Shenandoah SOundcheck

Neon PLanet: Illuminating the EDM Scene

“I want my music and DJing to showcase my personality — I think music is the most powerful art form .”

By Jake Dodohara, October 20th, 2023

Lighting up the Shenandoah Valley, Neon Plant is the latest DJ to brighten up the Valley’s EDM scene. Listing Daft Punk and Knife Party as his early influences and getting his start playing Chirstian-themed raves in his childhood church, Neon Planet is known for his sense of humor and playful energy while DJing and producing his own music. As he releases original songs like “Fugitive” and “Pac-Ball,” Shenandoah Soundcheck spoke with Neon Planet about his journey as a DJ and creative in the Valley.

If you were speaking to a stranger you just met on the street, how would you describe your identity as a creative?

So if it were a casual person, I would tell them simply I’m a DJ producer. I’m Vice President of the JMU EDM club and I help a lot with the parties and all the events that go on within that club. I also DJ within the club and I try to branch out with other scenes outside of that.

If I was talking to an EDM fan, I would tell them that I am primarily a house and halftime DJ, which are like the two genres that I mostly keep my head into, but I try to play a variety of genres and showcase all I can. Generally in terms of style, I generally love to be more high energy, and I would describe [my style] as kind of goofy to a casual person. I want my music and DJing to showcase my personality —  I think music is the most powerful art form.

When did your journey with EDM and DJing begin?

The moment I first heard EDM, I felt like my brain expanded and from that moment, I started being really into it. My sister played Skrillex – Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites in the car. I remember just being like ‘Oh my God, what is this?’ I never heard anything like that before and it was something that I just never stopped chasing.

I got my first gig at a homeless shelter near my hometown. They were like doing a kid’s thing and somebody who was on my hockey team approached me [to DJ the event]. I was always playing electronic music in the locker room, which I know annoyed the absolute hell out of my teammates. But even back then I just really wanted to showcase the music I love to anybody who would listen.

It wasn’t until I got to college that I really started getting into the rabbit hole that is electronic music. I had no idea how vast it was and pretty much within the first week I immediately started seeking out people within EDM clubs. 

In the first five minutes of me walking in the door as a wide-eyed freshman, I immediately knew that I found the people I wanted to spend time with in college.

Anyone who loves EDM has this deep affection towards the genre. What draws you to the specific sub-genres of House and Halftime?

What draws me in for halftime is the influence of the Boom bap drums. I just love the groove, the drums and I just love how universal it is and how like, I can play like halftime like to people that like really appreciate hip hop and they would understand 

The appeal of house [music] —it’s kind of hard to explain to an outsider — if you play someone house, they’re gonna just hear it being the same thing over and over. But if you get house on a professional sound system and you hear the flow and you understand, you’ll get the energy and the groove.

I truly think that there’s an electronic music genre for everybody. A lot of people when they hear EDM, they’ll just assume [it’s] heavy Dubstep. If you come to any EDM festival or a lot of shows you can hear EDM that will make you cry, but you could also hear EDM that’s like the most gritty, larger than life tune that you’ve ever heard. I think that’s why a lot of people are so drawn to it.

You’re producing your own music now — what does your creative process look like and what can we expect from you in the future?

I’ve been producing since I was 14 and I’ve really struggled with overthinking about what people are going to think of me  because my music is a reflection of me. But at the end of the day, I’ve decided that I’m just a goofy, silly guy and my music is going to reflect that.

I just love so many different kinds of music and I’m creating so many different kinds of music. I’m working on some jazz influence stuff, some future funk influence stuff and some house so I’m just really gritty bass music. I want to essentially expect the unexpected.

Interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.