Meet Dela Moon

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dela Moon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dela, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

I always had good confidence and self-esteem in face-to-face situaltions BUT I had terrible stage fright when performing! In my early years my hands would shake and my heart rate and breathing would be out of control! When I played my closing downtempo sets out at Moontribe’s full moon gatherings, I would make the DJ before me keep playing until everyone left the dancefloor to chilling in their camps because I didn’t want the pressure of making people dance.

The thing that helped the most was learning to teach yoga. I had to combat the same stage fright, except I also had to speak with authority and motivate a room. It was physically and mentally exhausting every time for many, many months and it took me YEARS to really start to get comfortable in that role. And eventually, I also got more comfortable behind the decks as well. The only thing that kept me going was the feeling that it would be incredibly lame to let fear get in the way of doing things I loved.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’ve been lucky enough to be one of the organizers of SoCal’s Moontribe Collective for many years and also a part of the LA-based dnb event crew and label, Momentive/Momentive Recordings.

Moontribe is a non-commerical, donation-based, multi-genre event that takes place during the full moon in the SoCal desert. It just celebrated its 32-year anniversary and has been pivotal in both my musical education and development as a human. It has taught me so much about the importance and power of community ritual.

Momentive is headed up by my partner Jesta Trujillo (a.k.a. Chief Jesta) and seeks to be a curator of the minimal and forward-thinking sounds of underground drum and bass. The crew just hosted a couple DJs from one of our favorite UK labels, Flexout Audio last weekend and has more exciting releases and events planned for the rest of 2025!

Artistically, what really motivates me is following the evolution of music and trying to respond to that evolution. I’m trying to get better at blending deeper sounds into my neuro dnb sets and vice versa! Also, I’ve been playing more multi-genre sets . . . mixing in breaks, 140, UKG, and techno . . . and still finding some time to occasionally dip my toes into psybass too!

On the production side, I have a new collab tune with LMNOP coming out on Play Me Records soon and am wrapping up a more neuro dnb tune that I think I want to self=release soon (something I haven’t done yet!). And there’s a couple more tracks in the works that I will finish when the fun of summer dies down 🙂

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

1. Remember you are an artist and art is a journey of self-discovery. You don’t need validation or commercial success to be a successful artist. As long as you are making art that you love and that helps you understand who you are as a person, you are on the right path. There is no one right way to be an artist and everyone’s path looks different

2. Life is not a competition!! Help others when you can. Be a good, kind, and sincere person because the world needs that more than ever right now.

3. Make physical, mental, and emotional health a priority! You only have one vehicle through life, treat it well! If you are gonna party, make sure you take care of yourself during and after. Long-term inspiration comes from a healthy body and mind

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?

Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by B.K.S. Iyengar : explains yoga philosophy so well and it’s the bedrock of who I am as a person

My other favorite nuggets of wisdom:

– Expect Nothing!
– There’s No Free Lunch
– Live In Love

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Araya Doheny Photo
Jake West Photo
Amir Weiss – Transformational Eye Photo
John Verwey

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