Los Angeles has never struggled for electronic music promoters willing to throw a party. What it has struggled with, at times, is promoters willing to build something that outlasts the night. After Traxx, the brand co-founded by Mark Lizaola and Spency Be, has spent the better part of eight years trying to be the latter — and their latest project, Sound Grove, suggests they might be pulling it off.
After Traxx took its first steps in 2018 with a handful of underground shows, modest in scale but deliberate in purpose. From those early nights, the brand expanded steadily — stage takeovers at festivals, the launch of After Traxx Records, and a growing reputation for putting local artists on the same bill as established talent. The throughline, according to Lizaola and Spency Be, has always been the same: music and community before everything else.
“From day one, our goal was to give local artists opportunities to play alongside established talent, while creating experiences where people could discover new music and connect with others who shared that same passion,” the two said. “It was never just about throwing parties — it was about helping grow the underground scene in Los Angeles and creating a place where people felt like they belonged.”
Sound Grove is the newest expression of that philosophy, and it arrives with a notable twist. Where After Traxx built its name on late-night warehouse events, Sound Grove runs during the day. For a brand rooted in the underground, that shift might have once felt like a compromise. In 2026, it reads more like an honest reckoning with who their audience has become.
“As we’ve gotten older — we’re both part of that 30+ raver crew now — it gets a lot harder to stay out until 4 or 5 in the morning,” Lizaola and Spency Be acknowledged. The daytime format fits neatly into a broader cultural moment that has placed real weight on wellness and accessibility, and Sound Grove has found a home in Elysian Park, one of Los Angeles’ most naturally striking outdoor spaces. “The formats may evolve, but the goal is always the same — to create opportunities for artists, introduce people to great music, and make the underground scene more accessible.”
The June edition of Sound Grove offered a clear picture of what that looks like in practice, with Los Angeles-based DJ and producer Nina J delivering a set that captured the specific energy the series is chasing. Nina J is a well-known face in the city’s underground circuit — she owns Club Circle and holds residencies with SXTCY and Trinity events — and her sound is typically built for darker rooms, defined by raw rhythms and hard techno that suits warehouse floors. Playing Sound Grove asked her to recalibrate slightly, and the results were worth hearing.
“Summer has a different energy,” Nina J said. “Playing outdoors lets me lean into the more uplifting side of my sound while still keeping that bounce and drive I love. There’s something special about hearing techno in the sunshine instead of a dark warehouse.” Her live-recorded set from the event blends hard techno and bounce with Latin elements, landing somewhere between peak-hour intensity and the kind of open-air looseness that makes a daytime party feel distinct from its nocturnal counterpart.
Nina J’s appearance at Sound Grove also carried some additional weight. In April, she made her debut on After Traxx Records with “Take Control,” making her one of the label’s newer signings and a natural fit for the event’s lineup. “Releasing my first track with After Traxx was a really meaningful milestone for me,” she said. “I’m grateful they believed in my music and gave me that opportunity, and it’s been great getting to work with a team that’s been so supportive throughout the process.”
That relationship between label and live platform is part of what makes After Traxx’s current model interesting. Sound Grove is not simply a party series running parallel to the record label — the two feed each other, with artists like Nina J moving between releases and live sets within the same ecosystem. It is a relatively straightforward idea, but one that requires genuine investment in the artists involved to function properly.
Los Angeles will always have promoters operating at a larger scale, with bigger budgets and wider reach. After Traxx is not competing on those terms. Eight years in, Lizaola and Spency Be are still working the same ground they started on — underground music, local artists, a community that keeps showing up. Sound Grove just gives that community somewhere to be before the sun goes down.
Sources: EDM Identity, EDM Identity
