Mala will headline Sub.Mission Dubstep's fifth year anniversary party at Denver's City Hall Amphitheatre on April 7th.
The Denver outfit, going strong for five years now, throws parties often twice a week, and its fifth anniversary special will double as a Deep Medi showcase also featuring V.I.V.E.K., Quest, Silkie and Commodo. In the past, the party has booked bass-oriented acts as diverse as dBridge, Joker, Katy B, Pearson Sound and Excision. We spoke to Sub.Mission founder and promoter Nicole Cacciavillano to discuss the event and the dubstep scene in Denver.How has Sub.Mission grown in size and scope over the years?
In the past few years and with the rise of dubstep, Sub.Mission has grown enormously in size. We broke a Colorado record for the largest single selling show for our New Year's Eve event this year, with over 11,000 people in attendance. As far as scope goes, we have kept true to our mission and kept true to the roots of dubstep culture; however, as a business we have had to bring in a broad selection of the sound to keep it real for the heads—new and old.
Has the dubstep community and audience changed in Denver over the past five years? What's the vibe like at a Sub.Mission event?
The vibe at a Sub.Mission show is always about family. Always. Given the growth, our family has gotten a lot larger over the past few years, but people are still there for the music. To me, it's about education and community: we want people to feel the vibes from the time when they enter to the time they leave. We have a variety of people of all ages all respecting each other, they're there for the sound and that's what makes a community.
Is dubstep particularly big in Denver? What "kind" of dubstep is most popular with audiences, and what have some of your most popular/successful events been?
I've heard it said a million times and by every artist who comes through—Denver is dubstep. What has happened here is insane! I never would have imagined this five years ago. We are packing the house every Tuesday and Friday, as well as our one-off events. Dubstep is in high demand and there's no vibe like the Denver vibe.
With the popularity of dubstep and the YouTube generation, the younger kids seem to get into the more aggressive sounds—shit, even the older heads do as well. Denver likes to dance! The beautiful thing is that the fans here are open-minded, so when we do the likes of Deep Medi, or Slugabed, or Pearson Sound, dBridge, even the Night Slugs guys, the fans come out and get down. They appreciate music. We hold a free Tuesday night weekly where we bring in the different—less mainstream, less aggressive—sounds to educate and get exposure to the people. It's working.
Why Deep Medi for your 5th anniversary?
Why not? Ha!
Nah, really, Mala and the Deep Medi crew are family. I have had the opportunity to experience their sets many times all over the world, and each and every time something magical happens. In all honesty, this is the biggest gift I could give Denver and the US for our five year anniversary. 2012 brings about the shift in consciousness. People have been caught up in flock mentality and I genuinely feel it is my responsibility to challenge them to step aside from the hype and get back to the sound. On this night, we will bring the sound and culture back to dubstep in Denver.