Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Markus Braun. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Markus, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Yeah, so the biggest risk I’ve ever taken was my decision to drop out of college to pursue my dream of making it as a professional DJ and Producer, and move to LA with nothing but a stimulus check to hold me over for 1 month.

I attended college at CU Boulder, originally starting as an Engineer on the track to getting my degree in aerospace engineering. I was captivated by space and physics and ultimately wanted to become an astronaut. But after my first semester at CU, I was falsely diagnosed with asthma as a result of chronic bronchitis. I knew this meant that I would have an extremely low chance of being accepted in NASA’s program. My motivation began to slip, and so did my grades.

I had dabbled with music production right before entering college, and with this void that I was now feeling, music became an outlet for inspiration and expression. A good friend showed me how to DJ one night, and I was absolutely hooked. It became my obsession, and I began spending every ounce of free time practicing, watching tutorials on how to get better, and having parties just for the experience of DJing in front of people. Fast forward to my junior year, I began learning how to produce electronic music on Ableton. I was determined to be able to mix in my own records into the DJ sets I was playing. School was quickly becoming plan B, and music was my Plan A.

Life then hit me fast. 2 very close friends of mine passed away from freak accidents, only 2 months apart from one another. It rocked me and my friend group pretty hard, and I had to take a leave of absence from school to avoid failing out of all of my classes. I found myself lost, and fell into a pretty deep depression. It was during this dark time, while some friends turned to substance abuse to cope, I immersed myself deeper into my music. I nicknamed my home “The Dojo,” and dedicated myself entirely to becoming a master of my craft.

When the time finally came to enroll back in classes, I spent a week reflecting on everything I had gone through over the past 4 years. I realized how fragile life can be. The question I had to ask myself was: I could die tomorrow, do I want to finish my degree and find myself in a conventional 9-5 job, pursuing a career that didn’t ignite my passion? Or risk it all and go after the dream, to listen to my heart and try to make it as an artist? I heard a quote that week that said “when you have a plan B, plan A fails.” and with that, I decided to ditch my safety net, reject the path of college, and fully embrace my dream of making it as an artist.

6 months later, covid struck.. I saved up as much of my stimulus money as I could, packed my things, and headed for Los Angeles to start my next chapter in life. Without a hint of regret, I can confidently say it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

So, growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, I was always the kid playing video games and hanging out with friends outside. I was really into drawing and painting and won multiple art competitions in high school for my work. I was always the kid my friends would go to for creating playlist for their ipods back in the day. which kinda nudged me into DJing and music production. It was more than just playing music; it was about sharing it, making it. DJing let me turn that into a full-on performance, and producing just followed naturally.

I think the transition of becoming a “professional” DJ and producer was just the mentality of going all in. It was the mindset that “im going to make this happen and no one will tell me otherwise”. Early on, it was tough because no one around me knew how to make the kind of music I wanted to make, so I spent loads of time on YouTube and Reddit, teaching myself from scratch. Finding a supportive group doing what I was doing wasn’t easy—I had to figure it out on my own, until I found an incredible group of music-oriented friends out in LA.

Now, I’m playing live sets pretty regularly, trying to take my shows beyond state lines, building a global audience. I’ve worked on sound designs for NFT projects and podcast intro’s in the past, but right now, I’m solely focused on pushing my artistry. The genre of music I play and produce is mainly tech house, but leans on almost this big room-tech house sound. that main stage level sound.

Beyond just DJing and producing, I also co-run a record label with my buddy Austin, aka HAWD HITTA. The label is called Club Level Records and we have residencies in Hollywood, DTLA, and Santa Monica. We’re always connecting and doing business with venue owners, promoters, staff, and other event companies to craft epic dance experiences. We’re signing new tracks regularly, booking artists we sign at our events, and a whole lot more—it’s a blast, honestly.

I think what sets me apart is that extra 10% i put into all the small things. its that attention to detail. nowadays everyone and their mother is a DJ, so it takes a lot to stand out. But with that comes a lot of noise, and a lot of people want the easy route to the top. I think the love and care, the practice, the dedication and commitment I’ve put in to developing my sound as a producer and skills as a DJ are really what separates me from the pack.

I think id like people to know that my personal branding has a lot to do with self love and loving those around you. my motto is “be the light” and its short for “be the light you with to see in the world”. You’ll notice I symbolize “light” in a lot of my album art, and even went as far as bleaching my hair white at the launch of my artist project to signify this message. I think in an industry that can have a lot of dark energy in it, its important to be a beacon of light, as both an artist and a consumer of music. I think I spread this message by just leading by example. If you ever meet me on the street ill always treat a stranger with as much love as I do a close friend.

Looking ahead, my focus is on taking my music and performances to the next level—bigger venues, festival gigs, getting my tracks picked up by major labels. And as for Club Level Records, we’re not slowing down. It’s been an explosive start, and we’re just getting warmed up. I want this label to be a name everyone knows in the industry.

So yeah, whether you bump into me on the street or catch one of my sets, you’ll see the love and energy I bring. It’s all about spreading that light, in music and beyond.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think the most rewarding aspect to being an artist is being able to share the same experiences with others that i love myself. Growing up in Chicago, I attended lollapalooza every year starting at the age of 13. In college, I cant event count how many times i attended shows at red rocks, fox theater, boulder theater, temple night club. The energy and memories that i got to share with those around me is something that has always been such a big part of my life, and being able to give that back to people is a blessing.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think the best way society can support artists and creatives is just showing up. if you’re friend has their art on display at your local coffee shop, go show your support if they host an auction. If you need a flyer made for your business, support that friend who does graphic design by giving them your business. If your friend thats in a band got a gig at your town’s local venue, go watch them perform. It means the absolute world to us and gives us the motivation we need to keep going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.markusbraunmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsmarkusbraun
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFv0S_Fu4cA9wFuIbwdD-Vg
• Other: spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2jQxAU4V6603T0D17RaPrf?si=BBV-erUQQReV631KQJhKZg