Ten More of the Best DJs in Denver - 2016 Edition

It's been a couple of months since we published our list of "Ten of the Best DJs in Denver Right Now," but the electronic music scene in Denver is so rich and vibrant that we were never going to do it justice with just ten entries. A followup was always in the cards, so here you go: ten more top Denver artists, in alphabetical order. Who knows? There might even be another list around the corner, so feel free to continue sending your suggestions.


10. DJ A-L
Aaron Ladley (aka A-L) has been working on his craft within the Denver scene for about a decade, earning himself a nomination for Best DJ in the 2015 Westword Music Showcase Awards poll. The man’s come a long way, deejaying and producing for hip-hop group the Soul Pros as well as spinning a regular residency at the Snap: 90’s Dance Party. With the Future Classic Music name behind him, big things are being predicted for Ladley.


9. DJ Dragon
For over a decade, DJ Dragon has been a staple of the Denver electronic-music scene while flying the flag for the city, spinning around the globe. He’s been a resident DJ at Beta Nightclub and has worked on the state’s longest-running electronic-music radio show, E-leven. If you’re not aware of him by now, you haven’t been listening.


8. DJ Fury
Fury, aka Steve Blakley, has been a DJ and promotor in the Denver scene for about twenty years; before that, he was a pro snowboarder. He always pumped his earnings into music, though, quickly earning the title of Denver’s King of Jungle. He was responsible for the Rewind and Reload event, as well as the weekly Breakdown Thursdays series. He’s been successful with just about everything he’s done, driven by his love for drum and bass.


7. Chris Karns
The winner of the 2011 World DJ Championships, Karns incorporates styles that include dubstep, funk and hip-hop, and he was recently a finalist on VH1’s Master of the Mix. So he’s become quite adept at doing well in competitions, but does that translate to a solid club DJ? In this case, yes: Karns is currently one of the hottest names on the circuit, for good reason.


6. Mystical Influence
All right, he’s Canadian. But Patrick Brodeur is now based in Denver, and it's here that he’s made his name and honed his trade. The man has been pioneering dubstep since the early 1990s, back when people thought it was all drum and bass and/or jungle. He’s also been mixing vinyl since he was eight, and he’s gotten quite good at it.

Read on for five more of the best DJs in Denver.

5. Pretty Lights
Derek Vincent Smith, aka Pretty Lights, has helped put Fort Collins on the electronic-music map. The project was originally a collaboration with Michael Menert, but Menert left after the release of the first album. Still, Smith is doing just fine on his own. In fact, Rick Rubin has called Pretty Lights the “face and voice of the new American electronic-music scene.” And he knows a thing or two.


4. ProJect Aspect
Jay Jaramillo’s ProJect Aspect is a means to explore music while engaging with the community. The man has, according to his own bio, a pair of the fastest hands in the business — which, in the world of electronic music, is a bold claim. It’s not without merit, though — he really can make those babies blur. His "style encompasses everything from stunningly gorgeous electronic anthems featuring sultry female vocals to explosive, window-shattering, dance-floor bangers,” Jaramillo says. Sounds about right.


3. DeeJay Tanastadi
Hailing from Denver but now living in Vegas, Tanastadi says that he started out as a turntablist before pursuing the art of scratching, beat-juggling and battle routines. He then started getting into the club/rave scene and, later, producing mash-ups. We can be proud that he’s kicking ass in Vegas in Denver’s name.

2. DJ Tatiana
Born in Spain but very much based in Denver, Tatiana specializes in Latin beats, Top 40, hip-hop, tribal house and merengue. In other words, she likes to make people dance. She spins regularly at clubs like Vinyl, Tracks and Lipstick. “A strong woman who offers the world far more than her good looks and taste, Tatiana possesses heart and character,” reads her bio. “These qualities shine through her music.” 


1. Unlimited Gravity
Straight outta Lakewood, Unlimited Gravity is Ronnie Weberg, aka the Roymald Selection, and he describes his own sound as “an ingenious alchemical hybrid, combining the chaotic energy of crunchy crunk beats with the calculated precision and intensity of a classically trained composer.” He also refers to Denver as the heart of the contemporary electronic-music scene, which is tough to argue with.