Cannabis has always been a part of music culture; from references in songs to adding to the atmosphere of a chill night, music and this plant are a match.
And with the legalization of cannabis becoming more and more prevalent not only nationwide, but also worldwide, dance music culture is embracing the change.
Enter a cannabis brand collaborating with huge DJs and labels to put forth their plant-focused product and in-house designed apparel, CAKE: she hits different.
The brand was founded by Chloe and her partner with a combined 30 years in the cannabis industry. A lover of progressive house and techno (she’s been following Eric Prydz for over ten years) but surrounded by bass heads, Chloe is no stranger to the needs of the dance music community.
We sat down with Chloe to talk about her respect for the plant, her focus on EDM culture, and a very special giveaway for two VIP tickets. Read below:
EDM Maniac: So, first question, can you tell me about yourself, CAKE, and what made you wanna get into the cannabis industry?
Chloe: So my name is Chloe and I am a native Hawaiian, born and raised on Oahu. I grew up around music and a lot of cannabis.
My father is a DJ and he played a lot of reggae, so with the Rastafarians cannabis is a huge part of their culture. I really grew up immersed in the Hawaiian cannabis community and their advocacy for the plant.
I was honestly looking for something to support me as I pursued my artwork when I met my partner ten years ago. He needed someone to help him when he was cultivating cannabis, so he taught me how to support him in cultivating.
I learned little by little and I really loved being able to care for the plants and how much that process really healed me. It was such a nurturing experience.
As I learned about cannabis and how to grow, I started to create packaging for products and now I create designs to make this awesome product look really beautiful.
We did it for other brands and other companies and around 2019 or 2018, we started to think about making our own brand and that’s where the idea of CAKE came about.
EDM Maniac: So you’ve known the plant from bud to full-on product. Has that affected your philosophy on CAKE?
Chloe: Yes, absolutely! My partner, Jason, that’s really all he’s ever pursued. He’s been in the industry for about 20 years, and I’ve now been in the industry for 10 years.
So with Jason’s background in cultivation and me having an emotional connection through my upbringing, we understand this as a spirit and as a plant that we really co-create with.
We are intentional in every step through the cultivation process, to the extraction process, to formulating our oils that go into the finished product. Everything is really special to us and we do it with so much love.
We know that this plant brings so much healing and joy and connection and we’ve always kept focus on that to have the longevity that we have had because it takes a very tough soul to be in this industry overall.
Because we have a background in cultivation, we wanted to get the vaping experience as close to when you’re actually smoking fresh flowers.
So our evolution within the product technology is reaching towards that goal of feeling like you hit the vape and you’re like, “Oh, I just smoked some fresh flower.”
EDM Maniac: What made the EDM scene something you wanted to dive into?
Chloe: I grew up with a very eclectic music background. Music is my solace and my happy place. I really grew up at festivals and concerts because both my mom and my dad were in the industry.
Even though my music taste evolved, my love for music was always there. When I was younger, I was very much focused on alt-rock and hardcore punk rock. I was the girl in the mosh pit and I still am.
But I remember specifically about eighth grade or ninth grade when I started to really hear EDM. There are these underground raves in Hawaii and some of my friends were going to them and they brought me.
One of the most poignant EDM festival experiences was Love Fest in Hawaii. That was my first time really dressing up as this full-on rave babe. So that really was a turning point for me thinking, this is what I’m going to be doing forever.
There was really no question to me of merging the two. Music, like CAKE, is very much who we are.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZS1nxOEwTM&t=2s&ab_channel=CAKEshehitsdifferent
EDM Maniac: So you’ve worked with prominent label Dim Mak on CAKE x Dim Mak Presented: NOFUNCTION! as well as artists YDG, Rated R, Stoned Level, and Riot Ten. How have you connected ambassadors in the music scene with your product and your apparel?
Chloe: Honestly, it’s all come about so organically. Through divine connection and timing we just ended up meeting person after person and really connecting at a deeper level with these DJs.
They become our friends and family, and a part of the CAKE team. Then we began to think of ways where everyone can profit and everyone can gain success from what we’re creating.
EDM Maniac: So I hear you’re doing a festival giveaway for Lost Lands.
Chloe: This will be our second ultimate festival package giveaway for the year. Our first was EDC and we’re continuing our really cohesive package.
We will have two VIP tickets, plus a forest camping pass, a parking pass, and early entry to the event on Thursday.
And we will probably have a few surprise gifts for the winners in there from our friends who will be playing Lost Lands. I think the festival giveaways really excite me because it’s such a great opportunity to really connect with those in our community who are cannabis lovers and who love festivals and EDM.
It’s been such a huge success and at first, I was a little nervous because no one has really done it before in the cannabis industry. But the response has been overwhelmingly positive. We even had a little kandi gifting meetup at EDC and it was so cute.
EDM Maniac: So let’s talk about your apparel. Do you design the apparel yourself?
Chloe: So I, at the moment, design everything: all of the packaging; all of our accessories; and all of our apparel. I make sure, with a majority of our products, that it’s all made in America—specifically in Los Angeles.
It’s definitely more than just merch. We use the highest quality pieces at every step of the journey. It also was important for it to stand alone from CAKE as a brand.
And we have a lot of really fun stuff coming. We just had our drop with Riot Ten and people can definitely watch out for these collabs being a regular thing from us. We’re continuing to expand our artistic expression!
All images provided by CAKE: she hits different, YouTube video by: RonKatagiri
