Spencer Brown Shares Plan to Throw 10 USBs of Unreleased Tunes into Crowd at Burning Man

DJ Spencer Brown decommodifies his music by sharing it with unsuspecting burners as gifts.

Spencer Brown, a California-born and bred DJ best known for his collaborations with deadmau5 and Above & Beyond, recently shared to X, formerly known as Twitter, “[Ten] strangers at Burning Man are [going to] get USBs chucked [at them] full of my unreleased music.”

More than just a rave in the desert, Burning Man touts a creed, a core foundation of ten indefatigable principles: radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation, and immediacy. Spencer’s gesture is more than just an act of kindness. It is a thoughtful expression of gifting and decommodification.

From pop tart stations and impromptu barbeques to spanks at bondage bars to playgrounds of art installations to roaming RVs deploying freshly pickled vegetables, there are no limits or guidelines. Gifts are meant to be personal, unique, thoughtful, quirky, and creative. Handing out USBS replete with little surprise tracks is a wonderful way to honor Burning Man’s tenants. It’s also a purposeful decommodification of Spencer’s art, bringing the artistic expression back to its roots of innocence, joy, and catharsis.

When speaking on the forthcoming rendezvous in the desiccated Black Rock City, Spencer shared some of his reveries when reflecting on burner culture. “Next week, we return to one of the best places on earth, Burning Man,” mused Spencer. “The gathering is a place to disconnect, recenter myself, smash any bits of ego within me, and focus on truly being in the moment and doing good for the community. Spiritual healing and mental carwash.”

Spencer continued, “I considered not DJing this year, but I know there will be people at the Burn who enjoy my music, so we’d heal together with musical connection. I’ve chosen to limit my (planned) playing to two sets – a sunset and a night set. Different flavors, different vibes. The rest of my time will be spent exploring, off the grid. Of course, when the moment is right, I’ll do a spontaneous set, which is what it’s all about.”

Spencer is scheduled to perform Monday during sunset, from 6 PM to 8 PM at DISTRIKT(@distrikt_org), and Tuesday night a.k.a. Wednesday morning from 3:30 AM to 5:30 AM at Discow (@thediscow). Be there and perhaps be one of the lucky ten!

In preparation for the Burn, stream Spencer via the below.