Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Barnes.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
As a Studio engineer, one man bandas well as experimental DJ, I love to create music and remix others’ creations into new pieces of audible candy. I craft each remix meticulously; all one take with no editing. Every piece I do is caught within the moment of mixing on my decks with Virtual DJ. I am also an instrumentalist, specializing in bass guitar, drums, synths, and other instruments. I then came up with the phrase “The Blender Of Beats, Mixer Of Mashups, Twister of Tunes, and Raw Remixer KholdPhuzion“.
I was born and raised in St. Louis, but around age 5, I moved more into the county/Jeffco area. Growing up, I did not know many musically inclined people to share and grow my passions with, I bounced around from instrument to instrument, getting an understanding of each one. I started with drums, moved to guitar for years, but I really found my love for the bass guitar. When I was in high school, I started creating music within the DAW of Fruity Loops Studios. A friend’s band had also asked me to join them in high school to play shows at places like Cicero’s, battle of the Bands in other surrounding high schools, and other various gigs around the St Louis area as Fireball Routine. Throughout high school, I started another group called 3 1/2 white guys (Me being the half) a joke band that caught an extreme amount of attention and cringes for our darker side of humor and techno/Noise experimentations. It was to explore the growth of creating my electronic musical love while having fun with my friends in Art Class and out of school. I sold a lot of copies before graduating, then started a family with my Lovely high school sweetheart Tory whom is now is my wife of 18 years as well as my now 11-year-old daughter Vyvian.
Two decades later, here I am with a lot of versatile skills, practices, and material for my portfolio of musical endeavors. From Electronic music to 1 man band instrumental albums. I have a passion for bassploration and plucking the nostalgic things that make me who I am from the past, reshaping them into something fresh and new, reinvigorating me to keep being creative. Dj Cummerbund is a perfect example for this, always learning new techniques from that incredible artist. I have been absent from the musical scene for far too long and am ecstatic to become involved again. I have met many artists, promoters, vendors, and supporters along the way. I have also run into many haters and un-motivators, but it’s only fuel to fire my passion. I have and always will keep doing what I love while still supporting you, too <3 We all want to be bigger than ourselves, and I sometimes fall victim to cropping people out of what you believe is a picture focal pointed at you. In reality, its a never ending canvas for all to express themselves. Everyone is hungry to be heard. Everyone is going through difficult hurdles and trials, be more understanding and take a moment to listen when someone expresses a part of their soul with you.
I’m a huge fan of Bass, cartoons, video games, Cannabis, comedy skits, and much more which you will hear in my sets! I have a unique way of translating music through my head to my Dj decks unto your ears and hearts. I’m always trying to network to bring like-minded individuals together to create much more than we are by ourselves. It’s worth it to take the time to get to know who I am and not the perception others may create without ever talking to me personally in the first place. So thank you for taking the time to reach out and ask, Who Is KholdPhuzion??
As one of my favorite artists, Haywyre, always put it in one of his tracks:
Just as bird and feather
Separate but together
Each perspective in view
I am me, I am you
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Nothing is ever easy. I’ve been trying to do something musically for 26 years. There were few friends or people I knew who were into the things I enjoyed besides video games. I have always wanted to create music with others but ended up playing games most of my life instead. It was a lot of fun until I realized half my time growing up was spent online or in Halo matches, playing Zelda over the 100th time again. I loved doing such too, but was never truly achieving things in my personal life but more fun distractions. When you finally understand time does not stand still and there is no magical ocarina to reverse it, you start to get a fire within, and a slight panic to match. Then life starts to get busier, more expensive, and time flows extremely fast before you can catch up to do what you’ve wanted all along. So, do you want to work on yourself and your passions, or do you want to be distracted or lost within yourself along the way not building your personal portfolio of skills? Side quests are always fun and worthwhile, but if you only live within side quests, being distracted from what you want to achieve you’ll never accomplish your end goal. Continue gaining experience within yourself, when you feel ready you pursue the dream: Your Dream. It will be a nightmare most of the time, especially if you have not taken the time to build your confidence along with your abilities, but wake up! That’s life; overcome it! Keep on Keepin’ on, tempering yourself until the breakthrough finally happens. You’re worth it, so don’t give up. I’ve been there a few times, but here I am more tempered with my skills than ever.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the mixologist for Stella Blues Vapors (Naturals now) In Fenton. I have been creating juices to help get people off cigarettes for 12 years now. I am also a Freelance videographer/video editor for Off Leash K9 Training and others looking to hire me. I work concrete seasonally. I DJ around the area, from multiple school events, Cruising Lindbergh, Tator Tot’s Comics & Collectables, 21 Rock, Caveland, Smokey D’s BBQ, T-Bird’s Taco’s to raves and more. I’ve DJED for Cruising Lindbergh, Tator Tot’s Comics and collectibles, Smokey D’s, T-Birds, 21 Rock, Over 27 weddings to date and more!
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was a nerdy little butterball recluse to his home. I found music, gaming, and animated comedy to be my interests. I hadn’t a lot of peers around me, and my life was constantly getting interrupted by things I couldn’t control. I moved from town to town for years, only staying long enough to be comfortable once I was about 13. When starting high school, I finally found myself and my friend groups. It wasn’t hard after realizing I didn’t need to make others like who I was, I need to find, understand and begin working to like myself. I’ve had the same core friends, from the thick of things to the thin. I have seen so many fake and manipulative people in my life as well as many inspiring and motivational people. Always be open to change, but know your boundaries. Life can get to be a disheartened bumpy ride. We are constantly growing, no matter how old we become, there is always a retry option until it’s truly game over, so don’t sit around just waiting for the credits.
Pricing:
- Weddings – from $650 to $900
- Bigger Events/school events- $250 to $600
- Bars, clubs, etc. – $150 to $400
- B-days, themed parties $150+
- Always open to negotiation^
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/kholdphuzion
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kholdphuzion/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevebarnes101/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBO8ldk3Z_vqq_16rcGVa2w
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/khold-phuzion
- Other: https://kholdphuzion.bandcamp.com/
Image Credits
Jevin Robertson (Fourth Dimension), Tyson & Chelsea Thomas
