Lovingly crafted reproduction of what transpired on Del Monte Playa at the longest running free and open to the public regional Burning Man event. Dirty mix of breaks and DnB, imagine sh*t of fire in the background . . .
Photo credit: DMT Imaging

MPYRE Strikes Back 2024 Del Monte Playa

Music has always been my sanctuary, a vibrant tapestry of sound that resonates deep within my soul. Each note ignites my creativity, pushing me to explore new horizons. The melodies fuel my passion, inspiring me to elevate my art and embrace life’s rhythm. In every beat, I find my next level.

Footprintsound.com NUGZ or Brian Cox, one of the first DJs to perform on a Boeing 747, began his career in music when he acquired a Fisher Price turntable at the age of 5. He started making “pause button” mix tapes from songs on the radio at the age of 10, and got on a set of Technics 1200 MK2 turntables a few years later. He now has over 24 years experience in the booth playing for millions of party people. Blodip says he’s the best he’s ever heard. His stellar sets are amazing, incredible mind blowing magic for your ear holes. His parties are a shitton of fun. His ability to not get distracted is beyond human. NUGZ is about toeing the line between light and dark, positive and negative, existence and non existence. Think yin and yang on two platters and this DJ is the bridge. He takes you on a journey, continuously comes correct with phenomenal sets and uncanny consistency. A true disc jockey in every sense of the word.
While living in Boulder, CO in the 90s, NUGZ gained two distinct achievements. He acquired residencies at Soma in Boulder (voted as one of the top ten clubs in America by BPM and several other dance music publications ), and the number one club in Colorado at the time, Vinyl (formerly 1082 Broadway in Denver). He consistently played with profound success at both of these clubs until they closed, along with numerous others in the Denver /Boulder area while still at a very early point in his career.
NUGZ moved to San Francisco in 2004, and when he isn’t traveling the world, or building art for Burning Man (DJ'd for last 16 yrs), he can be heard performing in prominent SF nightspots such as The Great Northern, Public Works, Mezzanine, Yoshi’s, and the legendary 1015 Folsom. Corporate clients include Adobe, Dianese, Wells Fargo, Facebook, and AOL. He made his mark creating late night underground soirees at a special little space know as “123”, with his production company Footprint Sound. These are still regarded by true nightlife professionals as some of the best parties in SF. He continues to produce weekly and monthly events all around the bay, and during these late nights and early mornings he shares the booth with the likes of The Stanton Warriors, Donald Glaude, Modeselektor, Tycho, Martin Buttrich, Deekline, Audiofly (a performance in his loft, 123 was their first SF show) to name a few.
He is able to blend drastically different beats from all sorts of genres, tell a story, and create a sound/vibe that are truly his own. A risk taker who owns it, works in heavy, moving, melodic basslines, with unexpected builds and drops, sometimes dirty sometimes bouncy, seamless transitions from house to slowed down breaks and back again.  Incorporating custom re-edits and remixes, the more bangin’ selections under cover of darkness revolve around House and UK Nu Skool Break Beat sounds, that range from deep, melodic, sexy, to dark, dirty, nasty, funky, grindy, techy, electro. In day light hours, you might find him spinning trip hop, down tempo, mid tempo and classic hip hop, along with sexy deep house and funk all over the bay area at places like bars, lounges, back yards, yachts, pools, rooftops, houseboat rooftops, small islands, basements, lofts/ warehouses, art galleries, Breakfast of Champions, Bay to Breakers, The SF Marathon, campouts, sidewalks, planetariums, Decompression, SF Pride Parade, the Golden State Warriors championship parade in Oakland, or Golden Gate Park. He is currently the sound engineer and resident DJ for the Dusty Rhino burning man mobile art piece where he is also a founding member.