Hop On the Beat: Lucky Rabbit's Tale of Twists, Turns, and Hardstyle Triumphs in the American Dance Scene
Lucky Rabbit is an American hard dance producer and DJ who has played at various festivals in the U.S. Hopping around the scene for about 14 years, her first rave was back in 2010! Kriss, aka Lucky Rabbit, started listening to happy hardcore and melodic dubstep. She was introduced to hardstyle and hardcore only a year after she started raving. Let’s take a look at how it all started!
“When did you start producing?”
Lucky Rabbit gives us a heartfelt upbringing. “It's interesting because I grew up in a very non-creative family. Like, I grew up in a very athletic family . . . and I really didn't get that support . . . I had issues reading music . . . but if it was written out [in a particular fashion], I could actually learn music so quickly,” she says. She would eventually receive the support to get involved with the violin in her younger years. Her musical journey was history from there!
“When was your first release?”
She smirks and mentions that in her beginning stages of raving, she experimented with Fruity Loops' basic loops and garage band but did not fully understand the construction of music. Her first ‘sort of’ song she put together was a very trance-like tune, but she didn't stick to it. After receiving some friendly motivation, Lucky Rabbit’s first release was in 2018. It was a single called ‘Amongst My Stars.’
“Did you start producing and DJing at the same time you started raving?”
“So, when I got into raving... I fell in love with the music, and I fell in love with the people, and then I had some friends [who] produced. But basically . . . a lot of artists in my area... were retiring. And, so I was like, I want to learn how to DJ . . . [and make time for] music production because I don't want the music to die,” Lucky Rabbit advocates.
Lucky Rabbit pointed out that she did photography from the first year she started raving and grew a versatile network within the scene. Being influenced by her surrounding DJ and producer friends, she bought her first turntables (Limited Edition White Decks: CDJ-2000NXS2-W and a DJM-800). She chuckles to mention that she used a chunk of her money from the used car she sold. Sounding like a left-field decision at the time, it would’ve led to an ultimate musical journey that couldn't have started without her ‘bold’ yet passionate decision.
“How did you start learning to DJ/ what original toolkit did you use?”
Lucky Rabbit tells us, “The way I learned was taking two tracks and mixing them into each other, and then just from there I would add more. And the first two tracks that I would mix were the Headhunterz remix of ‘Colors’ and ‘Love This Life.’ So yeah, those . . . were the first two tracks I practiced [with].” She mentions that the most important thing about starting is consistency. Her first event she played was a mellow laid-back campout rave and she opened with ‘Lose My Mind’ by Brennan Heart.
“What do you enjoy most about DJing?”
“So, I like keeping it lighthearted and fun. And so, I always make the joke that since my name is Lucky Rabbit, I hop around, so I genre hop. And, people are like, ‘Oh, what are you gonna play?’ I’m like, ‘I don't know,’” chuckles Lucky Rabbit. She adds, “I might figure it out the day before. I just have to make a list of songs, and I kind of pick through it. But I like to keep people on their feet guessing.”
Lucky Rabbit continues to say, “I am very goofy and nerdy at heart, so I like to have my set to reflect my personality. And if I had a dollar for every time somebody [mentions] . . . ‘I don't generally like hardstyle, but I like what you played,’ I'd probably have at least $700 right now.” Marcus and Kriss both laugh. It’s amazing to know that Lucky Rabbit’s music brings new hardstyle fans to the scene!
“Since you have that bubbly quirky personality twist to the type of tracks you make, how do you start producing a track?”
Lucky Rabbit has an exciting yet unconventional approach. “I find vocals first, and I kind of work the track around that.” Lucky Rabbit also mentions one of her tracks, ‘Electro Bolt’ is a reference from one of her favorite video games, Bioshock! With thematic electro-swing twists and inspired vocals, Lucky Rabbit revolves her production around pop culture easter eggs or simply a fitting vocal. “I want people to be able to close their eyes and be able to visualize something . . . and, like, have their own . . . story in their head when they listen to my tracks,” she explains. Listening to her music will be like watching a movie at the same time. Let the music take you on a little journey…
“What challenges have you faced with DJing/ producing and how have you overcome those?”
For production, Lucky Rabbit mentions, “Because I jump around a lot, it can be hard when releasing music.” Three solutions have helped get her releases the exposure they deserve: releasing singles on Spotify, releasing under newer upcoming labels, and humbly releasing those that simply reflect her personality. Being vigilant with copyright in certain samples, she always ensures a unique twist to her music!
For DJing, what matters most according to Lucky Rabbit is the sound that you provide. In her early DJ years, she was once told that she was a hard act to sell because she jumped around too much in sound, nevertheless, she was receiving many out-of-state bookings. After taking it upon herself to self-advocate and self-promote, Lucky Rabbit received commendation on how fluid it was for her to fit on different stages or to mix with other genres.
“How do you see the hardstyle community going from how it’s been and the years following in America or around the world?”
“So, I can probably speak more [for] the U.S. . . . I would say . . . any place . . . Basscon goes, and they show interest, that's an indication [that] hardstyle is growing there . . . They're doing stuff in [San Francisco], Seattle, D.C., Florida, Texas… like they're going everywhere. And it's absolutely made me see how much it's growing,” Lucky Rabbit tells us. Whether it's an underground event or a festival, Lucky Rabbit believes that one thing that has never changed is you have 20-30% of people come to the scene and recycle out for new fans to flow back in.
“So, what dreams do you have for yourself in the hardstyle scene? Or just hard dance in general?”
Lucky Rabbit wants to contribute to team growth. Her efforts are to continuously promote others while recognizing the talent that is home-grown to help grow the scene.
She states, “It’s honestly grown so much since I started raving. Speaking in terms of the US. You’re seeing big headliners dropping hardstyle in their sets, but people don’t want to believe that it’s hardstyle. I have this theory that the name scares people, but when they hear it, they like it! I think it will continue growing as well, especially since you hear a lot of hardstyle influences in newer hard techno. I also want to continue seeing US artists headlining more shows. . . You can try to do things yourself, but the ones who become more successful are the ones that build each other up.” She would also like to do more hard dance endeavors with artists from Mexico!
“Speaking about the audience and the general following American artists have; how can you speak for your fans and the audience that roots for Lucky Rabbit? What kind of future projects do you have down the road, and what can we expect from you?”
Along with her most recent release under the label RAVE'N Records called ‘Spaceship’, Lucky Rabbit has many projects in the making that will reflect her personality and promote self-growth. She wants people to genuinely express who they are. She wants to continue to connect with her fans by releasing personable music that teaches growth and hope for individuals to never feel held down by themselves.
What kind of tips do you have for aspiring producers and DJs”?
Lucky Rabbit has three tips for any aspiring producer or DJ: produce something with passion, “make yourself part of what you produce,” and don’t let anything bring you down for doing what you love.
Both Marcus and Lucky Rabbit have dreams for Hardstyle to become a universal sound that anyone can use for spiritual support!
If you want to listen to or know more about Lucky Rabbit, check her out at:
Spotify: Lucky Rabbit
Soundcloud: DJ Lucky Rabbit
Instagram: djluckyrabbitla
Facebook: DJ Lucky Rabbit
TikTok: djluckyrabbitla
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Marcus is one of the leaders of San Diego Hardstylerz. He started listening to house, trance, eurodance and freestyle as a kid. After a friend showed him hardstyle in 2010, he formed a passion for the scene and music ever since. His hopes are to help thrive the hardstyle scene throughout the states to the best of his ability.
Writer: Marcus
Co-writer: Ivan
Editor: Herlinda
Follow San Diego Hardstylerz:
Instagram: Sdhardstylerz
TikTok: Sdhardstylerz
Donation support: Venmo
Thank you for interviewing me. ❤️ -Lucky Rabbit
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