DJ Barker

My Story

I got started in this scene in 2012, when I saw my very first electronic show live, which happened to be an all time great in Deadmau5. I was in shock and awe at the production, the vibe, the people - everything about the lifestyle drew me in instantly. I was taking a break from music at this point, having just left my conservatory of music behind, and to feel music create togetherness in a brand new (to me) way was insanely inspiring, so I chased that feeling for years before even considering contributing my own creativity to the scene.

In 2019, I really started pursuing going to clubs, shows, and festivals, and instantly my mind was ignited hearing the way DJs mixed music together or told progressive stories through their sets, not unlike a continuous album that's meant to be listened to end to end. I started to find ways that I would change things that I was hearing, or things I could blend together with music in front of me, and at that point I finally took the plunge and bought my first decks. It was instant love as soon as I got my hands on them, and I knew I had to gain the technical command as fast as possible in order to communicate the way I felt I needed to, to tell my own stories.

Once I started diving more into this world, I started producing music again, which I had only done in the hip-hop scene previously, long ago. I had a bit of a head-start in understanding music production software and having classical training, and that love for music just came back instantaneously when I was building arrangements that satisfied my mind and heart. It's been a whirlwind ever since - I'm regularly humbled by where some of my music has gone, stages it's been played on, labels that have signed my work, and artists who have supported it. But we're still early in my musical journey, and I have a ton more to share.