In this episode of The Racket House Podcast, Jon talks with MARO, a Denver-based Filipina-Irish DJ known for reading the dance floor through instinct and feel. Blending tech house, groovy techno, and indie dance, MARO shares how she approaches song selection, crowd energy, and building sets that connect.

They discuss her journey into DJing, early career momentum, touring, starting music production, navigating social media, and what it takes to build a sustainable career in today’s electronic music industry. This episode offers practical insight for DJs, producers, and independent artists looking to grow with intention.

📷 Instagram: @therackethouse and @racketclubbb
💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! www.therackethouse.com
📬 Subscribe to my newsletter: the-racket-house.kit.com/newsletter
🌙 My own tracks: open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT
🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: @racket-club
💕 More info on Racket Club: www.therackethouse.com/racket-club

#DJPodcast #ElectronicMusic #HouseMusic #Techno #WomenInMusic #ArtistDevelopment

Today we welcome Alexander Hume who is a Seattle-based mixing & mastering engineer, educator, and producer. As a Certified Apple Digital Masters (ADM) provider, he’s worked on projects for major labels including Capitol, Columbia, Universal Music Group, mau5trap, and Insomniac. With years of experience in both live and studio settings, Hume is known for elevating artists’ work with technical precision and musical intuition.

Through Hume Audio he blends technical expertise with a deep understanding of musical storytelling - establishing him as a sought-after partner for creators looking to bring their sound to its highest potential.I've been working with Hume for years and he consistently delivers a quality product while being fun and professional through the process. And, frankly, he's just a really nice guy.Tap in for a unique perspective on the music industry from an audio engineer and as always, subscribe for more episodes!📷 Instagram: @therackethouse and @racketclubbb 💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! https://www.therackethouse.com📬 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://the-racket-house.kit.com/newsletter🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club

It's our 20th episode! NotMeghan (colloquially known as Meghan) is a Denver-based DJ and dentist by day, known for her deep and progressive house sets that take listeners on an emotional, melodic journey. Inspired by John Digweed, she approaches every performance as both art and storytelling - the result of decades spent on the dance floor as field research. With deliberate transitions and heartfelt curation, NotMeghan blurs genre lines and bridges discipline with emotion, carving a distinct space in the world of underground electronic music.

I'm so excited to present this episode to you. Just the second in-person interview I've done and it's always so much more fun. We talk about our beginnings in music (spoiler: it involves DDR), how we approach gigs, the local Denver scene, Meghan's thriving TikTok account with her dog, and so much more!

Tune, turn it up, and as always, subscribe for more episodes!

📷 Instagram: @therackethouse and @racketclubbb

💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! https://www.therackethouse.com

📬 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://the-racket-house.kit.com/newsletter

🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club

💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club

He's BACK! For the first time ever, we welcome back a guest and it's our favorite music marketer THE Promogod. In this episode we talk about what it takes for artists to be successful in 2025. What a promising artist looks like, what an artist with no hope looks like, and how he thinks about helping the music industry. If you're an independent or emerging artist, this is an episode you need to pay attention to.Promogod has more than a decade of experience helping artists grow their fanbases and build real momentum in their careers. With nearly 300K followers on his IG alone, he has become one of the most trusted voices in music marketing. From campaigns that drive streams and revenue to strategies that actually connect artists with fans, Promogod knows how to get results. And his content hits every time. If you missed him 9 months ago on episode 8, you can watch the last one here: https://youtu.be/dYn-p3TaogcAs always, subscribe for more episodes!📷 Instagram: @therackethouse and @racketclubbb 💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! https://www.therackethouse.com📬 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://the-racket-house.kit.com/newsletter🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club

On this episode we welcome Helen Gutierrez, co-founder of Straight Edge Entertainment Group. She shares how she develops artists with authenticity, transparency, and purpose. We talk artist management, social media, career growth, and what it takes to build a lasting music career.If you're an artist trying to grow your career in 2025, this episode is for you. Take notes! And subscribe for more episodes like this, dedicated to helping emerging and independent artists. You got this!📷 Instagram: @therackethouse and @racketclubbb 💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! https://www.therackethouse.com📬 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://the-racket-house.kit.com/newsletter🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club

Artist manager, experiential event producer, entrepreneur, husband, dad... Tom has lived a thousand lifetimes and he's still pumping. Tom Astley Williams lives at the intersection of music, culture, and experience. He's a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, artist manager, DJ, and the founder of L’Affaire Musicale - a creative agency known for building immersive events and bold community-driven platforms.With a background in artist development, strategic partnerships, and event production, Tom’s built a reputation as a connector. Someone who brings big ideas and the right people together.Through L’Affaire Musicale, he continues to lead with vision, creativity, and a deep commitment to shaping culture—both onstage and behind the scenes. He works with top artists including some of my favorites like Sam Blacky, N2N, Miramar, Kaysin, Tara Brooks, and many more. Tom is a wealth of knowledge and this conversation was just a tip of the iceberg around the state of the music industry and what it takes for artists to be successful. Strap in and get ready to LEARN!📷 Instagram: / @racketclubbb and @therackethouse 🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! - https://www.therackethouse.com

Today’s guest is a true multi-hyphenate: DJ, producer, model, and adult entertainment icon - Jako is in the building! Born Jaclyn Dardarian, you may know her from her work as Darcie Dolce, where she took over the modeling and adult world, gracing the cover of Penthouse twice and winning titles like XBIZ Girl-Girl Performer of the Year. But her real love? Nightlife and house music. Since grabbing her first DJ setup in 2014, she’s played everywhere from underground parties to EDC Vegas. In 2020, she reintroduced herself as Jako—an evolution of her sound, her identity, and her power. With releases on Space Yacht, Brooklyn Fire, and Insomniac, plus her own label Love Out Loud Records, Jako is creating a world entirely her own. Let’s get into i!If you like what you hear show some love and subscribe for more episodes!📷 Instagram: / @racketclubbb and @therackethouse 🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! - https://www.therackethouse.com

My guest today is an artist whose music fans describe as therapeutic. Blending Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, and Folk, Benny Freestyles creates dreamy, uplifting songs with messages of freedom, truth, and love. He not only performs the vocals for his tracks, but he also produces and mixes them as well.He started freestyle rapping with friends as a teenager and never stopped. Since then, Benny has dropped 9 albums, 32 singles, and over 40 music videos, toured nationally with Mod Sun and Henry AZ, and built a loyal global fanbase.Now he’s gearing up to release his 10th project Into The Wild, a hip-hop-forward, spiritually charged album produced entirely by Big Jerm — best known for his work with Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa.Benny is a wealth of knowledge and experience in the music space and we covered a lot of ground in this episode. Give it up for my New England brother and lock in!If you like what you hear show some love and subscribe for more episodes!📷 Instagram: / @racketclubbb and @therackethouse 🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! - https://www.therackethouse.com

DONT BLINK! No really, it's DONT BLINK music! All the way from Bali! They’ve made a significant impact on the Tech-House scene and have a great story to share. Since their formation in 2018, Oskar and Aleks have released over 50 tracks across prominent labels such as their own LOW CEILING, Nervous Records, Repopulate Mars, Spinnin’ and Insomniac. Their debut album THE STATEMENT released in 2023, features 13 tracks that showcase their genre-blending style and dedication to the dance floor. With a sound that blends elements of techno, indie dance, progressive, and afro house, their tracks have garnered support from industry heavyweights like Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, and James Hype plus hitting #1 on the coveted Beatport charts. Beyond their music, they're founders of the label LOW CEILING, which has released hundreds of songs since 2019 and consistently pushes boundaries while delivering bombs to the dance floor. In this episode the duo discuss how they met (hint: one was a fan of the other), how they're breaking into new markets, how they think about signing music to the label, how they promote new releases, and advice they'd give to DJs just starting out.It was a fun one... tune in and turn it up. If you like what you hear show some love and subscribe for more episodes!📷 Instagram: / @racketclubbb and @therackethouse 🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! - https://www.therackethouse.com

As the CEO and Founder of ‪@Songstats‬ Oskar has revolutionized how artists and labels access real-time music analytics, providing invaluable insights across platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and TikTok. Beyond Songstats, he's played a pivotal role in ‪@1001tracklists‬ the world's leading DJ tracklist database (some call it the Wikipedia of dance music), enhancing the way we discover and share music. Not just a tech innovator, Oskar is also one-half of the DJ duo ‪@dontblinkmusic.‬ who also run the label Low Ceiling, bringing firsthand artist experience to his ventures. With a background from the Technical University of Munich, Oskar seamlessly blends technical expertise with a deep passion for music. In this episode we dive into the mind of this music tech architect and explore his journey in shaping the future of music analyticsIf you like what you hear, show Oskar some love, and subscribe to this pod as we will have many more guests like this. Thanks for tuning in!