On Thursday, June 15, Dropout, the fun-loving, Santa Barbara–bred electronic duo of Ray Nowak and Ethan Davis, drop down to SOhO Restaurant & Music Club (1221 State St., sohosb.com ) in a We the Beat performance at 9 p.m. Known for their personnel overlap with acts FMLYBND and Candyland, the dance inducement of Dropout will surely follow their tradition of making some of the best and most widely known electronic music from the 805 today, but with a new twist.
This beat-dropping duo departs from their EDM foundations to take on a new form with live instrumentation. So far, they’ve already built up a successful sound — their song “Slowly” was a No. 1 viral Spotify track. For Davis, who has worked as one-half of Candyland and the drummer for FMLYBND, Dropout is about musical integrity. “We’re putting the integrity back into dance music, taking the energy of a dance music show and integrity of a live show to make the best of both worlds,” he said.
Candyland was a success, he said, but it didn’t fully satisfy his soul. He yearned to play something “that requires actual musical ability,” instrumentation beyond the laptop. It did, however, prove his dreams could come true. “The commercial ability and success in Candyland made me believe it’s actually possible; I grew up with people saying it’s an amazing hobby but you can’t make a living off of it,” he said. Dropout, he said, is “more sustainable. I feel better about it and representing where my heart and head’s at, rather than just deejaying,”