We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful DNA Proxi. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with DNA below.
DNA , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Helix Hydroponix is an ongoing project to share how easy it can be to grow fresh food from home. We offer online and in-person education to all ages informing people about the importance of food security. This ongoing endeavor has offered us worldwide platforms to present upon in countries such as Brazil and Japan. A collaborative effort to exchange knowledge on the most modern means of farming. We believe food should originate from many dispersed local farms, instead of a few assembly-line factory operations. Accessibility to nutritional food is an on-going issue currently in our country, and around the world. We cannot pass off responsibility as others have done to our generation, the solutions need to happen now.
One such group responsible for our formation, that’s working to alleviate these issues is The Grow Haus in Denver. On an abandoned lot near an industrial zone transformed into a successful hydroponic/ aquaponic greenhouse they feed those in need of nutrition. Many food deserts exist in the United States, where residents are unable to access any quality nutrition within a reasonable distance from their homes. The Grow Haus with their ability to grow fresh healthy food in the most unlikely of areas continues to be a beacon of hope and nutrition in Denver. When I had the pleasure of conducting research within their aqua-farms in 2014 funded by The University of Colorado, I focused on which designs were most efficient. After concluding through rigorous testing that vertical towers produced the most food per square meter, we applied these considerations to Helix Hydroponix. Later in 2016 the university would construct it’s own vertical tower greenhouse whose purple glow of growing progress can still be seen when entering Boulder from the main highway.
Helix Hydroponix focuses on real humanity, helping families comprehend how to grow food from home without the need for complex pumps or processes. By empowering youth early to learn how easy it can be to grow microgreens, we amplify their curiosity for seeking solutions. Children are excited to learn about possibilities they’ve never seen before. They seek answers regardless of what older generations claim to be impossible. To them science is magical! We aim to enable more communities to grow fresh food in their neighborhoods. To encourage a collaborative attitude that has sprouted places like The Grow Haus to trade their fresh produce for local eggs and other goods, resulting in affordable food boxes for everyone in their zip code. People-to-people progress is more powerful than you know.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hello to all the new readers out there, great to make your long distance acquaintance! I go by DNA Proxi and I’m a Biologist obsessed with bass music. Formulated as a new means to communicate scientific splendor, we were synthesized in Japan while attending a meeting of the minds. It was there that I had a chance to share both my musical tastes as well as exuberance for new hydroponic solutions. While performing, the effects of music visibly crossed cultural barriers, aiming direct for the soul. My verbal presentations were important, yet I had the sensation I was reaching more people on the dance floor. When we tie knowledge to flowing movements of the body, we tend to remember things better. That’s why most of us are clearly able to recall the first time we heard an amazing tune at a show, almost as if encoding memory through vibrant active sound!
Our natural world is full of spectacular truths, deep wisdom that has formed the foundation for this ongoing multi-billion year experience we know as “life.” The selfless self-assembling molecules that collaborated to create all the flourishing beings we see today. Unity lies at the heart of all this natural phenomena. Corporations would find it convenient if you believed life to be a desperate struggle, a so-called “survival of the fittest” situation in which you have to claw and gnash your way to the top in constant competition. As science has revealed, our origin story is far more collaborative and enrapturing than such dimwitted deliberations. This philosophy of “active-sharing” is how we formed our artist collective Bio Bass Buds. Diverse riveting artists take audiences on extended audio journeys. We all gain far more momentum by combining our efforts instead of competing against one another viciously. Ecosystems and dance floors are similar, everyone’s presence makes the vibe we seek, the more biodiversity the better we all become.
2024 initiates our Bio Bass Buds residency at The Black Box Lounge (314 E 13th Ave Denver, Colorado) every third Thursday. This spectacular event was only made possible when the underground unified around pure sound. True soundsystem culture thrives on respect, a mutual love for everyone’s craft, celebrating life with the collective creativity. The Black Box is known for “moving people thru sound, not hype” which we proliferate as our primary aesthetic while hosting events. From veteran artists to newer sparks, we open up this portal of progress to enjoy all the wonderful sounds emanating from this glistening tapestry of everyone’s combined-minds. If you’re a producer seeking a place to share your sound, reach out to ([email protected]). Just as we wish to empower families to grow their own healthy food with Helix Hydroponix, sharing their bounty with their respective communities, our artistic ambitions are similarly to harvest freshly produced beats from local scientists of sound, so that we may all flourish. Music and food are synonymous. When I hear a song I needed, it’s like getting a replenishing meal for the soul, it’s nutrition we all need to feel like we’re part of a lively community. It’s an honor to conduct such experiments in the Bass Capitol of the world!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Fair compensation is required for a thriving artistic community. As we wish to see money circulate within local farm economies to promote true communal health, this also needs to be applied to all creative endeavors. Artists can’t eat “exposure,” so while it’s important to be seen, it’s more meaningful to be appreciated monetarily. Granted this must be sustainable, the more open we are about what we all require in terms of resources, the better all our events will become. Money gained at our events is happily funneled back into the artist’s pocket. Too many operations rely on deceit, exploiting the artists with false promises that never come to fruition. Instead of teasing money that will never be paid, sustainably lower your costs to ensure at least everyone can go home with something instead of nothing, but bitterness. If you are donating your time be it to organize or contribute art, be sure it’s a mutually beneficial scenario.
To all artists I encourage you to inquire about compensation. Even if they cannot afford you, this starts the relationship in a meaningful way allowing mutual respect to be shown through negotiations. We understand venues have operating costs, but artists also require fair compensation lest they go hungry on the streets. If we all perpetually pretend like “it’s no big deal, this is their dream after all,” then our entire community suffers. Corporations will always be there with a quick fix or a sloppy outsourced option to extract our value. We all suffer when the only options we have are exploiter A or B. It takes real people, actual humanity to say “we value our artists, we value our farmers, and we value our interconnected lives that we all share.” What you spend your time, money, and attention on allows that thing to blossom into reality. I hope people recognize their powerful ability to amplify different elements of our culture. To truly have a thriving ecosystem of any sort, we all need to actively participate, supporting local venues, supporting local farmers, and supporting the artists that make all our jubilant times possible.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
Peace. DNA Proxi is an ongoing project that proliferates the frequency of peace. The “party” is an invention of highly advanced peaceful ancient people. Humanity has veered off course from that which makes our DNA unique, the ability to create sustained peace. A party can only occur when resources are solid, that everyone has what they need in order to express themselves through art instead of a desperate struggle to survive. If we could recognize our combined powers, I anticipate a worldwide peace party could occur. Don’t allow psychotic thugs to convince you there’s “simply not enough.” Immense lies are told, resources squandered, and war propaganda pushed en mass to separate us from the true form of humanity; peace. Everyday people, real humans that care for their community, this maintains and proliferates peace. The people have the power, and we always will when unified.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dnaproxi.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dnaproxi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/DNA-Proxi/100063155624295/
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/dnaproxi
- Other: http://soundcloud.com/dna-proxi https://www.thegrowhaus.org/
Image Credits
-Brandon Colby -Owen Wyan Hickerson