ID Spotlight: Nick Abarca

Name: Nick Abarca

Age: 28

Hometown/Current Location: Atascadero, CA

Occupation: Firefighter

Instagram: @sensory_overload_empire

Twitter: @NickAbarca_SOE

Facebook: Nick Abarca

What was your first electronic music event?

I had always wanted to go to a rave but wasn’t aware of any raves locally. One day, a friend invited me to an underground rave and I seized the opportunity. It was about 20 min out of town and just so happened to be 5 houses down from where I grew up and directly across the street from the fire station that I started my career at. There were two stages, one in a barn and the other back in a canyon. I had done a lot a partying before, but it was immediately clear to me that I had been doing it wrong the whole time.

This magical world was like nothing I had ever experienced in person, it was so much more than just getting intoxicated, it was filled with art , passion and genuinely kind people, the polar opposite of the house party and bar scene. I knew instantly that this is what I had been looking for and that this is what I wanted to do with my life. I began trying to get the phone numbers of as many people as I possibly could, so I could find out where the next one was. From that point one the main focuses of my life has been EDM culture and its propagation/ evolution. Doing so has been my path to true happiness. Its crazy to think that a small, low production event like that could change the course of someones life.

What/who influenced you to attend your first event?

I would always come across epic event videos and pictures on the internet, which then spurred me to buy some lighting for my house. I had one only green laser and I was fascinated by it, I longed to be in a sea of them. I was given an EDM CD and had fallen in love with the music and was beginning to explore the endless genres. Partying was already the focus of my life being 21 years old and I had already started my mission to create the perfect partying experience.

A lot of what motivated me to look for/create something better, was how lame the local party scene was. Every time I would go to a party I would complain at how they put no effort into it and they did nothing to fix aspects that people disliked. This mindset carried on after I started attending raves and was the reason I started throwing my own public events.

What is one moment from an event that was special and why?

During one of the raves I threw, I stopped in the middle the organized chaos that was taking place all around me and freed my mind of all the distractions. Looking out into the crowd I watched the faces and body language of the people there, some friends of mine, some faces I had never seen. All of them interacting, giving each other hugs and laughing, flirting with the cute boy or girl they had just met, couples lost in a passionate kiss, or friends (djs, staff, bartenders) all focusing on to keeping the party going.

Seeing their happiness and knowing that I was able to contribute to their happiness was the most rewarding experience I have had in my life so far. Seeing the years of hard work come to fruition before my eyes gives me an intense feeling of satisfaction with my life. Knowing that all of the frustration and sacrifice was appreciated by those I love.

What is your favorite festival or event?

My lifelong goal has been to refine and evolve the party experience. All the things I have learned and tested, I have brought together with a project I call the “:SOE: VIP Party”. The guest list is “private/invite only” to ensure the quality of the guests. I also have a set of rules called “SOE: Party Standards” that is 4 pages long that governs peoples behavior at the party that all guests must read and obey to attend.

Temperature of the house is set to be warm and comfortable, which is important because clothing is optional. Scent dispensers spray essential oils in different areas throughout the party. There is fruit and vegetable juice, fresh fruit and snacks available for when guests get hungry. Boxes of costumes and toys. The music is run by a video DJ system that is linked to all the TV’s and sound systems in the house. The lighting has been meticulously built into the house over the years and is fully automated like the rest of the party. There is a large group shower with lasers and bass to wash off the sweat.

In the garage is the “sensory overload chamber” which is something I built to be able to feel and see the music. Its a large soundproof capsule as big as a car that you can get inside and blast music as loud as you want no matter what time of day it is. The lighting system is fully controllable by its users which allows you to create your own experience. There are lots of areas like this around the party which naturally cause people to interact with each other. The combination of these aspects makes these parties by far my favorite. As for events outside of my own, my favorite will always be EDC Las Vegas. The stunning magnitude and complexity of that event takes my breath away every time. If you are looking for the biggest and baddest rave around, look no further.

What is your favorite electronic song and why?

Considering my favorite artist is Pretty Lights, my favorite song would be the first song of his that I heard. I actually accidentally came across Pretty Lights on YouTube, because the name Pretty Lights interested me in view of my love for lighting. The song is called “Finally Moving”, I don’t know what it is about it, but it connects with me down to my inner soul as a lot of his music does. I listen to it whenever I have exceptionally happy or sad moments in my life. The mental link from the happy moments would significantly bring up my mood when I was sad. It reminds me of all the beauty in the world… the passion, the love and things I hav to look forward to. I’m listening to it now as I write this and the flood of emotion is difficult to contain. I’m a very emotionally stable person and this song makes me want to cry tears of joy ever time I hear it.

Who are your favorite artists?

Pretty Lights has been my favorite artist for a long time. His music evokes a wide range of emotions for me which is not something I can say for other types of music . I’m also very impressed that he has made such a large amount of music and none of it is bad, which is totally not normal to me. His sound are very unique due to the great lengths he goes through to create his music. Another one of my favorite artists on the opposite end of the spectrum is Figure. His music is so hard and nasty it makes me feel like I’m gonna explode when I listen to it, it grabs me and rips me to pieces… but in a good way.

What are your favorite genres?

At this point in my EDM journey I like almost anything and everything. I like to hop around but I stick with one or two main genres at a time. About every 1-2 years I stumble across something that changes my listening habits. This has been my progression of main genres starting from the beginning, House>dubstep> electo> trap> progressive> deep house> techno> psytrance.

What do you feel your “identity” is in the electronic music community?

Well that is relative to who you ask. I have dedicated my life to improving and evolving the style of EDM culture I appreciate and enjoy. People, like me, who enjoy a more sexual and quality controlled party are who appreciate what I do. Those who live a more sexually reserved lifestyle tend to think I’m ruining EDM culture and actively dislike what I create. What they don’t understand is that EDM culture can be celebrated in many different ways and its okay for other people to celebrate it differently. My personal goal is to pioneer new aspects of EDM culture and push the limits that have been placed upon it by the mainstream.

Is there anything else you would like to add about yourself for the readers?

I am currently working on a permanent venue/social club that will be called “SOE: Utopia”. I’m also in the middle of building a mobile version of the “Sensory Overload Chamber” that will be taken to events out of the area for people to enjoy. I’m in the process of designing and making my website, “sensoryoverloadempire.com” that will be a central hub for all my creative projects. On my website there will be professionally produced raver porn, a naughty raver social media group, merchandise, creative photography and videography. There will also be a section called “open source information” which will be a collection of essential knowledge to help guide those who are looking to improve their lives and the world around them, along with blueprints on how to create everything I have built so people can replicate, change, improve and share my ideas.