A.T.K.
Born in the Philippines, raised in America, residing in Canada, A.T.K. discovered his love for Electronic Dance Music at an early age. A.T.K. was inspired by multiple Electronic Dance Music heavyweights such as the late Tim "Avicii" Bergling, Martin Garrix, Skrillex, and Gareth Emery. Powerful industry leaders such as Pasquale Rotella and Pepe Vargas all drive A.T.K. to produce memorable events that the community will enjoy. A long-time raver himself, lover of all electronic sub-genres, A.T.K. strives to maintain the company's ethos while progressively enhancing each Defiant Presents event. Today, A.T.K. oversees half of the company by coordinating, marketing, and talent buying. ATK's aim is to preserve the Peace in P.L.U.R.
My Story
At a young age, A.T.K.'s interest in being part of the electronic dance music industry started when he was 14, growing up in a small suburban town of Port Orange, Florida. A.T.K. was influenced early as he tuned into Tomorrowland's 2013 Livestream and witnessed star-caliber DJ/Producers such as Avicii, Hardwell, and Martin Garrix perform in a unified environment. His interest escalated as he entered high school and participated in various ensembles as a percussionist. A.T.K.'s experience as a percussionist enhanced his mission to make music his career because of his desire to be part of something bigger than life.
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After being a performing percussionist from 2008-2019, A.T.K. concluded his performing tenure to focus on pursuing a career in the music business. Before the pandemic, he transferred to Daytona State College's Music Production Technology program where he was guided and mentored by the program's then-business professor, Dr. Randy Guidry. With 30+ years of experience in the Country music business in artist management, marketing, and entertainment law, Guidry provided all the tools and resources for A.T.K. to succeed in his future pursuit. During this time, A.T.K. was actively inspired by attending festivals such as EDC Orlando, Ultra Miami and artist tours.
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During the pandemic in 2020, DJ/Producer Gareth Emery released his memoir, "My Life in Lasers" and the book painted a vivid picture of what working in the dance music industry is like. The memoir, filled with life lessons and outrageous stories, fueled A.T.K.'s passion to pursue a career in dance music. In early 2021 while the world was still shut down, A.T.K. took the opportunity to connect and have conversations with like-minded individuals within the trance music space to learn how the business truly works and to actively learn. Fast-forward to 2022, A.T.K. Co-Founded Defiant Presents on the 1st of January with his former partner, Antonio Santamaria. Currently, A.T.K. utilizes his skills in writing and storytelling, slowly bringing Defiant Presents to life. Recent achievements include selling out one regular event, one boiler room event, and hosting the biggest New Year/s Eve event in Florida, alongside Primal Productions, with Sable Valley Founder and EDM Trap pioneer, RL Grime and support: Rossy, Deadcrow, Butler, Lotus Tape, and Novembr.
Going forward into the future, A.T.K. is looking to lead Tampa Electronic Dance Music along with his partners to cultivate Tampa's underground bass music scene year-round, by providing memorable events to the region while curating unforgettable experiences for the community. A.T.K. will continue to produce, coordinate and curate events with his new partner, Dhruv Patel, and street team lead, Bri Cardillo. In 2024, Defiant Presents slowed down the production to focus on quality vs. quantity without uncompromising the value of Defiant Presents. A.T.K. will relentlessly strive to continue to produce extravagant events onto 2025 for the Florida region.
Contact Me!
I'm always looking for new and exciting artists to book or likeminded individuals to connect with!