Brady Beats and the Token Girl: “The music scene is starting to demand more genuinity and soul”
Brady Beats and The Token Girl have made significant strides in the South Florida music scene, garnering an international following with their distinctive sound.
Photo credit: Brady Beats and the Token Girl – Official
This sound, a blend of various musical influences, is highlighted in their original music and live DJ mixes. Their personal relationship as a married couple adds a unique dynamic to their creative process, resulting in compelling rhythms that resonate with listeners.
The DJ and producer duo recently released their full-length studio album, ‘Dance With Me’. This eclectic mix of dance and electronic music promises listeners a captivating journey across various sub-genres, including Indy Electro, 80’s Synth, Jungle, and Deep/Chicago House, with elements of Melodic and Minimal.
Besides their music, Brady Beats and The Token Girl have successfully launched Electric Safari Records and have performed at well-known music venues and events. Discover their story, their music, and their vision for the future of electronic dance music.
EG: Hi, guys! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How have you been? What have you been up to?
Brady Beats and the Token Girl: Thanks so much for having us, we are excited to be here! We have been super busy working on our music production and DJing shows throughout South Florida, from Miami to West Palm Beach. We started our own independent record label called Electric Safari Records. So far this year we’ve released a 3-track EP album, ‘The Sounds Around You’, and our first full-length 9-track album, ‘Dance With Me’. We had opportunities to DJ at Art Basel and Miami Music Week, which were really fun for us. We have been working on some new projects to put more music out there too. Recently we launched the ‘Beat Train’ mix series where we live record our DJ sets for Youtube and SoundCloud. We want people to hear us and see what we’re about. The 1st mix of the series, ‘Beat Train Mix One’ was also reposted on EG SoundCloud. Thanks for sharing that, we really appreciate your support.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the release of your debut studio album, ‘Dance With Me’! How are you feeling about this one now that it’s out? What has the initial reception been like so far?
Token Girl: Thanks so much! It’s been wild in the best way possible. We’re very happy with how it came out. It’s been great to see so many people vibing with our music. We love listening everyday because we genuinely love it ourselves. It feels good to finally have it out there. We’ve been looking at the data and we’ve seen significant growth and traction around the world.
Brady Beats: ‘Dance With Me’ was released a few weeks ago and were super pleased with the engagement so far. Our tracks have been added to several hundred playlists and our save and stream rate goes up every day. Now we have a decent amount of music on our channels and I think it’s really helping us grow. This album has 100% been a turning point so far with regards to user growth and streams. We check the Spotify numbers daily and are excited to see how it does in the long run.
EG: So, what can your fans expect to find on ‘Dance With Me’? Is there a concept or trigger running through all 9 cuts?
Brady Beats: ‘Dance With Me’ is a 9-track album that offers listeners a taste of different genres in the dance/electronic music space. We personally love all types of music and wanted to capture that in this album. It has 80’s vibes, jungle, melodic deep house, Chicago house, and more. There is something for everyone. We are very proud and happy with how it came out. It is rooted in house music but has huge influence from many styles outside of that. The album is fairly alternative and will give listeners a truly unique experience.
Token Girl: The concept and theme of the album blend the relationship of humans and technology. We intentionally made sure to carry this theme throughout; in the artwork, track descriptions, and production. We put a lot of heart, soul, and thought into this album. It is a real trip and is meant to take listeners on a journey through space and time.
EG: And what was the creative process for this album like? Did you have a clear north when you first got started? Do all of these tracks come from the same sessions? Was this your first attempt at a full-length album?
Brady Beats: We knew from the beginning that we wanted to produce a 9-track full-length dance album. We had fun experimenting with different sounds and thought a multi-genre album would be the way to go. This is our first album so we wanted to keep it more broad and relatable. With regards to the sessions, everything was recorded and arranged in our apartment, we recorded the vocals in Christel’s closet.
Token Girl: haha yes, I have a lot of clothes in my closet so it makes for a great soundproof recording studio. Everything was made in our home with love. We wanted to take our time and go at our own pace to create something really great. We are creative and have good ideas. It’s cool to see what we made together. The whole process took a little over 4 months. We were working on multiple tracks at the same time and some took longer than others to complete.
“The concept and theme of the album blend the relationship of humans and technology”
EG: What would you like for the audience to take away from the record? What would be the perfect setting to listen to ‘Dance With Me’?
Brady Beats: I’d like listeners to appreciate the album or body of work we made. Over the years we’ve noticed a decline in the production of full-length albums. Today, more and more Artists seem to be focused on creating a “viral hit” putting out singles non-stop. When I had CDs years ago, I listened to them over and over and appreciated the entire story. Of course, the internet makes music more accessible today. I want the audience to appreciate how all the tracks work together and the story that we are telling.
Honestly, it’s great to listen anywhere. This album is interesting and can be enjoyed at large events, and festivals, listening alone or with a group of friends. The tracks are longer and produced with DJing and mixing in mind.
Token Girl: I would like everyone to feel great vibes with this album! Our motto is “Hear the music, feel the vibes” because we intentionally want people to feel something when they listen to our music. Spencer brings up a good point with CDs. These were huge back in the day. It was a time when people could own a tangible piece of music with a collection of songs that would tell a story. Similarly, we wanted to give people more than “just music” but an interesting and thoughtful story to follow.
The relationship between advanced technology and humans is fascinating to us. Each track is like a piece of the puzzle connecting both together. ‘Dance with me’ is great in any setting. Personally, I like listening to it when I walk on the treadmill. It’s entertaining and long enough to get a good workout in. It’s cool listening to yourself knowing that “we made this” and that makes me proud.
EG: By the way, you guys are a married DJ couple, right? What is that dynamic like in the studio? Do arguments or disagreements tend to feel more “personal”? Do you have any advice to easily overcome those roadblocks?
Brady Beats: Time for the tough questions, haha. We are married and have a really great relationship. We spend every minute together. Of course, working in the studio together can cause stress at times and yes, feel more personal. Producing a full album has a lot of challenges you have to overcome. But overall we complement each other really well. For example, Christel is more of the idea person, she is creative and can develop concepts, where I do more of the engineering-type work. Together we make a great team and it’s worth it. We couldn’t do it without each other. I think it’s important not to take yourself too seriously, and try to keep the vibes chill. There’s no point getting mad at each other so staying chill is key.
Token Girl: Ha, so funny! Yes, we are married and he is my soulmate. We live together, work together, have fun together, and make music together. Of course, we have our disagreements but beautiful things come of them. I love that we have different ideas and opinions to collaborate with. That’s how you learn, grow, and produce a great full-length album. At times, I have taken things personally and there are bad days, but we always get through them and that’s what matters. I love Spencer so much and I’m proud of what we’ve made together.
We work very hard and I think it’s really important to keep things fun. The moment we stop having fun, it’s time to take a break like walking our dog, going to the pool, or watching 90 Day Fiance. It’s good to have variety and keep things interesting. Most importantly, we know we love each other and we’re on the same team.
EG: Now, speaking about the scene, what do you think the future of electronic dance music looks like? Are all these innovations and big-screen festival performances bringing us closer or farther away from the music? What does the scene look like where you’re at?
Brady Beats: I feel like Electronic music is as big as it’s ever been, in our lifetime anyway. I think that the barriers to entry are low for people who want to produce and DJ. A Macbook and Ableton can do what a million-dollar studio did a few decades back.
Technology definitely makes music more accessible. Years ago the music was more mysterious, today you can access it online. However, we’ve seen a major shift in the US over the last ten years I want to say. House music especially, is accepted in South Florida. If you walk down a busy street, it seems like every restaurant is playing it.
I feel that overall music is a powerful force that brings us all together. The more parties and festivals the better. Even if they can be a bit overproduced and more commercial at times, it’s like a portal for people to go further into the spectrum.
South Florida, particularly Miami, has one of the best scenes in the country. All the best DJs/producers come through there and you can go to a small underground party or a large venue like Club Space. Miami has it all, and there are so many options for people.
Token Girl: In my opinion, the music scene is starting to demand more genuinity and soul. I feel there will be more independent artists expressing themselves and what they like, instead of chasing trends. It’s going to be cool to watch it evolve and see all the different things that come in the future. I predict there will be new genres of music created and new ways to party. That’s pretty cool to think about.
Big festivals are a great way to bring people together to connect over the love of music. Even smaller or more intimate events can add a more personal touch. There are so many videos online and DJ sets that you can vibe out at home too. It’s still a great experience, but without the crowds, I can wear PJs.
The music scene in South Florida is huge. There are lots of options for people to choose from based on the vibe they’re looking for. So many independent artists are emerging. You no longer need to be signed by a big record label or pay thousands to record in a professional studio. Literally, anyone can just get a computer, and some DJ headphones but you have to put in the work to create anything good.
EG: It being such a hot topic, how do you feel about the recent implementation of AI in the creative side of music? Have you explored any form of AI in ‘Dance With Me’?
Brady Beats: That’s a really interesting question. Lots of the themes in Dance With Me are focused on technology and robots. It’s the age we live in. I’m pretty open to new technology and welcome the use of AI for parts or elements of a track. Personally, however, we don’t use AI much at all. The vocals in ‘Dance With Me’, the self-titled track, were created with a very basic free robot generator we found online. That was the only AI we used in the album.
Personally, I wouldn’t want to listen to a track that was 100% created by an AI program. I value the human element but as I said, I’m always open to new technology and change.
Token Girl: I love this question. It’s crazy to think about how 10-20 years ago we didn’t have the technology we have today. Back then, new ideas came from using real brain power and creative talents. It’s cool to see the evolution of music over the years with people leveraging advances in technology. In the local music scene, it’s been interesting for us to see how other artists utilize technology too. Sometimes the use of AI is taken too far and people may lose themselves in the process. We love using our creative brainpower to make music, that’s why it’s fun. As Spencer mentioned, the self-titled track, ‘Dance With Me’ features vocals from an AI robot. We wrote all the lyrics and typed them into a free AI robot generator to speak the words. This is the only element of AI used in all the music on our album.
“The music scene is starting to demand more genuinity and soul. I feel there will be more independent artists expressing themselves and what they like, instead of chasing trends”
EG: Finally, can you provide some insights into what’s next for Brady Beats and the Token Girl? What can we expect from you in the coming months? Where can your fans catch you next?
Token Girl: We have a lot of exciting shows and projects in the works! Expect new original music dropping soon and another live recorded DJ mix for our ‘Beat Train’ Mix Series on our Youtube channel. We have a really cool surprise on this next one – it’s going to be fire we promise! Fans can follow us on IG and Eventbrite to see where we are performing next. On Friday, May 24th we are making a return to South Beach, Miami at Kill Your Idol – we are playing all night! Come check us out, our live sets are the best.
Our original music is available on all streaming platforms. Fans can find more of our music and live recorded DJ sets on our SoundCloud. We promise they are really fun! Sorry, one more thing, definitely checkout ‘Dynamite Sound’ when you get a chance. This one was one of my personal favorites to produce because it features samples from the iconic SNL “cowbell” skit. I approached Spencer with the idea to remix this into a danceable track where people can laugh and dance at the same time. It came out great. It’s hilarious and has a total vibe.
Brady Beats: We are very passionate about our music and our vision for the future. Learning and growing as artists is very important to us. We want to continue to get out there, put in the hard work, and gain more exposure. This will lead to awesome opportunities for us and our careers. Experiencing the journey is the best part for us.
EG: Thank you so much for your time, guys! See you on the dancefloor!
Brady Beats and The Token Girl: Thanks EG for taking the time to interview us! We really appreciate this opportunity to give new and existing fans a glimpse into Brady Beats and The Token Girl and our new album. You’re awesome!
Brady Beats and The Token Girl’ ‘Dance With Me’ is now available via Electric Safari. Stream and download here.
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