Sol Et Luna, which means “sun and moon” in Latin, is a student-organized sunset rave where various Occidental students perform their DJ sets. The group hosted its second event Oct. 1 at the Argus Bowl, behind Fiji Hill.
João Veirano (sophomore), from São Paulo, Brazil, is one of the performers and said that he wanted to bring his passion for melodic techno and house music to Occidental through this event. He has been DJing under the name John Hood since he was 12 years old. According to Veirano, Sol Et Luna brings people together around the beauty of music and performance.
“People coming together and appreciating a connection between nature and technology through art, that is the ethos, and the main message of the event is about friendships, connection, music and dance,” Veirano said.
Alexis Chang (sophomore), who goes by the name DJ Lexos, also performed at the event. Chang has performed at other Occidental events in the past, such as Spring Fling, where they opened for rapper Flo Milli. Chang said their style is unique because they use the knobs to mix vocals, instrumentals and beats, while most DJs mix their songs by frequency.
“I’m really hoping that people are able to just have good energy brought to them and give good energy to other people,” Chang said. “I’m excited to just dance and have a good time. My set is right before the sunset, so it is going to be more like golden light. It feels like you’re at the top of what you can see everything from, and it’s really special to be bringing music up there.”
Milo Ruscha (sophomore) and Miles Hainer (sophomore) said that they both came out to support their friends who were performing at the event.
“I like the location,” Hainer said. “I think that the hike was a little rough, but we made it.”
Ruscha said he normally does not listen to electronic music, but he enjoyed the set at the event.
According to Veirano, the DJs were working hard to prepare for the event and advertise through social media, flyers and word of mouth.
“We are just a lot more grounded,” Veirano said. “We also have a lot of the hunger and the idealism that we had when we decided to do the project.”
Veirano and Chang said one of the main things that they love about DJing is the storytelling aspect of it, and they really wanted to highlight that at the event.
“They are just about bringing vibes to people and good energy,” Chang said.
Veirano also said that he appreciates the energy that music can bring to people and that he hopes Sol Et Luna will expand to the broader LA area. He said Sol Et Luna can expose students to new forms of music.
Veirano said he hopes the event positively impacts those in attendance and that more students come out to enjoy and celebrate the music.
“I’m really excited that they may take something new from it, or away from it, or they feel inspired by it in some way, shape or form,” Veirano said. “I think what I’m most excited about is the potential of me being able to impact.”
