Meet Karam | DJ/Producer and Sound Healing Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karam and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karam, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I think that taking risks is only possible through overcoming our fears, and embracing this has been a big journey for me. I’m continuing to be more of a risk taker as I move through life, and believe that taking big risks is the only way to really leap toward your dreams.

Two concepts really helped cement my perspective on risk:
1. The most successful people are usually the ones who take the biggest risks and put themselves in positions they don’t feel fully ready for.
2. Life is really, really short. If you fail, who cares?

The more I shed my fears around inadequacy and failure, the more I’ve been able to take risks and move closer to my most authentic expression, both creatively and as a human. Earlier this year, I got laid off from my corporate job and, instead of jumping into another role right away, decided to focus on my music and my health. It felt like a big risk at the time, but was undoubtedly the right decision. I’ve developed a new rhythm that celebrates the spaciousness of life, and also recently completed my first ever DJ tour, in Europe!

Please tell us more about your career. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
Others have told me that what sets me apart is my intentionality and emotion, and I think my superpower is creating connection. I would consider myself an overthinker, which can definitely be an Achilles heel, but also a strength as it helps infuse intention into everything I do. For example, last year I prepared a special festival DJ set in memory of beloved animal companions that had recently passed. Earlier this year, I released a track in solidarity with Palestine with accompanying visuals that demonstrated the knowledge of war crimes spreading across the world, and highlighting the epicenter of Gaza. This summer in Ibiza, I DJed a beautiful beachside venue and played a special ambient track for the exact moment when the sun dipped below the horizon. I pour a lot of love and intention into these experiences, and people can feel it.

The journey to the present moment hasn’t always been easy! The moments where I juggled a music career with a full-time job were definitely challenging, but the biggest hurdle to overcome was psychological — just getting out of my own way. I’m really proud of myself for letting go of perfectionism, caring less about what others think, and really truly believing in myself! As long as I express myself with authenticity and channel my art for positive societal change, I’ll feel happy and aligned. I’m immensely grateful to those who helped me get to where I am now — those who believed in me from the very beginning, gave me opportunities to develop my career and artistry, taught me, mentored me, and everyone who continues to support me in any way.

I’ve learned many lessons along this beautiful journey. A big one has been to loosen my grip and trust that everything will unfold the way it should. There are so many things out of my control — all I can really do is create art and experiences with the best of intentions, and support my community the best I can. Beyond this, the Universe will guide the way. Another big lesson is that as creatives (and humans), we need to incorporate more rest and blank space into our lives. I’ve been stepping away from grind culture and building more spaciousness into my life, which has really fueled my creativity and bloomed big new ideas. I’m most excited about bringing a new experience to nightlife, one that honors both yin and yang… stay tuned!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oooh so many favorite spots, how to pick?! LA is so multi-faceted, so I would definitely do my best to show them as many sides of the city as possible.

For outdoor activities, I would take them on my favorite hike, which is the Wisdom Tree plus the trail that connects to Griffith Observatory (this specific path is my favorite part). I’m also getting into surfing, so a beach day in Malibu would be perfect to enjoy the beach and a sublime sunset.

Food wise, we would need to grab a sandwich from Open Market and a drink from Found Coffee. Hopefully the trip coincides with a Mr. Jong food pop-up, which always showcases amazing, inventive menus. I’m not a huge foodie, so having a friend in town is a perfect opportunity for me to explore more of the local restaurant scene!

Music would of course be a big part of our week, and I would hope to catch distinctly SoCal events like a KCRW offering, Subtract On The Pier, or Hollywood Forever show. Concerts might take us to The Wiltern, The Greek, or Teragram Ballroom; club nights would probably lead us to Sound, 1720, and then into the warehouses of the underground.

I feel like there are some quintessential LA experiences as well — like the Egyptian Theatre, Huntington Gardens, Magic Castle, The Getty, etc. And then of course getting a bit further out of LA, like to Joshua Tree or Ojai!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shoutout my greater community for all the love and support over the years, and my individual shoutout goes to Lucas Chen, who is a dear friend and collaborator. He has been my main visual designer the past couple years, and has breathed life into my music through a beautiful new medium, energizing my performance with even more connection and feeling. Lucas is constantly building, learning and exploring, and he inspires me to push my creativity and think about experiential art in new ways.

Website: https://www.hellokaram.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karam_universe/

Image Credits
Evan Blaser
Amy Le
Arianne Amores
Matt Francisco
Samantha Melitta
Victor Moreno