Emotional dance music

Opposites do more than attract. Their fusion generates friction and sparks energy. Representing opposing sides of the spectrum, Kristin Sanchez [DJ, producer, engineer] and Desereé Fawn Zimmerman [drums, guitar, vocals] comprise one dynamic and diverse whole in Dance Loud. The Chicago duo co-mingles Fawn’s live instrumentation steeped in classical training with Sanchez’s electronic production and DJ wizardry. Acclaimed by Chicago Tribune and sharpened into a live force via countless shows since their 2008 formation, the pair push the full potential of this union on their 2020 independent full-length debut, The Moment.

“Duality seems to be a constant theme in our life together,” states Kristin. “We’re each other’s creative opposite. Desereé is a total metalhead with jazz and gospel roots. I’ve always been into bouncy club music and started out as a Latin and soulful DJ. When you put us together, you get Dance Loud. The Moment reflects both halves where the beginning of the track listing is more like me, and the bottom half is super emotional like Desereé. The one thing that never changed is the fact we really like high tempos. It’s the midnight BPM at 128.”

“We call it ‘Emotional Dance Music’,” adds Desereé. “You can experience it together, but it’s almost meant to be heard alone.”

Initially, Kristin and Desereé caught each other’s attention in art school. A relationship blossomed before they found themselves on stage together. As the story goes, Kristin had a DJ gig, and Desereé hopped on the drums, illuminating the potential of their creative chemistry. By taking on real estate projects, they financed a D.I.Y. musical operation as Dance Loud. They dropped their debut single “Spy Vs. Spy” in 2013 and performed across North America, taking over the Artist Lounge at Bonnaroo and packing celebrated venues such as Knitting Factory in New York and The Steady in Toronto. The pair trucked along and quietly built an audience until a horrific accident nearly derailed everything.

In 2017, a semi-truck rear-ended their vehicle. Airlifted out of the wreck with internal bleeding, Sanchez broke eight ribs, her collar bone,  sacrum and shattered pelvis. The destruction also claimed an old computer with ten unreleased songs as well as other gear. During a month in the hospital, the future became clear. “Kristin wasn’t able to walk for a long time,” sighs Desereé. “Music was the only thing helping her. We started talking about it in the hospital, because we had nothing but time to think.” “It really put a fire up our asses,” adds Kristin. “I shut down the voice in my head telling me not to do this. I said to Desereé, ‘If we’re going to die tomorrow, do you want to have one song or an album?’”

As soon as they left the hospital, they commenced work on what would become The Moment. The musicians successfully completed a GoFundMe campaign, which was created, hosted, and launched by their friends during the accident. Afterwards, they created the entire body of work independently—thanking funders in the eventual liner notes. Now, Dance Loud introduce the record with the first single “Hollow.” Crafted from analog guitars, drums, and field recordings, distorted synths give way to an angular beat as hypnotic vocals enchant and engage. It blurs the lines between electronic immersion and alternative orchestration. “It specifically speaks on duality,” Kristin explains. “It’s about being hollow inside. Every bad person has a good side, and every good person has a bad side. It’s a pervasive theme on the record.”

Meanwhile, chilling piano and sinewy guitar wrap around “Why Lie.” The downtempo soundscape ebbs and flows alongside the hushed delivery. “It’s about a realtor we knew who kept lying for no reason,” Kristin goes on. “There’s no need to lie though—ever.”

Chirps and buzzing lock into a future-forward groove on “Shady Beach” as the track shuffles towards a bold and blissful refrain. Then, there’s “Hear Me Out.” Intense emotion spills out between off-kilter beats as they detail “a real argument in our relationship and how sometimes we need to be alone to heal ourselves.” Meanwhile, they bookend the record with “Time” and “Travel,” which much like the members also complete a full circle.

“They’re two sides of the same piece,” Desereé elaborates. “We were obsessed with studying time travel at the time. We were also really inspired by Dark Side of the Moon and all of the conspiracy theories about it. We wanted the whole album to represent an endless loop with ‘Time’ and ‘Travel’.”

In the end, the duality distinguishes Dance Loud forever.

“This is our journey together,” Kristin leaves off. “After the accident, it all started to make sense. By embracing who we are and our differences, we’re about spreading positivity and karma through this music.”

Desereé concludes, “Each song has a lot to tell people. It’s like we can’t shut up.”