You see him and you get butterflies, the Brazilian-American with colors surrounding him, sunshine and spontaneous sounds fluttering in his wake. What is a music maker without it? The flow, the mutability, the thing that draws people out of their personal cocoons and gifts them the ability to spread their wings. Whatever it is, wherever it is, Lucid Druz has got it and it’s contagious. Standing as one of Los Angeles’ resident DJ’s takes a sort of sonic sociology. After years of insulated observation, one must take flight – in this case, to the beat of his own discography, composed of a (fittingly) lucid atmosphere and infectious rhythm. In his new single "Butterflies," Druz flirts with the idea of metamorphosis. He’s got the music in him–the type of music that moves a crowd and paints them in beautiful colors. It’s like Lana Del Rey so solemnly sung: If you dance, I’ll dance.

But wait… only if you dance.

You’ll dance with me right?

Are you dancing?

It may be that her solemnity was not without reason, because what butterflies are, free, real and uncontrollable, like the way good music should be– but the thing is, we need to keep them alive. It would seem that we are due for a collective renewal of this feeling, swathed in a sense of ceremony and celebration. Perhaps the catalyst is the DJ. The one who delicately unwinds every tendril of your so-called safety net with fluttering melodies, the one who unbinds your limbs from the invisible rope that has seemingly ensnared all dancers in LA’s club scene, the one who tells you with without words to stop thinking and let your body tell you what is true. Druz says it best with "Butterflies." If youwant to dance, then dance. And if you have the music, you do.

If you want to feel the butterflies, so do we.

We want to listen to them too.

What’s a metamorphosis you’ve undergone recently?‍

Been burning the midnight oil less, soaking up the mornings. Trying to find a balance between my heart and my head. Approaching my mind like a conductor, guiding the cacophony of frenzied thoughts into a symphony–something lucid. I just got back from a month in Japan, a dream of mine, there’s a lot to learn there.

When do you get butterflies? How did the idea of butterflies come to be?

When a meaningful moment shakes your internal rhythm and your heart flutters to find a new one- a fresh cadence. When you venture into the unknown, not knowing if you’ll land on your feet or bottoms up. Your body can be more of an honest radar than your mind for signaling something transformative on the horizon. I wrote "Butterflies" on a sunny day in Griffith Park.

How has your experience in Brazil and your connection to the dance music scene influenced the development of your music and methodology?

Brazilians are engrained with a deep connection to music and going out is treated as not just a form of escapism, but a core ingredient for happiness- a way to find yourself. It’s really a celebration of diversity and inclusiveness. There is a level of rapture on the dance floor that I’ve had to dig deep to feel elsewhere. The dance music scene is healthy and homegrown, flows smoothly between the streets and incredible venues- infusing local styles with the global palette in a raw yet refined, uniquely Brazilian way.  There’s pageantry and a sense of theatricality, people feel free to experiment.  Parties like Mamba Negra, O/NDA, Gop Tun, Batekoo and ODD did a lot for me, so much so that I put DJing aside while living between Sao Paulo & Rio for a few years to soak it up fully.  

With your veteran experience as a DJ, what do you anticipate for nightlife and musical culture in cities like Los Angeles?

The musical community in Los Angeles is dynamic, but nightlife needs a shake-up. There are a lot of great spaces but still nowhere you can go on any given night to consistently hear fresh sounds without having to fully commit to a warehouse party. Most party-goers look to hear music that incites a sort of collective nostalgia- they seek comfort, which is valuable, but doesn’t really drive the culture forward. I’ve been trying to bridge this gap with my own nights–propelled by the dance music vanguard- kinetic but in settings that feel homey and conducive to conversation.  

For many artists, the creative process takes place in a cocoon. When do you decide to come out of that and share your music with the rest of the world?

I guess you can say I’ve been cocooned up for a while, since high school even, when I last put music out. Keeping my ear to the ground, honing and expanding my craft and taste, while making a sort of natural choice to travel and be a devoted member of a community I love, turning people onto it wherever I could. There’s a fluttering inside me now and I know it’s time to take flight and see this world from a new vista.