A DJ named Neumonic is putting Santa Cruz on the beats map. UCSC grad Nick Neumann, who synthesized his DJ name from a variation on his own, is bringing his Santa Cruz sound to some of the biggest gigs in the world, including Red Rocks and Coachella.
What’s his formula?
“I’m known for garage—UK garage is my bread and butter,” Neumonic told cover story writer Josh Logan. “But when I DJ, I DJ everything.”
Neumonic has been a house and techno DJ, a dubstep DJ, a drum and bass DJ. UK garage became “the in-between of all of it”—a style elastic enough to hold everything he’d already absorbed.
Neumonic has been a house and techno DJ, a dubstep DJ, a drum and bass DJ. UK garage became “the in-between of all of it”—a style elastic enough to hold everything he’d already absorbed.
His newest release proves the point. The Deadbeats EP—his biggest label placement yet—runs four tracks across four distinct sounds: UKG breaks, straight dubstep, dark demonic UKG, and a drum and bass VIP. It’s not genre tourism. It’s a working philosophy made audible.
“I don’t like to get fully cratered into a genre,” he says. “That’s what has made me stand out.”
Neumonic pulls tens of thousands of monthly listeners, with tracks like “Movin’” quietly crossing the million-stream mark—digital proof of momentum that already feels obvious in the room.
You can read all that in the cover story.
Maybe one of the most surprising things about him is that he still works locally at UCSC’s Quarry Amphitheater as a stagehand. I’m always impressed with performers who understand both sides of the equation: in front of the audience and in the background knowing what it takes to put on a successful show. I think learning what it takes to produce a successful show should be a vital education for performers.
During the pandemic, Neumonic brought his equipment to Lighthouse Point and put on renegade shows outdoors, which helped build his devoted fan base.
That’s what I would say is keeping it local. Congrats!
Other local heroes profiled this week include Don Williams, working with UCSC’s African American Theater Arts Troupe to bring to life the musical Dreamgirls. That’s one you won’t want to miss.
Canada will never be a U.S. state, as someone foolish might suggest, but its movies are a centerpiece in Santa Cruz film. The Banff Film Festival, showing a host of adventure flicks, takes over the Rio Theatre for three nights at the end of the month.
And if you want to see movies made by local kids, hit the Rio Sunday at 3:30pm to see films made by locals. It’s always a surprise to see just how well-made these films are.
Thanks for reading and have a great week.
Brad Kava | Editor
PHOTO CONTEST
WORKING HARD, FLYING HIGH A hawk watches over repairs on the Gathering Cloud fog catcher at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Brian Scherer and artist Anja Ulfeldt twist wrenches. Photograph by Neville Loberg
GOOD IDEA
The county has received two AT&T Community Resilience Grants totaling $50,000. The grants focus on improving access to timely, clear, and reliable information for residents. A $20,000 grant was awarded to the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County to expand multilingual emergency preparedness education in South County, with a focus on Spanish and Mixtec-speaking residents in the Pajaro River watershed. A second grant of $30,000 was awarded to the Santa Cruz County Long Term Recovery Group to strengthen communications in rural communities. The project includes distributing NOAA weather and Multi-Use Radio Service radios, along with training for residents who experience frequent power and internet outages.
GOOD WORK
The folks at the Santa Cruz County Fair have chosen a theme for the 2026 fair: “Apple Pies and Starry Skies!”
Nearly 100 theme suggestions were mailed into the 2026 Theme Contest. The winner is selected by votes from the volunteer department heads and staff, picking their favorite entry.
Now the Fair is seeking a poster from local artists. Go to Santacruzcountyfair.com for the rules. Above all, the poster should capture the spirit of “Apple Pies and Starry Skies” while celebrating the heart of the Fair and the community. Artists are encouraged to draw inspiration from themes such as agriculture, farm life, animals, carnival rides, summer, the coastline, and starry skies.
