Welcome to The Racket House Podcast where we discuss all things music and success in our fun corner of the world. Join me each time as I sit down with music industry professionals, up-and-coming artists, people at the top of their game, and many others to discuss all things to inspire and elevate your game.

Helping to inspire, inform, educate, motivate and keep hope alive for musicians, creatives, entrepreneurs and anyone else who wants to grow their brand in the music or creative spaces.

The Racket House Podcast

Kay Cote is the founder of Amplify EDM and ‪@ampedcast‬. The Classy raver herself is a community builder connecting the world of dance music in Texas. She does this by throwing music events and hosting her live podcast, AMPEDCast, shot in front of a studio audience. She believes in giving dance  artists a platform to not only share their music, but also to share their stories. Kay’s events also serve the nonprofit and corporate worlds that are highly curated and tailored to her clients’ needs.

This was a cross-over episode! We both hosted each other on our respective podcasts so the Q&A went from side to side - how fun! One hour definitely wasn't enough as we just started to scratch the surface of the music world.

Until we get around to part two... enjoy the episode!

 Subscribe for more and click below to keep the party going!

📷 Instagram:   / @racketclubbb and @therackethouse  
🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZu... 
🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets:   / racket-club  
💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket...
💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! -  https://www.therackethouse.com

Inside the Mind of an Event Curation Queen - Kay Cote on The Racket House Podcast Episode 09

DONT BLINK! No really, it's @dontblink ! All the way from Bali! They’ve made a significant impact on the Tech-House scene and have a great story to share. Since their formation in 2018, Oskar and Aleks have released over 50 tracks across prominent labels such as their own @lowceiling, Nervous Records, Repopulate Mars, Spinnin’ and Insomniac. 

Their debut album THE STATEMENT released in 2023, features 13 tracks that showcase their genre-blending style and dedication to the dance floor. With a sound that blends elements of techno, indie dance, progressive, and afro house, their tracks have garnered support from industry heavyweights like Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, and James Hype plus hitting #1 on the coveted Beatport charts. 

Beyond their music, they're founders of the label LOW CEILING, which has released hundreds of songs since 2019 and consistently pushes boundaries while delivering bombs to the dance floor. 

In this episode the duo discuss how they met (hint: one was a fan of the other), how they're breaking into new markets, how they think about signing music to the label, how they promote new releases, and advice they'd give to DJs just starting out.

It was a fun one... tune in and turn it up. If you like what you hear show some love and subscribe for more episodes!

📷 Instagram:   / @racketclubbb and @therackethouse  
🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 
🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club
💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club
💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! -  https://www.therackethouse.com

Inside the Mind of Relentless Beatmakers - DONT BLINK on The Racket House Podcast Episode 14

My guest today is an artist whose music fans describe as therapeutic. Blending Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, and Folk,  Benny Freestyles creates dreamy, uplifting songs with messages of freedom, truth, and love. He not only performs the vocals for his tracks, but he also produces and mixes them as well.

He started freestyle rapping with friends as a teenager and never stopped. Since then, Benny has dropped 9 albums, 32 singles, and over 40 music videos, toured nationally with Mod Sun and Henry AZ, and built a loyal global fanbase.

Now he’s gearing up to release his 10th project Into The Wild, a hip-hop-forward, spiritually charged album produced entirely by Big Jerm — best known for his work with Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa.

Benny is a wealth of knowledge and experience in the music space and we covered a lot of ground in this episode. Give it up for my New England brother and lock in!

If you like what you hear show some love and subscribe for more episodes!

📷 Instagram:   / @racketclubbb and @therackethouse  
🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 
🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club
💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club
💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! -  https://www.therackethouse.com

Inside the Mind of a Purposeful Lyricist - Benny Freestyles on The Racket House Podcast Episode 15

Today’s guest is a true multi-hyphenate: DJ, producer, model, and adult entertainment icon -  @listen2jako is in the building! 

Born Jaclyn Dardarian, you may know her from her work as Darcie Dolce, where she took over the modeling and adult world, gracing the cover of Penthouse twice and winning titles like XBIZ Girl-Girl Performer of the Year. 

But her real love? Nightlife and house music. Since grabbing her first DJ setup in 2014, she’s played everywhere from underground parties to EDC Vegas. In 2020, she reintroduced herself as Jako—an evolution of her sound, her identity, and her power. With releases on Space Yacht, Brooklyn Fire, and Insomniac, plus her own label Love Out Loud Records, Jako is creating a world entirely her own. Let’s get into i!

If you like what you hear show some love and subscribe for more episodes!

📷 Instagram:   / @racketclubbb and @therackethouse  
🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 
🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club
💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club
💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! -  https://www.therackethouse.com

Inside the Mind of an Unapologetic Creator - Jako on The Racket House Podcast Episode 16

Artist manager, experiential event producer, entrepreneur, husband, dad... Tom has lived a thousand lifetimes and he's still pumping. 

Tom Astley Williams lives at the intersection of music, culture, and experience. He's a Los Angeles-based entrepreneur, artist manager, DJ, and the founder of L’Affaire Musicale - a creative agency known for building immersive events and bold community-driven platforms.

With a background in artist development, strategic partnerships, and event production, Tom’s built a reputation as a connector. Someone who brings big ideas and the right people together.

Through L’Affaire Musicale, he continues to lead with vision, creativity, and a deep commitment to shaping culture—both onstage and behind the scenes. He works with top artists including some of my favorites like Sam Blacky, N2N, Miramar, Kaysin, Tara Brooks, and many more. 

Tom is a wealth of knowledge and this conversation was just a tip of the iceberg around the state of the music industry and what it takes for artists to be successful. Strap in and get ready to LEARN!

📷 Instagram:   / @racketclubbb and @therackethouse  
🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 
🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club
💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club
💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! -  https://www.therackethouse.com

Inside the Mind of an Artist Whisperer - Tom Astley Williams on The Racket House Podcast Episode 17

On this episode we welcome Helen Gutierrez, co-founder of Straight Edge Entertainment Group. She shares how she develops artists with authenticity, transparency, and purpose. We talk artist management, social media, career growth, and what it takes to build a lasting music career.

If you're an artist trying to grow your career in 2025, this episode is for you. Take notes! And subscribe for more episodes like this, dedicated to helping emerging and independent artists. You got this!

📷 Instagram: @therackethouse  and @racketclubbb  
💿 Work with me - 1:1 artist development, advertising services, playlisting services, curation services, social content, email marketing, and so much more! https://www.therackethouse.com
📬 Subscribe to my newsletter: https://the-racket-house.kit.com/newsletter
🌙 My own tracks: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3hbZuTiNFxMjhgrt9AJKzT 
🕺🏻 Free downloads and live sets: https://soundcloud.com/racket-club
💕 More info on Racket Club: https://www.therackethouse.com/racket-club

Inside the Mind of a Visionary Talent Builder | Helen Gutierrez | The Racket House Podcast Ep. 18

House, Tech, Disco Producer and DJ with 15 years experience in the industry. Bury me in grooves, see below for full bio.

Email Jon@TheRacketHouse.com for all inquiries

From an early age it’s been about the rhythm section for Racket Club. Playing drums in bands that covered Rage Against the Machine and Deftones, Racket Club’s style has since morphed into what he calls Disco-Tech: a little Disco, a little Tech, and everything in between. He has an affinity for bouncy House music bass lines with female and hip hop vocals and you know he’s going to throw down in the club having done it for nearly 15 years, at venues like Sound Nightclub LA, Academy LA, Audio San Francisco, House of Blues, Lost Beach Club (Ecuador), Slate New York, and Zuma Boston. 

Racket Club has played support for and alongside heavy hitters HoneyLuv, Gene Farris, Westend, DJ Susan, OFFAIAH, Pickle, and Zen Freeman and he’s been on the bill for Groove Cruise, Wicked Paradise, Space Yacht, Hood Politics, Framework, and even Mammoth Mountain.

On the production side Racket Club’s released a flurry of edits that have gone viral on SoundCloud including his Beyoncé edit that’s approaching 50K streams and has aired on BBC Radio 1. He’s also had releases on Top Shelf Disco and Quincy Boy Records, with a release on Hood Politics out Spring 2023.

Former member of the record label Top Shelf Disco, a founder of the event series Pizza & Techno plus a co-founder of the music blog My Music Is Better Than Yours, Racket Club is no stranger to the electronic music world. Keep an eye on this LA-based stud as his single goal in life is to make you dance.