Born and raised in the underrated, magical scene of El Paso, invgr8 came up as a rock kid with a knack for finding unique, forward-pushing fusions of rock and electronic music—think LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Bloc Party, and Metronomy. That path naturally led to the discovery of the UK’s nu-rave (The Klaxons, Hadouken!, and Late of Pier) scene through the internet, and a lifelong commitment to 4x4 beats that felt like liberation. Like many teens in the late 2000s, invgr8 cemented his love for electronic music after hearing Justice’s “Cross.” The gateway drug. That moment opened the door to Erol Alkan’s legendary remixes of (now) indie classics, and eventually to one of his most formative influences—Tiga. The first time he heard Ciao! and the track Mind Dimension, he did exactly what the title suggested—and saw the future. That love turned to obsession. A relentless drive to find music no one else had. He spent countless hours scouring every reputable music blog, obscure YouTube channel, Last.fm suggestion, and Twitter feed curated by the tastemakers of the late 2000s. It all culminated in an iTunes library stacked with pure heat—an iPod (and backup MP3 player, of course) that was, in his mind, the envy of the school. As a high schooler growing up in the U.S.—a land of payola, focus groups, and spoon-fed culture—he found home in headphones and online comment sections, trading track rankings and discoveries with his friends and fellow bloggers. Once they had jobs, he and his crew jumped into DJing. They started on Virtual DJ, experimenting with the flanger, phaser, and the infamous “airhorn” sample, before upgrading to a controller and pledging loyalty to Traktor, following in the footsteps of two other major influences, Richie Hawtin and Dubfire. They geeked out over Tape Delay and T3 Reverb, and were regulars at SMG Events and underground shows, soaking up inspiration from world-class DJs and deeply devoted crowds. The passion endured through college, law school, and beyond. The library continued to grow, but there was no real outlet for invgr8 to share his wealth. Now, six years into a legal career, invgr8 finally has the freedom—and resources—to pick up where he left off. But this time with an added mission: to be an advocate for the artists. To DJ and represent the talent trying to break through a rigged industry. He wants to elevate real artistry—not the algorithm, not the content farm, not “Meme Techno.” Together with his brother, the talented selector and producer .Clouded., they’ve launched .DISTORTEDsky. A collective built to platform deserving Texas talent, support each other’s creative visions, and push the local scene forward—on their own terms. Welcome to .DISTORTEDsky.