Rev. John - Das Bunker

Das Bunker is celebrating 30 years, and few people are better suited to reflect on that legacy than John. In this episode we discuss the evolution of underground nightlife, what it takes to sustain an independent club for decades, the changing industrial and goth scenes, the resurgence of dance music, event curation, storytelling, promotion, and why creating unforgettable experiences is about much more than booking great bands. Whether you're a longtime scene veteran, an aspiring promoter, or simply passionate about alternative music and culture, this conversation offers a look behind the curtain of one of the scene's most enduring institutions.

Visit https://dasbunker.org/ for more info about Das Bunker

Transcript

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Welcome back to Void Signal. You are the listener and I am Brian Prime.

Today I'm joined by John from Das Bunker. For the last thirty years, Das Bunker has been one of the defining names in industrial and alternative nightlife, building events that bring together live music, DJs, artists, and a community that's continued to evolve over three decades.

John and I talk about what it takes to keep something like that alive for so long, from the less glamorous realities of promotion, marketing, and logistics to the creative side of building nights that people actually remember. We also get into how the scene has changed since the '90s, whether social media has helped or hurt subculture, where industrial music is headed next, and why storytelling matters just as much as the lineup.
If you'd like to learn more about Das Bunker, check out dasbunker.org. 
My gratitude to Processor for crafting Void Signal's theme song with a special remix for this episode by Matt Hart. You can find more Processor and Matt Hart anywhere music lives, or visit processor2.bandcamp.com or matthart.bandcamp.com for more Matt Hart. Thank you Matt and Johan.
As always, I'll remind you that Void Signal is an ad-free experience made for the enjoyment of humans. It is people powered and you can help power it by visiting voidsignal.net or patreon.com/voidsignal and slipping me some dollars. It goes a long way to help keep the Signal strong. Thank you for your consideration.

Okay, our time is at an end. Here's my conversation with John. You'll hear from me again soon. Stay safe, stay loud, and goodbye forever.


John - Das Bunker
===

Brian Prime: [00:00:00] 


Brian Prime: Okay. I'm ready if you are, so we'll just go ahead and get this rolling. but, Perfect ... yeah, first off, thank you so much for your time and for making this work. You're welcome. the thing I wanted to pick your brain about is that, 

Das Bunker is celebrating 30 years, a very long time to be, an, a club night and to be a club.

can you tell me a little bit about, what, how you feel about it in its current state? I know that a lot of, club nights are having to contend with these big corporate club nights that travel around and stuff like that. is that a thing that you see being an issue, or what are your thoughts?

John: the corporate club thing is interesting because I, we encounter it, but not... I feel that what we do, like what Das Bunker is and the community it caters to is potentially immune from that, but mainly because there's [00:02:00] not an audience. those corporate club nights tend to focus on like B and C markets, and I don't see it being something that could be successful in those places, honestly.

because what we do is, our whole idea is that we merge multiple parts of the community, and the scenes together, so we, we'll mix different... we have different rooms that focus on different styles. When you put everything into a big party, it's, like almost like a multi-course meal of a nightclub.

And so I don't see, other places have tried to do similar things and it's, it just doesn't really work without the, without the size of the community that I don't think exists in the places where the corporate club nights go, but they would definitely knock us off if they could. Sure. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha.

And, 

John: Unfortunately know quite a few... I wouldn't say unfortunately, they're not terrible people that do the, the corporate club nights, but I just feel that they're, like, not all of them are completely dialed into the communities that they, where they're, those touring clubs reach into.

and it's... I honestly do feel that they do a bit of a service, like bringing, entertainment to [00:03:00] markets that might not have access to stuff, like that's, slightly alternative nights. if I was living in, I don't wanna, focus on any... thinking about some of the places I've seen some of the nights, like towns in Oklahoma or places like, or Arkansas that these tours go, it would be, I would be really stoked if one of them came to my town because it would be something to do that's not, that's outside of my normal scope and, they have a...

They already have, their logistics figured out, so it's, I think that it'll be fun for those people that live in those markets. But, I don't know if I'd necessarily want to participate in it. 

Brian Prime: Sure. Gotcha. And just 

what are some of the challenges facing the operation of Das Bunker on the day-to-day?

what are some things you're having to contend with? 

John: day-to-day is not... right now, we just wrapped a big event this past weekend, so now I'm just in the, the... we're doing, I just, the girl who does our recap video just literally walked out the door as soon as I logged into this.

so that's gonna publish as soon as we're done with this. and, just stuff like that and getting back to every, trying to con- reply to all the [00:04:00] social media content, get, obviously sending out, paychecks to people is important and, settlements and, reposting all the content and the social media stuff's a lot.

and also, it doesn't feel like there is a whole lot of break between promotion cycles 'cause it's, starting Monday's, back into promoting our next event, which is coming up pretty quickly, which is... Part of that's a, a symptom of the time of year, starting in March, things just ramp up really quickly and there's so many things to do and, we either have to, compete with those things or sit it out, which is neither...

I don't really wanna do either of those. It's a Sophie's choice a lot of the times. So we just, I try and put together something that I think is, notable and interesting for people and let them, hopefully... they tend to do well. it, it- Yeah ... should be okay, 

Brian Prime: Gotcha. And after doing this for, for so long and Das Bunker's existence for 30 years, how long have you personally been involved?

John: I got involved in 2003, which would've been... Like, it started in '96, and then it closed in 2000, and then we relaunched it in [00:05:00] 2003. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha, okay, so quite some time. Yeah. what, what still excites you about doing it? What keeps you going? 

John: My favorite thing is curating the events, matching the artists up, to make a cohesive night, and it's...

You want something that's... I like when people come to it and are like, "Hey, this is not like anything else that I ever go to or that I've ever been to," and, like, when people come from out of town for something, or even LA people are like, they go to the, "Hey, this is... we make an effort to come to these events because they're not like anything else we go to."

It's, I try and... I want it to feel like an event. "Hey, this is something special. Everything that's happening is," been... Like, the DJs and the photo booth and the, the live performances and the... Like, when we have merch vendors, those things are all, fairly, 

I put a lot of effort into choosing the people that make a cohesive event that fits together, but it's not always the same thing, so it's... It almost feels making a cocktail or cooking where you're matching flavors that are not the same, but they go well together. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha. That makes sense.

And do you... Is there a [00:06:00] lot of difficulty and/or pressure with running it in LA, or do you feel the pressure of your own reputation, 

John: I wouldn't say the pressure of my own reputation. the biggest thing with LA is, I had a, somebody else that's involved with events describe it recently as it feels like everything is playing whatever your favorite video game is on hard mode all the time.

And it, it's gotten that way. it's probably been that way since post-pandemic. everything is... it just feels so, the... You have to be, like, super successful or it's not considered a success at all. the stakes are always so high, the budgets are so high, the, if it's not... we're always trying to push to get, attendance numbers and atten- online attention and it's all these metrics that I would rather not pay attention to, honestly.

it's... That's the... I would say that's the stuff I don't really enjoy. I don't... I like crafting the narrative and, telling, telling the stories behind the things, but I don't necessarily like selling it. 

Brian Prime: Sure. That's fair. Yeah, that's my least favorite part of [00:07:00] anything, in this scene is, the promoting and going on social media aspect of it.

John: Yeah. The meta business back end makes me wanna, tear my eyes out. 

Brian Prime: Yeah. Agree. so where do you s- foresee Das Bunker going in the next couple of years? Continuing, I presume. 

John: in a perfect world, we would probably, just focus on a couple big events a year and, be able to focus on those full time, put all of the maximum effort on those.

But it's, just different. that's a lot of just lining up, the artist tour schedules and things like that. It's just a lot of strategic stuff in advance that, for example, we're doing a party in May specifically because Dasik is coming and it's the end of their work visa period, and so it's when they have to play, so it's...

We're doing the party that day because that's when we have to do it, and it's not necessarily when our ideal schedule would line up. And it's, and so I for- I don't foresee those issues going away, but, I would like to just be able to dial in and do, two or three big events a year and, not have to really [00:08:00] stress the, the trying to, sell it last second and go, "Hey.

Hey, there's low tickets. You should come out tonight. come on." it's... That's not- 

Brian Prime: Sure ... 

John: why I got into this or what I enjoy. 

Brian Prime: Yeah. Gotcha. that makes a lot of sense. W- is there... I assume that as it has grown and reached the point that it's at now, is there, I'm gonna use the word infrastructure, but is there...

Have you gone through the motions of, sharing this thing so that it is not just falling on the shoulders of one to two people, but, a team, 

John: there is a team that, handles different things. our production manager is very skilled, and all of our techs are pretty skilled, and that, that helps a lot, honestly, just knowing that I can hand off all the like, "Hey, here's the DJ's needs, here's the band's needs.

here's our, the visual content," like knowing it'll get sorted is pretty, we wouldn't exist if that, that still wasn't in place. And, 

I'm sorry, I lost my train of thought. and so yeah, there's... As far as, the booking and marketing stuff goes, that still falls on me a lot, and it's, I would [00:09:00] love if somebody could come along that could, fully, understand our voice and our vision and would help out with that, but I don't foresee that happening.

it just, it's, we... I think the soul of the, the four people who contribute to that is what the party is, and if we, stepped away from it or passed those, that off to people, it wouldn't have the same, resonation with the audience. And so I don't see us being able to, put out a, a template or a blueprint and having somebody else fill in those shoes.

Sure. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha. So torch is not being passed as of yet. 

John: No. 

Brian Prime: Okay. All right. Good to know. what advice would you give to anybody starting out now of trying to build a thing that lasts? 

John: honestly, my main advice would be to not do it. I think it's easier to enjoy things than it is to coordinate and p- put them together.

But if somebody was insistent on it, my advice would [00:10:00] be to go work for somebody else. go work for a nightclub, go work for a venue, go work for a promoter and learn every aspect that you can. Which is, I'm giving... That's the, that's what I did myself and it's, it's been, it's very helpful knowing that, I can do every job at the club that isn't tech-related.

So I can't work lights or work sound, but I could do all the other stuff. if I had to check IDs, like I at one point had a guard card, so it's, it wouldn't be hard to get another one and get certified to be able to check IDs. I had a bartending license at one point, like I, have a marketing background and these are all, the, a lot of the core, stuff that's involved with it.

I know a lot about crowd control and, like logistics of getting people inside buildings quickly and it's, those are all the things that, that they're not exciting when you talk about, like working in nightlife, but it's 'cause everyone wants to be a DJ or be a band and, But that's, those are the things that are important for the success a lot of the times.

Brian Prime: Gotcha. Okay. So maybe focus more on the logistical sort of aspect of it. 

John: Oh, [00:11:00] yeah. If you don't, if you don't know how to do most of the behind the scenes thing, you're probably in the wrong business. 

Brian Prime: Okay. All right. Noted. as somebody who's started a night myself and don't really know these things, that that's okay.

John: It's, know your, know how your, fire marshal capacity is calculated, the square footage stuff and- what things will reduce that. you can't set things in walkways and it's a lot of stuff that you don't realize until you actually get in the middle of it. 

Brian Prime: Sure. And, what, aside from all the tedious laborious background stuff, what are your favorite parts of doing it?

John: my favorite is, I think I, I mentioned earlier that I like the, the... What's, what was the word? when you put the event together and, choose who's gonna play with who, and the lineups and the art direction of the flyer, and building the lineups and, crafting the narrative behind the sto- the event.

I try and every time we have an event I try and have a, a storyline that it fits into. our last one was s- sci-fi leaning, and so we paired a, the band Covenant, who have a [00:12:00] long history in that world. they essentially started as a Blade Runner tribute band.

and have- they've been around for 40 years so it's, they're not that anymore, but it's, and they've m- moved well beyond that, but that's, a lot of their stuff kinda still, s- sticks with those storylines and those, themes. And we paired that with a, sci-fi EBM band from Kansas City that are up and coming, and so it was a...

the, the musically they weren't the same, visually they weren't the same, but thematically, we had the same themes running through the night. And then, crafting the artwork, we kinda leaned into those themes and it helps. it just helps you tell the story. 

Brian Prime: Right.

Sure. 

John: And, people like things that have stories, and so a good event will have a, a storyline that it goes along. It's, I don't really think that the community needs another just open the doors goth night, I think what sets us apart is that there's a narrative, a thematic narrative that we, work with along the, along that, and it's, it's more fun to put those things together that way.

It's more fun to, craft social media p- if you're gonna have to do social... everybody has to do social media [00:13:00] posts, but, when you're putting those things together, when you're, like, crafting a promo video or putting together the flyer graphics or things like that, it's...

For the visuals for the night, it's a lot of, It's helpful to be able to have a- to lean into something like that, and that's what I enjoy. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha. Okay. you did mention, you used the words up-and-coming in regards to an artist, and this is a music podcast. so 

are there artists or sounds or trends that you have maybe noticed recently or have taken, grabbed your attention in the past few years that you think are worth mentioning or worth showcasing?

John: I think that dance music's gonna make a comeback in the, underground community. It's... we're seeing that in, the bigger cities, and it's, we're, that's what we're leaning to, is we're just going more in the dance music direction of the industrial music world, 'cause it's...

we're a dance club, so it makes sense, but it's also, you're starting to see some traction in that zone, and it's... I think that the, the dark wave that has been [00:14:00] going through the scene the past couple years has been waning, and it's, there's parts of it that are still strong. But it's, for the most part, unless you've established yourself in that, 2000, 2001, two...

Or 2022, 2020, zone, that it's gonna get hard, it's gonna be hard for you to gain traction in the community now just 'cause there's so much going on that people have... if you're into that style, you already know what you like, and it's, I don't wanna say everything's already been done, but it feels like a lot of the ground in that, those genres has been covered.

And, you're starting to, I'm starting to see some, people moving away from that and more into, the electronic dance stuff is, I think, where the, that's, that's where our interests are, and that's where, I think that you're starting to see some people make some moves in that direction.

Brian Prime: Yeah, I would tend to agree with you. Just, I am not, I do not have the experience you do, but just p- me personally, when I've been DJing recently, the club hits and, stuff that gets people on the dance floor, gets people moving tends to kinda sell the crowd, a little bit easier.

John: not only that, but you're al- I'm also noticing that, newer people are [00:15:00] grasping onto, grasping onto the styles a little bit more. people posting about it in their, on their social media and on, I can follow a lot of our patrons', Spotify playlists, and you start to see, trends in, that angle as well.

it's 

Brian Prime: Yeah. Gotcha. And I do agree with you about dark wave. It's like a genre that I just, I feel has become saturated very quickly, and the, the distinct acts have risen to the top already and come out. 

John: That's the perfect way to put it. I don't think it's going away anytime soon, but I think- 

that the, I think that we're gonna see a lot fewer, people jumping into it. 

Brian Prime: Yeah. would agree, which is maybe good. I don't wanna s- discourage somebody from making their dream project or pursuing their passion, but also, it's definitely worth looking around at the landscape before you do I feel.



John: mean, yeah. I, for... you're just looking at it from a, like a, your effort versus success ratio, 100%. It's hard to tell people, if your heart is set [00:16:00] on making a certain style of music, not to do it because it's not popular. And, that's always a challenge. But it's, I think it's gonna be...

I think it's gonna be difficult for people who jump into it now. 

Brian Prime: Sure. Gotcha. 

John: I think that if you look towards more, emerging or re-emerging styles, you would have... People would have more success, becoming a newer artist. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha. Yeah, I agree. how do you feel, just to stay on the topic of music a little bit, we mentioned some legacy acts.

I k- I f- always feel so remiss using that term about some of these artists, 'cause I've loved them for so long and, legacy act. but where do you see, the newer artists, newer styles aligning with legacy acts that are... we still get to enjoy, Suicide Commando, The Covenant, so on and but...

John: I kinda wish that more newer pe- newer artists would, jump on those styles, because I think there's a space for them, and it's... we're also, not to, point out the obvious, but those artists are gonna be closer to the end of their careers than the beginning. [00:17:00] And it's, there's gonna be a space for, new things grasping those, the, peop- the fans and the styles that th- those are into.

it's just that there's... I feel that the, that if those things are not, focused on, that... I'm sorry, I'm blanking. Sorry. 

Brian Prime: That's all good. 

John: yeah, I just think that- I don't know why I just, I brain miked. 

Brian Prime: No worries

John: Sorry, could you repeat that question again? 

Brian Prime: Yeah, sure. No worries. I just was sort of- Sure ... asking for your thoughts on comparing, legacy acts alongside or playing them alongside newer styles, newer flavors. we both mentioned that, EDM and dance music is where things are leaning a little bit.

But do you still find a room, in a set list for a Covenant, for a Suicide Commando, something like that? 

John: I think that the, the actual classics will always have places. 'cause it's... Suicide Commando and Covenant have great songs that are gonna, [00:18:00] transcend eras. 

And, the nice things about, those band, two bands specifically is, that you mentioned, is they always had taken influences from outside of the scene.

And so they, You're gonna find a lot of, for example, early dance music, influences in Covenant's music, which is why I think they're so timeless. And And they're, they resonated so well with their audience, and that's why they seem different, 'cause it's... once you get to the, an artist that like, "Hey, I wanna make a certain style of music," it starts to feel like a copy of a copy.

Where if you're always bringing in influences from other stuff, it's gonna, feel a little bit more fresh. 

Brian Prime: Sure. Gotcha. just to change gears really quick back to the club night and everything, and I'm curious to hear your answer to this, but, 

how has the scene changed over the last few years?

And I feel like there's a couple of different omnipresent ways that you could tackle this. But just what are the things that stand out to you of, "Ooh, this is very different"? 

John: the biggest... [00:19:00] Actually, hold on. That's not what appears. it's to- it's nothing like it used to be is probably the easiest way to put it.

Brian Prime: Sure. 

John: everything is different. Like- the biggest, sudden change was coming out of COVID, 'cause you had an entire generation of people who had, who had only, who had only- who'd grown up only knowing about nightlife from online. And all of a sudden you put those people into real life, events and experiences, it's, it was a culture shock for the new people and the old people, and I think the old people didn't really like it too much, and they, 

It was weird. 

Brian Prime: Sure. do you think they've gotten over it? 

John: No, they just mostly stay home now. 

Brian Prime: Oh, okay. Okay. That's fine too, but are there any other marked changes that you have noticed or think is worth- 

John: Everything else, it feels very, always in a circle, Like- 

Brian Prime: Sure ... 

John: like, all vinyl DJs are always gonna, that's always gonna be a thing that, circles around every [00:20:00] five or 10 years and, the music styles that are popular and fashion styles are always gonna...

it feels like it's always just gonna be like, like it's just a circle that always comes around. So I wouldn't say that there's anything, new and shocking, but it's, it's just a lot of "Wow, I can't believe this is coming back." 

Brian Prime: Sure. do you think it's harder or easier for a subculture like the one that we're in, in the age of social media?

John: this probably leads to a bigger question. I honestly think that the subculture doesn't exist anymore. just if you go back to, I don't know how old you are or when you started going out, but when I started, going out in, I would say the mid-'90s, you were forced to become part of the c- subculture if you wanted to, know anything about the music or the community.

"Hey, I like this song," "Do you wanna hear more songs like this?" Like, how are you gonna find them? You go to the club, you read the magazine. you go to the club even if you don't necessarily wanna be a goth. You're like, "Hey, I'm gonna start wearing black because everyone else here wears black and I don't wanna stand out," and, you slowly assimilate into it.

Yeah. And the [00:21:00] internet has kinda made... You don't have to, to learn about the music and the styles, you don't have to, you don't have to do that anymore, which, unfortunately means you don't have to, it, the end result is you don't really, assimilate into the subculture for better or worse.

Brian Prime: Sure. 

John: You kinda see, you see it a bit with the metal community and a bit with, the biggest example of it's probably the Juggalos because, that's still, a pretty strong subculture. And you also see it a lot in the drum and bass community. they're very, once you become part of it, you become part of it.

But it's, the goth community does not feel like it, you're not, people are not going to the, dressing up goth and going shopping and things along those nature like they used to. 

Brian Prime: Yeah. And I definitely, just to agree with you, and I haven't been going out for nearly as long as you, but it does feel at times that w- you know, previously in my life, "Ah, there's a person in black.

what bands do you like?" And we can probably find a commonality within a couple, right? But now [00:22:00] there's no guarantee. 

John: Yeah, the example that I always cited was, like, if you were driving and you saw somebody walking down the street with, colored hair or face piercings, you would probably know them, and it's not the case anymore.

Brian Prime: Yeah, definitely not, 'cause that person might be into completely different shit and have no idea- Yeah ... what you're talking about. 

John: Pop music or, Yeah, even pop music, leans into those aesthetics a lot now, so it's, there's no way to, predict what somebody's into just based off their aesthetics anymore.

Brian Prime: Yeah, definitely agree. is there a moment, in the Das Bunker history, just to bring up the talk again about it being the 30th anniversary and everything, is there a moment that you might remember or recall fondly of, realizing, "Oh, shit, this is, a thing that matters to people"?

John: I don't know if there's one where it clicked, but it was definitely, for me, the most impactful thing was when we did our 20th anniversary, did the three date thing, and it, it sold out fairly quickly, and I was surprised that many people were enthusiastic about It was, [00:23:00] that would've been 10 years ago, so it's- Exactly

and also, the react- this past weekend, I did not expect to have 1,500 people show up for Covenant, to be honest. 

Brian Prime: a pleasant surprise. 

John: Yeah. 

Brian Prime: Nice. okay. Let me look at my questions here. I was gonna ask you what drew you to, this genre personally? was there something in particular that just guided you towards it?

John: I went, in... It was the year between middle school and high school, I went to stay with my cousins for, a month during the summer, and it was just one of the things that they were listening to that seemed to really resonate. And I just remember listening to, Showtime by Nightstar Ab and, Pretty Hate Machine, Nine Inch Nails, and was like, "Hey, yeah, this is cool."

and they were like, "Oh, you like this? here, check out this long list of other stuff." And one, Columbia House, eight CDs for a dollar, sign-up thing later that I was in. 

Brian Prime: Yeah. Oh, yeah, definitely. I had so many Columbia House CDs of just, a million other things. Okay. what, 

so aside [00:24:00] from the atmosphere and the music, what components do you think go into keeping people coming back? Das Bunker, from what I understand, seems like it has a pretty tight-knit core, but what are you hoping to gain from, in bringing in new people, and how do you get them in there?

John: the biggest thing, and it's, it sound- it's gonna sound, completely obvious, but I think a lot of people gloss over this, is, rather than the music or the aesthetics or anything like that, you just wanna make sure that people have fun when they go out. And people go out to escape their normal life, to have a good time, to enjoy themselves and to, 

you try and do everything you can to foster that with, while, not, bothering them with day-to-day life things. So it's, we try and, make sure that happens. And it's... I think that we're successful with that. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha. And, after doing this for so long, how do you feel your relationship to music has changed?

John: it varies from time to time. There was a point when I was, working in it a little more full time, and I just [00:25:00] stopped listening to music, and that was... That made me wanna stop, honestly, 'cause I was like, "I need to get more..." And then I got excited about it again, and I was excited. So I just try and get excited about...

I like new stuff, so it's, I'm always checking out new bands and, new styles and jumping around different genres and That's how I keep my excitement. Gotcha. I like to go see new bands play, and I try and do that as often as possible. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha. Okay. Good answer. shifting gears again, what do you hope people feel when they leave one of your nights?

what do you want the user experience to be? 

John: I was just talking about this with somebody the other day, and, the biggest thing is you just want people to leave, feeling good. So it's, it was actually one of my DJs we were talking about it. We were talking about ending, how you end the night, like musically, and it's, we just try and send people out with a good...

you want people walking out feeling like they had a good time, and it's, whatever you can do to foster a That, subconscious feeling of internal smile I [00:26:00] guess is the best way to put it. 

Brian Prime: Sure. Gotcha. are there tracks in particular that you always play or that are- you're just like, "Oh, I can't wait to play this one"?

John: it just depends on the theme of the night and what my, like, where I end up in my... Sorry. Where I end up in my music library that week and what... a lot of times it's always just, we're future planning for whatever's coming next, and so it's hey, I'm gonna, I'm gonna play something that's, from an artist that we have a thing coming up, and that might even be a year and a half from now.

I'm always trying to plant those seeds. So it's, I wouldn't say there's anything that I just personally like, "Hey, I wanna play this every single time," but it's, I like the, the, like I said, the storytelling aspect that's, that all this includes. Oh, 

Brian Prime: okay. So that's really where you, get your kicks is just, crafting that every time.

John: Yeah, I like the narrative and being involved in it. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha. Okay. tell me a little bit, before I hit you with the last question of the show, just tell me a little bit about some of the things that are [00:27:00] coming up the rest of this year for Das Bunker and for yourself. 

John: for Das Bunker, we have a lot of, we're just foc- for our 30th anniversary, we just, the focus is on, it sounds like dumb and cliche, but we're focusing on the history, just trying to do...

We're working with things that we've worked with in the past that have, we wanna re-highlight or, stuff along those lines. it's... Sometimes it feels like nostalgia sellout, but it's, we're really just trying to, establish, what our legacy is for a new audience and show people what we've been and what we intend to be in the future.

And so, and pers- on the personal side, it's mainly just dealing with this has been a lot of what I have going on. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha. Okay. And is that a good thing? 

John: it will be and when it's done. I'm looking forward to it. 

Brian Prime: Yeah, I'm sure. it seems like a lot of work. I was looking at the Das Bunker website earlier and lots of things planned and coming up, lots of great shows.

Oh, so much. 

John: There is so much. 

Brian Prime: Yeah. [00:28:00] 

John: And it's weird because that's the stuff, one side of me is like, "Hey, I have to promote these." I think there's eight or nine things on our website right now, and I'm also working, putting together three separate big events, like, that are not announced yet. And so it's a lot of just hey, let's...

it's a lot of shifting gears all the time. Like- You know, I'm working on three separate flyer designs that are all in different art styles with three different designers, and, while also s- taking out advertisements for all the stuff we have coming out. It's, I, I feel a responsibility to everything to make sure that it does, that every artist that chooses to engage with us is, presented in the best light and to the best audience that they can achieve.

And so that's a lot of what I spend my time on. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha. and real quick, great answer, but, do you have any sort of quick, off-the-cuff crash course tips for people who are maybe trying to put together flyers? 

John: I personally watch a lot of videos [00:29:00] and, read a lot of stuff about art trends.

Both, what's currently trending, forecasting certain past styles that, were maybe not, that were popular at other times and that might fit our aesthetic. And so it's always a mix of hey, what's coming up next and what can we look back onto that was interesting We, I'll make a, like a saved file of things that I think are interesting and then go through my list of designers that we work with and try and match the idea that I have with the person whose skill set I think can execute it the best, and, usually let them do their thing.

And it's, that's... I like to outsource to people who have skills. It's, just a lot of, "Hey, you do this. this is your job. You're good at this. You went to school for this." a good graphic designer is a, worthy investment in my opinion. 

Brian Prime: Gotcha. Okay. Noted. I don't wanna keep you too long.

I just wanna keep this kinda short and sweet, so I'll go ahead and hit with the last question of the show, which is just, 

what is something you have been enjoying recently? And your [00:30:00] answer can be anything, a book, a movie, a TV show, your dog. Just what's something you're jazzed about when you get up? 

John: lately I've been really into, '90s UK dance music, so like really diving back into, Underworld and Prodigy and Chemical Brothers and stuff like that.

And it's just the, the... It, I feel like our world is that meme of, there's so much pain in the world, but not in this room right now, and that's the feeling that music gives. And it's- like what I listen to when I'm going for my walk in the morning and getting in the shower, and it's, it's, it makes it, the world feel like it's a little less terrible.

Brian Prime: Okay. Good answer. I'm a big fan of Underworld as well. great 

John: choice. Yeah, Underworld Boiler Room from last year was the best thing that, was the best thing of last year. 

Brian Prime: Yeah. wonderful to see, to hear more Underworld, out in the wild. I actually heard Underworld on a commercial the other day, and it made me feel, A, very dated, and B, just like my heart die a little bit 'cause it was like a cologne or perfume commercial for, Versace or [00:31:00] Armani or something like that.

That's hilarious. and it was like, ah, Underworld, how far we've come. 

John: But also they're still doing cool stuff now, but they're also getting more, respects I think. that collab with Brutal- Brutalismus 3000 was phenomenal, and, they did the thing with, was it Bread Again? And it was... all that's really great, and it's, hopefully gonna bring a little more attention to, like- You know, stuff that I think just makes people feel good.

Brian Prime: Yeah. agree. I always answer the question myself, just real quick, I've been, enjoying music again. I've got a DJ gig coming up tomorrow night, playing, before Holy Water plays. And putting music together, putting songs together, there's a fantastic... Speaking of Underworld, the hard style artist Zaytox does a wonderful, updated version of, Born Slippy, or I think- Can 

John: you send that to me?

Brian Prime: Yes, I absolutely will. and just hard style is, and some of these newer genres- It's so fun. It's so fun ... it is, it's so good, and feels like such a natural side progression to, my love of industrial. I'm like, [00:32:00] "Oh, this is also crazy hard and, fuzzy," and, it feels, easy to love, 

John: It's... Yeah, it's just the energy is great and the, the audiences are so much fun. it's just fun.