Alumni create underground EDM project with focus on inclusion, community

Pulsing EDM and rhythmic vibrations fill the sweaty and vibrant air of warehouse rooms at Understated’s dance events.

The project’s series include night-long EDM parties that draw from the culture of underground dance music, said UCLA alumni and founders Micah Smith and Andrew Conde. Smith, the director of operations for Understated, said he became disillusioned with the direction of EDM culture and decided to get involved by using an underground approach that would foster a sense of community, diversity and inclusion through a similar passion for music. Understated will throw its sixth party Friday, beginning at 10 p.m. at a venue in Downtown LA.

“(The EDM scene) had lost a lot of its authenticity, both the artists and a lot of the people I was seeing at the events I was going to,” Smith said.

Smith and Conde started the project in 2016 after drawing inspiration from their own experiences at electronic music events, such as Electric Daisy Carnival and Lightning in a Bottle. They also extended the project last summer to include a record label. Smith said he saw an opportunity to generate a wider appreciation of electronic music and began the project as a way to promote EDM and give it the exposure that other musical genres have enjoyed. He wanted to create an inclusive environment in which everyone can feel like a part of a community that embraces them for who they are, he said.

Smith said he was interested in a socially broad approach because of his studies in the race- and gender-related issues of electronic music, in which he learned about the early proponents of house and EDM, such as African-American and LGBTQ communities. Smith added the EDM industry often overlooks such groups, and he wants to see them reintegrated into the scene.

Smith said the popular EDM scene does not wholly represent the diversity among DJs and producers, showcasing mostly the talents of straight white men. For example, on DJMag.com’s list of top-100 DJs of 2017, a female DJ does not appear until No. 42, and an African-American DJ does not show up until No. 62. Smith said he and Conde hope to expose the vast range of people in the EDM scene through their events.

Another integral part of Understated events and the record label is its underground aesthetic, an aspect Smith said he and Conde work hard to maintain. Conde said even as the project grows and expands, he hopes it can cultivate and preserve the type of intimate quality it has nurtured through its underground character.

Conde and Smith work to curate the events so they can consistently provide the underground experience they want their audiences to be able to participate in. For example, Conde said if the lineup consists of darker, more techno-based DJs, they will try to coordinate the lights and atmosphere to match that, using minimal lighting and visuals.

The authentic and friendly energy that comes from a smaller crowd and venue also allows artists to feel comfortable attempting new, more experimental music, which in turn gives the audience a more gratifying experience, Conde said.

“There’s a very authentic thing about a dark room with minimal lighting and you right next to the DJ,” Conde said.

Smith said part of the inspiration for beginning the events was to give people an opportunity to enjoy EDM in a way that differs from the typical club culture of LA, which he said can at times be toxic and elitist. Smith said clubs often use VIP lists and put an emphasis on the outward appearance of both performers and attendees.

Another original team member at Understated, alumna Menglin Ruan, said larger, more mainstream events often lose their authenticity and sense of community because of their size, leading to less familiarity among the audience. Understated wants to provide a space in which an intimate community can thrive.

“The reason why we keep it underground is so that we can keep that sense of community still there that’s hard to find once you start scaling up and being something mainstream,” Ruan said.

In addition to maintaining a sense of community and inclusivity, Understated also wants to provide a more mature environment where music lovers can gather, Smith said. Instead of throwing a rave, with a focus on lighting and special effects, Smith hopes the label’s events can be places where people can meet others with similar interests and bond. He said this can be hard to do at raves because they are usually so focused on partying. At Understated events, Ruan said the central focus on the music and familiarity among the audience allows people to more easily meet others who they find interesting.

“It’s a little bit more mature of a gathering, and if you come out expecting a rave, you might be disappointed,” Smith said.

In the future, Conde said he hopes Understated will become a recognizable but still humble name in the electronic music industry by connecting its events with its nascent record label. The team plans to coordinate its events with record releases, and in doing so, expand its influence and continue to promote its ideals for the electronic music scene.

“Everything that’s risen to popularity now was once seen as underground … so these events are important because they set the stage for what’s to come in music … (and) we feel like we’re a part of making music history,” Conde said.