6AM and its community is a wonderfully diverse microcosm of various backgrounds that all share the love for dance music. As May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, 6AM wanted to bring a spotlight to the AAPI artists and dance music industry members that are contributing to our constantly thriving scene. Even with various obstacles and the unfortunate recent aggression towards Asian Americans since the pandemic, there is still a growing talent pool of AAPI artists and industry figures. Apologies in advance to those who we did not get a chance to include in our list and apologies to those who do not necessarily associate themselves as AAPI.
In no particular order, 6AM wanted to bring you this constantly expanding list of AAPI dance music community members.
Hailing from Chicago the now Berlin-based DJ, D.Dan incorporates elements of raw grooves but with a psychedelic twist. D.Dan has also been a regular at Berghain, and has played at several events there. His label’s name, Summerpup is a nod to his Korean heritage. 
Korean-American DJ-Producer, and singer based in Brooklyn, New York. Her style is a blend of house music, hip-hop, and mellow vocals that she sings in both Korean and English.
Real name, Jennifer Lee is a professional defier of modern dance and beat music. After the release of her studio album, ‘Lune Rouge,’ she became the first Asian-American and female producer to receive a Grammy nomination for the “best electronic/dance album. Netflix has also enlisted her to produce a rework of the red-light, green-light singing scene from the acclaimed show, Squid Games — her mix is titled ‘The Flower Blooms’.
Creative director of Brownies & Lemonade and founder of the electronic music label, Shifty Rhythms. Chad also has an alter-ego, ‘GOJ!RA ゴジラ’ whose persona is that of a Japanese monster with the hope of dominating The Land of the Rising Sun. His alter-ego has opened for DJs such as Skrillex, Zedd, Alison Wonderland, RL Grime, and many other non-electronic artists as well. 
Electronic music DJ-Producer based in Los Angeles who is part of the group Glitch Mob. He built his DJ-Production by studying at the University of Southern California. From there, he eventually began to produce tracks for underground hip hop artists such as Sole and Busdriver.
Real name, Charlie Yin, an American electronic music record producer who is also of Taiwanese descent that grew up in San Jose, California. His stage name comes from a similar graffiti artists’ tag in San Jose. Following his success, the producer eventually played in a number of esteemed electronic venues across the states and has even toured with Orlando producer XXYYXX.
Throughout the international techno scene, Jamaica Suk has consistently made a name for herself with contemporary techno releases since 2013. She’s been releasing her music from her own imprint, Gradient. Other labels that have released her music have been Countercharge, Subtl, Face2Face, LAG, and Monday off.
Seasoned techno maven that uses cinematic sound designs a variety of progressive and house elements. Rinzen has released a slew of Avante-Garde pieces on deadmau5’s imprint, mau5trap, and has become a rising figure within the electronic scene. As a performer, Rinzen’s works have taken him from London’s legendary Printworks to Fabrik in Madrid.
Listen Now: Global Vibe Radio 118 Feat. Rinzen
Melodic techno artist Anakim creates dark and mysterious soundscapes that give one the feeling of experiencing an intergalactic journey. Hailing from Los Angeles, Anakim has been showcasing unique tones accompanied by space-y atmospheres. Having played multiple festivals and events, he is noted as one of the first Filipino artists to play at Coachella‘s Yuma Tent. 
Read Next: In Interview: Anakim Discusses the Los Angeles Scene That Bred Him
Wenzday is Bay-area born and raised DJ with a focus in house and bass music. Her distinguishable sounds have been hit releases through various brands such as Insomniac, Dim Mak, Confession, and IN/ROTATION. When Wenzday graduated from the recording academy ICON COLLECTIVE, its been non-stop growth for the DJ-Producer. From airing every Wednesday on show Dash radio, to performing at major festivals such as Coachella, EDC Las Vegas, Lost Lands, Nocturnal Wonderland, and Beyond Wonderland, Wenzday has continued to make strides on making a name for herself.
Dak Janiels, was born and raised in the bay area of Northern California. Dak Janiels has made a name for himself as more than just as an artist, but also as an expert within the skate industry. Since discovering bass music, Dak has set out on finding his own style by creating his own blend of stylized bass sounds that also have hip-hop influences. As Co-owner and founder of the 40OZ Cult – a group of skaters and DJs that produce music, make clothing, and host at venues.
No Mana is an artist that enjoys tapping into progressive-house, but with a playful twist. He has remixes for artists such as deadmau5, Jason Ross, Feed Me, Kill the Noise, Above & Beyond, Kiiara, and SCRCINA. No Mana has organized the electro-house compilation ELECTROMAG, which was released on mau5trap in September 2021 that featured electro big names such as Wolfgang Gartner, Uppermost as well as upcoming talent like Bad Disk,ELAC, and 80M. Jordan also has another alias, Isqa, which is an experimental project that focuses mainly on glitch-style music, bass, and dubstep. With this alias, he has released many EPS, and even has collaborated with various DJs, one of them being REZZ.
An electro, techno and progressive house artist based in Los Angeles. With a musician father and a mother that was familiar with the New-Wave scene in the 80s, music naturally became a part of Julian’s life from an early age. From establishing a signature sound, Julian’s fans have often referred to his technique and sound as ‘progress-o’. 
Rachel Tumada a.k.a. ‘Ms. Mada’, is a Filipino born and Miami raised DJ & an aspiring producer that has become a staple in the Miami soundscape. Ms. Mada has become a well known figure of her hometown, as a resident of one of the city’s institutions of electronic music, Club Space.
Chris Gavino, best known as Manila Killa has been a self-taught techno-aficionado since he was a high-schooler in the Philippines. His stage name is a strong reminder to audiences of where his electronic roots came — Manila, Philippines. As a producer, performer, and in-demand collaborator, Manilla Killa has been distilling years of passion for techno; which has even led him to be co-founder on the label, Moving Castle. 
Electronic musician and producer based in Los Angeles that has been creating his own fusion of idyllic sampling that has been melted together with beats that are hard trap. Unafraid of manipulating and chopping samples, RamonPang has caught the attention of Bauuer, Nina Las Vegas, Djemba Djemba, Floating Points, and many others.
Born and raised in the city of Sapporo, Qrion began making her own sounds by using her phone during her high-school years. Working with producers like Ryan Hemsworth, Giraffage, Spencer Brown, and many others, Qrion has shared her signature and energetically authentic beats all around the world. 
Photo credit: Julia Wang
The Deep-house and techno producer Stuart Li after hours parties playing underground house music and listening to Toronto’s college radio stations. His interest in diverse music has played a role in his ability to create house and techno productions with versatility. Depending on the night and mood, he can master combining different techno genres such as melodic, industrial, heavy-jacking deep, and disco.
After moving to Chicago and studying Radio Broadcasting at Chicago’s Columbia College, Steven found himself on the brink of self-discovery. From DJ-ing at local events, small clubs, and house parties, his next goal was to set up a personal recording studio to create his own productions. In 1998, his label Emphasis Recordings (alias Obsolete Music Technology in 2006) — since then, Steven has been producing music for labels such as Aesthetic Audio, Machining Dreams, Generator, Eargasmic Recordings, and many others.
Weaving Between Washington D.C. , New York and Berlin, Clarissa KimSkii has been involved within the electronic music industry for two decades. Curating events is what she does well; after curating events in New York, Clarissa turned to production and label management before moving to Berlin. She has channeled her passion of entrepreneurial-ship into creating her own label L.A.G and also producing ‘Spdrüdel’. Because of her identity as ‘She/Her,’ she has a strong passion for the LGBTQIA community, which sprung about her event series, Spdrüdel — a queer positive event that she hosts back in her hometown of Washington D.C. As a producer she has released many tracks and headlined at several events/venues in D.C. and NYC such as On Board, Bossa Nova Civic Club, Dusk & Haze, TBA Brooklyn, Gradient Sound, Metro Xpress, On Board, Monday Off, Dusk & Haze, L.A.G. 618 H St. , DC9, and Honcho Campout.
The Texas born and raised, now Brooklyn based, Henry Chow‘s musical journey has long-lasted over the span of 20 years. An avid vinyl collector, Chow pushes timeless House and Techno to the forefront. His time as a talent buyer, curator, promoter under the Crossroads brand hosted one of Texas’ longest running dance parties, bringing to town some of the best talent from around the world. Chow’s experience as a DJ has also earned him international gigs and many across the US at venues such as The End Up (SF), Good Room (NY), Flash (DC), Public Records (NY) to name a few. Production wise, Chow landed his first EP on Marco Carola’s seminal Zenit imprint back in 2003. Along the way came original music and remixes released on labels such as Thoughtless Music, Harmonious Discord, G-Force, and Abiotic. In Brooklyn, Chow’s influence is continuously heard through the underground outfit named Mizz Softee. Constantly reuniting new and classic sounds, Henry’s music keep dance floors captivated and moved all night long.
Gothic and industrial roots DJ Hiroko Yamamura has a gift of bringing voice and inspiration to her work — thus earning her to be Chicago’s top 10 DJ within XLR8R’s magazine. Her style of techno is strongly influenced by machines, technology, sci-fi, comic books, and anime. As an introvert, Hiroko gravitates towards outsiders within the techno community, and she has a passion for inclusivity within the underground space. However, her introvertedness is not to be dismissed as passive, as her sets are always lighting up the dancefloor with cutting-edge house and acid sounds. Like-minded DJs that she has collaborated with have been Seth Troxler, Submerge, Angel Alanis, Hyperactive, Heartthrob,and Justin Cudmore.
DJ, producer, and curator of the label Hidden, Deepak Sharma has a passion for putting his soul in each of his projects and sets. From his raw and gritty approach to music, he demonstrates that DJing should be a reflection of yourself and an energetic journey. When it comes to creating sets, his ethos is that DJing should be about the moment, and within each set, he pours all of himself into the creative process. From being enriched in techno for many years, its no surprise that he has worked alongside many legendary artists such as Ben Klock, Len Faki, Ben Sims, Oscar Mulero, DVS1, Bas Mooy, SNTS, Steffi, and many others. With over 46 releases, Deepak is always creating an ambitious future for his craft.
Listen now: 6AM Guest Mix: Deepak Sharma
As a performer, Aaron J has found inspiration from the complexity between music, emotions, and how people interact when the three merge. Because of the complexity that come from his sets, Aaron never stops at creating expansive and energetic music. Aaron is also the founder and resident DJ of ‘Sure Thing — a U.S. label and event mix series that’s focused on experimental and electronic music. He’s relentless when it comes to showcasing the blissful sensations that techno music evokes when it is experienced on the dancefloor and with others.
As a techno enthusiast, Tsurugi (aka Tim Galang) has always been driven to not only create foward-thinking techno, but to share his cutting-edge styles with the world. Just as music has inspired him, he finds that sharing music with others in hopes that it inspires them is the true beauty of creating music. Because Tsurugi has experienced the many journeys and aspects of traveling the world, these ambiences have pushed him to be drawn to the elements of creating techno that are atmospheric and even bass heavy.
As a curator of modern techno, Ron Jackson is well known for his pulsating grooves and one-of-a-kind sets. As the organizer and DJ at SEQUENCE in Washington, D.C., Ron has continued to push his workings and styles to transform and elevate the house and techno scene. It’s safe to say that with his uniquely-crafted sets, that he has created an unforgettable name for himself. When it comes to bookings and collaborations, Ron has worked alongside the likes of Cell Injection (Drumcell & Audio Injection/Truncate), Marcel Dettmann, Zenker Brothers, Takaaki Itoh, Wata Igarashi, STERAC, The Gods Planet, Recondite, Developer, and many more.
Jask Thai Soul began his DJing journey at the young age of 13. Through the 80s-90s, Jask has been actively involved within the scene by performing at many clubs and lounges. His consistent involvement has shifted the dance community from his influences that have from come from the underground scenes based in Chicago and New York. Because his style is mix of jazz, soulful sounds, deep-house, and funk, this eventually led to him first introduce the genre “acid jazz” into Tampa and most of central Florida in the early 90s. Since shaping the industry, Jask has continued to make a name for himself and his style-genre from showcasing all over the U.S. and bringing authenticity to his sets.
Based in San Francisco, 888 (aka Nina Charlie) is a DJ and producer that was first introduced to electronic music through San Francisco’s underground Techno scene. Nina’s sounds are multi-dimensional as she incorporates an experimental mix between the genres of downtempo, hard, and industrial, electro, New/Synthwave styles of techno. She finds joy in exploring and combing styles that can birth newer genres. Nina’s unique sounds have led her to playing at local bars and clubs. Eventually, she began her own event series called “Tone Exploration” and “texhno.exe” — which aims to create a safe environment for young and up-and-coming artists of the Bay Area music scene.
American-Korean techno producer who’s style incorporates techno that is progressive and even unyielding. Juheun’s elements of techno are a balance of the past crossing paths with the present — he combines analog equipment with modern technology. Although his sounds are can be minimal, his incorporation of dynamic basslines is what makes his style of techno unexpected and varied. With the duality that comes from the past and the present, Juheun has a tactful way of merging the two together in the most seamless way.
Read Next: Q&A and Global Vibe Radio 052 feat Octopus Recordings & Juheun
Surachai is a composer based in Chicago. He is the co-founder of the Trash_Audio collective, co-founder of BL_K Noise label, co-founder and curator of the Make Noise Records label.
source: https://www.facebook.com/SurachaiMusic/
Steven Zhu is an anonymous electronic music producer and singer. ZHU found his calling into dance music when he began playing in a jazz band and orchestra, as well as studying music in college. From then, ZHU decided that remaining anonymous as an artist so that the focus on his music being judged alone was more important. His talents have pushed him to be eventually be nominated for a Grammy — which is rare for an anonymous artist. Since releasing various EPs and collaborating with mainstream artists such as Skrillex, Daniel Johns, Trombone Shorty, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, A-Trak, Keznamdi, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, AlunaGeorge, Coldplay, Tinashe, and Kota the Friend, ZHU has continued to peak as an influntial artist — evening hitting the boards as Billboard 200’s Top 100.
Read next: The Not-So-Overnight Success Story: Zhu
Arguably one of the most widely known AAPI artist, Steve Aoki is an award-winning dj and electronic dance producer who has been active since the mid-90s. Aoki has been building his brand from boisterous sets, remixes, and iconic collaborations that has earned him a Grammy nomination for ‘Best Dance/Electronic’ music’. Having founded his own label while in college, Dim Mak Records, in 1996, the label has released music by other electro house artists such as Datsik, Infected Mushroom, Dada Life, and Zeds Dead. Apart from music, Steve also runs his own clothing line, The Dim Mak Collection and his the founder of the Steve Aoki Charitable Fund that contributes to medical research and the humanitarian relief.
Annie Chung is a booking agent at WME in the electronic music department. She first got her start in the music industry during college interning at various music companies including Insomniac and Three Six Zero Group. After graduation, Annie started in the mailroom at WME assisting music agents in the club and international departments. She was promoted to agent in 2019 and moved to the WME Sydney office where she spearheaded bookings for the electronic roster across Australasia. Now based in NYC she represents a diverse roster of electronic talent including Amémé, Layla Benitez, Sara Landry, Tokimonsta, VTSS, and more.
Valerie Lee is a digital storyteller at the junction of music, tech, and culture. She currently is the Premium Music Content Manager at Twitch, overseeing premier partners in the live streaming music space with major festivals, promoters, media outlets, and labels. Previously, she oversaw Content and Artist Relations at Wave XR, an innovative start-up creating virtual concerts. In addition, she has also developed a trusted voice in music media, formerly as the Global Culture Editor at Mixmag where she led expansion into North America and co-hosted the award-nominated On Rotation podcast. She also hosted the Coachella’s record-breaking live stream from 2018-2019.
Cofounder of Space Yacht, a viral party notorious for inviting the brightest rising stars in American house and bass music.
Based out of Los Angeles, Henry along his partners (Ollie and Rami) have turned their weekly Tuesday party in Hollywood into a heat-seeker spotting the ones-to-watch for in electronic music in the US and abroad while enjoying pizzas on the dance floor.
Henry is best known for his playful energy and vibe which translates into the direction of the brand that identifies them as tastefully wild! The future is bright for this Space Yacht Cadet as we can continue to expect the unexpected; always be on the lookout for his next big announcement!
The Incognito founders are no strangers to the underground cementing their footprint in the LA house and techno scene since 2007. With 400+ warehouse shows in their belt, they are not only becoming one of the longest running undergrounds but have also produced the most since their inception with no signs in slowing down! With a strong foundation that Alan and Gerard have set for the Los Angeles underground scene much can be credited to them in building the current scene as we know it today. Gerard also serves as the resident DJ for Incognito and can be seen performing at some of the leading techno shows and club nights in the city.
With their jam packed schedule and relentless quest to keep pushing the boundaries, the LA house and techno scene have much to thank for their hard work and dedication.
Founder of Dirty Epic, an underground events collective, and Deviation Agency, a North America techno booking agency – Andrew has got his hands full juggling the promoter/agent life. Oh did we mention, he djs and fishes too? Best known for his Anthology parties in Detroit and partnerships with LA staple events, Compound and RE/FORM. Andrew’s vision to bring some of the best acts from Berghain/Ostgut Ton camp as well as various parts of Europe have had their US debuts due to his effort in showcasing these hard to see acts through his bookings in various US cities as well as holding down his own nights here in Los Angeles. 2022 will mark the 10-year anniversary of Dirty Epic further cementing his anchor in the city that is currently making its mark in the global techno scene.
And finally, the 6AM staff comes from all walks of life and work to bring you the best in house and techno news, apparel and events. It is an experiential and digital media platform covering all facets of underground electronic music culture, resource, technology, and lifestyle. Following the humble beginnings as a Los Angeles-based local blog and club sub-promotion company founded by Jia Wang, 6AM has since seen a global outreach, industry experience, scope and knowledge expand exponentially with each passing year. The above members represent the AAPI staff members of this diverse culture and company.
Thank you to all those AAPI members who contribute to the dance music scene. Your talent, representation and efforts to our constantly growing community is greatly appreciated. If you’re an AAPI member or know one that has an impact on the dance music world and would like to be added to this list feel free to contact us at info@6amgroup.co.
Read Next: International Women’s Day: Celebrating Women in Electronic Music
