{"id":105703,"date":"2026-04-13T01:35:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T04:35:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/after-sold-out-shrine-runs-subtronics-takes-dubstep-to-coachellas-biggest-stage\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T01:35:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T04:35:35","slug":"after-sold-out-shrine-runs-subtronics-takes-dubstep-to-coachellas-biggest-stage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/after-sold-out-shrine-runs-subtronics-takes-dubstep-to-coachellas-biggest-stage\/","title":{"rendered":"After sold-out Shrine runs, Subtronics takes dubstep to Coachella’s biggest stage"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Jesse Kardon has come a long way from his days as a teenager messing around with Ableton in his bedroom. The 33-year-old DJ and producer better known as Subtronics<\/u><\/a> is now an established EDM star. Over the last 15 years, he has built a career that has taken him from playing small clubs in his hometown of Philadelphia to a fall headlining set at the Sphere in Las Vegas and then a landmark run of six sold-out shows <\/u><\/a>at L.A.\u2019s Shrine Auditorium in December.<\/p>\n

Back in 2022, he performed a surprise set at Coachella\u2019s intimate electronic-focused Do Lab stage, but this year marks his proper Indio, Calif., debut where he is the highest-billed dubstep-rooted artist, playing the massive Sahara Tent on Sunday and April 19. He will also perform two Southland shows between his Coachella sets at the Fox Theater in Pomona on Tuesday and at the GV Surf Club in Palm Springs on April 18.<\/p>\n

While EDM has emerged over the years as a dominant force, comprising nearly 45% <\/u><\/a>of this year\u2019s lineup, artists from the sometimes polarizing dubstep\/riddim scene are rarely given such a prominent platform.<\/p>\n

Subtronics\u2019 sound has expanded in recent years. His remix of John Summit\u2019s \u201cCrystallized feat. In\u00e9z\u201d <\/u><\/a>has garnered praise, while \u201cFibonacci Pt. 2,\u201d <\/u><\/a>his latest in a set of math-inspired releases, interweaves the melodic with the heavy. \u201cInfinity,\u201d featuring fellow EDM DJ Grabbitz, and \u201cContour,\u201d featuring vocalist Lyrah, stand out.<\/p>\n

Although his work has evolved to include more melodic soundscapes, Subtronics remains committed to bringing more people to a better understanding of the genre that first brought his life into focus. He will never forget how playing drums for years as a kid taught him the foundations of rhythm, and he carries the gritty sounds of Philadelphia hip-hop and trap that shaped that sound into his work today.<\/p>\n

Dubstep has affected his life in deeply personal ways. As a kid, a shared love of the scene brought him closer to his sister. Later on, he met Sonya Broner, the dubstep artist known as Level Up<\/u><\/a>. Broner is now his wife, and they often collaborate.<\/p>\n

In a remote conversation from his new home in Laurel Canyon, Subtronics talks about his milestone Coachella run and shares thoughts on everything from what to expect from his set to his legacy in dubstep and beyond.<\/p>\n

This interview is lightly edited and condensed for clarity.<\/i><\/p>\n

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I\u2019m really hopeful to introduce bass music to a lot of new people, because I believe the rising tide raises all ships,\u201d Subtronics said.<\/p>\n

(Jason Fenmore)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

What is your mindset? How are you feeling going into this weekend? <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/b>I\u2019ve been really super hyper focused on Coachella for about, pretty much the moment we finished the tour, which was about two, three weeks ago. It\u2019s been really all hands on deck, nonstop working on that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Take me back to when you first got the news that you booked Coachella. Was that something you and your team had been working specifically toward? <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was honestly, an almost several year plan where that really was the goal, and we were kind of thinking of the different opportunities we\u2019ve had over the years, and the things we were going to have going forward, and how could we strategize in a way where we can work our way towards Coachella, and that\u2019s kind of what the Shrine was. The hope was like, if we can sell out three [nights at Shrine], we\u2019ve got a pretty good chance of getting a booking, and then we sold out a ton of them. It\u2019s such a good time slot on such a great stage\u2026both me and my inner child are completely freaking out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Did you take a moment to celebrate? <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely, yes. And you know what? It always comes in the form of, like, little moments. Because I do get so\u2026 I do have these \u201cpause\u201d moments where it\u2019s like, \u2018Stop and appreciate how far you\u2019ve come.\u2019 \u2018Stop and realize the gravity of this. You\u2019re really doing these things; all of this hard work has manifested and paid off. This Coachella slot, and even just playing at all, is ammunition to fight back against the imposter syndrome. It\u2019s beyond my wildest dreams and expectations. I never expected any of this to get this far, and I was just trying to learn how to make cool sounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you think about historical context, where you fit in in the history of electronic music and in Coachella\u2019s history? <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/b>Oh, man, I love that question so much, because it\u2019s my No. 1 thing. When I first started, aside from wanting to learn and get good at it\u2026 my goal was to contribute to the culture and leave a mark that\u2019s remembered, because I\u2019m really passionate about the history of both dubstep and dance music. So many historic moments happened at Coachella. And it really is such an honor, because I just think of \u2018Oh my God, dude.\u2019 Like, Daft Punk, you know? I can\u2019t even wrap my head around it, but it is the thing that matters most to me: being remembered years from now and doing things that really feel like they contributed to the culture.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m really hopeful to introduce bass music to a lot of new people, because I believe the rising tide raises all ships. There\u2019s a lot of us dubstep and bass music makers. And I think anytime one of us gets an opportunity, it really kind of raises the ceiling for the whole scene, and we are all in it together\u2026 there\u2019s so many talented producers that deserve to be able to make a living off of it. And the bigger the scene gets, the more people can fit under the umbrella, and pay their rent and live a successful life doing what they love.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The highest-billed dubstep-rooted artist on this year\u2019s festival lineup, Subtronics views his performances as a chance to introduce bass music to mainstream audiences.<\/p>\n

(Jason Fenmore)<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

Have you been feeling any pressure? And if so, how have you been handling it? <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, definitely, because I think I feel pressure from multiple angles. I\u2019ll feel pressure from the very core fan base to stick to a certain style. And then I\u2019ll feel pressure as both a DJ and a music producer. And whenever I get these opportunities, they\u2019re so far outside of, you know, the core of dubstep, I feel the opposite end of pressure where it\u2019s like, you should read the room, be a DJ, you know, like, figure out what their energy is. So it\u2019s kind of pulling me in two different directions, and my answer to that has been to have faith in my own taste \u2014 to ignore both of them, to just completely ignore everybody, and to trust what I like and have faith that my taste is what got me here in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is your overarching goal for these shows? <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cI make a bunch of stuff, but I do mostly identify as a dubstep and bass music artist. So, to be able to represent that on such a gigantic platform to a whole ton of people who might not necessarily be 100% EDM festival attendees\u2026 to play for them is really exciting. And then the livestream as well, it\u2019s like there\u2019s a crazy amount of viewers who might be completely new to bass music or new to dubstep, you know, tuning in. I take it as a responsibility to introduce people to bass music and contextualize it in the best way I can. And also expressing myself as honestly and authentically as I can \u2014 having that moment of individuality and uniqueness.<\/p>\n

What do you think mainstream audiences might not understand about dubstep? <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cSomething that I do think is interesting is the original wave of dubstep, the original U.K., 2004 through 2008, it was on the radio. It was melodic, it was musical. It wasn\u2019t nearly as polarizing. Obviously, it got more aggressive and became more of a huge, showy, crazy, overstimulating thing as it, as it moved its way over to the States. But I seek to strike a middle ground. Something I experienced a lot when I first started touring was being in a sub-genre incorrectly labeled [as riddim].<\/p>\n

The issue is that riddim is already a genre: dancehall. It already exists\u2026I think that\u2019s not a very well-known thing. It should have been called swamp or something like that\u2026trench. A few names were being thrown around. I called it \u201cwonky step\u201d at the time because it was just really wonky and repetitive. I guess riddim is what stuck for whatever reason. I was playing for a group that was much more melodic, much more theatrical, and everyone who came up to me after the shows told me, \u2018I don\u2019t like riddim. I\u2019ve never liked riddim before, but hearing it in your set\u2026it makes sense to me now. So I hope to be almost like a translator. My goal is to express myself authentically and honestly, playing all original music in a way that makes sense to both groups of people [mainstream and insiders].\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you remember your very first performance as Subtronics? And is there something from that time you carry with you going into this weekend? <\/b><\/p>\n

The first time I was ever actually on stage, like at a dance music venue with my name on the screen, like playing my own songs. I was opening at SoundGarden Hall, which is now known as the Ave. One of the things that early on that blew my mind the most, I was playing an after party in one of the worst neighborhoods in Philadelphia, one of the most dangerous places I\u2019ve ever been to, maybe in my whole life, and I was standing by the front door where they\u2019re dealing drugs and selling nitrous and some a stranger walks in the door, someone who I didn\u2019t know, and I heard them say, \u2018I heard Subtronics is playing tonight. Is that true?\u2019 And it exploded my brain. It was the first time I had a fan that I didn\u2019t know personally, and I will never forget that. I will never, ever, ever, ever forget as long as I live.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n