Carving a Path For Underground Liquid Drum & Bass
In the vast landscape of underground bass music, few artists exude as much passion and authenticity as Khariszma. A DJ deeply immersed in the underground scene, her journey has been one of dedication, inspiration, and community-building. I spoke with Khariszma about her musical evolution, passion for soulful sounds, and powerful DJing approach. Khariszma is making Herstory by empowering women in the music industry. She continues to carve a path for the underground liquid drum and bass communities to thrive.
The Birth of the Khariszma Project
Although the Khariszma Project launched in 2022, she has been long involed In the underground bass scene, especially in the Bay Area, working with CouchFam and building communitiy ties. The birth of the Khariszma Project was catalyzed by a transformative experience at Tipper and Friends 2022, where she witnessed the legendary LTJ Bukem perform a Cosmic Twilight set. This was a pivotal moment for Khariszma. Khariszma shares, “I remember being in the crowd thinking, ‘This is a sound I fuck with. If somebody like this man can be so successful in this realm of drum and bass, then so can I!’” Seeing Bukem’s seamless and immersive mixing style showed her that success in this niche was possible, igniting her passion for DJing.
Since then, DJing has become an essential creative outlet.
Khariszma: “It’s my favorite thing in the world now,” she beams with a huge smile. “More than just playing music, it has become a tool for storytelling, community building, and personal expression.”
Passion Over Profit: A Mission-Driven Approach
Early in our interview, Khariszma began sharing her intentions in the music industry and why it is important to lead with them. She is crystal clear about her mission – she is not in this for fame or money. Instead, her focus remains on community, activism, and the love of music itself. Khariszma sees underground bass music as more than just a genre – it’s a culture.
Khariszma: “I’ve gotten to meet so many dope people… and understand the struggles, understand the beauty of it, and what it boils down to is community. It’s a beautiful community and people look out for each other; we support each other. It even ties into society and culture too… there’s a lot of mutual aid that happens and activism. I believe it is really important in music to speak your mind and speak out against injustice.”
Through her DJ sets, Khariszma aims to create meaningful soundscapes that not only allow listeners to lose themselves in music, but also communicate important messages. In the past, she has curated “resist sets”, where each track displays themes of resistance embedded in the lyrics or title.
Not Playing Crowd-Pleasers
Khariszma expresses the thoughtful preparation behind her live performances; contrasting her live streamed sets, where she is generally improvising. She likes to play a minimum of at least 2 hours, giving ample time for storytelling. In her live sets, Khariszma enjoys creating unique experiences for listeners, guiding them through a sonic journey, rather than simply playing a list of crowd-pleasers.
Khariszma: “You’re not gonna catch me playing bangers. You know, that’s just not me. I might sprinkle one in here or there, but only if I actually love it– not just because I know the crowd will react to it.”
Liquid DnB (Drum & Bass) is primarily what Khariszma plays, whether she’s working on music or designing for her “Big Girl Job”. She views DJing as an artist’s medium, comparing it to painting – sound becomes the brush, and each set is a canvas for expression.
Finding Joy in Music
Khariszma speaks highly of the joy she receives in discovering and showcasing lesser-known artists. She highlights her deep admiration for producers like Archangel, Halogenix, Mystic State, Alix Perez, and Calbre; all of whom have influenced her musical taste.
A prime example of this is her ongoing support for Archangel, an artist she first discovered when he had fewer than 200 followers on SoundCloud. Archangel’s music captivated Khariszma with its quality and emotional depth. She went beyond simply enjoying the music– she reached out to Archangel to show her sincere appreciation. This simple gesture led to a profound relationship where Khariszma continues to champion his music in her sets.
In an unforgettable moment, Khariszma tells me of the opportunity she was given, to give Halogenix a ride from The Untz Festival to San Francisco. During the ride, she shared Archangel’s music with Halogenix, an initiative that would eventually lead to Archangel being featured on a Halogenix Compilation LP.
Khariszma: “And that’s where I like to be. I don’t need to be the center of attention. That’s what I feel like my purpose on Earth is. My purpose is to connect people, in one way or another. Usually that means through music, but it happens in other areas of life, too. That for me, is the highest degree of joy; that second-hand joy I feel through other people’s success.”
For Khariszma, the joy of seeing an artist she admires succeed, especially after supporting them early on, is a fulfillment that goes beyond personal accolades. It’s about creating genuine connections, helping underground artists gain recognition, and seeing the underground music community grow. As she continues to share her musical journey, Khariszma’s dedication to supporting underground bass music and fostering a sense of belonging within the community is evident in everything she does. Her love for Liquid Drum & Bass, her commitment to activism, and her unwavering belief in the power of music to connect people are at the core of her artistic mission.
CouchFestFam: Behind the Scenes in Ten Days
Next, Khariszma and I discuss CouchFam’s revival through CouchFest, the effort behind the scenes, and why it was their best stream yet.
Khariszma describes CouchFam as an enigma. What started as an underground, bootleg-style stream, evolved to becoming a main resource for bass music lovers worldwide . The loyal following of the collective and humble beginnings are what defined the platform for years. The workload that was required from the CouchFam team behind the scenes was heavy – and they had to work quickly.
After the original CouchFam Facebook group was shut down in 2019, the platform took a brief intermission. However, when the pandemic hit, Khariszma recognized an opportunity to bring CouchFam back. This time, with permission and a better sense of formality. Many artists expressed the financial strain of lost gigs, and streaming was becoming a lifeline for the music community. Khariszma reached out to the original founder of CouchFam, Rob, and pitched the idea of reviving the platform in a way that would uplift artists, allowing them to showcase their talents during such a challenging time.
CouchFest: A 48-Hour Live Streaming Marathon
Rob was on board, and the CouchFam Team quickly got to work behind the scenes. Khariszma recruited LB (Lauren) from Heavy Traffic Recordings, Ethan (@nox.lumina), Greg (LB’s husband), and Jessie. Each member played a vital part behind the scenes. Over the span of ten days, from the initial brand conception to the completion of the grand event, Khariszma and the CouchFam team launched CouchFest, the 48-hour live streaming marathon.
CouchFest was a two-day live streaming event featuring talent in the underground bass music community. Khariszma shares with Mic Drop, the initial idea was to stream a 48-hour marathon featuring both DJs and VJs.
The response to the stream was beyond expectations, with up to 3,000 viewers at one point and the chat never dropping below 900 people throughout the entire event.
Khariszma continues to stream on Saturdays for Heavy Traffic Radio, and posts the streams to the CouchFam YouTube.
The Power of Community
Khariszma: “It was nuts. Everybody was so stoked about it. So then, we started donation links and were taking donations for the artists. Because, initially, the whole point was for them to get some of that touring gig income back. Even in a small way, we know it’s not gonna replace anything– but it was just something to help.”
Laneisha: “Yes absolutely! I love the community support.
Khariszma: “Yes! Exactly! We’re raising money for the homies. Like, let’s go! So, yeah. We raised just a little bit shy of $10,000 and distributed it equally amongst all of the VJs and DJs that participated. We took none of it. All of the money that was raised was dispersed to the people that performed, because it wasn’t about us. We were just doing this as a service to them. Like, we love you! We’re here. Can we help somehow?”
Khariszma highlights the profound sense of community that CouchFam embodies. The event wasn’t just about streaming; it was about coming together in support of each other. She expresses how fulfilling it was to provide a platform that could serve as a beacon of support during such uncertain times. Although Khariszma played such a vital role in this project’s completion, she gives the credits to the collective efforts of the entire CouchFest crew and community.
A Conversation About Empowering Women in the Industry
In a powerful conversation about empowering women in the music industry, Khariszma shares her passion for seeing more women take center stage in various roles. “Women are feeling empowered to take that step,” she says, highlighting the exciting emergence of more women claiming their space in what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry.
Khariszma’s latest collaboration with Electric Hawk will launch an interface that would offer talent buyers access to a comprehensive list of women and other marginalized groups in the industry. It would be a much-needed resource aimed at eliminating the excuse of “not knowing who to book”. She emphasizes that this list will not only feature women, but also femme, queer, BIPOC, Latinx, and LGBTQ artists; making it clear that it’s about all of us working together for greater representation.
Khariszma also gives a shout out to Abby (@itsbabykush) for her advocacy, specifically with the Bass N Babes movement, which challenges the low representation of women in event lineups!
A Final Word of Advice
As the conversation flows into Khariszma’s creative passions beyond music, I learn that her creative process is an ever-evolving one, which leads to her final word of advice. Her creativity first began with building mopeds and crafting festival wear, but as her personality in music developed, she began trying new things. For instance, live streaming and now, producing. Producing is a new creative venture for Khariszma, and she expresses how much she enjoys the process of “starting from the bottom” and learning how to build from the ground-up.
Her final word of advice, if she could spray paint it on a wall to show the world, it would say:
Relentlessly pursue your joy.
Khariszma: “You’re learning how to do something cool, new, and fun. Finding something that gives you joy. That’s what it’s all about. Gotta keep chasing joy, relentlessly. Relentlessly pursue it. If you don’t have any joy, you gotta fuckin’ find some. Even if it’s like, making stupid hats, or building stupid mopeds, or making stupid music — who cares! Whatever gives you joy; that is the key to happiness and success as an adult. If there is any word of advice I could spray paint on a wall to show the world, that’d be it. Relentlessly pursue it!”
A Dream Come True
Khariszma’s story is one of empowerment, creativity, and resilience. Whether she’s supporting the lesser-known in the underground, creating soulful soundscapes for listeners, or teaching herself music production, Khariszma embodies the spirit of creative exploration and community. When I asked Khariszma about her goals for the year, she reflected on how she feels deeply fulfilled in her music career.
“My goals have already been accomplished,” she shares, revealing that her original desire was simply to share the music she loved. Everything else, she admits, has been a bonus. The opportunities that have come her way, like playing at Juice Drum and Bass/The Untz Festival, feel like a by-product of the effort she’s put in.
Khariszma: “I’m just happy to fucking be here,” she says with a huge grin of gratitude, emphasizing how everything feels like a dream come true.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Khariszma. We can’t wait to see you live sometime this year. Cheers!
Upcoming Appearances:
- [TONIGHT!] Roni Size US TOUR; Khariszma B2B Soba
- [March 22] Juice Drum and Bass – Celebrating 20 Years of Juice: BCEE, S.P.Y., Seba, and MC Question Mark
- The Untz Festival: Special Liquid Soul Sunday Set
- Khariszma Liquid Soul Sunday Twitch Stream – every Sunday!
