California rave pioneer DJ Reza has died.
The influential event producer and DJ, born Reza Gerami, passed away in Los Angeles yesterday at the age of 51. His cause of death is unspecified at the time of writing.
As the founder of Go Ventures, one of Southern California’s leading electronic event producers during the late 1990s and early 2000s, Reza helped bring the SoCal dance scene into the modern licensed-party era with foundational events such as The Love Festival, Monster Massive, and Together As One, shaping the industry ahead of the rise of commercial EDM in the early 2010s.
His nightlife legacy continued in his work as a DJ and label boss, curating and promoting underground sounds as the founder of the long-running label and event series, Saturday Night Sessions. On the decks, his party-starting DJ sets—spanning house, electro, breaks, and beyond—ignited crowds across SoCal and the globe.
Reza’s death has been met by an outcry of support from the global electronic music community. Pasquale Rotella, whose Insomniac Events collaborated with Go Ventures on several historic co-productions beginning in the late 1990s, wrote on Instagram stories: “I’ll never forget our adventures and the challenges we faced together. It wasn’t always easy but you never gave up. Your influence will forever be felt in the rave community.”
Though Insomniac and Go Ventures were rival promoters at the end of the 20th century, their New Year’s alliance to produce Together As One at Los Angeles’ Memorial Coliseum in 1998 made history as the first time an Olympic-sized stadium in the United States was filled for a dance music event. The event ran for 13 years as one of the United States’ most successful early-2000s massives, and was revived in Seattle in 2023 and 2024, each edition featuring an opening performance from Reza.
EDM Maniac offers its heartfelt condolences to DJ Reza’s family and loved ones during this trying time.
Featured image courtesy: Insomniac Events.