When you think about the music of Provo, you probably aren’t thinking of thumping bass and underground raves. However, in reality Provo has a vibrant and rich electronic music scene.
Lost and Found is a collective of musicians and DJs serving as one of the biggest parts of Provo’s electronic music scene. Its co-owner, Ian Gonzalez, said the collective focuses on “event curation around electronic music.”
“Electronic music is here. It’s here to stay. It’s here to have a place in this musical ecosystem,” he said.
Gonzalez said his love for electronic music started as a pre-teen when his cousin introduced him to dubstep music.
“For me, dubstep was like an answer to my prayers,” Gonzalez said.
After attempting to spread the word to others as a self-proclaimed “missionary of dubstep,” Gonzalez was surprised to see not everyone felt the same way about the music as he did.
He wasn’t expecting there to be a chance for him to do electronic music in Provo. Then he found out about the BYU EDM club.
After making connections with other fans of electronic music, he began to get involved with the Lost and Found group and its events. From there, he worked his way up the ranks and became a co-owner of the group.
Tyson Sitterud, a marketing student at UVU, learned how to DJ from a friend who owned a DJ business.
Sitterud performed at weddings throughout high school and was alway a fan of hip-hop and dance music. It wasn’t until after his mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that he got into the electronic music scene.
“I’ve made so many good friends these past two years, just going to the shows,” he said.
Sitterud said the scene blew up in 2023 and it has taken a little bit for people to figure out the music. He said the lack of words in most of the songs can throw people off.
“The only way to dance to this music is kind of like, just be goofy, be kind of weird, you know?” Sitterud said.
Even though the loud music and dark outfits at the raves can be intimidating, one new concertgoer said the crowd is welcoming and just wants more people to appreciate the music like they do.
“I think people were very nice, I met some new friends. One time when I was learning how to skate everyone was cheering me on,” Jacob Farnsworth said.
So next time you’re walking down the street and hear bass pounding through the walls, stop by and check it out. You might just like it.