If there is one bit of advice that DJ Joshua Delacruz could leave you with, it would be to find something you truly love to pursue. “I’m a firm believer that there’s something out there for everyone, and I am blessed that I found something for me,” explains Delacruz to host and publisher Brian Calle on this week’s L.A. Weekly Podcast.

“We are kind of like machines in a way,” says the DJ. He believes that many are just living their everyday life, just going through the motions, neither present nor passionate, and wants to change that. “If you have a thing you’re not so sure about, explore it. Find what makes you happy. Probably the most important thing in life is to find your happiness.” 

There’s something in this world that we all love dearly. For Delacruz, that thing is house music. “It’s an endless world of possibilities for what you can create,” he praises. “I [love] it because it’s a universal language. Someone doesn’t have to speak English for us to understand each other through this music,” he furthers, noting that even talking about his passion for house sound gives him goosebumps. 

Delacruz discovered his passion at a young age, after a life-changing move from Connecticut to the cultural epicenter of Chicago. New to town, the young teen would accompany his street performer uncle as he danced for tips on some of Chicago’s most popular streets. It was during those performances that Delacruz was introduced to the magic connectivity of music. 

“Wow, this is the coolest fucking city of life,” he remembers thinking. 

“Right around 12 or 13 is when my brain started to open up to different genres of music,” he explains. After his awakening, he knew that he wanted to be a DJ, no matter what. 

Going to his first club at 16, he acknowledges that while he was young, his focus on his goal was razor-sharp. “I was still kind of a baby, but I was an old soul for sure,” he shares. “As far as listeners, DJs, artists, anybody – they kind of go through different stages of music in their life and for me, I kind of started into the EDM festival kind of music.”

His decision to move to L.A. was the right fork in his path to take, as from there, his passion exploded into the successful career he enjoys today. “As the years passed on … I started figuring out the underground scene,” he explains. “It took so much exploring, and I’m still exploring!”

To those unfamiliar with house music, he wants you to explore with an open mind. 

“When people think of house music they think of just one genre, but it’s insane how many different genres there are,” Delacruz clarifies. Different genres all tell a different story, you have to be willing to listen. 

Not only do you need to be willing to listen, but you need to let loose a little too. “We all need to feel like kids sometimes,” advises the DJ. “Just have some fucking fun.”

From secret full moon parties to finding spirituality in sound, this week’s guest provides some valuable insight into the importances of following your passions and leaning in to new experiences on the latest podcast from L.A. Weekly. 

Listen to the podcast here or find it on iTunes here.

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