Meet the Insomniacs Who Are Playing Nocturnal Wonderland 2015

Insomniac HQ is essentially an office full of hardworking goofballs who live and breathe electronic music of all kinds. It should thus be no surprise that there are coworkers among us who flit betwixt the worlds of office life and clubland, doing double-duty as full-time Insomniac employees and part-time DJ/producers.

Some may cry nepotism, but the fact is that this crew of white T-shirt professionals is legitimately talented and, conveniently, largely available to grace the lineups of the many festivals and club nights Insomniac produces. Seven of these dudes will be putting in overtime by playing Nocturnal Wonderland this September 4–6. Let’s get to know them!

DJ Name: Troy Kurtz // Actual Name: Troy Kurtz

What you do at Insomniac: Content Manager

What you do behind the decks: I enjoy the freedom to serenade the crowd however I see fit. I’ve never been married to a particular genre, so I tend to skip around a bit and play everything from Italo-disco to techno.

How’d you start DJing? I got my first residency seven years ago in Miami at the infamous Bella Rose. I’d play from open to close every Saturday and would get paid in Amstel Lights.

How’d you get your job at Insomniac? I was the head of music and A&R for a startup called Boomrat, which subsequently folded into my current role, which is selecting music for Insomniac.com.

Does your day job affect what you do as a DJ, and vice versa? It’s been difficult to keep my production levels up. I tend to have my headphones on at the office for about eight hours a day as I judge dance tracks, so the last thing I want to do when I get home is stare at my laptop with a set of worn out eyes and ears.

Favorite DJ: Maceo Plex

Best gig you’ve ever played? Either when I was direct support for Richie Hawtin, or Luciano at LIV in Miami a couple years ago, before I moved out to L.A. Also, a couple sweaty nights during the glorious heydey of my Slap & Tickle parties at the Electric Pickle.

Worst gig you’ve ever played? Any one where the promoter doesn’t pay you, which most recently was the Minus Zero Festival. 🙂

Something people might find surprising about working at Insomniac: There are more than 100 people in our office. It trips me out every day.

Anything else? Buy my new track with Human Life so I can afford my Beverly Hills lunches every day!

One track you’ll definitely play during your Nocturnal set: Big tribal ting from the man like Melé.

Follow Troy Kurtz on Facebook | Twitter | SoundCloud

DJ Name: Wonsik // Actual Name: Mike Wonsik

What you do at Insomniac: Senior Marketing Manager on all of the Wonderland brands and concerts

What you do behind the decks: I’m down to play anything I’m in the mood for and whatever other people are responding to. I don’t discriminate against any type of music.

How’d you start DJing? I was a late bloomer in the scene, as it wasn’t prevalent where I grew up in Connecticut. When I moved to L.A. in 2009, I fell in love with the music and culture, so I decided to buy a controller and mess around with it, spinning for my friends or just myself, whenever I had the time. I never for a second thought that I would be given the opportunity to play at a club, let alone any Insomniac events, or to even work at Insomniac, which is why it’s super humbling that the talent team books me to play these major festivals.

How’d you get your job at Insomniac? It’s kind of funny, because when I first started attending Insomniac events, I would browse around and google “careers at Insomniac Events,” but I could never find anything. At my first job out of college, I met a few guys who now work here; and I actually worked with Matt Kotch [see below] on Activision at a media agency, so when he was hired here, he asked me if I would join the team.

Favorite DJ: REALLY? Haha, hardest question ever. I would say it’s a 50/50 tie between Gesaffelstein and Nicole Moudaber. But Carl Cox and Prydz are top contenders, too.

Best gig you’ve ever played? I would say last year at Beyond Bay. It was the first festival I’ve played at, and having an opening slot, I didn’t think I’d be playing for many people… About 30 minutes into my set, there was a crowd, and the vibes were AMAZING.

Worst gig you’ve ever played? To be honest, I can’t think of any gigs that were bad. I’m just happy to play, even if it’s to a few people in an empty room.

Something people might find surprising about working at Insomniac: We handle all aspects of marketing in-house: event marketing, social, design, street marketing, editorial, PR, video production, media buying… Did I miss anything?

One track you’ll definitely play during your Nocturnal set: Martin Ikin & Low Steppa “Words”

Follow Wonsik on Facebook | Instagram

DJ Name: Shmitty // Actual Name: Matthew Smit

What you do at Insomniac: Marketing Specialist + Street Team Coordinator

What you do behind the decks: Techno & tech house

How’d you start DJing? I was born in the Netherlands (where 80 percent of DJs are from, for some odd reason) and moved to California when I was four. I would go back and visit family members every couple of summers, and one summer, there were all these TV ads and billboards for Sensation White and Sensation Black. I was 14 or 15 years old and way too young to attend these events, but I bought some of the compilation CDs they had, and I have been obsessed ever since. My parents bought me my first mixer and vinyls later that year for Christmas.

How’d you get your job at Insomniac? When I was 18 and 19, I was hitting every party that I could, and it was killing my wallet. I eventually met an Insomniac promoter who brought me on board. In exchange for tickets to shows, I passed out flyers at clubs and shows late-night. After about a year of flyering, I was asked if I wanted to come on board and run the street team.

Does your day job affect what you do as a DJ, and vice versa? Yes. Very often I will play at Exchange LA or Create, where I hold residencies, after an eight-hour day at the office. I will normally leave the office a little early those days and try to clear my mind for a couple of hours before playing; this helps me refuel and be ready for the show. An awesome perk of promoting shows and playing them, though, is that I get to see our hard work pay off firsthand. Nothing’s cooler than busting your ass trying to sell a party and then playing it and seeing it take form.

Favorite DJ: John Digweed. He is constantly pushing the envelope. He’s one of the older guys in the game, yet one of the very few whom you could see two days in a row and get completely different sets; but it’s always gonna be BANGIN’!

Best gig you’ve ever played? Cosmic Gate and Andrew Rayel at the Hollywood Palladium, hands-down. This was about a year ago. No one really knew who I was, and I got to open for 5,000-plus people! I had a three-hour opening set, so I really got to take the crowd on a journey.

Worst gig you’ve ever played? Let’s just say in the first few years of your DJ career, you take some bogus gigs. You eventually learn which shows to pass on. To be honest, some bookings can hurt you more than they can help.

Something people might find surprising about working at Insomniac: We are allowed to bring pets to work, so on any given day there are about five animals in the office. It really livens the place up.

One track you’ll definitely play during your Nocturnal set: I just finished up a remix for Sian’s remix contest on Beatport that I’m pretty excited to play.

Follow Shmitty on Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud

DJ Name: “Chevy Chase” / “Cue Fiedler” / “TBD” / “Local Support” / “Down to go B2B with you” / “Oh You Mean Sonny?” // Actual Name: Chase Fiedler

What you do at Insomniac: Talent Buyer. I book the DJs for many of Insomniac’s festivals, concerts, and club nights.

What you do behind the decks? Put on the latest Justin Martin SoundCloud mix and clap my hands. But really, I enjoy playing frothy bass house and UK garage. I’m also partial to Aretha Franklin edits.

How’d you start DJing? In college, I controlled the iPod at house parties in Isla Vista. After that, one of my friends picked up a $100 Traktor controller, and the rest was history. Shout-out Albert.

How’d you get your job at Insomniac? Prayed to the rave gods for many moons.

Does your day job affect what you do as a DJ, and vice versa? I get emailed a ton of promos from record labels, so that’s nice. Also, being totally up-to-speed on the latest records and releases helps me stay relevant.

Favorite DJ: Tough question. It’s a tie between Barrels and CSTNZA. Make sure to catch CSTNZA in the Funk House at Nocturnal; that dude’s funk set is fire. I’m also digging what Green Velvet and Claude VonStroke are up to; this legend from Europe named Billy Kenny is doing cool things; and I’m a big fan of AC Slater’s work with Night Bass. So many talented people making good tunes lately, I can’t pick a favorite. Also, James Murphy is my favorite. And Chris Lorenzo.

Best gig you’ve ever played? The Wide Awake Art Car at Burning Man 2014 at around 8am Thursday morning.

Worst gig you’ve ever played? The Wide Awake Art Car at Burning Man 2014 at around 9am Thursday morning.

Something people might find surprising about working at Insomniac: There’s no music allowed!!! So wack!! I’m calling HR again right after this interview. Everyone should get to experience the beauty that is a Maceo Plex terrace set emanating from my office speakers, whether they want to or not.

Anything else you want to add? Yeah! I love being able to have so many musically talented employees at Insomniac to book on opening slots at our shows. In the opening hour of our festivals, I’m much more concerned about setting the proper vibe for the party than having a “big name” spinning.

One track you’ll definitely play during your Nocturnal set: Treasure Fingers “Koolaid.” Honestly, how dope is this track?!

DJ Name: Kotch // Actual Name: Matt Kotch

What you do at Insomniac: Director of Marketing

What you do behind the decks: I don’t like to pick a specific genre, because I just like to play good music that makes people happy; but if I had to pick: future, electro house and techno.

How’d you start DJing? Growing up, I used to love making mixtapes (yes, actual tapes) by recording my favorite songs off the radio into a playlist. When I moved to L.A., I had a few friends in the biz who showed me the basics. I was immediately hooked. I love searching for new music.

How’d you get your job at Insomniac? Insomniac has always been a dream job for me. I have been doing marketing and advertising for eight years, since I move to L.A. I started out working with video games, and then I made my way into music about three years ago, when my previous company had a partnership with Ultra Records. From there, my current manager was offered the Head of Marketing position for Insomniac, and the rest is history.

Does your day job affect what you do as a DJ, and vice versa? My job exposes me to many artists, music that I really enjoy, and a wide variety of electronic music. Being a marketing guy, I also look at how certain artists develop their brands and interact with their fans. In order to remain relevant in this industry, I think it’s very important.

Favorite DJ: One is tough. How about top three: Gesaffelstein, Skrillex and Gorgon City.

Best gig you’ve ever played? EDC Las Vegas 2015

Worst gig you’ve ever played? It’s wasn’t a bad gig, but the first time I played at Exchange LA, I was super nervous and felt like I was going to throw up before I started playing.

Something people might find surprising about working at Insomniac: No one at Insomniac ever sleeps. Isn’t that ironic?

Anything else you want to add? The best advice I have is: Follow your dreams. It’s your life, so don’t let others tell you how to live it. Work hard, but play harder, and travel.

One track you’ll definitely play during your Nocturnal set: Evangelos & Sandro “Dope Haus”

Follow Kotch on SoundCloud

DJ Name: Joaquin Bamaca // Actual Name: Joaquin Bamaca

What you do at Insomniac: Marketing/advertising

What you do behind the decks: Deep house/ techno

How’d you start DJing? I started DJing in 2000 but have been listening to deep house since 1993, when I was 12 years old. The Cashmere (aka Green Velvet) track “You Got Me Up” was what started it all for me.

How’d you get your job at Insomniac? I started passing out flyers for Club Spundae in exchange for free entry to the club. Eventually they offered me a paying job, which had me out at night a lot more. On one of those nights in 2003, Pasquale approached me in front of Respect Drum & Bass and offered me a job. I’ve been promoting Insomniac events ever since.

Does your day job affect what you do as a DJ, and vice versa? Yes to both. Working in this industry has introduced me to many different types of electronic music, and the love for the music gives me the drive to become better at what I do, which is bringing more people into our culture.

Favorite DJ: This is a difficult question. Sasha is my all-time fav, but I enjoy listening to many other artists, such as Maceo Plex, Solumun, Âme, Dixon and Tale of Us, to name a few.

Best gig you’ve ever played? EDC 2009 at the Coliseum. The DJ that was booked after me did not show up, so I ended up playing the mainstage for four hours. That was pretty epic.

Worst gig you’ve ever played? I don’t recall a worst gig; however, I sometimes don’t get to play certain gigs due to time slot edits. Those days are not great!

Something people might find surprising about working at Insomniac: That I know Pasquale Rotella.

One track you’ll definitely play during your Nocturnal set:

DJ Name: Wiseman (formerly part of AndDrop!) // Actual Name: Joe Wiseman

What you do at Insomniac: I help manage Discovery Project, Insomniac Records, and a few other special projects.

What you do behind the decks: House, techno, deep house, bassline, garage and good-vibe party tunes

How’d you start DJing? I took a DJing class freshman year at UC Berkeley in 2008. I played only on vinyl, and mostly hip-hop, but then I switched over to mostly electronic music soon after.

How’d you get your job at Insomniac? I was brought over from Boomrat. I co-headed the day-to-day music content on the platform, so I was able to carry over some of my A&R and curation skills from that position, as well as my experience as a DJ/label-owner.

Does your day job affect what you do as a DJ, and vice versa? I think it helps in terms of keeping me aware and up-to-date with the best music out there; but the time commitment to work has definitely slowed down the amount of producing and DJing I do outside of the office.

Favorite DJ: It’s always switching, but right now I’ll go with Maxxi Soundsystem.

Best gig you’ve ever played? I co-headlined a sold-out 1,200-person club called Assembly in Cape Town, South Africa. It was pretty rad to play so far away from home! EDC 2013 as a Discovery Project artist was a pretty close second.

Worst gig you’ve ever played? Opening weekend at a Euro-trash clothing store in D.C. That was bad.

Something people might find surprising about working at Insomniac: Getting a new coffee machine was one of the biggest moments of the year.

Anything else you want to add? I’m hoping to release some new music in the coming months under the new alias and play a ton more shows in L.A. Also, check out my label Nite Records. We just recently put out a summer compilation, as well as releases from some awesome producers such as Hostage and Aaron Jackson.

One track you’ll definitely play during your Nocturnal set: I’m probably playing this at the Funk House:

Follow Wiseman on Facebook | Twitter | SoundCloud – Follow Nite Records on SoundCloud

And playing Beyond Wonderland Bay Area:

DJ Name: Leiel (and one half of Sweet & Low) // Actual Name: Leiel Hazut

What you do at Insomniac: Marketing Specialist / brand manager for the Basscon and Dreamstate brands. #TeamBasscon #TranceFamily!

What you do behind the decks: I play almost anything. It really depends on the gig and the vibe of the party. Anything from deep house, to techno, to psytrance. Good music is good music!

How’d you start DJing? I picked it up as a hobby when I was 16. My friend gave me a MIDI controller to practice on a couple of years later. I used to sit in front of my computer for hours learning how to beat-match with iPod headphones on. Eventually I got my first gig at the Rockefeller Room at Exchange LA, and the rest is history!

How’d you get your job at Insomniac? I joined the street team around late 2008. I ran our street team for about a year and from there I moved into the marketing department.

Does your day job affect what you do as a DJ, and vice versa? Definitely! Working at Insomniac always has you surrounded by electronic music. We all share music with each other and discuss new releases. Since there are so many people here, we all have different tastes in music, which brings a variety of electronic music to the table.

Favorite DJ: Hands down, Markus Schulz. Not only he is a great producer, he is also an incredible DJ. Seeing his 10-12 hour open-to-close sets are my highlight every year. There are very few people that can keep a crowd interested from 10pm until 10am, let alone play for that long! Being able to rock a crowd for an hour or craft and execute a 12-hour set perfectly is truly an art form. Not too many people can do that.

Best gig you’ve ever played? kineticFIELD at EDC Las Vegas 2015. Being able to say I played the biggest stage in North America is an incredible feeling. Definitely something I will tell my children and grandchildren about!

Worst gig you’ve ever played? I played this bar last year as an opener for the resident DJ with my partner Shahar. The place got packed earlier than usual so the resident asked the talent booker to kick us off the decks so he can play, about 30 minutes before our set time was over. Needless to say, we never went back there!

Something people might find surprising about working at Insomniac: It’s a lot of hard work. Everyone here works really hard so that our Headliners can have a good time at our events. There is a misconception that this job is laid back or that we “just party for a living” because we work at Insomniac. In reality, that’s not the case. Everyone here gives their 110% every day to make sure these events are successful.

One track you’ll definitely play during your Beyond set: This track truly makes me feel like I’m lost in Amsterdam!

Follow Sweet & Low on Facebook I Soundcloud

Katie Bain loves her Insomniac fam. She’s on Twitter.