Prospa have never really seemed interested in playing by the rules of electronic music. The Leeds duo, Harvey Blumler and Guiorgi “Gosha” Smith, grew up around rock, metal, jazz and skate culture before finding their way into the “rave scene.” You can hear all of those influences woven into what they make now… music that can fill a club just as easily as it can a festival stage. And TBH, that might be exactly why they stand out right now.
After more than a decade of making music together, Prospa released their debut album Free Your Mind this past June on CircoLoco Records after it blew up in the circuit. Bringing it full circle to Denver, Prospa are taking over Mission Ballroom on Friday, September 25, bringing the Free Your Mind era to Denver after a year that has seen the two play at some of the biggest clubs & fests around the world.
Get Your tickets for Prospa at Mission Ballroom
From Leeds Skateparks to the Rave
Before Blumler and Smith becameProspa, they were just two kids in Leeds who happened to love music.
They met around the Leed’s skatepark scene when they were young, with Blumler playing drums and growing up around rock + classical music, and Smith playing guitar coming from a metal background, before moving into jazz guitar and jazz-influenced hip-hop. They both still talk about those influences today, and you can hear them hiding underneath some of their tunes.
The shift toward dance music happened slowly but surely. They initially made deep house together, but eventually felt like they had outgrown that sound. Then came Prayer in 2018: the track that basically changed the trajectory of their career.
They’ve Never Been Interested in Staying in One Box
What makes Prospa interesting is that they don’t seem to believe you have to choose between “underground” and “big.” Their music can be both euphoric and melodic without losing the grit of a proper club tune. They’ve pulled from pretty much every genre: 90’s rave, garage, electro, breaks, while collaborating with artists like Cloonee, Murda Beatz, & KETTAMA. Their debut album Free Your Mind basically turns their entire history and the past decade of their music careers into this record.
Prospa’s Idea of a Rave is Bigger than a Genre
The duo has described wanting to create their own “culture” rather than fit neatly into the existing divisions of dance music. Their live shows follow the same philosophy. Prospa have described their performances as an “experiential event,” and their production has been designed to make the crowd feel like they’re inside the music rather than simply watching a DJ perform it.
It all circles back to what Prospa have been doing since the beginning: taking pieces from everywhere and refusing to apologize for making them work together. Don’t miss them live later this month in Denver.
