Dubstep FBI Founders Christina Vessa and Yesenia Vizcaya talk about breaking into the industry, their new label, and what’s next for the brand.
With EDM and rave culture gaining more mainstream visibility, the industry has become increasingly corporate, leaving ravers yearning for content that feels authentic and made by people who truly understand and appreciate the culture. Dubstep FBI Founders Christina Vessa and Yesenia Vizcaya have stepped up to meet that demand. They’ve cultivated a platform that not only supports local, rising, and established talent, but also fosters a community for ravers to connect over their love for bass music.
Their dedication to pushing the boundaries of the genre has solidified their place as one of the most influential brands in the scene. Their podcast has featured over 65 episodes with heavyweights like CRANKDAT, Ray Volpe, Level Up, and ALLEYCVT, while their radio series, Riot Control Radio, has amassed hundreds of thousands of streams. Their influence extends beyond digital platforms, and in 2024, their brand reached global heights with their stage takeover at Rampage Open Air.
Celebrating the five-year anniversary of Dubstep FBI (which stands for Filthy Beat Investigators), Christina and Yesenia launched Beat Intelligence Network (BIN) on January 24. BIN is an innovative record label that provides a platform for bass genre’s up-and-coming producers.
We caught up with Christina and Yesenia about their journey launching Dubstep FBI and BIN, overcoming industry barriers, and their vision for the future of bass music. Read on to learn more about this rising fixture of the EDM landscape.
Congratulations on five years of Dubstep FBI! Taking it back to the beginning, what inspired you to launch this brand?
We were invited by a mutual friend to Tomorrowland 2018. After experiencing the festival and bonding, we became best friends. Following multiple festivals and shows in the years that followed, the idea for Dubstep FBI emerged because we wanted to create a place where bass music fans could share their love for the genre every day, not just at a show. At the time, our friends were always DJing on Traktor controllers, and we envisioned a central page where we could publish their mixes.
Initially, we were hesitant to launch. We questioned what people would think, and if we would succeed. When January 2020 arrived, we both agreed to move forward wholeheartedly, leaning on each other and providing encouragement that what we were launching would turn into something positive. Both of us work full-time jobs in branding and sales, so we thought applying the skills we use at our day jobs could help grow this venture. Looking back, taking that leap was the best decision we ever made.
Dubstep FBI is women owned, and your brand has seen huge success in a heavily male-dominated industry. What challenges did you face as women breaking into the EDM scene?
One of the biggest challenges was self-doubt. We questioned whether what we were doing would resonate, whether people would judge us, and whether all the time and effort would be worth it. At first, we felt like we had to prove ourselves. But over time, we realized that being unique is what made Dubstep FBI special. Instead of trying to fit into an industry that wasn’t built for us, we decided to break the mold entirely. We stayed true to our vision, remained persistent, and never let gatekeeping or industry norms dictate how we operated.
Now, five years later, we are here to show other women that you don’t have to ask permission — you just have to take up space and own it.
Since launching Dubstep FBI, what have been some of the projects you’re most proud of, and why do those stand out as defining moments for your brand?
One of the most impactful projects we have done is a stage takeover at Rampage Open Air in Belgium last summer. When Rampage reached out to us, we were absolutely shocked. We had never done a stage takeover before, let alone been asked by a festival to collaborate like that. This collaboration opened so many doors for us and has led to more of an international presence for our brand.
We are really proud of the tactical bags we dropped last year. This item took months to produce, requiring extensive back-and-forth with the vendor as we started from scratch, taking measurements and developing the item into a fully custom pack. Since then, it has been our most popular merchandise piece.
After the first batch sold out, we have been getting questions every week as to when they will be restocked. We made a few updates to the packs and will be dropping new inventory in March. It is incredibly fulfilling to see such a positive reception to something we worked so hard to develop.
On top of that, we have had incredible opportunities interviewing legends in the industry, helping artists break through the scene, and now, launching our own record label. Every step of this journey has felt like a defining moment, but we know the biggest ones are still ahead of us.
You’re also embarking on an exciting endeavor, launching your new record label, Beat Intelligence Network. What is the mission behind launching BIN, and how do you hope it will shape the future of bass music?
While we had the idea to start a label for years, there were always doubts in our minds. Last year, we finally decided that this was something we had to do.
BIN ties back to our mission of spotlighting underground artists and giving them the exposure they deserve. There are many extraordinarily talented producers sitting on tracks because they are stuck waiting on label responses for months — or never hearing back at all.
We want BIN to be the place where artists don’t just get their music released but get a true push, effective marketing, and real connections that actually make a difference. We are taking a hands-on approach, working closely with every artist we sign to make sure they feel supported and heard.
We are confident that BIN will become the go-to place for fans to discover new underground dubstep and riddim, from artists they may not have been listening to before.
Versa’s Another Yoi Song EP is the first to land on the label. Why did you choose Versa for the first release on BIN, and what about his artistry made him the perfect fit for the launch?
Versa and Dubstep FBI go way back. In 2023, we attended Forbidden Kingdom with Versa’s team, doing publicity. The content that we posted from his set took off immediately on our page, and we knew the lore was just beginning.
Since then, we have attended other festivals like EDC Mexico and Rampage Open Air with Versa and have always admired his production and branding. With such a positive response to Versa from our fans, we wanted to go big and aim high when we asked him to send demos for the label.
“Another Yoi Song VIP” is a track he has been playing live for months, and we know it’s one the fans have been craving. Everything about Versa aligned perfectly with what we wanted for our first release.
Are there any specific artists or sounds you feel are missing from the bass scene that you hope to champion through BIN?
Sometimes it feels like there isn’t a home for riddim on the label side. While there are a few major labels known to sign riddim, the underground side of it hasn’t been united on the streaming front. We want to capture the high energy, gritty vibes that only come from an underground riddim function, and give fans a central location to stream those sounds from anywhere, not just a show.
Another piece of BIN is delivering something different. Our album artwork attests to this: We are running with simple, hand-illustrated vibes instead of 3D renders. We also want artists and their teams to feel connected to the label, like we are here to serve them and that their song won’t just disappear after it is released.
We do this by maintaining close relationships and friendships with the artists we sign, by distributing music weeks ahead of release, and by using the Dubstep FBI channels to build hype and spread the word.
You’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the biggest bass artists, and Dubstep FBI has evolved into one of the largest and most well-respected brands in the bass music scene today. How does it feel to see what Dubstep FBI has become?
Honestly, we never thought that Dubstep FBI would grow this big. We originally started it as a SoundCloud page where our friends could go and publish their Traktor mixes from our pregames. The success of this brand just proves that there is a gap to be filled in the dubstep scene.
Fans want a community where they can share the music we all love. They want an approachable brand that isn’t afraid to make jokes and just be lighthearted. Things have gotten so corporate in EDM that we feel our voice and tone stand out among the noise; we believe fans trust us. Even though we’ve worked with some of the biggest artists in the industry, we are fueled by helping emerging artists grow their brands. Having a platform that we can use to help others means so much to us.
What’s one piece of advice you have for women looking to break into the EDM industry?
Stop caring about what other people think and just do it. Taking the first step is always the hardest part, so once you commit to putting yourself out there, things will fall into place. Also, realize that you aren’t alone and that you can always reach out to us for encouragement and support.
We have found that the bass music scene is full of incredible women who are ready to uplift each other. Our DMs are open, and we love to make new friends — don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to others who are doing similar things in the industry!
What’s next for Dubstep FBI and BIN, and what should ravers be excited about while keeping an eye on your work?
We are putting the finishing touches on a major compilation coming out in March. This project features artists from North America and Europe who are exceptionally talented — you might have heard some of these tracks played live.
One of our biggest goals is securing a stage takeover at Tomorrowland. And while we haven’t locked that in quite yet, we are preparing to announce a stage takeover at another massive European festival this summer. Expanding our brand internationally has been a huge focus, and this next takeover is going to be a defining moment for us.
Beyond that, we are working on expanding our merch line and doubling down on premium items that people can actually use. At the end of the day, Dubstep FBI has always been about pushing the culture forward and giving fans a place to call home.
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