There’s something refreshing about an artist who shows up to an interview wearing a custom alien helmet. Not because they have to, but because they genuinely believe the music should speak louder than the person behind it. That’s Vay, a Los Angeles-based DJ and producer who’s doing his own thing in a city already packed with tech house DJs.
The helmet started as a bit of fun, but it stuck. “It’s completely silly,” Vay admits, “but I wanted to make things more about the music than about me personally.” What began as sketches on paper evolved into the Vaylien persona, complete with an Intergalactic Party Alliance, his community of fans who attend shows, share music, and receive exclusive content.
Los Angeles has become a major hub for tech house in recent years, with venues like Academy, Sound, and Exchange regularly hosting both international headliners and local talent. The scene has exploded since 2021, driven partly by artists like John Summit who’ve brought the genre significant mainstream attention. Vay’s entering this already crowded field, but he’s got his own angle: mixing tech house with melodic elements while throwing parties that feel more like reunions than club nights.
His musical foundation started early. His grandmother, a Juilliard alumna, introduced him to piano when he was young. Classical training gave him technical skills, but by his teens, hip hop had taken over. Wu-Tang Clan, Tribe Called Quest, Black Moon, and Busta Rhymes shaped his understanding of rhythm and sampling. These influences still appear in his production style, particularly in his approach to vocal chops and percussion patterns.
Vay discovered electronic music during the late 90s New York rave scene, catching legendary sets from Sasha & Digweed at Twilo. That’s where it all clicked for him. In his early 20s, he made his way to Miami, where his tastes got refined at places like Club Space and watching Cedric Gervais during his early Sunday night residency sets at Nikki Beach.
Miami became his base for producing and performing internationally, with bookings in Germany and South America. Between 2009 and 2016, he focused on electro house, releasing tracks under a different moniker during the genre’s commercial peak.
The shift to tech house came around 2020. While many producers pivoted during the pandemic, Vay saw an opportunity to develop a new sound. Tech house was having a moment, with the genre dominating Beatport charts and festival lineups. But rather than follow trends, Vay focused on combining the genre’s driving energy with melodic elements that set his tracks apart from the standard four-on-the-floor formula.
Instead of shopping demos to established labels, Vay launched Stellar Beats. The label focuses on tech, progressive, melodic house, and techno. While independent labels face challenges in a market with major players like Insomniac Music Group, Vay maintains that ownership and creative control justify the extra work.
The past ten months have been spent primarily in the studio, with Vay developing enough material for monthly releases through 2025. “This Is Who We Are” anchors the catalog as a statement of intent. “I’m So Lonely” demonstrates his distinct approach to tech house. “We Don’t F With Daylight” exists in multiple versions, including radio and extended club mixes, showing commercial ambition alongside underground credibility. Additional tracks “Release Me,” “I’ll Guide You Home,” and “Good Vibes” round out the initial release schedule.
His recent label launch party in Los Angeles tested this material live. The two-hour set consisted entirely of unreleased original projects — a risky move for an emerging artist. The event included branded elements like a Haribo gummy station, merchandise, and an open bar, investments that suggest Vay views these events as brand-building exercises rather than just DJ gigs.
“During my shows, I really want people to feel connected. Not just to the music but to each other,” Vay explains. “On the dance floor, complete strangers can become family.”
This philosophy drives the Intergalactic Party Alliance, positioned as more than a fan club. Vay, who began attending raves in the late 1990s, aims to recreate elements of that era’s community focus. The IPA offers exclusive content, early access to tickets, and creates a framework for fans to connect outside of events.
His influences tell the whole story of electronic music. He name-checks the legends like Sasha & Digweed, Underworld, and Carl Cox, plus Ferry Corsten whose melodic mastery clearly rubbed off on Vay’s own approach. Then there’s Deep Dish, CamelPhat, Eric Prydz, and Timo Maas from that next wave, through to current names like John Summit, Chris Lake, and Mau5. But ask him about his all-time favorite musician? Stevie Wonder, no hesitation. “I don’t see how anyone could really dispute his talent.”
Vay’s immediate goals include bookings at Los Angeles venues Exchange and Avalon, both cornerstone venues for electronic music in the city. Exchange has been voted the number one nightclub on the West Coast, while Avalon, founded in 1927 and transformed into a dance music hub in 2003, regularly hosts major international DJs through partnerships with Insomniac. He’s targeting festival slots at HARD Summer and Ultra Music Festival, events that could provide broader exposure.
The business model focuses on catalog building rather than chasing viral moments. With streaming revenues notoriously low for electronic music, Vay emphasizes merchandise, event production, and community building as revenue streams. The Stellar Beats catalog could eventually provide sync opportunities and remix possibilities.
TikTok serves as the primary promotional platform (@vaybeats), where Vay releases music previews before other channels. This strategy aligns with current industry trends, where TikTok has become crucial for electronic music discovery, particularly among younger audiences who form the core of tech house’s growing fanbase.
The timing seems right. Fisher’s 2018 track “Losing It” is credited as a major milestone in bringing tech house to mainstream EDM audiences. John Summit, who broke through with “Deep End” in 2020, became Beatport’s top-selling artist in 2021 and by 2024 was called “the hottest name in dance music” by Rolling Stone. Tech house has entered the mainstream globally, with industry reports showing it as one of the fastest-growing electronic genres.
LA’s tech house scene keeps getting bigger, but Vay’s carved out his own corner with the melodic production and his Intergalactic Party Alliance. With a year of releases ready to go and people actually showing up for his events, he’s building something real. The alien helmet might seem like a gimmick at first, but when you see how it all comes together – the music, the community, the Haribo stations – you get that he’s not just another DJ trying to stand out. He’s creating an actual experience.
Find Vay on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Soundcloud, his website, or check out Stellar Beats.
