Tropical Since 98

Today we are super excited to release DJ Dan's (inStereo Recordings, Apt Ent, Los Angeles) epic 2+ hour fast and funky house set from the dramatic Tropical 27-Year Anniversary Hot Tub Oasis Retreat September 28, 2025! We've had Dan play before, both at Tropical Oasis Retreat back in 2016, and at Tropical Boat party in 2018.  So this return is an appearance long overdue. This is the best mixed set I (Ben Annand) heard in 2025, as well as my favorite DJ Dan set. This year I got to know Dan quite a bit better as we were  festival roommates in Wisconsin (July), Alaska (Sept) and finally in California at this Tropical Event. He's a super funny and humble guy, a legend for a reason.  As the more humble headliners often do, Dan asked about how to play at this particular event.  I delivered what I know to be the best  news you can give to the dj - Our crowd is super open, play however you want, feel free to take risks and be adventurous in a long set. That's exactly what you get here - Funky AF, a bit faster than normal due to where Dan was handed off, lots of 80s and 90s influences and fun flashbacks, artfully and perfectly mixed. If there is ever a museum created for DJ mixes, this one should go in it. Enjoy the funk out of it! * Photo by Dj Dazy, Mix Cover by Ben Annand ** Tropical Oasis Retreat started in September 2011, and is now a completely private event, off social media. If you would like to be invited to purchase tickets for Tropical 28-Year Hot Tub Oasis Retreat, please complete the form below: Tinyurl.com/Tropical28YearApp ♡ Tropical

Release #2 from Tropical 27-Year is on Oct. 9, 2025, the actual anniversary date of the event! Recorded live 7pm-9pm Sunday September 28, 2025 on a beautiful night under a bouquet of stars in the high desert of Southern California... ...is Tropical resident / founder Ben Annand's 2-hour Sunday night set which bridges the musical space between Evan Hatfield's live ethnic techno, and DJ Dazy's deep house closing set... This set has two different feels in its 2 halves, starting with a dreamy and lightly progressive minimal house vibe, and switching into deep house about halfway through. It was followed by an hour of Dazy and Ben switching off every 3 tracks, and then Dazy's 2 hour closing set, posted previously. Enjoy! Note: Tropical 28-Year Hot Tub Oasis Retreat will take place Sept 18-21, 2026 and will be a completely private event. If you are interested in attending, please complete the form: https://tinyurl.com/Tropical28YearApp

Last things first :) - Presenting the closing set from Trropical 27- Year Anniversary Hot Tub Oasis Retreat, recorded 10 PM to Midnight on Sunday night, closing all the music at our event <3 It was a very intense event with a huge downpour in the middle followed by a double rainbow, ao many beautiful moments and one tragic one. But here we celebrate life and house music with old school Tropical resident DJ Dazy's digital comeback - first time ever to play a digital sat at Tropical, having pretty much exiting DJing with motherhood 20 years ago in 2005. Dazy played the second -ever Tropical event, (rescheduled from December 1998 to May 1999) was the first female DJ to play at Tropical, instantly becoming resident DJ, playing almost all the Tropical warehouse parties and some boat parties too. Tropical founder Ben Annand had been nagging Dazy for years to make the digital transition - and it finally happened in 2025! Chunky house beats, deep disco vibes and fun vocals characterize this set. - Hope you love it as much as we do!

I sure hope you enjoy my second set from Camp Dayfunk 2025 as much as I enjoyed playing it! If you do, please give it a like and consider re-posting it on Soundcloud - it just takes a second and is the most helpful way to share cool music to new people! Camp Dayfunk is a Minneapolis-based campout in just its second year, taking place 2 hours East in the Wisconsin Woods - and I enjoyed its quality, intimacy, and cute little camp touches immensely.  Both this event and this set are very special to me <3 Before anything, let's talk about the Mix Cover.  I got great pictures from my first set and none from this 2nd, and it's fine. Because I got something better than a picture - I got a Danceflooor Badge! It was one of the greatest honors of my DJ career to earn one of only 8 Dance Floor badges given out at this event  - not for my 4 hours of playing music where I dance some but maintain focus on the mixing - but for my many more hours of representation on the dancefloor as a dancer, which is where this all started for me... and honestly has stayed.   I fricken love dancing and absolutely think it makes me a better DJ to study and appreciate music from both sides of the decks. I don't dance to everything and also want to give props where props are due - the music at this event was rock solid, and receiving the dance badge has as much to do with the quality of the other DJs playing as it does my dance stamina. Fun fact, the most I ever danced was at @mingameslaby in Japan in 2007 ;) Okay, about the music and vision for this set! My first set at the event, the night before, was previously posted to the event's Soundcloud (@user-467880110) and I had a full dancefloor and lots of energy coming back at me - a Dj's dream. This, my second set, Saturday 4-6pm, was a bit different.  It's daytime, there's a beach, and @djdanmusic, @Dj-Mes, and Mazi aka @audiosoulproject are playing B2B2B on that stage.  Right at the same time as my set at the Pavilion stage!  First thing that comes to my mind after I realize they are simultaneous - wtf am I going to do? Contrast is the answer.  If people want it funky, they're gonna want to be down at the other stage.  I mean I wanted to be there too lol.  And who the heck wants the 2 stages to sound the same anyway, that's silly.  So I leaned into this contrast theme for my set.  Someone told me that I may have confused people a little lol.  I said 'good!'   I'm really glad I had the opportunity to play the night before, because that was my more funky set - though my interpretation is a bit different from most.  I also won some hearts there, which created more interest than there would have been I think. So anyway, this set was a challenge - a friendly challenge to myself to play a 2 hour set that was a bit out of the box without losing people, that would serve as a worthy contrast to that devastating funk of Dan, Mes and Mazi.     I would guess overall people there probably liked my first set a tad more - but for me this one was hands-down the winner.  Partly because it was a full 2 hours of new music. Partly because my cup was already full since I had nailed my set the night before and even got extended an extra hour -  the best hour.  And partly because I had experienced some challenge locking the XDJ the night before, but was effortlessly near flawless on Saturday. I felt zero pressure to do anything but be myself, and play what I felt at that time <3 In general, I favor very full tracks that envelope you with sound.  Besides contrast, the theme for this set is laid back and expansive.  There's funkiness, sure, there are some peaks and valleys energetically, but not at all like the night set.  Overall, it's a smooth ride through deep house with some vocals, minimal house and even a touch of techno, all around 124bpm. Thanks for reading to the end! I Hope you enjoy the music, and perhaps this background too!

This morning set from Tropical favorite Christopher Mohn was a joy to dance to in the morning between previously posted sets by Synchronometry and Bird Lady in our amazing 18-hour musical experience into 2024! Set in a spectacular LA hilltop estate with sweeping views of the city and midnight fireworks, we danced our way into 2024 in style, and brought the lovely event to a close, enjoy! * Beautiful Flyer art (top) by Jeremy Zahtre * Beautiful Capture of sunrise (bottom) by Christopher Mohn * Amateur meshing of images into cover Image by Ben Annand :)

This closing set from Tropical favorite Bird Lady capped our amazing 18-hour musical experience into 2024! Set in a spectacular LA hilltop estate with sweeping views of the city and midnight fireworks, we danced our way into 2024 in style, and brought the lovely event to a close, enjoy! * Beautiful Flyer art (top) by Jeremy Zahtre * Beautiful Capture of Maggie (bottom) by Mike Boidy * Amateur meshing of images into cover Image by Ben Annand :)

This sunrise set from Tropical fave Synchronometry carried the dance floor through the first sunrise of 2024! Set in a spectacular LA hilltop estate with sweeping views of the city, midnight fireworks, and sunrise, we danced our way into 2024 in style! * Beautiful Flyer art (top) by Jeremy Zahtre * Beautiful Capture of sunrise (bottom) by Laura Love * Amateur meshing of images into cover Image by Ben Annand :)

This opening set from Tropical resident Dj Maggie set the table for an amazing 18-hour musical experience into 2024! Set in a spectacular LA hilltop estate with sweeping views of the city and midnight fireworks, we danced our way into 2024 in style, and this was the set that started it all, enjoy! * Beautiful Flyer art (top) by Jeremy Zahtre * Beautiful Capture of Maggie (bottom) by Mike Boidy * Amateur meshing of images into cover Image by Ben Annand :)

Catch the magic of LA rave icons @Thee-O and @Ben-Annand in an unplanned b2b set at the Tropikroma Campout in Santa Clarita in August 2023! This outdoor event survived a location shift the week of the party and crazy weather brought in by hurricane Hilary that canceled every other event, leaving Tropkroma as the last event standing. The night was an homage to perseverance among the three organizers collaborating on the event - Tropical, Terrakroma, and The Gathering, ChinoSound who provided crystal clear Danley sound, and the 100 or so die-hard dancers that braved the first ever hurricane to hit LA - in August no less - and dance at this magical event in the trees. Because we knew that rains would come in heavily in the late morning we made some shifts in the schedule.  Most notable was to move Thee-O's morning set into a combined nighttime back to back set with Ben Annand. Thee-O is one of the most prolific LA DJs of all time, possibly playing the most total sets of any LA underground DJ from the 90s til now.  Ben also has an impressive DJ resume in addition to being the founder and vision behind Tropical, one of LA's most consistent, well-known and well-loved little underground events :) There is no shortage of history between these two iconic LA underground warriors... At Ben's very first LA DJ gig for an outside promoter in 1996, he opened for Thee-O at Hollywood's infamous Gotham Club. Ben DJed as Mr. Annand back then and is listed as such on the title for sake of nostalgia :) The two have played together frequently since, and Thee-O has been a featured guest at Tropical parties in California, Oregon, and Hawaii. Note how this set flows almost perfectly through a variety of styles between the 2 DJs switching every 4 tracks. Hopefully this unexpected collaboration between Thee-O and Ben Annand will not be the last!   Be sure and follow each of these DJs personal SoundCloud accounts at @thee-O and @ben-annand and get in touch with one of them if you want to make something like this happen again

After a 2-week pause, Tropical is thrilled to release our seventh set from Oregon Summer Campout June 24-26! Please enjoy Sprout's set from Friday night 11:00pm-12:30am Pictures from Tropical Oregon Summer Campout: www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanit…5758588450822614 Tropical on FB: Facebook.com/tropicalevents Tropical on IG: Instagram.com/tropicalsince98 Follow Sprout here on Soundcloud @sproutbeats instagram.com/sproutbeats facebook.com/sproutbeats Photo by Anthony Svendsen IG: @anthonysvendsen

Tropical is thrilled to release our sixth set from Oregon Summer Campout 3 weeks ago! Please enjoy Harlequin's set from Saturday afternon 12:30-2:00pm! Pictures from Tropical Oregon Summer Campout: www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanit…5758588450822614 Tropical on FB: Facebook.com/tropicalevents Tropical on IG: Instagram.com/tropicalsince98 Follow Harlequin here on Soundcloud @harlequinokikai Photo by Anthony Svendsen IG: @anthonysvendsen

Tropical is thrilled to release our fifth set from Oregon Summer Campout 3 weeks ago! Please enjoy Kevin Davis' lovely set from Saturday afternoon 2:00-3:30pm! Photo by Anthony Svendsen: IG: @anthonysvendsen More pictures from Tropical Oregon Summer Campout: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=tropicalevents&set=a.5758588450822614 Tropical on FB: Facebook.com/tropicalevents Tropical on IG: Instagram.com/tropicalsince98 Follow Kevin Davis Jr. on socials: Facebook.com/kevindavisjrofficial Mixcloud.com/kevindavisjr A personal journey through Tribal and Afro polyrhythms reflecting my relationship with psychedelics and the sculpting of sound. Next up on Thursday... Harlequin

Tropical is thrilled to release our fourth set from Oregon Summer Campout 3 weeks ago! Please enjoy Joe Pea's sunset set from Saturday evening 8:00-9:30pm! More pictures from Tropical Oregon Summer Campout: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=tropicalevents&set=a.5758588450822614 Tropical on FB: Facebook.com/tropicalevents Tropical on IG: Instagram.com/tropicalsince98 Follow Joe Pea here on Soundcloud @Joe-pea Insta: @joe_pea IG: https://instagram/joe-pea FB artist page: https://www.facebook.com/joepea419 Photo credit: Tyler Cameron https://www.instagram.com/terpcam/

Tropical is thrilled to release our third set from Oregon Summer Campout 3 weeks ago! Please enjoy Sappho's Sunday morning set from. 7-9am! Tropical on FB: Facebook.com/tropicalevents Tropical on IG: Instagram.com/tropicalsince98 For more from Sappho, follow them: Soundcloud: @djsappho Instagram: @djsappho "Bringing us into the Sunday sunshine of Tropical with a journey of disco, funk, soul and afrohouse with some fun twists and turns for body grooving."

Tropical is thrilled to release our second set from Oregon Summer Campout 2 weeks ago! For your enjoyment we present Bizio's sunrise set from Saturday morning 5:00-6:30am Tropical on FB: Facebook.com/tropicalevents Tropical on IG: Instagram.com/tropicalsince98 Bizio on Soundcloud: @biziohealinghousemusic Bizio on IG: @bizio_music From Nico: A journey that began in the darkness and took us to the light :)

Tropical is thrilled to release our first set from Oregon Summer Campout 2 weeks ago! We lead off with DJ Maggie's groovy downtempo set from Saturday morning 9:30-11:00am Tropical on FB: Facebook.com/tropicalevents Tropical on IG: Instagram.com/tropicalsince98 From Maggie: This is a live recording of a set I played in the forest for Tropical's Bring Love Back to Oregon Summer Campout in June 2022. I was filling in on late notice for a DJ who was unable to make it, so this set is 100% on the fly. Wiggles were in order, as the lineup was all dance music - I had a lot of fun bringing my version of wiggles to this set. Find more DJ Maggie mixes here: www.soundcloud.com/dj-maggie *Photo Credit: Tom Solmes Track Listing: Somatoast - Creation is Creation Miika Kuisma - Trying My New Wings Lusine - Thick Of It Different Ray - Maon Bluetech - Condensation Satori - Mori Shej ft. Peia Tor - Kanta Deep Forest Warrior - To Be With You (ft Marilyn Fox) Illinton & Dimos Goudaroulis - Brazilian Cello Wasisunqu - Tlatikpa (Ishdub Remix) Captures - Voyager Trippin Jaguar - Moon Shwamp - Wonky Jin Yerei - Canción De La Nostalgia Invisible Allies - Turquoise Rain Chant KiloWatts - Repetition Tactyl - Expert I Zen Baboon - Sabo de Raia Captures - Matakan Mwami

On Friday, October 1st, Tropical Events turned 23 in Portland, at our 90th in-person event since October 1998! Closing out the night from 1:30-3:00am was Jamie Schwabl, Tropical's resident DJ newly transplanted from LA to Portland. I really love what she did with it, slowing things down a bit with super groovy, deep, unique music that dancers were really vibing with. People need to hear different music and Jamie always delivers that, I loved seeing her so locked in with the crowd at the end, and was delighted to also hear many compliments to her ♡ You can check out Jamies music on Soundcloud at @jamieschwabl Follow Jamie on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/jamieschwabl/ Like Jamie's Artist Page at: https://www.facebook.com/jamieschwabl9 Pictures from the event are here: tinyurl.com/trop23pics Catch Jamie and an amazing lineup at our next event - Tropical Oasis Retreat Big Island Dec 15-19 For info please request to join the group here: facebook.com/groups/torm2019

On Friday, October 1st, Tropical Events turned 23 in Portland, at our 90th in-person event since October 1998! Second was Mercedes, who was bangin with great energy as expected, and brought the dance floor to quite a frenzy by as early as 11:00. She's pretty relentless and so fun to dance to! We had talked to Mercedes about playing Annand House Cafe in Eugene when it was a thing, but we stopped rt before it could happen, so was lovely to finally have her at Tropical! You can check out Mercedes' Soundcloud at @ladycubana Follow Mercedes on IG here: /www.instagram.com/ladycubana/ Pictures from the event are here: tinyurl.com/trop23pics Tropical's next up is our most decadent event ever! 18-Bedroom Mansion Party in Palm Springs, CA Oct 28-31, 2021. For info please request to join the group here: fb.com/groups/torm2019

On Friday, October 1st, Tropical Events turned 23 in Portland, at our 90th in-person event since October 1998! Third in the order was Ben Annand, Tropical's resident DJ and founder From Ben, this was my favorite set I've played so far in 2021. I've been playing selectively at just 1-2 parties a month since things re-opened, and have been enjoying the chance to focus on each one more. It is truly my goal to make each set unique and and the very highest-level I am capable of. Striving for perfection we always fall short but still achieve a higher result than if we settle for mediocrity. Every chance to share music with dancers counts, and I feel that even more after the pandemic wiped all gigs out for a year and a half. My favorite compliments on my set on site were one that it was varied, and the other that I don't wait around for tracks to end to mix. Regarding variety, I used to take dancers on a more linear journey from here to there, but the last few years I've been celebrating the diversity of my music collection and have been changing styles up more. Main thing doing this is to keep the overall energy level relatively steady through tracks of different styles with subtle bumps up and down - and I am very pleased with the results from this night. Musically this set starts off soft and vocal, then gradually goes back and forth between vocal and more techy and acidy tracks with energy a bit up and down towards a more energetic, rave-influenced finish ;) Regarding not waiting for tracks to end to mix, that's usually true I don't play most tracks al the way out, with some exceptions of course. I just find it absolutely boring both as a DJ, and as a dancer to hear 7 minutes of a track, with the last 30 seconds mixed out as a loop into the new track. I'm more moved by a skillful blend of two tracks that creates something more interesting and dynamic in the blend than heard separately, so I try my best to mix that way. And let's face it, I'm there to work :) Track Listing: 1 Glow (Steve Banks Remix) Matt Prehn, Marcia Alves 2 Back In Time (Jay West Remix) Timothee Milton 3 What We Do (Original Mix) Sven Tasnadi 4 Our Love (Christian Burkhardt Remix) Giorgio Moroder 5 Tunnel Vision - James Dexter, Arkady Antsyre 6 Can't Keep Up - Redondo, Sideburn, MC Chase 7 Ohh Do It Too - Ray Okpara, Jørge 8 Keep It To Myself - Boris Werner 9 Culture - James Dexter 10 Simplicity (Mihai Popoviciu Remix)- SEDDON (UK) 11 Difference - Mihai Popoviciu 12 Galaxy - James Dexter, Leonardo Gonnelli 13 Fiducia (Mihai Popoviciu Remix - Pornbugs 14 You've Got Me (feat. Linda Axelsson)Linda Axelsson, Col Lawton 15 Pupsik (Boris Werner Remix) - David Gtronic 16 Make You Whole (Smokin Jo Dub) - Andronicus 17 Who Got The Power - Col Lawton 18 Corktown - Marlow 19 Escalateher (Terry Francis Dirty Boy Rerub) - Hive71, Jake Beautyman 20 Hola - Christian Burkhardt You can check out Ben Annand's Soundcloud at @benannand Follow Ben on IG here: www.instagram.com/benannand/ Like Ben's Artist Page at: facebook.com/benannandmusic Pictures from the event are here: tinyurl.com/trop23pics Tropical's next up is our most decadent event ever! 18-Bedroom Mansion Party in Palm Springs, CA Oct 28-31, 2021. For info please request to join the group here: facebook.com/groups/torm2019

On Friday, October 1st, Tropical Events turned 23 in Portland, at our 90th in-person event since October 1998! Tropical wants to thank the djs for a really nice progression over the night. We are excited to release the sets in the order they were played <3 We chose Sheppard to open things up with just the right energy ♡ which you know not everyone does... You can hear what a great set this was! We owe Peter a better set time next time for sure, always feel a little guilty having a really good DJ opening, but we only hire really good DJs so what can we do ? You can check out Sheppard's Soundcloud at dj_sheppard Follow Peter on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/sheppardpdx Follow Peter on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/tobe_lerone/ Pictures from the event are here: tinyurl.com/trop23pics Tropical's next up is our most decadent event ever! 18-Bedroom Mansion Party in Palm Springs, CA Oct 28-31, 2021. For info please request to join the group here: fb.com/groups/torm2019

At long last we release the final set of 2019's legendary Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui by legendary DJ and producer Jimpster of Freerange Records, London. Tropical fell in with Jimpster after his 6 hour set at Tropical Hearts Spring Festival in collaboration with a very young Desert Hearts back in 2013, which created some of our most memorable dance floor moments (You can find that set deep in our Soundcloud track history in 2 parts). Jimpster aka Jamie Odell was back to headline Tropical Oasis Retreat in California in 2015, and finally for our best production ever, Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui in March 2019. Fortunately Tropical took 2020 off from producing events following NYE in Los Angeles, and we all know what came in March. Here's to hope for 2021! This set released Saturday, November 7th, 2020 a day for celebration!

Tropical Synergy was a highly intentional, peaceful transition from 2019 into 2020 and featured a fully gender-balanced lineup of 12 djs handing off male to female over 19 hours :) A collaboration of 3 crews, Tropical, Wulfpack, and Chinosound on acres of land tucked into a canyon just 30 minutes from LA This slightly eclectic journey from Tropical's founder Ben Annand explored house and techno between Mightykat and Crescendoll from 330 to 500am on the first morning of 2020! Please repost the set! And also follow Ben Annand on his personal soundcloud - @ben-annand You can catch Ben Annand in Los Angeles at the Boom Boom Room on Feb 21st - https://www.facebook.com/events/446941652651852/ Other sets from the Tropical Synergy party are out to the DJs and may be released here or on personal Soundcloud accounts - eventually will be collected into a playlist here as well Happy 2020 everyone!

Aloha! This week we are thrilled to bring you Sunday afternoon's set from Orlando's Atnarko! Atnarko is a veteran DJ and Record Producer originally from Canada now living in Florida. He has releases on labels like NOIR, Lazy Days, Lost My Dog, Robsoul, 2020vision, Faceless, Motek and too many others too mention. If you know you know.. Be sure and follow Atnarko on his personal Soundcloud: @atnarko Catch him next on the West Coasty Friday Oct 25th at Howl: https://www.facebook.com/events/226266354989882/ More events and info on Atnarko's FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/atnarko/events Tropical celebrates 21 year in Eugene this Saturday October 19, and outdoors 30 mins from Los Angeles on New Year's Eve, most recent info at www.facebook.com/tropicalevents/. Also check us on the web at www.tropicalevents.org

Aloha! This week we present our headlining afterhours peak of the peak of the party set from Christian Martin :) We planned on having Christian play two shorter sets at our lovely event on Maui but since his flight as 6 hours late we went all in on this 2.5 hour journey over amplified sound on Maui in the dead of night - unheard of! The rest is history -- which thankfully we recorded! Be sure and follow Christian on his personal Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/christianmartin @christianmartin Please stay tuned to Tropical’s Facebook page for news of the next Tropical coming soon! https://www.facebook.com/tropicalevents/. Also check us on the web at https://www.tropicalevents.org Can’t wait for the next adventure!

Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui Mix Series is back! Look for update on next Tropical towards end of this month ;) This Surprise set was laid down completely unplanned by Tropical founder Ben Annand Sunday night from 800-930pm The surprise was that Christian Martin’s flight was 6 hours late - not the surprise we wanted - but Ben had to play his set time in a pinch! Everything worked out great as Christian still played an extended set afterhours ;) . Hopefully we can post that one soon ;)

Aloha! This week we present a Sunday afternoon special from New York's Gavin Stephenson at Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui :) Gavin and partner Iman Rizky from Ebb and Flow were the first two New York djs represented at the Hawaii version of Tropical :) Be sure and follow Iman on his Soundcloud here: @gavin_stephenson_nyc Bio: Gavin Stephenson grew up influenced by an eclectic range of music spanning from the Beatles and Led Zeppelin to the Clash and the synth pop of the '80s. When he discovered dance music in the late '90s, it all came together and took off from there. G Gavin has been involved in dance music since he started DJing and produced his first party in 1998. He was the resident and a co-founder of the Spectra and Positive Pressure parties in New York City. By 2003, Gavin was DJing both stateside and internationally, with stops all over the U.S. and Europe, in Canada, Central America, South America, and North Africa. Between 2004 and 2006, he traveled throughout the U.S. and Europe playing as a label DJ for the Swedish dance label, Digital Structures. In 2013, Gavin Stephenson became one of the founders of ebb + flow music, an NYC-based production company known for some of the best underground parties in the scene with consistent high quality music and an undeniably contagious vibe. As an ebb + flow resident, Gavin graces the crowd with funky bass lines, deep grooves, and forward-thinking music in every one of his sets. His ability to read the crowd and give it the necessary energy to thrive is a trademark of the musical journeys that he creates. During the summer of 2014, Gavin took his love of dance music to another level with collaboration on music production with Justin Marchacos and ebb + flow co-founder, Iman Rizky. Their work together spawned Second Format, a trio which has been producing tracks with driving bass lines and catchy, danceable hooks. Track releases are slated to come out early this year on Cityfox and beyond.

Aloha! This week we have for you this delightful set from New York's Iman Rizky from Sunday evening at Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui :) Iman and partner Gavin Stephenson from Ebb and Flow, were the first two New York djs represented at the Hawaii version of Tropical. Be sure and follow Iman on his Soundcloud here: @imanrizky Bio: IMAN RIZKY was bred on house beats from the early '80s and '90s. His relationship with dance music back then was a transcendental experience every weekend at places like New York City's Red Zone, the Tunnel, Limelight’s Disco 2000, the Sound Factory, and the legendary Twilo. Iman became a promoter for the Tunnel, Limelight, and the Palladium during the club scene era of the late '80s. His immersion in the heyday of club culture in NYC prompted the pursuit of his true life-long passion of DJing. With his extensive knowledge of dance music from both participation and promotion, he was able to cultivate a unique DJ sound to call his own. As the club scene era wound down and the dance music scene went underground in the early 2000s, Iman formed the party production group, Ku-Deta, which put together events stateside as well as internationally. Around the same time, he started his weekly DJ residency at SEA in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he continues to play on Fridays and Sundays. Ku-Deta provided a precursory template for ebb + flow music, an NYC-based production company that Iman Rizky founded with Gavin Stephenson in 2013. The underground parties of ebb + flow music have brought consistent high quality music and an undeniably contagious vibe to the dance music scene. As an ebb + flow resident, Iman's DJ sets are laden with minimal groovy beats layered with melodic sounds that build in a cycle of high peaks and low valleys. He takes the crowd on a thrilling roller coaster ride of music that elevates the mind, moves the body, and satisfies the soul. In the summer of 2014, Iman took ebb + flow to another level with collaboration on music production with Justin Marchacos and Gavin Stephenson. The trio became Second Format and has been producing tracks with driving bass lines and catchy, danceable hooks. Track releases are available on Cityfox label.

Aloha friends! This week we proudly present iconic LA DJ @thee-o's Sunday daytime set from Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui! Thee-O had just moved to Oahu after decades of being one of LA's most prolific djs and producers -- it was a pleasure to support his move to Hawaii <3 Thee-O is considered one of Los Angeles’s most popular and hardworking DJs. He started DJing at the young age of 13 and by the time he was 18 in 1992, he started DJing in the thriving underground rave scene of Southern California. He has created a name for himself while changing genres and staying true to his integrity, committing to what he feels is the best in underground dance music. His consistency of skillful mixing and lively scratching has cemented “his sound” regardless of what genres co-mingle in his style. In addition to his DJing, Thee-O is also an accomplished producer and remixer that have landed tracks on Bedrock, Suara, Perfecto, Looq, Drops and System Recordings to name just a few. His approach to music production mimics his DJing artistry in the aspect that genre comes second over the feeling of the music. Genres and styles are split, shattered and then reformed into songs that work on multiple dance floors. Currently, he is DJing and producing with Robert Pointer (AKA Robtronik) under the name Stylus. Stylus is also responsible for some of the most engaging events to occur in Los Angeles . Their events have occurred in amazing venues such as King King in the heart of Hollywood, The Standard Rooftop in downtown LA and Los Globos in the trendy Silverlake area, while attracting international talent of both House and Techno to join in on the fun. While a lot can be talked about when it comes to “Old School,” Thee-O walks the walk. He has accomplished a lot in his 22 years of being a DJ, producer and promoter and he is just getting started. He remains wildly popular while staying firmly planted into the underground scene and not falling into the hype that can surround the current EDM culture. With new ventures, new branding, new tracks, and new ideas, the future is going to be one for the books with lots more to come from this music innovator. "For those of you that don't know THEE-O, the man is the mayor of L.A. I don't think there is a DJ on the west coast that has his name on as many flyers as Thee-O...word..." – Frankie Bones Please also follow Thee-0 on his personal Soundcloud : @thee-o

Aloha again! We are excited to begin day 2's music from Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui with a great Maui Local - Del Sol's Saturday afternoon set!

We are excited to present release number 5 from Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui - Sunshine Jones' 100% Live set on Saturday night! Sunshine's inspirational messages and brilliant music were the perfect way to close out our first day and night of amplified music. In addition to this live set Sunshine also played a dj set, hosted a small music seminar - mahalo for being such an integral part of ur event! Sunshine Jones is often called a "house legend" from San Francisco. A founding member of Dubtribe Sound System. He also makes electronic music by himself. He travels the world performing a live/DJ set - live mixing, singing, re editing on the fly, and championing the idea that literally anything you can syncopate is house music. He re edits for leisure, experiments with electronics for adventure, is often in an airplane, and is very kind to children. Sunshine Jones believes in love. That said, he understands that sometimes love is difficult to imagine. Sunshine Jones believes in you. Please follow Sunshine on his personal Soundcloud : @sunshine-jones but more

We are excited to present release number 4 from Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui - @ben-annand's Saturday evening set! In his zone from deep house to techno, Ben Annand pairs impeccably smooth mixing skills with a dynamic style that keeps the music moving, often flowing over breakdowns and always spending most of his time in the mix. “For me, a great mix is the interplay of 2 unique but symbiotic pieces of music, creating greater than the sum of the parts - and a great set weaves those mixes into a musical flow you can’t help but lose yourself in on the dance floor. Technology changed the game a lot but the goal remains the same.” Ben learned to mix in 1996 and 2 years later became resident dj at the famed Moontribe Gathering, and started his own production company, Tropical. The first half of his career was mostly focused on DJing abroad, leading to 13 trips to Moscow’s Propaganda club and travel all over Russia, Spain, and Mexico, plus an appearance at Wiggle at Fabric in London and two at the Labyrinth Festival in Japan. Since marrying his love Jessica in 2009, Ben has refocused efforts locally, and is now one of the top West Coast festival DJs with recent appearances at Oregon Eclipse, Motion Notion(Can), Cascadia (WA), Lightning in a Bottle, Sunset Campout, and Desert Hearts (CA), among others. Please also follow Ben on his personal Soundcloud : @ben-annand

We are excited to present release number 3 from Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui - Sunshine Jones' Saturday afternoon set! Sunshine has been an inspiration to us for over 2 decades and this event would not have been the same without him! <3 Sunshine Jones is often called a "house legend" from San Francisco. A founding member of Dubtribe Sound System. He also makes electronic music by himself. He travels the world performing a live/DJ set - live mixing, singing, re editing on the fly, and championing the idea that literally anything you can syncopate is house music. He re edits for leisure, experiments with electronics for adventure, is often in an airplane, and is very kind to children. Sunshine Jones believes in love. That said, he understands that sometimes love is difficult to imagine. Sunshine Jones believes in you. Please follow Sunshine on his personal Soundcloud : @sunshine-jones

Aloha friends! We are excited to present release number 2 from Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui - Santa Cruz’s @djlittlejohn’s Saturday afternoon set! Little John's musical artistry transcends genres with an intensity, knowledge and savviness possessed by few. Whether he's playing Tech-House, Mid-tempo, Future Bass, or Booty Slap, this innovator continually unites factions and taps new levels of creativity simply for the heart of it. With an acutely discerning ear and an open mind and heart, his ability to read a crowd and mix the perfect vibe truly sets him apart. His is a genuinely unique approach that will move body, mind, and soul. His roots run deeply through the creative hot-bed of San Francisco's mid 90's underground House scene and the incredibly diverse Santa Cruz free party scene. He became a resident of the legendary 13 Moon Tribe while simultaneously pioneering production of the wildly successful Raindance events, which continue to run strong today. Please follow Little John on his personal Soundcloud : @djlittlejohn Also check out his event, Raindance: https://www.raindancepresents.com/

Behold our first music release from the spectacular Tropical Oasis Retreat Maui! We are starting with the amazing @dj-maggie's set from Sunday morning :). This was recorded live together with yoga teacher Meghan Ganser (pictured). Yoga was a big part of this event and the first two mornings featured yoga on the dance floor to dj live sets :) Mixing since 2005. Maggie has played as a resident DJ for her beloved Moontribe community and other fantastic crews of desert dancers, the delightful folks at Tropical and Lightning in a Bottle, and has had her mixes featured on several online radio shows and blogs. Be sure and follow Maggie on her personal Soundcloud: @dj-maggie We should mention the amazing decor by @Lunosol Productions, who made our event look so proper! *Photo by Maggie Houtz

Ben Annand Live in Las Vegas With Soul State! 2nd release from Tropical 20 Year Tour :) Please follow Ben at @ben-annand Next stops on Tropical Tour with Ben Annand: Oct 19 Fri - Seattle, WA at Re-Bar Oct 21 Sun - Eugene, OR at Soul Tribe Sundays/ HiFi Music Lounge Oct 27 Sat - Vancouver, BC at Deadbeats Halloween/Open Studios Oct 31 Weds - Eureka, CA at Halloween at Historic Eagle House Nov 3 Sat - San Diego, CA at Mindfruit/new Soundstage location tba All info on Facebook /tropicalevents page

Jamie Schwabl Live in Las Vegas With Soul State! 1st release from Tropical 20 Year Tour :) Please follow Jamie at @jamieschwabl Next stops on Tropical Tour with Jamie Schwabl and Ben Annand: Oct 19 Fri - Seattle at Re-Bar Oct 21 Sun - Eugene at HiFi Music Lounge

Closing out the Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai series, here is Tropical founder Ben Annand's set weaving through tribal, techy, and more classic deep house sounds and concluding the event's music program :) TORK Set #19 - Ben Annand (Los Angeles, CA) Monday Jan 29th, 7-9pm Please follow Ben at the links below: @ben-annand www.facebook.com/benannand/ And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :)

TORK Set # 18 - Jmeans (Kauai) - Live Kauai, Hawaii, Sat Jan 29th, afterhours Taking the Tropical Oasis Retreat series towards its conclusion, here is Kauai dj and production partner, Jmeans' set from a super fun night silent disco :) Jmeans and his production company, Meansound, was Ben Annand/Tropical's production partner on the event and there is no way it would have happened without his tireless effort, we are excited to release his set Please follow Jmeans at the links below: @jmeans071 https://www.facebook.com/meansound/ And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :) Deep House house Tech House kauai hawaii

TORK Set # 17 - Davoid (Los Angeles, CA) - Live Kauai, Hawaii, Mon Jan 29th, 1030-1130am Next up we present Davoid's tech-house journey from the final morning :) Please follow Dylan at the links below: @wierd-phish https://www.facebook.com/davoidmusic/ And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :)

Picking up the Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai series again, here is Tropical resident Jamie Schwabl's lovely set on the final day of music Monday afternoon :) TORK Set #16 - Jamie Schwabl (Los Angeles, CA) Monday Jan 29th, 4-530pm Please follow Jamie at the links below: @jamieschwabl https://www.facebook.com/jamieschwabl9/ And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :)

Next up from Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai series is Portland's Mienne who played this fun and funky daytime house set on the final day of music Monday afternoon :) TORK Set #15 - Mienne (Portland, OR) Monday Jan 29th, 1-230pm Please follow Mienne at the links below: @endimienne https://www.facebook.com/mienne.music/ And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :) Look for our posts every Wednesday or Thursday !

Next up from Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai series is from Portland's Sheppard who opened up the dance floor with grace and style on Monday morning after Sunday night's rager in the woods :) TORK Set #14 - Sheppard (Portland, OR) Monday Jan 28th, 830-10am Please follow Sheppard at the links below: @dj_sheppard https://www.facebook.com/sheppardpdx/ And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :) Look for our posts every Wednesday or Thursday !

TORK release #13 from Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai series is from San Francisco Dirtybird star Ardalan - check his super fun closer from Sunday night! TORK Set #13 - Ardalan (San Francisco, CA) Sunday Jan 28th, 730-900pm Please follow Ardalan at the links below: @ardalann www.facebook.com/ardalanmusicpage And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :) Look for our posts every Wednesday or Thursday !

TORK release #12 from Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai series is from Seattle star Dave Pezzner, who always plays a fun and unique set with no exception here :) TORK Set #12 - Pezzner (Seattle, WA) Sunday Jan 28th, 600-730pm Please follow Dave at the links below: @pezzner https://www.facebook.com/pezzner/ And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :) Look for our posts every Wednesday or Thursday !

TORK release #11 from Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai series brings us deep in our Seattle block with this 3-hour gem of a set from Michael Manahan ad Rob Noble!! TORK Set #11 - Manahan & Noble (Seattle, WA) Sunday Jan 28th, 300-600pm Please follow Michael at the links below: @michael-manahan https://www.facebook.com/Michael-Manahan-160898617340678/ Please follow Rob at the links below: @rob-noble https://www.facebook.com/robnoble206 And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :) Look for our posts every Wednesday or Thursday !

For our 10th release in the Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai series we have for you a lovely daytime house set by Seattle's Erin O'Connor! TORK Set #10 - Erin O'Connor (Seattle, WA) Sunday Jan 28th, 1230-200pm Please follow Erin at the links below: @eoconnor www.facebook.com/eoconnor And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :) Look for our posts every Wednesday or Thursday !

Up next in the Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai Mix Series we near the midway point of the event with this Sunday afternoon treat from Vancouver's Jared Love! TORK Set #9 - Jared Love (Vancouver) Sunday Jan 28th, 1100am-1230pm Please follow Jared at the links below: @jaredlovemusic https://www.facebook.com/jaredlovemusic/ And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :) Look for our posts every Wednesday or Thursday !

Two months since Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai we proudly offer this Sunday morning delight from San Francisco's Anthony Mansfield! TORK Set #8 - Anthony Mansfield (San Francisco) Sunday Jan 28th, 10am-1130am Please follow Anthony at the links below: @anthony-mansfield https://www.facebook.com/anthonymansfieldmusic/ And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :) Look for our posts every Wednesday or Thursday !

We are elated to offer set release #7 from Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai January 26-30! TORK Set #7 - Olivia Foxglove (Maui) Sunday Jan 28th, 900am-10am Please follow Olivia at the links below: @oliviafoxglove https://www.facebook.com/OliviaFoxglove/ And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :) Look for our posts every Wednesday or Thursday !

We are excited to share our first headliner set and release #6 from Tropical Oasis Retreat Kauai January 26-30! TORK Set #6 - Jay Tripwire (Vancouver, Canada) Saturday Jan 27th, 630pm-900pm The energy got intense on the dance floor for the first evening's closer from Jay Tripwire! Please follow Jay at the links below: @jaytripwire https://www.facebook.com/pg/jaytripwire.fanpage And please help spread the Tropical love by reposting these sets on Soundcloud and Facebook :) Look for our posts every Wednesday, oops and sometimes Thursday !