DEAD X Reflects on His Journey Ahead of EDC Las Vegas

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DEAD X swung by to chat about his project’s origins, the importance of his upcoming performance at EDC Las Vegas, and so much more!

DEAD X is among the few who have elevated the American Hard Dance scene in a major way. Despite being based in the States, he has spread the gospel of that community through key releases on prestigious labels like Barong Family, Basscon Records, and Theracords Labs, among others.

Backed by a signature style can be described as obnoxious yet technically profound, and the scene has fallen in love with DEAD X. He’s been steadily building a loyal fanbase along the way, while earning praise from top dogs through collaborations and live support. Artists such as Dr. Donk, Mish, Yoshiko, and so many others have already given him a stamp of approval, and there’s surely more to come.

His journey so far hasn’t been easy, but DEAD X has shown resilience in the face of uncertainty through his relentless drive and passion for the harder styles. These key factors have led to one of the most important bookings of his career as he takes over the mighty wasteLAND at EDC Las Vegas on the first day of the festival.

DEAD X is no stranger to EDC Las Vegas, as he and Levenkhan had an exhilarating B2B set in 2024, and in 2025, he joined Basscon Records during their Beatbox Art Car takeover. This year, however, he finally earned the opportunity to truly showcase his project in his own way with full creative control.

Before the madness ensues, we caught up with DEAD X to get an inside look at his mindset as he gears up for the dance music Super Bowl. Read on as he dives deep into his origins, his friendship with Lil Texas, plans for his EDCLV performance, and so much more!

Stream DEAD X – HEADLIGHTS on Spotify:

To start, I’d like to turn back the clock because many fans only know you as DEAD X. Can you share more about the early stages of your musical career and what kind of music you were making back then?

I spent most of my teen years in and out of various punk & rock bands around the San Diego area, playing guitar and bass mostly. Here’s some lore: From 2005-2007, I actually got to play onstage with Lenny Kravitz a handful of times. When it was time for me to go to music school for college, he actually wrote my recommendation letter!

My journey with electronic music started when I discovered Justice and Daft Punk in my senior year of high school. Those guys showed me that you could still be badass and have attitude while making and DJing electronic music instead of being in a band. I then spent the 2010s making really bad trap music under a different name.

Now, getting to the present, you’re known as the All-American Boy, and fans know you for your blistering hard dance tracks. How were you exposed to the harder styles, and what about it made you want to continue pursuing it as an artist?

As most people know, I’ve been sober for some years. After I began that part of my journey in 2018, I found that some of my favorite music wasn’t doing it for me energy-wise anymore for some reason. I was conveniently introduced to hardcore and rawstyle, discovering guys like Cryogenic, Delete, Rooler, and the American hardcore OG’s, DOA (shoutout to Industrial Strength Records).

I just needed something more angry and abrasive at that point in time, and the harder stuff really spoke to me as a listener. I didn’t start trying to produce any of this stuff for at least another year after I initially fell in love with the sound.

We also know you have a long history with another standout artist in the scene, Lil Texas. What importance did your relationship to him have to your decision to pursue hard dance music?

Yeah, we’ve been making music together since like 2010. I took some time away from music in 2016-2018 — mainly to navigate some necessary lifestyle changes while I was getting sober. Lil Texas and I still talked every day during that period. He’s like my brother.

Anyway, around 2018, he pivoted to hardcore. He put me on to everything he was listening to at the time. When I saw that he was playing shows and getting to meet and hang with artists I was freshly discovering, it became motivation for me. I started thinking about creating a project so I could carve my own path in the space.

I actually called him for permission because I didn’t want him to think I was biting his whole vibe. He laughed and was nothing but encouraging. Now here we are, almost five years later! He’s done so much in the way of putting me on, introducing me to people, and once in a while, telling me to stop overthinking shit.

You’re set to return to EDC Las Vegas this year for your first solo set at the mighty wasteLAND! How do you feel about finally earning the opportunity to properly showcase DEAD X at EDC Las Vegas?

I couldn’t be happier, and I don’t think it could have happened at a better time. I think that I mean to say that it feels deserved. Success is so relative and happens on its own terms, and all we can control is our own preparation should the next opportunity arise. I find that if I can remain prepared, I end up putting the best version of myself and my project forth. That’s as much a life lesson as it is about music and branding.

I’m sure you have a lot planned for this set, too. What can fans expect in terms of music at your set?

I’m pulling some of my favorite solo tracks out of the archive and cooking up some insane live edits. I also have several collaborations I’m premiering. As far as the rest of the tracklist, I’ll be throwing in all my latest favorites. If you’ve seen me play live in 2026, imagine that set but on steroids. I know one thing — you won’t stop dancing or pumping fists. It’s going to be active!

If you only had one sentence to convince people to come out to see you, what would you say?

You might pee yourself.

Getting back to your project, it’s already been an active year for you on the release front. Can you share anything else about what fans can expect from you as we get into the second half of 2026?

I just dropped “HEADLIGHTS,” which will give you a solid teaser of where my sound is going at the moment. I’ve been having fun mixing it up with all the new kicks I’ve been making. I love the 160 BPM range, and I feel there is so much to explore. I have some collaborations being thrown back and forth that I’m very excited about with some artists, fans will be pleased to see me next to.

To end on a positive note, congratulations on being one of the success stories of American Hard Dance. For other producers who are Stateside who want to follow in your footsteps in the hard dance scene, what advice would you give them?

Figure out how to enjoy the process because there really isn’t a clear path paved for us in the USA. If you can enjoy yourself in the face of that uncertainty, you’re more likely to stick around long enough for something cool to come your way.