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Celebrating AAPI Members of the Electronic Music Industry

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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.

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Richie Romero Q&A

NY Nightlife Veteran Richie Romero Focuses On Staying Humble

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A former partner at Butter Group, Richie Romero was the force behind 1Oak and Up&Down in NYC, who launched New York’s newest club in Times Square, Nebula, which has hosted ZEDD, Steve Aoki, Hot Since 82, Jamies Jones, MK, ZHU, and many more since it’s opening this past October.

Richie was brought in to help navigate the pandemic (April 2020) by founding partner Yang Gao after the space was leased for the club (late 2019). Richie sits down with 6AM to talk about riding the wave of nightlife opening up again post-pandemic. Read more

Spanish Promoter Sentenced To 4 Years In Jail Following Deaths At Steve Aoki Show

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Miguel Ángel Flores

Five people lost their lives at a 2012 Steve Aoki event, sparking a court case against Miguel Ángel Flores, the Spanish promoter behind the show, and thirteen others involved with the night.

Flores has now been sentenced to four in prison, while seven of the others implicated also received smaller sentences upon the convictions for their role in the tragedy. Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that they were found guilty of gross negligence, manslaughter as well as twenty-nine counts of of criminal injury. As the head promoter of the Thriller Music Park event, Flores received the maximum penalty while six of the original thirteen being investigated, who included medics, security staff and Madrid’s former chief of police, were cleared of any wrongdoing.

A Madrid court judge declared that the venue for the event, the Madrid Arena, was oversold by roughly 6,000 tickets and that the proper security and safety precautions were not taken to handle such large attendance. Sadly five girls — Cristina Arce, Katia Esteban, RocĂ­o Oña, MarĂ­a Teresa Alonso and BelĂ©n Langdom — all passed away as a result of crowd rush injuries. It took emergency personnel three hours to clear the venue following a stampede sprked by the unexpected lighting of a flare. Several of the arena’s fire exits were closed shut, crushing hundreds from the crowd trying to leave.

As part of Flores’ conviction he is barred from any activity related to event hosting or organization. However, recent news stories have confirmed that Flores has had plans to reopen Macumba in October, the Madrid club he had to shut down following the five deaths at the Madrid Arena.

H/T: RA