The Arizona dance music scene has been rapidly growing. Last year brought events such as Crush Music Festival, Mad Decent Block Party, and Wet Electric. Phoenix Lights Festival, a brand new festival experience, will be taking place at Civic Space Park in Phoenix on March 22. Your EDM sat down with Phoenix Lights’ co-founder and Relentless Beats’ very own Thomas Turner.
How did you all decide that this was the industry you wanted to be involved in?
I became a big fan of electronic culture in my early 20’s. During this time I did a lot of traveling, and I became influenced by the culture in Europe & South America. Over the past 15+ years I have grown with it as it has become a staple in American culture.
How much growth do you see coming to the Arizona dance music scene?
I think the scene is in a really good place right now. While you may not always see events the size Relentless Beats has been putting on (upwards of 100 shows a year here for many years) that volume is only going to expand.
How do you see Relentless Beats moving forward in this scene, and what are some accomplishments you have seen come from the company?
We are continuing to develop by leaps and bounds. In the past several years we have been partnering on events with companies like Insomniac, Live Nations, AEG Live, Mad Decent, with many more are in the works. The Phoenix Lights partnership with True Music Xperience is the most recent example of this.
What are some of your favorite electronic music genres?
I really like higher quality dance music, which is 100% what got me into this business. We strive to book as much talent as we can, as that’s a something I believe in doing. Names like Flume, Duke Dumont, and Hot Since 82 are some fresher names that are exciting to me personally.
Who are you excited to see most at Phoenix Lights and what are some of your favorite things about this event?
Really excited to see everyone lose it over Robin Schulz playing his remix of “Prayer In C”. Its an intoxicating record, and is going to be a special moment. Of course really excited to have on of my absolute favorites back, Zeds Dead. Phoenix Lights will be capping it off with Hardwell, which makes this a pretty perfect event in an urban setting – which has never been done before in Phoenix.
Headliners include Hardwell, Robin Schulz, and Zeds Dead. Route 94 and Lane 8 will be joining them, as well as Secondcity and Dirtybird’s very own Kill_Frenzy. Tickets are available online at Phoenix Lights and Relentless Beats’ websites. You can stay connected and find the most up to date details on Twitter and Facebook too.
