Electronic music and festival culture have made mainstream media stars out of DJs and producers. Now celebrities in their own right the singular styles of your favorites artists have turned into brands of their own with influence that reaches beyond the decks. Partnerships and endorsement deals once reserved for Hollywood and sports stars now include former underground heroes. Their brand launches serve as storytelling mediums and showcase their talents beyond the music. 

As EDM and festival culture surged in the mid-10s artists were sought after for partnerships because they had their finger on the pulse of youth culture. Calvin Harris pushed his yearly revenue well into the seven digits with endorsements from Calvin Klein, Pepsi, and Tag Heuer.  

Beyond the major endorsements, dance music’s stars have found ways to become landmark brands of their own. As they diversified, they launched personal projects in every corner of the marketplace. Music may be what they are known for, but they continue to pull the thread of their personal stories creating brands that showcase their passions.

Honey Dijon - Etsy Creator Collaboration 

“Anything that I do has to have an element of joy, so I really wanted to work with artisans that had that same vibration." - Honey Dijon

Iconic DJ, producer, activist, and fashion Icon Honey Dijon is no stranger to brand expanding collaboration. In 2019 she launched a line consisting of bags and t-shirts called Honey Fucking Dijon with Japanese fashion label Comme des Garcons. The powerhouse didn’t stop there. She’s continued to show her individuality by partnering with 10 Etsy artisans to create colorful mood pieces designed to emphasize individuality. The collection ranges from statement-making printed scarves to bold graphic wall art, and bold expression earrings, all crafted by women of color.   

Peggy Gou- KIRIN

“It’s the first collection so inspiration came from everywhere.”

- Peggy Gou

The trailblazing DJ and Producer is also a prominent fashion designer. Her brand KIRIN translates to giraffe in Korean. It combines her love for the rave with her keen eye for what to wear. The line of 00’s clubby rave wear made its debut at Paris Fashion Week in 2019, where it was wonderfully received. KIRIN is a gender-ambiguous line for the young, the bold, and the bright. Many of the pieces within the line fit firmly into the category of high-end streetwear – bold, printed logos and color-block designs are staples throughout. Much of it is casual, but that’s not to say that it can be considered low-key by any stretch. 

Griz - Astro Hippie and Telescope

"I never thought this day would come and it’s a dream come true — especially when we found a partnership that goes back to my roots." - GRiZ

Detroit-born and bred multi-instrumentalist, future funk superstar, and lifelong stoner GRiZ launched his cannabis brand this year. As a former drug dealer, going legit was an exciting moment. He's launched two legal brands in Michigan where recreational marijuana is legal. 

He bills the Astro Hippie brand as a “love letter to weed culture” geared toward experimenters and tokers who want to “explore life in maximum color” while listening to “music that tickles their ears and blows their minds.” While on the other end Telescope is all about CDB, the nonpsychoactive component in cannabis and hemp.  

Zhu - I Admit It 

The famously mysterious, desert-psychedelic dance music superstar ZHU launched a fashion show mimicking the style of the “I Admit It” music video aesthetic. Committed to creating artistic experiences that stimulate the visual and auditory senses. His first line was created in partnership with creative director and fashion designer Emmy Slattery in the fall of 2020. Consisting of rave-ready high fashion faux fur coats, plastic duffle bags, plastic perforated hazmat suits, airbrushed sweaters, trench coats, a cape with accent orange stitching, and many graphic tees and long sleeves. ZHU and Slattery created a peerless array of merchandise.   

Jamie Jones and Lee Burridge- MEYA

MEYA is the newly launched meditation app. Centered on connecting two key mindfulness methods – music and meditation these heavy hitters worked with the team to curate the soundscape. Both include meditation as part of their daily wellness routine. And with clubs and festivals so severely impacted during the pandemic, aiding in reducing the collective stress and anxiety of the industry seemed like a great way to give back.

Swedish House Mafia- IKEA (launching 2022)

“We both wanted to reach out of our comfort zones and create something new and fresh together: a pure collaboration between music creators and a home expert. We strongly felt a need to collaborate with someone who shared our vision of making it possible for everyone to create music at home. As artists and producers, we also understand the importance of a home studio set-up and the needs and challenges many up-and-coming artists and creatives have at home.” - SHM

The iconic group Swedish House Mafia recently announced a partnership with IKEA allowing creatives the opportunity to design their homes with exclusive furniture. The collaboration emphasizes musical creativity in the home. The renowned furniture brand states their aim for the collection is to help creativity bloom. The line aims to make creatives feel more comfortable and productive in their spaces. SHM was the perfect fit to build a collection that speaks the culture of music producers and at-home creatives.

Hailing from sunny Los Angeles, California, Good Society embodies the feelings of warm weather, endless days, and good vibes. The record label and event promoter is renowned for their incredible line-ups, careful curation, and stacked compilations. Their latest project Good Society Volume 3 pushes the future beats sound with standout artists like oshi, capshun, Laxcity, whereisalex, DECAP, Chromonicci, and more. They're a mainstay in LA and have been expanding their shows out of state to Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Austin, for SXSW. 

With Good Society's constant growth we felt it would be the perfect time to connect with Josh Yamini, the brand's founder to get an inside look at what makes them so good. We discuss their origins, the fusion of hip-hop and electronic music, fostering relationships, creating a unique live experience, and much more. 

Starting at the beginning, Josh explains what sparked the birth of his platform saying, "I started Good Society as an expression of my love for the underground and bringing people together. My taste in music was largely influenced by SoundCloud at the time of launch and all of my experiences at Insomniac festivals made me want to put that love of music and people into action." 

One of the core facets of what makes Good Society so special is their ability to bring together the worlds of hip-hop and electronic music. Whether it's future beats, chilled-out lo-fi, or experimental hip-hop and trap, this fusion is central to Good Society's platform.

"My love for these genres initially stemmed from ripping gems off of YouTube and Adult Swim bumps. I listened to lots of Nujabes, Flying Lotus, and Erykah Badu at the time which then evolved into listing to artists like Mr. Carmack, Sam Gellaitry, and Smino. Oftentimes I’ll bring my knowledge of the beat scene together with vocalists that I’m newly discovering to create a blend of genres that’s totally unique. Other times I might just be working with the artists who’ve coined a sound in between the two and are perfectly representing the medium with us," Josh elaborates about bringing together the two sonic worlds. 

In addition to uniting unique sounds, Good Society strives to bring people together. This applies to fans, through the music and events, as well artists. Josh expands on this outlook, "Our goal is to create a space where people can express themselves and find common ground through music. Ultimately we’d like to bring that to scale and create immersive experiences that go beyond traditional club settings while incorporating the songs and artists we’re releasing on our label. We want to create an ecosystem."

The genuine love for connection is what makes the brand so good. While some platforms focus more on numbers, social media following, or ticket sales, Good Society is all about creating an intangible vibe through human connection. Whether it's friendships, business relationships, or something even deeper.

"The good in Good Society stems from all of the constructive relationships this brand has built with artists, fans, and listeners alike. Many of our work relationships extend into personal ones. We’ve seen countless people having become close friends or start dating after having met at Good Society events. One couple is even getting married!"

Relationships are the cornerstone of any great business, but authenticity is what seems to separate Good Society from your typical promoter and label. Their connections are longstanding with many artists and come out of genuine respect and appreciation for their work. The brand is an extension of its founder's life. The friendships and connections along the way aren't just to the benefit of the label but are also about enriching his personal life.

"Much of our early outreach was done through Instagram and led to us doing things like flying out chromonicci for our second show ever, when we were really just learning the ropes and how to refine our events process. I’ve done everything very personally with this brand to the point of hosting artists at my apartment for the week of our shows, such as chromonicci, capshun, zotti, J Kuch, Malik Eliah, and more. Running Good Society is just as much a means to expand on my own life as it is for that of the audience that I curate for. So these relationships I’ve formed with everyone involved are directly tied to my own happiness," Josh tells us.

While Josh is the driving force behind Good Society, he's not doing it alone. Roto and MadBliss serve as the brand's resident DJs. In addition, they have their own videographer, Gavin Banksy, and Arielle Lana LeJarde serves as their publicist and advisor (editors note: Arielle is a writer for Festival Inside but did not take part in writing this feature). Josh handles the majority of the bookings, label releases, promotion, content, and social media while collaborating with different partners on a per-project basis. 

Matching the quality of their label releases, the Good Society events series looks to raise the bar. Josh explains what makes the series special saying, "The vision behind our concerts was initially to throw them in nature. Being that we’re in a big city, it felt natural to build up the foundation of our brand with solidly curated lineups, and uniquely unforgettable nights. More recently we’ve pivoted into renegade shows, different experiences such as the boat party, and are slowly gearing up to diversify the setting of our parties to better fit our initial dream of Good Society. What makes our events special is the fluidity of it all. You might get a live band 420 show with seemingly infinite free cannabis, a massive warehouse party with Alexander Lewis, or cruise on a boat across the ocean with Josh Pan & Luca Lush. We’ve even done insane live shows at a mansion and in a tunnel on the beach. Our diversity of curation and experiences is one of our strongest points."

Good Society has a lot of exciting prospects on the horizon. They will be expanding their events series, working towards an outdoor indie festival, and releasing more thematic compilations pushing the sounds they love. Josh closes our interview fittingly with an invitation to all, "I hope you get to attend one of our shows in the future or are positively charged by the music we release! Moreover, I hope we get to meet someday. Don’t be a stranger!"

Good Society Volume 3

"I curated this project to affirm the belonging of hip-hop & electronic music in a single space. Otherwise known as future beats, this project brings together soulful and jazzy boom bap production riddled with soulful rap vocals and electronic sound design."- Josh Yamini