If 2024 is the year of the it girl, then Mary Droppinz is about to have her biggest year yet. With her music bringing the party vibes to the house and techno scene, Mary Droppinz has found a level of success at an early stage in her career that most don't. This is a testament to her skills as both an artist and a marketer, as her ability to curate a brand has made her an unforgettable new artist for 2024.
We took a moment to chat with Mary Droppinz just in time for the release of her new EP The Cycle on Zed's Dead's Altered States label. Stream the new EP here and check out what she had to say about its production below.
savormeditation: Tell us a bit about how you got into DJing? Which came first, DJing or producing?
Mary Droppinz: I started djing first in 2015 for fun. I was a marketing manager at a big ad agency and had a good stable salary job with health insurance. I didn’t plan that DJ'ing would become my full time but I knew the moment I touched the decks that this was my destiny, this is my life, this is what I had been missing and finally felt creative freedom which I was craving.
Coming from Nebraska, I was not exposed to DJ or festival culture at all, I was always a music head though, mostly loving emo or oldies rock. I went to Coachella in 2012 and discovered everything I didn’t think it could even be real! I dove hard into electronic music and the underground. I became a DJ shortly after, so barely was even a fan before i became a DJ.
I used to play piano and watch my dad play drums growing up so after 5 years of DJing. I decided it’s time to put my producer hat on, I loved the music too much. When I started going to school at IO academy for Ableton, that’s when a lot clicked for me. I was DJ'ing house/techno for 5 years until i started producing, then I realized the beats my body naturally moves to were more broken than 4x4.
I got even deeper into subgenres of electronic music and found myself in breaks, electro, dnb, UKG, bass and jersey club. Although I’ve been producing for 4+ years I still feel very new but I am honestly grateful I approached this as a DJ first. A lot of producers have a hit track then have to perform and have no clue how to operate a crowd as a DJ so I feel really strong knowing I'm a badass DJ first! As I continue to learn, grow and explore myself as a producer I am excited to keep sharing my take on dance music.
Flashbang Matrix Reflective Cropped Jacket
"Puffy jackets for those late night outdoor festivals [are a] must."
iHR: I saw on your TikTok you said it's not about genres, it's about energy. I love that. How do you approach curating your sets?
MD: When i curate my set I take in account my mood and what I want to deliver for the night so that it is authentically coming from my heart. I like to create little blocks in my sets of different genres for fluidity but leave a lot of room for serendipity because that’s when magic happens between the DJ and the dance floor.
I believe DJ’s are energy conductors and not iPod playlists. We are here to draw/weave the beats and rhythms with our energy, creating a safe environment for the dancers to let their bodies free!
Iridescence Butterfly Hairclips
"I love this cute clip anything iridescent or butterfly i’m obsessed with."
iHR: Tell us a bit about the production process on your new EP, The Cycle.
MD: I love to create themes for my tracks, like decide the mood/energy/story I’m trying to share first. I often start with drums as they are my favorite part of any track! Then I like to build from there, all of my vocals I just recorded on my phone and then used vocoder in Ableton to give it this kinda robot classic electro vibe.
I will also use samples that i find on Bandcamp or splice and start sketching the idea. From there I will go back and clean up building parts based off of the sample placeholders. I pretty much use all Ableton stock plugins. I also love creating drums on my Roland tr8-s and Ableton push! After I’ve built out the song arrangement with all my parts then I have an engineer help me with the mix-down etc, I only want to put forth my best work so there’s only like 2 friends i trust with feedback & helping dial my music to make it radio ready.
Foreign Friend Reflective & UV Reactive Body Sticker Set
"I might be the only DJ without tattoos but id love to rock these for added fun!"
iHR: The EP came out on Zeds Dead's label, Altered States. How did that come to be?
MD: I’ve been releasing on Altered States the past few years so it made sense to keep it within the family! Shoutout to 2+2 management for connecting the dots and having me as one of their first artists to release on ZD’s new label! It’s been really cool to be apart of it since the start, we shaping the sound of Altered States.
iHR: What were some of your inspirations for that EP?
MD: I made these songs over a year ago when I was going through my own personal growth. ‘The Cycle’ was created to help me stay disciplined to break toxic cycles and relationships that I had in my life at the time, to not go back and repeat the same thing.
‘Really Don’t Care’ I made when I decided to do a 3 day fast to really push my mental capacity and give my body time to heal. In this experience I worked on releasing caring what others thought or said about me.
‘Pink Lambo’ is my favorite I made as like the highest goal, this is where I'm going to be, once I release all the toxic cycles, stop caring about things or people that no longer serve me, this is the ultimate destination — being your baddest, sexiest, freakiest, most successful self! I also did see a pink Lamborghini parked in my neighborhood the day i made this when i came back from the sauna so that’s where the inspo from my lyrics started ;)
Out Of The Dark Reflective Mesh Ultra Crop Top
"I love bolero’s and this looks like it’d be perfect add to any outfit."
iHR: Tell us about some of your upcoming shows. Which ones are you most excited for?
MD: I’m most excited for this summer :) I can’t really announce specifics but it’s going to be a beautiful year of new places, new experiences, new original music to drop! Oh and march 16th I am hosting my own party in DTLA so that is a new fun venture I'm excited to embark on as well!
iHR: What is your craziest rave or festival memory?
MD: When I played the Zeds Dead jamboree in Denver over 4th of July last year. I was playing the small side stage for altered states and then basically a monsoon of rain down poured on everyone so we all had to flee and go inside. Thousands of ravers stayed outside to brave the rain, insane!
[Then] my manager came running up to me in the green room and said “we need you at main-stage” I'm like what??? and yeah basically I went out to revive the ravers after the insane torrential rain before Zeds Dead played their set. I was shook, to go from the side stage to main stage in a matter of an hour and to be the light at the end of the tunnel for all those people that sat in the rain and waited for the music… my heart! I will never forget this!
Backstage Baddie Reflective Cutout Top
"I love reflective gear especially when im DJ'ing, it just makes me feel extraterrestrial and techy."
iHR: Where do you look for inspiration when it comes to festival fashion?
MD: I love creating my outfit based on my set for that festival and the vibe I want to give off, my style & my beats go hand in hand!
Wide Awake Buckle Long Sleeve Top
"As a DJ mostly the top matters because that’s all that anyone can see from the crowd. This looks sexy and gives techno vibes."
iHR: What are some of your favorite festival or rave fashion trends?
MD: I love when people wear belly chains, bucket hats and fast sunglasses. such a viiiibe.
Barricade Baddie Cutout Bodysuit
"This reminds me of the outfit I wore for my Lightning In A Bottle set last year—bringing back amazing memories."
iHR: If you made a piece of Kandi today, what would it say?
MD: cute ting or fuck around & find out
