A Look Inside the Thriving DJ Scene of Coachella Valley

Interviews+photography by Jorge Perezchica

The Coachella Valley has long been a hub for music and entertainment, with its annual Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals drawing in crowds from all over the world. But beyond these major events, there is a thriving local music scene that is constantly evolving and growing. One area that has seen significant growth in recent years is the DJ scene, with a new wave of talented artists in the region. From the high-energy atmosphere of nightclubs and pool parties to the more relaxed setting of resorts, boutique hotels and the Palm Springs Art Museum, these DJs are bringing their unique sounds to audiences across the valley, and are quickly gaining a following.

The DJs in the Coachella Valley are a testament to the desert’s vibrant and dynamic music culture. From the mixing and blending of different genres and styles, to the use of cutting-edge technology, these DJs are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of music, and are inspiring a new generation of music lovers in the process. With the ability to connect with audiences and create unforgettable musical experiences, DJs are helping to shape the desert’s musical identity and contribute to its vibrant cultural landscape. 

In spring 2023, Coachella Magazine sat down to chat with eight local DJs who are making their mark and thriving in the Coachella Valley and beyond: DXSKO, J PATRON, SEBASS, GRACY D, BAD GAL GALI, TINA TURNTABLES, QUIVERO, and ALEXIS SPENSER. The meetups took place at casual settings between Cafe La Jefa in Palm Springs and Everbloom Coffee in the city of Indio. “Coffee with a DJ” as it was informally called at the time. Latter, we reconnected for a photo shoot at Palm Springs Grip and Lighting. The goal: To learn more about the local DJ scene and the artists behind the music. This story is part one of a series. Read on and take a closer look at individual backgrounds, musical influences, insight into the creative process and future plans. Interviews have been edited for clarity.

PART 1: DXSKO

Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Coachella Magazine: Recording now. You ready?
DXSKO: All right, cool.

So my name is DXSKO. I’ve been DJing for about, I don’t know, close to 17 years. I started making beats in high school, but in college I started DJing. I was a part of a fraternity, so it was just for fun. But from that, I started DJing not only my fraternity parties, but all the fraternity and sorority parties. And I ended up becoming like the Cal State DJ for a while, the Cal State San Bernardino DJ for most of the events. I did that for about four years. 

And then I started really getting interested into the hip hop scene. So I started putting myself out there to rappers and one thing led to another. I started working with these couple artists called Noa James and Curtiss King. After that, things kind of skyrocketed. I was super into the hip hop game. We opened for people like 2 Chainz and DMX and all that. I did that for a while up until 2017. And mind you, during that whole time, I was still working with schools. I was a program coordinator for YMCA. So that led me to come out here, because I got a promotion. But then the pandemic happened and I had to just go full force into just DJing. And ever since then, I just been DJing and living off of the DJing since the pandemic, literally.

CM: It seems like the pandemic really pushed people out of their comfort zone to make a choice and transition into other careers or new directions.
DXSKO: Right, absolutely. It was either sink or swim, you know. Cuz I had worked with the YMCA for like 14 years and they were just kind of like, “All right, bye guys,” you know. So I was like, “Okay, I have this background in DJing for so long — let me just try it.” And it’s been working since.

CM: Were you born and raised in the Coachella Valley?
DXSKO: I was born in Indio, California. So right now I live in DHS (Desert Hot Springs), but I’m from Cathedral City. I’m a Cathedral City native. I graduated in 2007. I played soccer my whole life. Like soccer was what I did and kept me out of trouble, you know, but in college it kind of just switched and turned into DJing.

CM: Was there a big demand for DJs during the pandemic, because people couldn’t get together?
DXSKO: I think what made me stick out a little bit more than some DJs was, I was doing streams almost every day. I was on Instagram and then on Twitch. And then I was starting to make little mini videos. People obviously missed the clubs and the nightlife, so that was like the closest thing that they could get to that. But I think that brought a lot of people to who I was and the style of music. I like all kinds of music from Latin to hip hop, to dance music, to everything. So I think people understood that. I kind of pleased everybody in a sense, you know. So that’s kind of how during the pandemic, I stayed relevant.

CM: Did you see yourself DJing as a full-time career before the pandemic?
DXSKO: I always wanted that to happen. I just didn’t know. I was always scared because of financial security, you know. I was always like, “Can I do it?”

CM: How was your experience growing up in the Coachella Valley?
DXSKO: I think looking back, it was always great. I think, the thing about the valley is our generation of people really want to make their own businesses and really grow the Coachella Valley in a different way. Contrary to like, when we were kids, there was outsiders coming in trying to change it. So it was kind of like, not a resentment of, “Oh, I need to get out of the valley.” But it was kind of like, we knew the potential that was out here. It took for me to leave and to come back and be like, “Oh, there’s so much culture of everything.” And I think because I’m from the West end of the valley, from Cathedral City, I didn’t learn to appreciate the East end until I came back — and it was like, “Man, there’s so much over there too.” It was like mixed growing up, but now it’s like, “I love it out here.”

CM: How would you describe your style right now as a DJ?
DXSKO: I think just like energetic fun, fresh and stylish. I try to put new stuff and old stuff together and mix it in just like with my own style, like who I am as a person of a Latino. So that’s kind of what it is.

CM: How did your DJ name come about?
DXSKO: It was actually Kid DISKO. So back in the day, like DJs would go by like Kid Millionaire or Kid Capri or Kid this. So it was Kid DISKO. But, when I started messing with the rap scene, they would just call me DISKO. They didn’t wanna say Kid Disko — “So, what up Disko?” I ended up putting the X to kind of cross out the I. But it’s actually disco, you know, pronounced disco. But yeah, that’s where it came from.

CM: Do you have a strategy on how to get gigs?
DXSKO: I think it’s important to go out and show love at different places and network. I think networking has gotten me the most amount of gigs — networking and just being a good person to people. I think so many people don’t understand that, we could all make money, whether it’s the DJ culture, whether it’s artists, whether it’s, you know, anything. We could all make money, it’s just a matter of networking. And if you network with the right people, and if you’re good at what you do, somebody’s gonna notice. And that’s how I feel, I’m good at what I do and I support everybody. I want everybody to win. So, I think that’s why people wanna work with me sometimes.

CM: Do you have good people skills?
DXSKO:  Yeah, I think working with kids for so long and having that customer service with parents really helped me. And I was around it my whole life. My mom and my dad both worked at schools, so I was always like around seeing how my mom would talk to people in the office, you know? So kind of like picked that up naturally.

CM: Are you mainly DJing here in the Coachella Valley or do you go outside?
DXSKO: So right now, for the most part, yeah. I do go out to the IE (Inland Empire) a lot. Not as much as before. Before, I was out there living, so I was in the IE. I was in LA a lot with the hip hop shows and all that, but now the majority is out here now.

CM: Do you notice anything different in sound or trends when you’re in LA versus the desert?
DXSKO: So I’ve always said that the Valley, not as far as the DJs, but the demographic of people that listen to DJs — let me explain this. So there’s a demographic of people out here that love going to just watch DJs, but we are also a tourist city. A lot of the people that come out here, especially in Palm Springs, they’re from out of town, so they could care less who’s DJing, you know, as long as it’s fun. 

But there is a sound growing out here. The community is growing out here. The music community in general, not just DJs, but artists, rappers, and singers — compared to when I left to now, I definitely feel, we within ourselves are creating a “buzz.” I think it’s important to do that, because Coachella is one of the biggest festivals in the world and they have amazing artists right in their backyard.

I personally, I don’t really remember too many DJs and artists and stuff when I left the Valley in 2007. Now, I feel the community of artists have grown and they’re really talented and I definitely think there’s a difference.

CM: Do you go out to events like Day Club and Splash House?
DXSKO: I do things like that. I try to do it all. I definitely go to Coachella every year. I try to see some of my favorite artists when I can, you know.

CM: Will you be attending Coachella this year?
DXSKO: Oh yeah, bro, I’ll be dancing in there. I love house music and I love dance music, so I try to go to the Do Lab for a little bit. And then, I try to catch the main artists and stuff, and also the local artists, you know, like last year with Giselle (Woo and the Night Owls) and all of them. That was a blast to go see them. And I try to go see my DJ friends. One of my buddies, his name is Inglish, he opened at Coachella last year. So that was really fun to see. We used to DJ at clubs and then, he opened one of the stages, so that was pretty cool.

CM: Do you feel ready if you got the call from Coachella?
DXSKO: Oh, I’m ready, bro. I’m itching. I’m itching for it. <Laugh>, I’m itching for it. Like, I wanna be in there, man. Even if it’s like the camp stage, that still would be an honor for me, you know? So yeah, I’m ready.

CM: What are you listening to as far as building your musical vocabulary?
DXSKO: You know, I get tired of music really easily. So like I cycle through playlists on Apple. But also SoundCloud — I always find something new where I’ll look up the person and the person only has like 500 followers, you know? And I’ll be like, man, these guys are so good. But SoundCloud is kind of like, what puts me onto really dope stuff sometimes, you know?

CM: How would you describe yourself in three words?
DXSKO: Energetic, fun and a people-person. 

CM: Is there anything that you would want see differently or change in the Valley?
DXSKO: I want DJs to work with each other more. I feel like there’s still a lot of hesitation with people wanting to work together. I personally would love to see like, top tier DJs. The DJs barely learning. Like, let’s build this community man. You know?

CM: Which local venue has the best sound?
DXSKO: Right now? Reforma.

CM: Really?
DXSKO: Yeah, man. And the Reforma is nuts, man. <Laugh>. It’s nuts in there, man. DJ Tanner is a really good sound guy. And he just makes that place professional with the lights and just everything. Like the sound is obviously one of the top tier sounds, but I think his setup — he makes us feel like professionals, you know. I think that’s very important. But yeah, definitely Reforma got the best sound right now. 

CM: Where do you see yourself five to 10 years from now?
DXSKO: I hope, I would have accomplished some of my bigger goals, like maybe playing at Coachella and whatnot. But in five years, still DJing, in 10 years maybe have my own business, whether it be sound or something. 

CM: What do you love most about DJing?
DXSKO: Okay. honestly, man, the feeling of forgetting everything that’s going on, you know? And not only me having fun, but seeing people have fun and seeing their reaction. And I think that’s why I do it, just how rewarding it is — that I’m creating this vibe and that everybody’s having a good time because of me and at the same time, just playing all my favorite music, you know?

It’s like I’m the iPod of the Night, you know? But I do it with my own style. And I think that too, when people come up and compliment me and they’re like, “Man, that was so much fun, dude. Like, I haven’t even heard that song that way or whatnot.” So for me, DJing, it’s seeing just how I created that vibe for that night and how unforgettable it is to some people, you know?

CM: What’s going on in your mind when you’re DJing?
DXSKO: When I’m DJing, man, I’m always trying to think of three songs ahead. Like I’m playing one song, but I’m also thinking of like, “Okay, how can I get them to react to a song,” you know? And I think my main thing is my mixing, blending the songs in well is very important. But, I’m just constantly thinking like, “Okay, what song am I gonna play and how am I gonna get them to react or sing along.”

CM: What’s your creative process when you are preparing for a show?
DXSKO: Dude, I sit and download music for hours. I usually just download a bunch of new music or if not, new edits of certain songs, and I just kinda put everything in certain playlists: like a first-hour type vibe, second-hour type vibe, these are just like the bangers. But I envision everywhere I play. So for “Gasolina,” I envision that big club. Because I had been there before and I seen how many people were in there, you know? And so, I’m gonna come up with more high-energy. 

If it would be a place like the museum, that’s more chill. So I have to come up with more of a chill playlist. But also, how do you keep it fresh every week, you know? I’m constantly downloading music, I’m like constantly looking for new music and I just sit there for hours and just kind of like organize stuff. And just freestyle it when I’m there though.

CM: Anything else that you wanna mention that we haven’t talked about yet?
DXSKO: What I want to do — if I leave this world one day, like somebody remember what I did for the DJ community and just the community in general, you know. It’s so hard for somebody to blow up and be rich and famous. But as long as I made my stamp here in the valley with my people and was genuine, and are truly genuine about it, that’s all I really care. I just want people to look back and be like, “Man, he was a good DJ and two, he helped everybody who he could.” That’s really what I want to do, bro.

ENDNOTES: Before Coachella 2023 weekend 1, DXSKO posted on Instagram
April 13, 2023 
“DREAMS DO COME TRUE! Thank you @coachella!
Catch me WK 1 at the GOBI TENT from 1:10-2:20pm !!!”

April 15, 2023:
“GRATITUDE.
Officially a Coachella artist.
Grandma I know you’re smiling right now.”