Flux Pavilion plays Broomfield’s 1st Bank Center on Saturday, Oct 24. Photo courtesy of Circus Records.
By: Kyle Eustice
Joshua Steele, better known as , has been popping up on electronic’s radar since at least 2009, the year he and his childhood friend Shaun Brockhurst established their label, Circus Recordings. Since hitting on two in 2011, Steele has been riding the non-stop roller coaster ride of the music industry machine. While the fame, money and chart toppers are nice, they aren’t how the 26-year-old defines success. Instead, Steele says it’s–in the least cliché way possible–all about the music.
“Success has always been a personal thing for me,” he explains. “I always wanted to put out a 12-inch record and I did that six or seven years ago. That was it. That was my dream and I haven’t added anything more to that. I’m just trying to enjoy it and stay me, and continue to do things for the right reasons.”
Steele grew up in Towcester, England, a small town of about 10,000 people that was void of any “scene” or music industry presence. As he tells it, his original motivation for making music was as pure as it gets.
“I just wanted to make music and thatap what I did,” he says with his unmistakable English twang. “I was a bit naive to the ways of the music industry. And honestly, thatap the kind of thing I try to hold on to. I feel like naivety is a gift sometimes, especially in the studio. Itap good to be as naive as possible and approach creativity like a kid.”
The freedom to create, after all, is what led him to electronic music. Dubstep, drum and bass, electro–it all led him into a world where he could be himself, a place he could ignore boundaries and just go for it. His new album, gave him the ideal platform to express what he’s been feeling recently without feeling like any stylistic avenues were off-limits.
“With electronic music, I’ve always felt the freedom to truly explore and be whoever you want to be,” he says. “If you wanted to do some sort of goth, hardcore-house, you could just do that. Nobody could tell you not to because itap electronic music–you can do whatever the fuck you want. Thatap what drew me to it, and thatap what I still like about it.”
As his shows grow and more kids begin to Google , he’s keenly aware of his impact on young fans. EDM and other forms of the genre tend to have a bad reputation because of the scene’s rampant drug use, and concerts. Steele says he doesn’t do drugs and would rather his audience experience a natural high.
“Being disconnected with reality is an interesting experience,” he says. “You can achieve that through music and art. Thatap what I really love about it. I don’t look down on people that do take drugs. Itap a form of exploration. I mean, we’re only here for a few seconds on this planet so itap cool to explore stuff, but itap the responsibility thing we sometimes have an issue with.
“I’d rather help that kid find what is going to be the replacement [for drugs].” You don’t have to guess hard to figure what he’d recommend they consume instead. “My output has always been about the music.”
You can catch Flux Pavilion and openers LOUDPVCK, NGHTMRE and Keys N Krates at the 1st Bank Center on Oct. 24. Tickets are $25-$65 via altitudetickets.com.
