Courtesy Trey Sarmento
Audio By Carbonatix
Fans know Denver DJ and music producer Mersiv for his trademark “pretty dark loud” sound filled with heavy, free-form bass beats that he’s pioneered and perfected over the last decade.
That sound has allowed Anderson Benoit Gallegos, the man behind the deck, to create his own record label, MorFlo Records, that features a roster full of other forward-thinking EDM artists, and also curate sold-out shows at Red Rocks.
He’s got another Red Rocks gig for May the Fourth, aka Star Wars Day. Of course, he’s going to lean into the force with a special “Journey 2 Mars” theme. OTT., Smith., Sumthin Sumthin, FLY, Yoko and Terrawave are also on the bill.
“Oh, yeah, we’re doing a space theme,” Gallegos says, while giving kudos to visual director Joseph Allen for coming up with a package that looks as if it’s from a galaxy far, far away. “He’s been designing an entire new visual aspect to the show that’s all Mars- and space-themed.”
But Gallegos admits that he’s more juiced up – and nervous – about an event the day after that Red Rocks show: his first Cinco de Mersiv, at Mission Ballroom on Sunday, May 5.
“I’m just really excited to share my culture with the scene,” he says. “We’ve never really done that. I’m a pretty private person for the most part, so I don’t think many people even knew that I’m Mexican until recently, once we posted this event. I’m just excited to share that part of myself, because I don’t share that much about myself. I just stick to the music, so this is really cool.”
As first-generation Mexican Americans, Gallegos and his cousin, Adrian, decided to throw a Cinco de Mayo gala to “celebrate our culture,” he adds.
The full-day event will start with a MorFlo Takeover block party in the Mission outdoor plaza, featuring a set from Mersiv, with support from OG Nixin, Venture 5, Dream Pusha, Sonrizas and Wesley Mack, as well as a “live beat roast” from Onhell. The music continues into the evening on the main stage, with another Mersiv performance alongside FLY, Onhell, Green Matter, Evalution and Blurrd Vzn. Nearly all the artists on the lineup share Mexican heritage.
Onhell, the stage name of L.A. producer and DJ Angel Rubio-Hale, is showcasing his homemade salsas during the festivities. Cinco de Mersiv also partnered with charities Fundacion Musica para la Vida and the BoredomFighters Foundation, both of which promote music education in underprivileged communities. Plus, there will be a mariachi band, food trucks and a piñata raffle filled with exclusive Mersiv merch.
“We’re trying to make this a proper event to celebrate our culture and show Denver what we’re about,” Gallegos explains. “We’ve been working really hard on this. It’s going to be a special event.
“We’ve never really done basically two shows in a day,” he continues. “It’s like a festival in a way, a one-day fest. We’ll have two stages. We’ll have a day party. … I think I’m going to do a little Latin house for that set. Get everybody warmed up, then we’ll have our night party. This is the first time doing a bigger, curated event than we’ve done in the past.”
It’s certainly “not going to be a let’s-get-drunk, Taco Tuesday vibe,” he promises.
In prepping for the blowout, Gallegos has been “crate digging” in search of Hispanic music to mix with his eclectic electronic musings.
“It’s been a fun process. It’s been interesting because I don’t normally do that,” he shares. “I really wanted to fit the theme with this show. That’s something I always like to do with my sets: figure out what theme I’m going to go with based on the venue, the type of show it’s going to be, the crowd.”
Breaking it down even further, by beats per minute, or BPM, Gallegos offers a heady glimpse into the mind of a beatmaker.
“Those tempos are normally different. Reggaetón is a slower house kind of tempo. It’s been interesting figuring out how to mix those with bass music,” he says, adding that bass music is typically 140 to 150 BPM, while Reggaetón ranges from 95 to 115.
“I’ve been trying to do sample vocals instead of the whole beat or instrumental and get those mashed up with bass-music tunes. Hopefully, it works,” he continues. “This one has been really, really cool on merging that music with bass music. That’s what I enjoy playing – heavy dubstep and weird experimental bass music.”
This is the first time he’ll perform this style of music publicly; his dad and sisters will be there, adding to the stress. But Gallegos is eager to see the first-ever Cinco de Mersiv finally play out, especially since he plans to make it a yearly offering.
“That’s the goal, depending on how this event goes on Sunday,” he concludes. “I would like to make this an annual thing. That would be super awesome, especially out here in Denver. There are a lot of Mexican Americans and Hispanic culture out here.”
Cinco de Mersiv, 3 p.m. Sunday, May 5, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop Street. Tickets are $22.50.
