cool. I have a hare-krishnavegan statement piece on one arm that Istill love because of it’s meaning, and I have areally huge Ankh (yeah I know) on my back with3D wormy things flying around it. That one wasinspired by the old Future Sounds of Londondigital art that was coming out in the early 90s.They all look dated at this point, but hey, so am I.Artists today are so amazing compared to whenI had all of mine done. I’m blown away by someof the pieces I see. It’s probably time to go backin for something new!The history is long and the shows are many, Reloadhas found no trouble in creating long-lastingfans in the midwest. Today, Denver still remainsthe main headquarters for Reload productions.You can find them every week in one of themost recognized EDM venues in America, BetaNightclub. Holding a weekly spot on Friday andnaming it Gravity, this night has become a reliablesource for a solid DnB fix. Reload has heldthe torch and remained the most recognizedDnB outlet in the midwest for over a decade.Now, seventeen years later, Reload is celebratingits anniversary with one of the most stackedlineups a diehard fan could ask for. Lines to thedoor were long as DnB junkies quickly packedout The Gothic Theater. The walls of the vintagevenue shook as pressure from the bass poundedagainst them. Booked to play on this night,Reload brought out the infamous Pendulum toperform a solid DJ set. Also on the decks, oneof most hard hitting and legendary teams in thebusiness, Planet of the Drums consisting ofDJs - Dara, AK 1200, and Dieselboy, along withJ Messinian on the mic. It was truly epic justto have both of these headliners in the samebuilding. Also hitting the stage that eveningwere DJs Downlink, putting on a full DnB setas opposed to his usual dubstep, all in natureof the DnB festivities, and fan favorite, MysticalInfluence. D.Ecco and DJ Fury finished the nightwith some of the hardest hitting tracks played allevening. With MC Dino on the mic, this rare andhistoric tag team set made their seventeen yearanniversary for Reload a complete night.InkSpiredMagazine.com 143
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