We handed the keys to minimal producer, maximal talent, Drew Dapps, to unlock how he maintains authenticity and creativity in all that he does.
What inspired you to enter the music space?
Honestly, there is nothing as exhilarating as creating music. I feel like musicians are in it because they need to be in it and they have no other choice. I knew that music was my calling when I was little and began writing bops as a young buck to perform to my elementary school classmates with my guitar. I’ve always had a burning desire inside me to write songs, and this passion to create has shaped my life in such a huge way.
Talk us through your favorite genres to produce
When I was first getting my footing in the electronic music world I bounced around through the genres, and I'm grateful for this experience. Checking out a variety of acts under the house umbrella helped expose me to a variety of production and performance techniques. As fate has it, as soon as I stepped out to my first minimal house night - I knew the direction I wanted to take my own signature music experience.
Minimal house is unique, it places emphasis on the most foundational parts of a house beat and does more with less, and that’s the way I like to create. I discovered a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery that goes like, “Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” That’s why minimal is so curiously captivating.
Rather than cheesy vocal hooks, minimal house lets the groove do the talking while lyrics and vocal samples lay down a sort of “mantra” that accompanies the intricate rhythms and lush sounding synthesizers.
To keep spreading the minimal love… I really admire how minimal house can be the perfect accompaniment for so many occasions - the club, a fashion show, a pool party, or even a posh dinner function. I’ve even gotten word that my discography is being slapped at W Hotels overseas and I just think that is way too dope. No matter who you are or where you come from, it’s impossible to not catch a vibe as soon as you hear these alluring grooves. Even my grandparents can get down to it (laughs).
With so many newly opened venues and recently started events, the San Diego dance scene is growing rapidly. What are your thoughts on the scene & community here?
Without a doubt, I have seen the local scene glow up all crazy within the last year or so! It's really thrilling to see new spaces pop up dedicated to putting on for the culture. With major venues like Nova and Bloom bringing in established touring DJs, it’s clear that San Diego is becoming a dance music hot spot competing with places like LA, Miami, and New York as a tourist & concert combo destination. More low-key spots like Office Bar and Grass Skirt are giving a platform for up-and-coming locals while putting on for the dance scene as a whole! I love to see heavy hitting local acts dispersed in these large capacity festival outings bringing some light to those who truly deserve it.
We’re big fans of your merch and creative marketing strategies, where do your inspirations come from?
I feel like my unique path has defined the way I go about getting my name and message out there. You may not know this but I was actually first coming up as a hip hop producer when I got my feet wet with music. I became enamored with artists like Travis Scott and closely observed his larger than life branding while slapping his music religiously. One thing I’ve always respected about these hip hop cats is the creativity in their music videos and their release rollout strategies. I think the house music sphere can be lacking in this “out there” branding and I’m here to change that.
Growing up I was super into tech decks and even had a sponsorship while I was shredding competitions. After immersing myself into the house world I quickly realized how big the culture of USBs is and I thought that there could be a unique fusion here… The way I pulled off my vision was pretty sneaky though, not gonna lie (laughs). All I did for this project was buy a vintage USB skateboard from eBay and give it my own twist. I loaded up the stick with ALL of my tracks, including unreleased rarities, hard to find edits, and bonus digital goodies beyond just music! I made sure that the product itself was a priceless asset that could be enjoyed by any house head. But I had to make sure the packaging was on point, something that induced a sense of nostalgia while making it my very own.
In photoshop, I essentially remade a Tech Deck “pro model” series and went in on that joint. I was able to print up a few of these cardboard backings and literally glued on the original plastic packaging from the USB so I didn’t have to do any plastic molding or anything like that. All in all the project was pretty bootleg DIY! Which just goes to show that creativity loves limitations and that anything is possible.
Your authentic self seems to shine through your social media presence and the tracks you produce, which isn’t an easy thing to achieve… How do you project your personality into your work?
One of my favorite quotes of all time is, “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” I try to embody this mantra in everything I do – whether I’m in the studio, doing photoshoots, or putting together merch designs. When I put something out there I want to be sure that people immediately recognize it’s 'Dapp Way' just by the sound and look. I just show up every day as my weird unapologetic self and it all works out because authenticity is what fans and friends get down with.
What's been your favorite venue to play in San Diego?
Superb question here that really got me thinking. It’s hard to decide because each space offers a unique feel and experience and can even bring out a different sort of crowd. However, I would have to say I most enjoy the venues that have a set up with a distinct theme that is truly immersive. I mean the ones that make the dance floor like a vacation from the world, you feel me? That is my favorite.
When you're going out dancing in San Diego on a night off from producing & DJing, where will we find you?
You’ll always find me wherever the realest homies are playing because I’m happy to support no matter where. Typically, the artists I wanna see are playing at Spin or Bang Bang because those guys always hold it down for the underground. But there are so many new places going hard, so I’m always down for surprises.
Who are your 'ones to watch' from the San Diego scene?
No doubt there is a lot of talent bubbling up in the city and the list of ones to watch goes on and on. There are a number of names that come to mind immediately! EDM Identity, a SD based music blog / brand is dedicated to growing the culture. In addition, one of my favorite event brands of all time is Afternoon Umbrella Friends. They stay innovative and give back to the community which you can’t help but love! Not to mention their grassroots festival Umbrella Weekend absolutely blew up last spring. Another event brand I’ve been hyped on is Homegrown, the familia holding it down in Chula Vista. I’ve got nothing but respect for them after they brought up underground legends Jizz and Nicholas Latiff for a spin. As far as artists, I see a lot of cats making waves putting out some really dope records. It’s cool to see heads like Matt Egbertt, Shuski, and Sly Turner putting on for the minimal movement. Meanwhile, homie Casmalia is doing big things taking her performances on the road which is always inspiring to see!
What are your future plans, what should we look out for from you?
Oh man, where do I even start! Dropping a bunch more slapping singles, EPs, edits, and more goodies is all in the game plan. I’ve really come to love releasing free downloads for the culture and putting out rarities for the fam and music lovers who may not have slapped my music yet. I’ve really gotten addicted to digging for edits (bootleg remixes) and having these be secret club dazzlers in my live sets. So you can expect a ton more from your boy personally!
One thing I’ve really been focusing on is bringing unique merch offerings to life and this recent tote bag release was only the beginning. I plan on doing a lot more avant-garde drops under the “Dapps Apparel” line delivering things that the homies had no idea they needed to have.
Speaking of the tote bag, one of my biggest career goals is to soon tour all the cities listed on the design, as these places are the top locations where they jam my music. I gotta hold it down for the real ones supporting the vision. I want to bring these slappers their way as soon as we can and this is not a want, but a NEED. We’ve got to make sure that these beautiful cities get the Dapps experience and that I get to show them how appreciative I am of them, live and in person.
If you could play anywhere, at any venue in the world tonight, where would it be ?
Yo, that’s an amazing question and it’s really got me scratching my head! Definitely a tough one to answer and it might even change if you catch me on a different day. However, an ideal place comes to mind in The Netherlands at one of Amsterdam’s finest House Music facilities - Thuishaven. I picked this spot not only because Amsterdam is the #1 city that slaps my music on Spotify, but also because I have a ton of family out there and I would love to show them what’s up. The indoor / outdoor vibe at this place is unreal and I feel like it’s one of the few music establishments that feels like a festival. With that said, magically coming up on a play date here would be a dream come true and I know that the Dapps Experience would be the perfect soundtrack to the sunrise at this spot.
While we recognize you’re taking Camp Dappington international, in what ways can the San Diego dance community support you or collaborate with you?
It’s no secret that there is a ton of budding talent in SD and that’s part of the reason why I’m so proud to call this place home! With that being said, I am always open to listen to the tunes that are coming out of the city.
I’d love to have people come hang while I’m doing live streams on my Instagram where we go over playlist submissions and give feedback on WIPs. I’m always interested in collaborating on events & projects that go to a good cause! Also, I’m happy to hook up the fam with some exclusive bundle merch deals for anybody tryna get fitted with some new Dapps Apparel gear. Just call me your personal goodie plug because I will put together a special package just for you. Hit me up at any time and I’ll be happy to figure something out!
But just in case someone’s reading this and is looking to download some minimal slappers, literally say less- I got you right now. Tap in to this link where you can download a pack of tunes for the free, all yours for you to enjoy.
Lastly, what’s a track you want to share?
I wanna share this song because this edit has remained one of my best secret dancefloor dazzlers in my sets for the longest! I'm happy to be putting this one out as a free download for the homies to have for their collection. I've seen the way that this song lights up the room and puts a smile on people's faces so I'm hyped for you to live this same experience with the Pony Drew Dapps Edit!
You can keep up with Drew Dapps
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