California-based artist proppaganda is shaking up the industry with his jaw-dropping performances and cutting-edge productions. With his live performance series Sonar Sessions, he defies logic and limits by performing DJ sets in extreme environments.
Self-proclaimed as “Dance Music’s Daredevil,” he has set out to blur the lines between reality and spectacle with Sonar Sessions. With Sonar Sessions 001 he embarked on a world-first DJ set in the Bahamas, among numerous sharks.
His latest single ‘AERIAL’ follows the success of his debut ‘ALL TALK’, both showcasing a sound as fearless and bold as his live concepts. With more adrenaline-fueled installments in the works, proppaganda isn’t just pushing boundaries, he’s redefining what it means to be an artist. 
In our interview with proppaganda, he discusses Sonar Sessions 002, the importance of taking risks, what the industry is missing, plus he shares an exclusive mix below!
Let’s talk about your latest track ‘AERIAL’ which showcases your detailed and innovative production. What was the most challenging part of the creative process with this track, and how did you work through it?
The hardest part about this track was trying to complete the song without a lead vocal and getting the acid right. I kept working through it until I got this exciting feeling in my gut that told me it was good. Once you have that feeling, you have to trust it and move on and stop tweaking, haha. Easier said than done, but it works!
Stream ‘AERIAL’ below:
You’re self-described as “Dance Music’s Daredevil”. What does that phrase mean to you, not only in terms of performance, but artistically too?
It means that I’m okay with taking chances that may or may not pan out without worrying about the outcome or what people think. I’m daring in the studio when I go from making tech house to techno, and daring with my sets when I’m in these extreme settings. I want my art to fully embody what I think art should be—what the artist is feeling in that current moment and sharing it with the world without worrying about the outcome.
I have fun making house and techno, and I want to play both in my sets just like I have fun swimming with sharks or recording a live set 6,000 feet up in the sky. It’s really important to me to be in the moment and push myself as hard as I can in all areas of life.
Your Sonar Sessions performance in the Bahamas took 10 years to create. What was the initial spark behind Sonar Sessions, and what inspired you to kick off Sonar Sessions in such a high-risk setting?
The project itself took me around 10 years to share because I wanted to make sure my music was ready and I had a vision for all of this hard work I’ve been putting in. Content creation is essential for artists nowadays, and without a clear vision/content plan, good music doesn’t get heard, in my opinion.
My best friend from high school came up with the idea because he’s a professional wildlife photographer and helps run a shark diving company out in Florida! We wanted to work together on a project because we both found our passions that helped us get out of getting into trouble as young adults. In short, we partied too much and didn’t have our priorities straight. He found a camera, and I started making music, and it helped us deal with our addiction habits.
How do you think pushing performance into extreme environments changes the way people experience your music?
When I curate these sets, I make music that fits the setting to make it a slam-dunk audio-visual experience. For Brazil, I’ve made this huge cinematic intro that goes into a really fiery Latin tech house song. We hope the visuals and setting showcase the amount of thought and hard work it took to pull off, while the music allows you to party and feel something while you watch.
With Sonar Sessions, you’re blurring the lines between reality and performance. How do you balance spectacle with musical substance, ensuring that one doesn’t outshine the other?
Our goal is to provide as much entertainment as possible while showcasing our best work to date musically and stunt-wise. How one perceives that is up to them. We truly are just having fun and doing what makes us feel alive. If one outshines the other, at least we can walk away and say we did it.
What did the process of planning and executing Sonar Sessions 001 teach you about yourself personally, and as an artist?
That I’m not sure what else on the planet I could do as an artist, other than these stunts, to make me feel as alive and accomplished as they make me feel. I’ve been doing wild things like this with my friends since I was a kid, and you can’t replace the feeling I get when I’m executing what was once an outrageous idea without worrying about the outcome.
Social media thrives on immediacy and hype. How do you maintain authenticity in a digital culture that often rewards the opposite?
You will see exactly how in Sonar Sessions 002 🙂
You’ve talked about defying industry expectations. What do you think the electronic music scene is missing right now, and how do you plan to disrupt it?
I think the music scene is missing originality. It seems like the top 2% came up with their own lane, and the bottom 98% copy them in the hopes that they can make something out of it. I wish more artists spent more time in the studio, figuring out their own sound and worked on more unique social media strategies. I’ve been told by a lot of fans that it’s upsetting to them when you go to a show and, if you were to close your eyes, you really do not know who is playing.
I also do not know if my plan is going to work and do not think I’m better than anyone else trying to make it here. I am at least trying something original and trying to carve out my own lane without copying someone else. It sadly does come with a risk, though. I hope it works out for me, but I’d rather fail trying this than following the norm.
Can you give us any hints about where Sonar Sessions 002 might take us?
6,000 feet up in the sky on a platform attached to a hot air balloon with skydivers, smoke bombs, and a sunrise 🙂
What does the rest of 2025 hold for you? Any collaborations, or projects in the works?
I am currently releasing one song per month as of now and have two big collabs in the works. No shows planned as of yet because I really want to grow my social media following. November/December, I am going to do something unique, though, so stay tuned for that, and thank you so much for giving me the chance to interview with you all! <3
Stream proppaganda’s exclusive mix below:
Tracklist:
AERIAL – PROPPAGANDA
GET BUSY – SEAN PAUL (ODD MOBB REMIX)
CAMPEÓN – ZULAN
BOOST UP – FISHER FT FLOWDAN
THINK U THE SH*T – ODD MOB (EDIT)
VICTORY LAP – FRED AGAIN (ACAPELLA)
FEIN – TRAVIS SCOTT (TAVATLI REMIX)
MELODIA – SPACE92
DOM DOLLA – DREAMIN (PROPPAGANDA REMIX)
ALL TALK – PROPPAGANDA
STILL TIPPIN – MIKE JONES (ACAPELLA)
THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS – HEY BOY (ARTBAT REMIX)
DRUGS FROM AMSTERDAM – MAU P (MADDIX REMIX)
MISS MONIQUE, GENESI, CARL BEE – NOMACITA (PROPPAGANDA REMIX)
FLIGHT FM – JAY ORBINSON (PROPPAGANDA REMIX)
MORTAL KOMBAT – TECHNO SYNDROME – (PROPPAGANDA REMIX)
FVKVRVND – BOYZ NOISE
JET SETTER – TIARO (FLIP)
ELI BROWN – WAVEY (PROPPAGANDA REMIX)
FORMULA LOCA – SPACE92
NO BRAKES – HNTR
ODESZA – LOYAL (PROPPAGANDA REMIX)
LOSE YOUR MIND – PROPPAGANDA
MEET ME IN SAO PAOLO – SHLOMO
SCEE – BRUTALISMUS 3000
HIDDEN REVEAL – RUBIØ (PROPPAGANDA REMIX)
OMG – SHLOMO
SHOULDNT KNOW – VE/RA
THE ORANGE THEME – HI-LO & TAI WOFFINDEN
AGE OF LOVE – CHARLOTTE DEWITT (ACAPELLA)
MONACO – BAD BUNNY (PROPPAGANDA REMIX)
ANYMA, ELLIE GOULDING – HYPNOTIZED (PROPPAGANDA REMIX)
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