“Dance Music’s Daredevil” Launches Extreme Performance Series With Underwater Set Surrounded by Live Sharks
New Single “Aerial” Out Now Following Standout Debut “All Talk”
On the heels of Shark Week 2025, emerging California-based electronic artist proppaganda (Bry Stevens) is delivering his own tribute to the ocean’s apex predators. The self-described “Dance Music’s Daredevil” has launched Sonar Sessions, a series that sees him performing live sets in the world’s most extreme environments, beginning with Sonar Sessions 001 – an electrifying underwater mix surrounded by live sharks in the Bahamas.
WATCH: SONAR SESSIONS 001 – LIVE WITH SHARKS
The death-defying underwater performance arrives alongside proppaganda’s sophomore single “Aerial,” which arrives on the heels of his acclaimed debut “ALL TALK.” Both tracks showcase his commitment to crafting “highly detailed and inventive production” that matches the audacious nature of his live concepts, promising to push listeners’ perceptions while delivering uncompromising dancefloor energy.
Working with a team of professional divers and marine safety experts, proppaganda transformed the ocean floor into a makeshift DJ booth, creating what may be the most dangerous electronic music performance ever attempted. The project was executed with strict safety protocols, ensuring no sharks or humans were harmed during production, while capturing footage that blurs the line between reality and fiction.
“A decade in the making, this never-before-done style of project has taken me years to perfect purely for your entertainment purposes only. ‘Aerial,’ my latest release, was created to give you a cyberpunk-like feel driving through the city.” – proppaganda
In a time full of uncertainty, proppaganda will have you asking, “Is this all real?,” as he prepared to deliver a constant stream of content that challenges perception. This philosophy goes beyond performance art into his musical identity, where he describes himself as someone obsessed with delivering top-tier entertainment that defies conventional industry expectations.
Sonar Sessions 001 represents just the beginning of proppaganda’s ambitious vision, with more extreme location performances already in development. Each episode in the series will feature the artist performing in increasingly challenging environments, establishing him as electronic music’s most fearless performer while delivering the kind of viral content that dominates social media feeds.
With Sonar Sessions promising to continually raise the stakes, the only question remaining is: where will proppaganda dare to perform next?
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About proppaganda
California-based proppaganda (Bry Stevens) is diving head first into his debut music project, “proppaganda” with very few Fs given. He is no stranger to high-energy environments, daring creativity and unforgettable experiences. Self-described as “Dance Music’s Daredevil,” proppaganda promises to push the boundaries of belief through unveiling DJ sets under intense circumstances, while bringing a highly detailed and inventive production style to his music. In a time full of uncertainty, proppaganda will have you asking, “Is this all real?”
SOMEHOW NOT AI GENERATED
A few weeks ago, I hadn’t even heard of proppaganda. But then someone sent me the first episode of Sonar Sessions, and right away I was intrigued. Apparently, he filmed the set on a boat in shark-infested waters. As a certified SDI scuba diver, I had to know more.
Forty-five minutes later, I was in awe. Watching him float above dozens of sharks circling below while mixing live was mesmerizing. The set was incredible. As soon as it ended, I went back and listened to his single “Aerial.”
Eager to learn more, I reached out to help promote Sonar Sessions 001 and to dig deeper into the mind behind the music. We sat down and talked about his creative process, musical inspirations, the evolution of his sound, and his vision for this new concept.
It was a treat getting to know him. I’m already looking forward to the next episode. I suggest you open a new screen, hit play, and let yourself get lost in the soundscape. And please, keep your hands and arms inside the boat at all times. We can’t risk anyone getting bitten by a shark.
What a wild ride. Enjoy Sonar Sessions 001 and this conversation with proppaganda.
Where did the idea come from to DJ underwater surrounded by sharks? Were you always this fearless?
One of my best friends from high school, Cooper Lost, who is a professional wildlife photographer and guide, came up with the idea. I had been using some of his content for visuals, and we wanted to find a way to combine his art with mine. That’s when he came up with the shark set.
When we were growing up, he and I always got into trouble together or got injured… We would do stunt-like things out of pure entertainment to see if we could actually do them. One day at the lake we caught a 75 lb snapping turtle and brought it to shore and ended up releasing it, but in Southwest Michigan… There wasn’t much to do, so that’s what we resorted to.
You call yourself “Dance Music’s Daredevil.” Is that a brand, a mindset, or both? How far are you willing to go with this identity?
My marketing team ended up giving me this name and even though it is a bit tacky, it stuck… I want to be known for putting on these outlandish sets in the hopes that it can really entertain people. We put so much thought and energy into each one and it’s insanely rewarding to be in the moment performing after all of the hard work is done. I believe those who decide to support this project deserve to be entertained and given the best show I can possibly put on, and the daredevil approach aligns most with me and my personality, so that’s the route we are choosing to take.
As far as how far it can go… As long as I’m trained and with professionals, I’ll do whatever makes sense and is fun. That’s what creating art is all about for me… No need to force a concept that isn’t going to be a blast doing.
I read you’ve been working on this concept for a decade. What’s been the hardest part about bringing Sonar Sessions to life after all these years?
So, I have been working on my tracks for about a decade. Trying to figure out what my sound is, what I want to sound like, what my lane is, and what makes me feel good in the studio. I wanted to really make sure that when I released music it was ready for my listeners. I know it will never be perfect, but it took a lot of stepping outside of my comfort zone to let go and get better after each release finally. I am absolutely obsessed with what I’m creating right now in the studio.
The shark concept came earlier this year and we hit the ground running the second that Casey brought it to my attention. We spent about 3 months of planning and one test dive to get comfortable. The hardest part was figuring out how to do all of this in a foreign country, but we had some great help from a few locals and the coolest people I’ve met (Madison Stewart, Tanner Underwater and Chang) who flawlessly nailed it.
You described “Aerial” as evoking a “cyberpunk-like feel driving through the city.” Tell me about your sound design process. Are you visualizing scenes when you produce?
I want acid to be a prominent sound in my productions because as of now that is what gets me the most excited in the studio. I will throw on random visualizers for inspiration, but most of the time I’m just trying to have fun and run through samples/sounds until something tickles my fancy. Once I get that feeling internally, I roll with it… Hard to explain really, but it’s like fishing… Once you feel the bite, you go.
Your debut single “All Talk” made an impression. How do you feel your sound evolved on “Aerial,” and what story are you telling with it?
Thank you! I am absolutely obsessed with “All Talk.” I want my sets to be a roller coaster ride but do my best to keep it glued together as much as possible by not going off the rails too much. What I mean is that “Aerial” and “All Talk” both have acid but are different genres. Some moments I want to go hard and play techno and in others I’m really interested in playing a really smooth tech house track with acapella edits mixed in and out. There might be a time where I use 3 channels, which is the most rewarding when you are in a time crunch and need to execute your transition in time.
My shows are for folks who can enjoy both that aren’t elitists for their preferred genre. I want people to expect nothing, and feel like anything can happen that sits under the umbrella of house and techno, and enjoy the ride!
As a certified SDI scuba diver myself, I know how intense diving with sharks can be. Were you nervous during the performance, or did the adrenaline keep you focused?
No way! Maybe you can come on the next one… Once you dive with them and learn from the pros what to do and what not to do, it becomes simple. Make sure you are facing them at all times and keep them fixated on the food. Plus the suit was chainmail so the sharks could not bite through it, which made things less dangerous. They really don’t want to bite humans—they are there for the fish. Once they are full, they leave. It’s not as scary as it seems and I’m really eager to do it again!
How did you go about getting the green light for a project like this? Were there any special permits or approvals involved before you submerged with a DJ setup?
I worked with a local who has done hundreds of trips at the location we picked in the Bahamas! He is a professional and thankfully this did not require any special permitting. I did get stopped at customs because I flew in the CDJs with me and they made me sign a few documents/prove when I’m returning to confirm that they would not be sold in the Bahamas, but other than that it was an easy process to get everything rolling.
You worked with professional divers and marine safety teams. How did you assemble that crew, and what were the biggest safety challenges you had to overcome?
Cooper is best friends with Tanner Mansell from Tanner Underwater and his crew! They do this professionally and take people on dives every single week down in Jupiter, Florida. Tanner has been doing this his entire life so with his expertise and my willingness to do anything practically there were not any concerns.
This whole thing toes the line between performance art and survival sport. How much of this was about the music versus the spectacle?
Wait until you see the next one… Truthfully though, when you learn more about the sharks, and what they want… It’s really not that dangerous. Sharks just have this negative stigma because of TV which makes us think they are way worse than what they actually are.
I think it’s a perfect combination of both… Survival tactic combined with years of production experience pushed into one set to entertain the viewer as much as possible. We want to stand out and elevate the experience for music fans and we really felt like we accomplished that with this.
No sharks or humans were harmed. What were some behind-the-scenes safety protocols that viewers might not realize went into filming Sonar Sessions 001?
I am going to come out with a behind the scenes video soon to cover all of this!
Being based in California, what’s your take on the West Coast electronic music scene? Any favorite clubs or festivals you draw inspiration from?
I love the scene out here. I used to go to Dubspot back in 2017 on Hollywood Blvd and spent a majority of my time at Sound, AVALON, Palladium, Exchange and hit Block Parties when they happened. Kobi at Sound was the first person in the space here that gave me the opportunity to promote for free tickets so I got my foot in the door that way and fell in love with it. Nowadays my favorite place to go is Palladium because of the top floor viewing. I think the house and techno scene out here is thriving. From illegal warehouse parties to Insomniac events… It’s at its prime and I’m hoping to one day be a part of it all and perform.
The name proppaganda is visually striking and a little elusive. Where did it come from, and how does it reflect your artistic message?
One of my good manager friends was walking in the grass in my backyard with a joint in his hand and fired off a bunch of names and he said propaganda and we stopped… Looked at each other and got on IG… Obviously you can’t use the word propaganda so I pulled up IG and put it in with two Ps and it worked… Proppaganda… The name felt perfect for no good reason and we rolled with it.
We love the name attached to the stunts because we want you to determine whether or not the stunts are propaganda or real.
You’re building something episodic with Sonar Sessions. How often do you plan to release new episodes, and what’s the vision for the series as a whole?
I’ll just say this… Next Sonar Sessions will be at nighttime… With lights… Next stunt is going to be in Brazil on a hot air balloon while DJing on a platform @ 6,000 feet up.
Now that Episode 001 has made waves (pun intended), how do you plan to stay creatively focused and keep elevating each performance from one extreme to the next?
Someone asked me this the other day and mentioned how hard it was going to be for me to follow up something like this… My opinion on that is it’s up to the fans to decide what is the best or if the next one was better than the last. My job is to be present and put on the best possible show/concept I can possibly think of with the talented people around me every single time. It’s not about topping one set from another. It’s about coming together and collaborating to entertain fans and walk away mind-blown that we completed it. I’ll die happy knowing that I left nothing behind because of how hard we push ourselves to create these experiences.
You’ve said this is all about challenging perception. Do you see yourself more as a producer, a performer, or a provocateur?
I am obsessed with producing and I’ve been an adrenaline junkie since the age of 7. I decided to drop out of college after my first show at the age of twenty opening up for Zeds Dead in my hometown to do this back in 2016. I love all 3, but I would have to say I’m mainly a producer. What keeps the producer alive though is performing and creating art that is heavily marketable/shareable but still aligns with who I am as a person.
There’s this surreal, “Is this all real?” energy to your content. Is blurring the line between reality and fiction part of the long-term artistic plan?
Yes, and as time goes by you all will see why, which is very exciting to think about.
What do you hope viewers walk away with after watching Sonar Sessions 001? Is it entertainment, inspiration, or something deeper?
I hope they love it and turn into fans of what we do, the music and the vision. I don’t know how I’m going to pull the stunt thing off in a live setting yet… But if I get the chance to play a show with a big budget, expect something crazy.
I also hope that people really appreciate the time, energy and resources that went into pulling it off. More on this soon with the BTS clip, but there were so many moving parts that I’m excited to share.
If you could perform anywhere on Earth, no budget or logistics to worry about, where would Sonar Sessions take us next?
Great question… I really don’t know, the balloon platform in Brazil is going to be insane and Sonar Sessions 002 in the dark with lights is going to be top tier. I think what would be more interesting is who I can convince to come with… Maybe more on this soon? be top tier. I think what would be more interesting is who I can convince to come with lol.. Maybe more on this soon?
We’ve covered a lot of ground today. Before we wrap up, is there anything we haven’t touched on that you’d like to highlight?
Yes, thank you so much for all of these questions, it’s been a blast answering all of them! I do want to mention the fuel behind why I do all of this and why I am so motivated.
A few of my idols and best friend passed away because of suicide, and their favorite thing to do was to dance, perform, and make music. They inspired me to dance, travel, and make music so a lot of my motivation comes from making them proud and sharing with the world what they would have shared if they were here. I am dedicating this project to them and if I can help someone who is battling forget about life for even just an hour, be present and have fun I think it can do measures for them long term with their mental health. I remember walking away from sets during my battles feeling refreshed because the artist put on an absolute show and with how stimulated we are nowadays, I feel like the bar needs to be raised in order for us to truly be present and enjoy the moment.
Thanks for doing this. I really enjoyed getting to know you and learning more about your new project. Let’s definitely stay in touch and catch up again soon. But before I let you go, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
If you have made it this far, thank you so much for taking the time to learn more about what we are doing here. It means the world to me and this has been a long time coming. Just know we are just getting started and I promise to impress with my sets, music and performances. Hope you all are having a great year out there!! Can’t wait to continue.
