SD Union, United By Bass, and Spin Nightclub’s Garva swung by to share some insight on his drum and bass journey, the state of the scene, and more.
The electronic music scene might be centered on evolution, yet there have been some true constants over the past few decades. One of those is Brandon Garva, who found a passion for drum and bass two and a half decades ago and never looked back. Since entering the scene, Garva has done it all, from performing fantastic sets and dabbling in other genres to co-founding SD Union and United By Bass and, more recently, bringing Spin Nightclub into its new era.
Garva has been a figurehead in the San Diego scene whose heart beats at 174 BPM, and that journey began decades ago. “The first time I heard drum and bass, I was captivated and instantly became obsessed,” he shared. “I felt like I had found a style of music that resonated with my soul. When I immersed myself in the drum and bass community, I felt a bond within the community that I didn’t see in many other places. You either loved drum and bass, or you didn’t. If you loved it, you were a part of the underground family.”
The community means everything to Garva, and it has helped him keep moving forward over the past 25 years. During this time, he co-founded SD Union and United By Bass, two brands that have helped keep the drum and bass dream alive in San Diego, even while the genre was on the ropes. Now, its sounds have surged in popularity, and to Garva, that’s been long overdue.
It’s so cool to see drum and bass finally getting the love it deserves over the past few years. All genres have incredible music and artists, but it felt like drum and bass was overlooked or undervalued for a long time.
Garva
Although drum and bass was one of the formative genres for the scene as it grew decades ago, it never caught on like others did in the US. “I think that influenced some promoters to focus more on sure-shot acts and genres that would help ensure a successful event rather than invest in a stage/lineup that had a high risk of being unable to sell enough tickets to recoup their costs,” Garva shared. “It makes perfect sense, and I can’t blame any promoter for not wanting to take that risk.”
Now that it’s been thrust back into the spotlight, those who championed it while it was on the sidelines have expressed mixed emotions. Garva acknowledged the fact that die-hard drum and bass heads might not be happy, but while he understands the sentiment, there’s a positive as well. “These huge acts are exposing massive amounts of people to a genre they might have never heard before, or maybe they had a closed mind when they first heard it but are now more open to giving it a chance because their favorite artist just dropped it in their set,” he said.
Hearing a big name drop drum and bass on a huge system hits a new listener much different than if they are hearing it in a car or on AirPods for the first time. Drum and bass needs to be heard on a full rig to be able to truly appreciate it, at least when being introduced to it.
Garva
Garva expressed that he feels drum and bass has finally “broken through” in the US and that it’s only going to get bigger and better in the future. “I see a lot of genres influencing each other and forming new styles/sub-genres, and it’s leading to more multi-genre sets and multi-genre artists. I see drum and bass being a part of that mix, and it’s inspiring,” he said.
Yet, with all these new changes, Garva doesn’t plan to alter his course much, he has a tried and true approach and a passionate community that follows him and his brands. “I started playing and throwing events in 2005 and instantly knew it was all I wanted to do,” he shared. “Since then, my focus has been on playing the best sets I possibly can and on throwing the best events I possibly can. The hard work, patience, and persistence of all the local promoters, DJs, and producers have paid off because now San Diego has an incredible scene that we are all proud of.”
As a DJ and producer, I’m more inspired than ever to make great music and play great sets. As co-owner of United By Bass with Tyler Rosier, we are more inspired than ever to bring the biggest and best lineups we can to town through SD Union and Daydream, as well as release great music via our record label (United By Bass Recordings) and represent top-tier talent via our new talent agency (United By Bass Talent Agency). At the end of the day, my vision is still the same – do the best I can to contribute to the growth of DnB on a local, national, and international level.
Garva
With that growth in mind, we wanted to know some artists who have been on Garva’s radar lately, and he shared that to close the conversation. The lengthy list—Polaris, Hybrid Minds, Ben Soundscape, S.P.Y, Collette Warren, Fred V, Degs, Pola & Bryson, Makoto, BCee, Alibi, Phibes, Alpha Rhythm, Sub Focus, Dip Vertigo, Etherwood, Reid Speed, Goddard, Hugh Hardie, Serum, L-Side, Simula, Unglued, Enei, Villem, BCee, Mefjus, Metrik, Dave Owen, Justin Hawkes, Boxplot, Klippee, MONSS, Delta Heavy, and Wilkinson—was just the first round of names he rattled off, but that should be plenty for anyone who wants to dive deeper into DnB.
Listen to this exclusive mix from Garva and follow SD Union and United By Bass on social media to stay in the know on their releases, shows, and more.
