MARS Builds A Club World For Misfits

MARS (@iammarsofficial) enters the scene with “Techno Dungeon,” a high-energy collaboration with DJ HPNOTIC built around relentless grooves, driving percussion, and a four-on-the-floor pulse. The track is designed as an invitation: leave the outside world at the door, step into the Dungeon, and let the room become a place where stress, expectation, and self-consciousness fall away for a few minutes.

That premise connects directly to Jason Rivas’ path into music.

Before MARS became a public DJ project, music was already tied to dance, dress, makeup, liberation, and nightlife. His first EDC in Los Angeles in 2010 opened the door to Insomniac and HARD events, then to underground warehouse parties across Los Angeles and circuit parties within the gay community. Those spaces gave him a way to feel freer in his body, his presentation, and his sense of identity.

The interview below gets into how that history shaped MARS.

Jason talks about entering DJing only recently, learning from his friend Oshun, translating his makeup artistry into a darker and more audacious public identity, and imagining the Dungeon as more than a track title. For him, “Techno Dungeon” is the entrance to a wider world built around rebellion, beauty, fashion, music, acceptance, and the right to become louder versions of ourselves.

Interview With MARS

Before MARS became a public DJ project, what place did music hold in your daily life?

Music has been a huge part of my life since I was a kid. In my family, I was always known as the one who would sing and dance whenever I heard a track I loved. But it wasn’t until I attended my first EDC in Los Angeles in 2010 that my love for dancing and festival culture truly exploded.

I started attending Insomniac and HARD events, which eventually led me to discover underground warehouse parties throughout Los Angeles, as well as circuit parties within the gay community. These spaces allowed me to feel liberated. Festivals, especially, gave me a safe space to express myself through the way I danced, dressed, and even did my makeup.

Can you recall the moment when listening and attending events developed into a desire to perform?

To be honest, I never thought about performing until last year. Over the past two years, attending events had begun to feel stagnant for me, and I found myself yearning for the adrenaline, liberation, and sense of discovery I once felt.

A friend and fellow DJ, Oshun, asked whether I had ever considered DJing because of my taste in music and my appreciation for it. At the time, I was consulting with him on how to develop his brand and visual identity. I told him I would love to learn, experiment with different sounds and layers, and bring some of the ideas in my head to life.

He offered to teach me, and from there I began thinking about what I could bring to the scene. Music became another extension of how I express myself and another way for me to tell stories.

A makeup artist helps people decide how they want to be presented. How did that experience affect the public identity you created for MARS?

Makeup has a way of making people feel powerful. It can transform your energy and tell people something about who you are before you even speak. That understanding shaped MARS completely.

MARS is an amplified part of me—the rebellious, sensual, audacious, and fearless side that may not always have space in my everyday life. My background in beauty also made me very aware of imagery, atmosphere, and storytelling. I don’t see the music and visuals as separate. The colors, darkness, mystery, and world of the Dungeon communicate something about the experience before anyone even hears the music.

The Dungeon is presented as a community. What would participation in that community look like outside streaming the track or following an account?

Participation means contributing to a space where people can express themselves without feeling the need to conform. That could mean coming to an event and dancing without judgment, supporting underground artists, welcoming someone who feels out of place, or showing up in an outfit that may not make sense to anyone else—but makes complete sense to you.

The Dungeon is for rebels, misfits, and anyone who has ever felt like they didn’t belong—or who simply wants to escape society’s rules for a moment. I want it to exist beyond a track or an online following. Ideally, it becomes a real-life meeting point where music, fashion, beauty, and individuality intersect.

I know I can’t solve every problem in the world, but I believe meaningful change can begin within the communities we create. If the Dungeon can make someone feel seen, encourage them to express themselves more freely, or inspire them to extend that same acceptance to someone else, those small shifts can create a ripple effect. My hope is to create change on a micro level within ourselves and our community and allow that energy to reach beyond the dance floor. You don’t need to look or act a certain way to enter. You only need to respect the freedom of everyone else inside it.

Which part of “Techno Dungeon” establishes the direction you want to pursue after this release?

DJ HPNOTIC and I wanted the track to feel as though you had stumbled across a hidden sanctuary. Before entering, you have to be analyzed and granted access. Once you’re accepted, you’re welcomed inside and that’s when the beat drops.

I see this track as an introduction to the world of Techno Dungeon. The music that follows will continue exploring themes of liberation, taking action, rebellion, and stepping into parts of yourself you may not have known you needed to express. Ultimately, I want the music to remind listeners of their own power.