Denver-based DJ and drummer Boogie Lights swung by to dive into his roots and what his debut album, DISCO DANCE THERAPY, is all about.
The “music heals souls” ethos is what Boogie Lights is all about. This Denver-based DJ, producer, and drummer has embraced that notion with open arms over the past decade, delivering dynamic releases that fuse sonic elements from house, disco, funk, bass, soul, and more. Backed by groovy releases and his hybrid live performances at Decadence NYE, Cervantes‘ Masterpiece Ballroom, The Black Box, and more, the impact Boogie Lights has made on the scene continues to grow with each passing year.
This year has marked an extra special one for Boogie Lights as he gears up for the release of his debut album, DISCO DANCE THERAPY. This collection of tunes was crafted with the help from members of The Boogie Bunch, an ensemble of musicians who join him for live shows. Collaboration is the core, but alongside that is Boogie Lights’ passion for bringing transformative music to the scene.
With the release of DISCO DANCE THERAPY fast approaching on the horizon, there was no better time than now to sit down with Boogie Lights for a chat. Read on for the full conversation as he dives into his roots, the album, and what’s to come, and listen to his exclusive guest mix!
Stream EDMID Guest Mix 447 || Boogie Lights on SoundCloud:
Hi Boogie Lights, thanks so much for sitting down with us today for a chat. You have quite a range of influences, from hip-hop and funk to bass and house. Where do your musical roots stem from that led to developing so many passions in the music scene?
I think a big reason for my eclectic taste in music comes from my big weird family. I’m the youngest of eight kids and definitely learned to love music early on from my older siblings. Although no one else in my family continued with music besides high school chorus, my love and appreciation for music and the different styles stemmed from the variety they showed me or I found in their stash of cassettes, CDs, and eventually digging through the vinyl collection. I’ve always described my overall style as “anything funky” because there are too many good types of music to stick to one genre, if it’s funky, it’s for me.
Beyond the dynamic influences, one thing that’s defined your style has been the vibrancy and feel-good nature you bring with you. What’s the ethos beyond the Boogie Lights project? Did you always intend to bring positivity to the scene?
Honestly, when I set out to become a musician, whether it was my old college band Soul Junction and especially with Boogie Lights, my main goal has always been to help the world become a better place. I’ve always believed positivity and perspective are two tools that can help achieve that goal on a sliding scale whether it’s one listener or a crowded venue. The album title really does describe what this project is all about. Feel-good therapeutic energy influenced by music and movement.
Your debut album, DISCO DANCE THERAPY, is due out on December 6. Can you share the production process behind this massive release, especially for the tracks you made with The Boogie Bunch?
This entire album was produced and recorded in my apartment studio in Denver. The production process and inspiration definitely varies for each track and who was involved. Sometimes starting with a simple lyric, a funky bassline, or just a concept/idea to get the ball moving. The development of a lot of the songs felt serendipitous at times especially while working with members of my live band, The Boogie Bunch.
A majority of the album features guitarist/producer Ricky Feria (Rix) on guitar who really helped bring this vision to life. Most sessions would start with an idea for the guitar parts and lead down a few different styles of takes collaborating on ideas usually mid take, our connection and communication was invaluable during this recording process.
Other sessions with vocalists Deezy Le Phunk, DZIRAE GOLD, and Hereami had a nice balance of planned parts and improvised moments. One of my favorite verses on the whole album was Deezy’s verse on “Universal Language,” which he came up with in the studio while brainstorming for about five minutes. Those magical moments are what it’s all about. While recording with other artists, whether instrumentation or vocals, I’m a big believer in getting a bunch of different options of takes to be able to comb through after the session.
Some of my favorite moments have come from a tiny mistake or simplistic repeated rhythm that becomes magical when you shine a light on it. Finding those special sections and being able to almost sample your own recordings is something that sticks out in my production and process. I’ve always pictured myself as the sort of old school producer in the studio trying to capture the best from everyone while simultaneously building them up. I’m basically just a hype man engineer trying to find the balance of my vision and the recording artist’s strengths to hopefully create that beautiful fusion.
Fans have already tasted what’s in store with “RISE UP” and “Keep The Funk,” which show off the range of house styles you can produce. Can you dig into what specifically prompted the messaging behind these two tunes?
“RISE UP” started as a collab with Mocha Music with the idea to combine house and bass music with a funky twist. As soon as the uplifting beat was established, I knew the voice behind the music needed to be powerful. For whatever reason, the phrase “rise up” came to mind, inspired by global and U.S. events—a call to end division and unite for peace, justice, and community. Deezy Le Phunk’s closing verse on that song really found the words to what I wanted to say with that message.
“Keep The Funk” was written soon after with a much simpler idea. Trying to describe what funk music really is. Started with an idea for a funky tech-house beat that led down a rabbit hole searching on YouTube for an interview describing what funk music is. Low and behold, I discovered the greatest sample I could ever imagine. The vocal sample comes from a channel called Prince’s Friend and a video titled ‘What does funk mean? Prince’s Theory” where the author describes in his description, what it means to be funky and describes what the many genres of my music have in common. That dirty funk feeling that can’t be described by one particular genre.
What do you hope fans take away from the experience when listening to the soundscapes on DISCO DANCE THERAPY?
I hope they find some form of ‘DISCO DANCE THERAPY.’ I hope it provides a journey through funk, vibes, and feelings while being able to nourish some extra love for themselves and the universe. I hope it makes you DANCE and I hope it makes you FEEL. The flow of the album is very intentional and honestly is probably best served in the morning or the beginning of a road trip.
After the release of the album, you’ll be making your way to Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver for a DISCO DANCE THERAPY show with The Boogie Bunch. What sort of preparation goes into live shows like this from you and the band?
Lots of coordination and preparation! We already had our first full band rehearsal last week with three more to go before the big night! Coordinating 10+ musicians is never an easy task (especially while adding a few very special guests). But thankfully the level of excitement and dedication from The Boogie Bunch has been unreal. We are all looking forward to this monumental night headlining the most historic venue in Denver outside of Red Rocks. On my end, it’s now crunch time to finish all of the custom edits for this show since our set will be completely originals or Boogie edits with a few fun surprises.
Speaking of Denver, what’s your favorite aspect of the music scene there? Is there anything you’d want to change about it?
My favorite part of the Denver music scene is the community. It’s extremely welcoming once you find your way into the scene. With so many styles and so much electronic music, it’s cool how the collective comes together to support each other. It’s flooded with an incredible talent pool of local musicians, transplant musicians like myself, and already established acts that move to Denver because of how beautiful Colorado is and how connected the artist community is. So you really have to keep pushing to find your niche and community, but the city is so extensive and open to good music and good energy. If you put both of those out, the Denver music scene will find you.
If you could share one piece of advice with other artists who might be feeling down on their luck lately. What would it be?
KEEP PUSHING. Keep being weird. Keep being kind. KEEP BEING YOU. Comparison is such a tricky game and it gets the best of every artist. In the moments of clarity, find you. Find your music. Find your voice. Make the music you believe in and don’t give an ounce to the comparison complex. Always keep evolving but never change because of what someone else is making.
Finally, is there anything you can share about what’s to come in 2025? Any specific goals you’d like to achieve?
To start, let me just say that the year 2025 sounds crazy. That number just seems wild to me. But I’m really looking forward to continuing to grow my art. Continuing to find my sound and the words I want to share with the world. I’d love to play a few big festivals this year and start really expanding the Boogie network in the US and hopefully around the world. I’m excited to release a few singles early next year—songs that didn’t make it onto the album but mean a lot to me. I’m also looking forward to writing more music and expanding my voice to highlight some ideas and thoughts that I think a lot of the world can connect with. I think 2025 and the next few years will produce some powerful music that the world needs to hear at a crucial time. That’s what was on my mind after the election. The art will be beautiful.
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