Rewilder stopped by to discuss his new radio and events series, Rooted In Rave, which aims to bridge the gap between his personal project and Neorave Nation.
Over the years, Rewilder has been working to spotlight the harder styles on the East Coast of the States. Known for his style, which ranges across the music spectrum from hard techno to hard trance and hardstyle, he always delivers something fresh in his live performances and music releases.
Throughout his career, Rewilder has continuously added to his musical endeavors, like creating the Neorave Nation label, dedicated to showcasing underground talent that falls under the harder styles. Even with the label’s creation and takeovers, Rewilder has still found that there’s not enough room to spotlight the talented producers his project has attracted. In response to the growing number of producers searching for a way to get their projects out into the world, Rewilder proudly introduces his brand-new radio and events series, Rooted In Rave.
Rooted In Rave will serve as the bridge connecting Rewilder and Neorave Nation, focusing on genres like techno, trance, hard dance, neo rave, drum and bass, and hyper trance. All of these will combine in a monthly radio series streaming on DI.FM, which is intended to sound like a live Rooted In Rave performance.
The launch party for Rooted In Rave took place during EDC Week in Vegas, but Rewilder has lots more to share. To give us more insight into the future of the project, Rewilder stopped by to dive deep into the project. Read on for the full conversation.
Hey Rewilder, thanks for taking the time to chat with us! You’ve finally launched your brand-new Rooted in Rave concept. Fans got a taste during EDC week, but can you give us more insight into what this new venture entails?
“Rooted In Rave” is my brainchild, which I’ve been working on over the last several months. I’ve been looking for a way to conceptualize Rewilder and my other projects into something recognizable but new. It will be a recurring theme for touring events, radio shows, and building brand consistency. I hope to take listeners on a deeper journey than they would experience in my previous work.
Speaking of the debut Rooted in Rave event, it just happened this past week in Vegas. Can you reflect on what this event meant for you and how you are feeling heading into the future?
Launching this project during the EDC Week was incredible. We had an awesome open-air artsy/foresty venue with a full VOID sound rig. Shoutout to the Park On Fremont for hosting us! It really was more than just an event for me. I have been building this out for so long that it was a major relief to finally launch.
Moving forward, Rooted In Rave will have several different styles of events. The “Open Air” events will be trance/atmosphere focused, and the “Warehouse” events will be more techno/beat heavy. I am extremely excited to announce some more dates for Rooted In Rave soon!
With the launch of Rooted in Rave, you’re now in charge of Neorave Nation and your own artist project as well. How do these brands all tie together even with their separate identities?
That’s a great question. Neorave Nation launched back in 2022. The goal was to create a platform for musicians to get their start here on the East Coast. I also really wanted to dive into the world of running a record label. In the past two years, I have seen exponential growth with the label, our artists, our events, and our family.
Rewilder was intended to be a hardstyle exclusive project I launched in 2021. I got burnt out trying to conform to one specific sound, which arguably defeats the purpose of being an artist. I’ve taken this project to the drawing board four or five times since its inception and have been trying to find a way to bridge it with Neorave Nation.
Rooted In Rave is the branch that brings it all together. It expands upon my diverse background in music, removing the pressure of conforming to one style/sound. It also provides a platform for me to play out the Neorave Nation releases in addition to so many other of my favorite tunes.
Rooted in Rave will host a monthly radio series hosted by you. What kind of records can listeners expect to hear on this every month?
People know me for exclusively playing hard dance and hardstyle. The radio series, however, will be a way for me to express myself outside of the norm. You can expect a blend of everything from high-energy trance, heavy techno, and breakbeats to speed house, drum and bass, hard dance, and everything in between. You will never really know what to expect from each episode, but I also plan to serve up some genre-specific episodes!
Since Rooted in Rave will be both an event and radio series, how can artists get on your radar for bookings at the live events or promo in your radio show?
I aim to make this a platform for artists of underrepresented genres. I want to hand-pick everyone who performs at these events, so I am always looking for new talent. The best way to get on my radar is to join our Neorave Nation Discord community!
The radio show will be a huge part of growing this brand/concept. There is also a “Rooted In Rave” Spotify playlist that I will update each week. Demos & promos for the playlist and the radio show can be submitted via the email on my Linktree.
To end on a fun note, what is your dream venue to host a Rooted in Rave event, and who would headline that show?
This is a hard question! I think hosting an open-air, 360-degree stage at a festival would be immaculate. I would love to have Geck-O, Panteros666, TRYM, Virtual Self, and Will Atkinson be part of that event.
