Techno was created and developed far away from the mainstream. The underground sound got its deserved popularity in the past few years but there is a lot of movement in sound with sub-genres and a lot of talent you may not hear about.
We believe underground producers and labels deserve special recognition, so we will be dedicating our new feature series to this cause.
This week we will have a look into the underground scene in the USA and a representative of the new generation of DJs, DESNA.
Having spent years honing her talents and nurturing her craft, it was only in 2017 that the alias ‘DESNA’ was born. Making a name for herself playing a number of shows on the underground circuit, she eventually caught the attention of the owners of Output club in New York. From that encounter, she managed to bag herself a residency where she continued to top the bill between 2017, and the end of 2019, rising in notoriety on the New York scene.
She later went on to bolster her profile and kick things up a notch in 2019 by moving to Avant Gardner and Brooklyn Mirage, sharing the bill with some of the biggest names out there. Noted as one of DJ Mag’s emerging acts to watch at the end of 2019, DESNA art transcends music; it embodies a way of living, which in turn makes her a force to be reckoned with as she channels this passion into everything she does. With a slew of releases behind her, she notched over a million streams in 2020 and landed in Beatport’s top 20 chart.
DESNA uses deep, uncompromising techno as her base, with her productions drawing inspiration from a vast range across the electronic spectrum.
During the global pandemic, DESNA started trying to find a way to add more value to the music she was making by adding specific frequencies. Inspired by her late Step Fathers passing in 2021, who lost his battle with cancer. Just before he passed, a western doctor administering his chemo said he may want to try listening to certain frequencies as they are realizing certain tones may eradicate cancer cells. This was her inspiration for putting healing frequencies in all of her original music moving forward.
DESNA’s theme is to create an uplifting and healing experience at her shows while staying true to underground music. This new path has birthed her own record label ‘Frequency Music’.
DESNA’s deejaying prowess through production and track selection can be defined as striking yet neutral, with a clear vision that’s easily recognizable. Her knowledge and passion for electronic music run deep, with authenticity playing a key role in who she looks up to and is influenced by.
Internationally she’s gone on to play a plethora of shows on the underground circuit, including Time Warp, EDC, and most notably in Tbilisi Georgia where she’s cultivated a solid fanbase playing shows at GEM festival and Freedom music, each time bringing the same infectious energy, she’s come to be known for.
It is this mentality that is paving the way for her upcoming projects as she looks to fuse her love of art and music into a one truly captivating and memorable experience that extends far beyond the DJ booth, it’s the start of big things to come for the Brooklyn native.
