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PREPMODE has captivated audiences with his dynamic performances. His masterful mixing techniques and Turntablism-inspired artistry create an electrifying atmosphere that’s impossible to ignore. Known for his genre-blending remixes and mashups, he delivers some of the most memorable dance tracks that keep the party going all night. Each set reflects his dedication to musical innovation and creative growth.

I’m a former multi-time DMC Regional Finalist and Judge. I’m also the former DJ for the Emmy-nominated group Gangstagrass. I did the scratching for multiple Rench (the mastermind behind Gangstagrass) and Gangstagrass albums. You could most recently hear my scratching in the first episode of the newest season of the TV show King of the Hill.

I’m in my 40s.

Over twenty years.

I started off making remixes of tracks that I liked to include in my club sets. I dabbled in Disco House production when I lived in Indiana, but really started putting more effort into it when I moved to Austin, Texas. Austin appreciated genre-blending sets, so I really got to incorporate a lot of music I liked, but give it a twist that 6th St (if you’re familiar with the ATX, you know) would get down to.

I grew up in a family that listened to country music (which inevitably gave me an advantage later in life to bridge the gap between hip hop, country, bluegrass, and electronic music. In high school, a girl from Philly moved to my town and introduced me to the emerging rave scene. I got to hear (now considered) legends from Chicago and Detroit on a weekly basis. Early on, I especially enjoyed DJs like Terry Mullan, Richie Hawtin, Hyperactive, and Paul Johnson. And I can’t forget some of my non-Midwest favorites like DJ Icey (then, DJ Icce), Simply Jeff, and Doc Martin.

It depends on what era you listen to. I’m like Taylor Swift, I have eras lol. I would say my eras go as follows - House (Chicago, Funky, Disco, Tech House, Ghetto Tech, US Hard House, and even doses of Florida Breaks and Drum & Bass): This was my most experimental phase because I was learning the ropes of beatmatching and feeling out different vibes and crowds -> Hard House (both UK and US) -> Turntablism (I started competing in DJ battles and incorporating scratching into my House sets) -> Mashups (incl. House, Drum & Bass, Hip Hop, Rock, and Country) -> Present Day: A mix of it all (House and Tech - originals, remixes, & mashups)

I was originally DJ Simple Simon. In the mid-2000s, two other DJs started using the name. Although I had already received album credit under the name, they refused to stop using it. That was ok, though, because I had evolved as a DJ. I was no longer a “simple” DJ. When trying to come up with a new name, I thought about what represented me as an artist (not just a DJ). At that time in my career, I was VERY serious about DJing and showing off my skills in performances. I was always prepping for the next gig. I was always in prep mode. Also, before LMFAO made the idea of “Party Rock” a pop music concept, we called rocking diverse crowds “party rockin’”. And I was always in 100% Party Rockin’ Every Person Mode. It worked. Because of my old-school DJ mentality, I always believed it was important to have a unique DJ name (and research before you claim one...unlike the 2 DJs who decided to call themselves DJ Simple Simon). No one had the name PREPMODE, and no other name felt as comfortable as that one for me and my style.

I started with GarageBand, but Ableton became a game-changer. I’ve never veered away from using those two  DAWs. I like each one for different things, and sometimes use both on the same track. It’s just what I know. My favorite plugin is my newest one. That’s what I love about digital production vs analog. There are constantly new plugins coming out that introduce me to new ideas or allow me to do things I couldn’t do before. I tend to heavily use whatever the latest plugin I have is (for better or worse lol). My favorite piece of gear that I’ve ever had was the Roland MC-505. 

It’s honestly different for every track. Music isn’t my full-time career anymore, so I just wait for inspiration to strike and follow it in the free time I have. Sometimes it starts with drums, other times with melody. Bassline is usually the last thing I work on.

Lots of tweaking. I get pretty OCD about the nuances, to where it takes forever (especially with my limited time to work on music) for me to be happy with the sounds. I still use the “car test” throughout the process… which inevitably leads to more tweaking, lol.

Pay attention to LUFS. For so long, I focused on keeping things at a lower volume to ensure I wasn’t red-lining and crushing any of the dynamics of the music. At that time, most DJs my tracks catered to were using Serato, which has a feature to (do its best to) match the gains of every track to keep consistency in your music library. However, once the shift toward USB DJing shifted into high gear, my tracks weren’t as loud as other tracks that didn’t rely on an autogain algorithm to make up the difference. I’ve tried to go back and correct some of that with older material, but it’s a bit more time-consuming than I would like it to be, so some of those tracks still don’t have that heavyweight sound to them. 

I have to force myself to stop. It will happen when I send a track off to a label or distributor (no going back at that point) or have a deadline. If I don’t have something that forces me to stop, I just keep tweaking (as I mentioned earlier, I can become OCD about those nuances). TBH, I’m not as secure in my production as I used to be. There are so many amazing artists and tracks coming out, I just want mine to be somewhere close to the same league as other tracks coming out that I love.

If it’s not for a specific project, I wait until inspiration strikes. I never know when it will happen or what will trigger it. It seems like when I try to force it, it is more challenging for me to be creative and happy with the results of my work. Many times, the ideas come to me in the middle of the night. It can be a bit like lucid dreaming, where I’m somewhere in between awake and asleep, and my mind is working on a track. Then, it’s just up to me to recreate that when I’m truly awake.

Oh yeah, I grew up listening to old school Country because that’s what my family loved. They would constantly take me to Country concerts. My mom went to a lot of garage sales when I was a kid, also, so she would buy albums that she wasn’t even sure what they were, because they were cheap. She unknowingly bought me music from Punk Rock to Pop. My cousin introduced me to OG Hip Hop, and I honestly loved it all. I think that’s why I’ve experimented and combined so many genres over the years, because I’ve had so many influences. My favorite non-EDM DJs are primarily DMC and Thre3style DJs. I love the element of adding tricks and flair to a DJ performance.

I just want people to have fun. I don’t want the music I work on to be boring or lack energy. 

I think it is bigger now than ever. When I first started, you didn’t have all of the options for equipment as you have now. It really gives EVERYONE an opportunity to express themselves musically. No longer do you need to buy tons of expensive analog equipment to produce music, or only one brand/model of equipment that has the power to mix music smoothly in real-time. Not to mention the widespread distribution of music via the internet. Back in the day, genres were more regionally based on the producers in your area or the music sold at your local record stores. Now, equipment and software are available and affordable for everyone, and music is no longer limited to regional availability.  That has allowed for monumental shifts in trends and styles worldwide.

I think for certain elements, it can help. I’ve seen artists use it to generate interpolations of vocals for remix use. Overall, though, to make a full track from AI, I just don’t think the tech is there yet, from what I’ve heard. It might sound ok to post online, but I feel like it’s going to sound pretty noticeably inferior (quality-wise) when played on a solid sound system. Right now, I think it’s best suited for personal entertainment and radio ad jingles (since radio waves can camouflage the inferior sound quality). I’m sure someday it will get there, but we’re probably still a couple of years out from that.

No. At this point, I think you still need more than what’s currently available to make a track that a label will sell, and DJs will be confident playing on a crispy sound system

While the availability and affordability to be involved in the music scene is more abundant than ever, it also means that there are waaaaaaaay more people out there creating music and DJing. It definitely makes it harder to get your music heard and your name exposed than in the past. These days, your ability (or finances) to market yourself is equally (if not more) important than the quality of music you make or the skills as a DJ you possess. 

I just hope to continue growing as an artist and getting better with my production skills. I hope not to follow popular trends and to grow an audience of listeners who appreciate the same things musically that I do. 

Any upcoming releases, collaborations, or shows you’re excited about?

I’ve experimented more recently with two things, sonic expansion and genre diversity. One track I’ve just finished has been a work in progress for almost a year. I’ve worked really hard to give it a sonic depth to a degree that I haven’t fully attempted before. Maybe I’ve overused plugins, or maybe it sounds different in a good way from anything I’ve made before….I guess we’ll see. Also, I recently finished a track that is more along the lines of Melodic Techno, something totally different for me….But I really love it. It just all came together and felt right. I’m not really sure which labels to shop this one to, so if anyone has a suggestion or is interested, I’d love to hear from you :)

Tell us about your featured track.

My remix and mashup stuff can vary in sound, but when I’m making original material, I gravitate toward the things about electronic music that first made me fall in love with the music and the scene. Being influenced early on by those Chicago and Detroit influences, it’s House with a touch of Techno.  This one came out earlier this year on DataTech, and is part of the Best Of Big Mam’s House Records 2025 compilation that drops everywhere on New Year's Eve. I hope you like it!!!

What's the story behind Wasted & High and Bring That Bass Back?  

Both Wasted & High and Bring That Bass Back are me revisiting the sounds from Chicago and Detroit that originally drew me to underground electronic music. I was fortunate enough to come up in Indiana in the early mid-90's rave scene and got to hear the now legendary pioneers of the Chicago and Detroit sounds (both cities were equidistant for me, so these DJs were coming to Indiana on a weekly basis for events). Throughout the years, my music career took me down many other paths away from it. Now, I work on music for myself, and this is what comes out. I feel that it takes cues from those early influences, but adds a modern-day edge that is now possible with today's technology.

The best place to find all things PREPMODE is my Linktree at the end of this page.