Get to Know SoCal Artist and Documentarian CEEDs

1 month ago 11

DJ, producer, and journalist CEEDs talks about his inspirations, jazz upbringing, and why the scene is so important to him.

If you’ve been out in Southern California, chances are you’ve run into CEEDs. This DJ, producer, journalist, and scene documentarian seems omnipresent. You might find him in the front row at Sound Nightclub or festivals like Day Trip, or see him running through the crowd at a Brownies & Lemonade event with a microphone in hand, interviewing strangers who make the scene what it is.

That curiosity is core to what makes CEEDs different. He doesn’t observe the scene from the outside, nor is he solely focused on his own artist project. Whether he’s DJing across SoCal, interviewing artists and fans, creating documentaries, working with local promoters, or simply exploring a new corner of dance music, he approaches it all with curiosity. A self-described hedonist and “rabid student,” he is never afraid to follow an idea wherever it leads.

His music reflects that same open-mindedness. CEEDs describes his sound as “quirked-up house music”: playful, left-of-center, and groove-focused, with foundations in his early jazz education and the countless late nights in the scene that continue to inspire him. Having recently opened for artists including Gio Lucca and Egyptian Lover and released on San Diego-based Afternoon Umbrella Friends, he’s just having fun with few expectations.

CEEDs joined us to chat about his early musical upbringing, the communities that have shaped him, how he stays inspired, and what comes next for his project. Read on below and get to know this fixture of the SoCal scene.

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What did you listen to growing up, and how did you first get into dance music?

I had a pretty eclectic range. My parents instilled in me a love for music study and exploration very early on. I started playing piano at three and drums at six. My brother played piano, and my dad played bass, so I was the final piece of the family’s rhythm section. I listened to and played everything from The Beatles to Herbie Hancock to Antonio Carlos Jobim to Tower of Power. Jazz became my everything, and at the time, I really wanted to be a professional drummer.

In middle school, my friends and I were really excited about Tron Legacy, so I had my run-in with Daft Punk. That same friend then put me on to deadmau5, Flux Pavilion, and Doctor P. Then, another friend and I would play the rhythm game osu!, and Zedd’s “Clarity” was one of the most popular songs.

High school came around, and I transferred to an arts school, studying jazz daily, gigging professionally, and finding myself in the competitive jazz circuit. One day, I remember another kid in the program asking me what I was listening to on my iPod. I responded, Skrillex. They said, “That’s not real music.” Something about that interaction really sticks with me to this day. I wanted to fit in, so I deleted all things electronic off my iPod and developed a slight disdain for dance music.

Truth is, I never really had community at that school; I never really was myself, and the competitive music circuit just sucked the soul out of my passion. I ended up leaving arts school and had a sort of music identity crisis. It wasn’t until I found Flying Lotus and Thundercat that electronic music and I kind of crossed paths again.

Now, I’ll never let anyone dictate my taste. If I think it’s cool, I’m going to rock with it. If people don’t understand it, I don’t care. If it’s cool to me, that’s all that matters.

At what point did it shift from being something you enjoyed listening to into something you wanted to DJ or produce?

Uni changed everything. In my freshman year, I still carried a bit of that aforementioned disdain, but that quickly disappeared. I had an incredible group of friends that happened to be ravers. Jauz and SNBRN were playing our Spring Concert, and they were all super hyped. The day of the show, we were all on a good one, and I just fell in love. I remember seeing Jauz on stage and thinking to myself, “This is it. This is how I’m going to do music.”

I became a student of the craft, studying all things EDM and going to every rave I could. Brownies & Lemonade pulled up during finals week, and I ditched my study session to go be feral. Gud Vibrations was at the NOS Events Center, and I was on the rail. Escape 2017 got announced, and I was running between every stage.

A couple of days after Escape, my friend Rod was selling a DJ controller, and I instantly bought it. Shout out, Rod! Without him, I probably would’ve never taken the plunge.

I practiced every day, then joined the DJ club on campus where I met my friends RamonPang, Falldren, and so many others! UC Riverside has honestly birthed so many incredible DJs.

It wouldn’t be until COVID that I’d start taking production seriously, and it wasn’t until this past year that I feel like I’ve started to find my sonic identity.

Photo Credit: @hi.gunpowder

Who are your biggest influences? Is there one that might surprise people?

Jeez, there are so many! My current iteration of music influences include Chloé Caillet, Demi Riquísimo, Make A Dance, and Octo Octa. Seth Troxler, DJ Tennis, and Tiga are my goats. I’m also very influenced by visual aesthetics. I’m currently obsessed with Frutiger Aero, Wacky Pomo, and Gen X Softclub. I usually leave visualizers running on a screen while I produce, so I often interpret sights into sounds. My favorite author is Hunter S. Thompson. I hope to write my own Fear & Loathing one day.

Your music often feels a little left of center. What has inspired you to explore different genres and sounds?

I’m a hedonist. I’m feral, I’m a freak, and I want to turn up the weird. If the music makes me feel good, I’m going to do it. I’m a rabid student who wants to explore. What satiates me is discovery. Because of that, I don’t want to leave stones unturned.

When I describe my music to people, I call it “quirked-up house music.” I’m quirked-up, so I’m going to make quirked-up music. That’s the throughline that provides a basis to cook what I want.

I’m creating a versatile catalog so I can pull out tunes for any situation I might find myself in. When I leave this planet, I want to have no regrets as a creator.

Outside of your artist project, you have also made documentaries about other artists and the wider dance music culture. What draws you to telling those stories?

I love storytelling, video production, and content. During COVID, I started streaming on Twitch and making really bad YouTube videos. But you’ve got to start somewhere!

In general, I was doing so much research and note-taking that I thought it would be cool to share my findings. I compiled all my notes about FISHER and made “Who is Fisher?” It’s a very early-days video, but I’m so proud of it. His mom even commented!

I followed this up with videos about Fred Again, AATIG, Knock2, and John Summit. Summit took to Instagram to post how much he liked the video, and getting that tag notification was surreal.

There’s an old John Summit interview where he talked about one day being the Anthony Bourdain of clubs, and that inspired a lot of my future content. In 2024, I began documenting parties IRL. I pitched my documentary concept to Summit’s team for his Forum takeover, and they were super down! To this day, it’s still one of my favorite documentaries I’ve made. Between interviewing fans, being at the show, and going to the afters, the energy was incredible!

Truth be told, I stepped back from long-form documentaries because people kept stealing my scripts and content. I’d spend months on something, and shortly after I released it, TikTokers would just recite my script, getting way more views, engagement, and support.

I feel most confident in my efforts this year. I’ve adopted short-form and started an interview series. I’ve reached Circoloco, Kah-Lo, Prunk, Slugg, and Egyptian Lover. Prunk gave me head pats in appreciation at his Sound show, and I think about that quite often.

I’d love to put more out, but I’m only a one-person team!

You and I originally met while writing for EDM Identity. How has having a journalism background shaped the way you approach your own music and artist project?

Tremendously! I think being able to read, research, write, and articulate the music is extremely important in this day and age. I started taking my journalism more seriously after watching an International Music Summit speaker panel with Dave Haslam and Seth Troxler on YouTube. The way they talked about music was so mindful. I bought Haslam’s book, Adventures on the Wheels of Steel: The Rise of the Superstar DJs, and that was such a formative read. There are so many incredible moments in that book.

In terms of approaching art, my journalism background helps me produce with patience and an open mind. I’ve sifted through so many decades of music, finding bangers, forgotten records, and garbage that I interpolate into my own.

There’s so much to learn by reading. If there’s one thing producers need to do more of, it’s read.

You have worked with several SoCal promoters and brands, including Brownies & Lemonade and Afternoon Umbrella Friends. How have those experiences influenced you as a DJ, producer, and member of the wider scene?

Working for both Brownies & Lemonade and Afternoon Umbrella Friends keeps me well-rounded. I work on various marketing initiatives for the two of them. On top of that, I think it’s important for DJs to have a general understanding of what’s going on in surrounding scenes.

B&L played an instrumental role in shaping who I am today. The fact that I’ve been going to their parties for a decade is insane. They love talking about history, and I’m so grateful to be able to ask questions and pick their brains. I couldn’t tell you the last time I personally DJed trap or drum and bass, but I generally know what and who’s happening in those respective scenes thanks to B&L.

Afternoon Umbrella Friends have become such a family to me. I’ve been able to experience and accomplish so much thanks to them. It’s truly a community like no other, and I will never stop preaching the gospel of their parties. Umbrella Weekend 2025 was life-changing, and I can’t wait for the festival to come back. We have Freakuency coming up on October 31. The lineup is looking insane! I’m also helping A&R at the record label, so please send us records.

Overall, I’ve learned the importance of community. There’s something for everyone out there, and it’s just a matter of diving in, being a little cringe, and finding it.

Photo Credit: @hi.gunpowder

Being based in Orange County while playing shows in Los Angeles and San Diego, how do you feel about the SoCal scene right now?

Honestly, I feel like I’m based out of my car. Wherever my wheels go, I go!

There are a lot of parties in LA crushing it right now: Tell Your Friends, Closer, Dirty Filthy Paradise, Midnight Lovers, speedstar, Lights Down Low, and Stereo Punks, to name a few! The friends over at clubhouse.fm are putting on a lot of incredible talent on their livestreams. As for labels, a couple of LA-based ones I’m excited to see keep developing: Clubview Records and For Those Who Need Records.

Umbrella Weekend 2026 was put into such an unprecedented position, and it broke my heart. I guess my wish is to find robust outdoor venues that will support festivals like it.

I’d also love to see some more small, curated rooms in LA! Other than that, I’m currently experiencing some intense wanderlust and really itching to get out of Southern California. New York is calling!

Is there anything you can share about new music or upcoming shows?

There’s a lot! I have music videos and creative collaborations in the works. I have a couple of songs signed to labels that I’m really excited about. I also have some awesome guests coming up for my interview series, and some sick shows to ride out the back half of 2026!