Onofrio Spencer Jeffrey Bruno,^[1] professionally known as Spencer Brown, is an American electronic dance music artist, producer, and DJ.^[2][3][4] He is best known for his albums, 'Illusion of Perfection' (2018)^[5] and 'Stream of Consciousness' (2020),^[6][7][8][9] and for his collaborations with deadmau5 and Above & Beyond.^[4][10][11]

While Brown’s music can mainly be classified as progressive house, his sound spans across a wide range of electronic music, including techno, trance, and deep house.^[12]

Early life and education

Brown was born in Los Gatos, CA. At the age of 2, he started drumming. Around age 12, he started DJing and producing his own music, motivated by his dislike of the music selection at school parties. His first gigs included teenage birthday parties, Bar/Bat Mizvahs, and middle school parties. He moved to Dallas, TX when he was 13, where his DJ business grew. When Brown was 14, he discovered progressive house music through Axwell, Eric Prydz, and later Avicii. He graduated with distinction in 2016 in Electrical & Computer Engineering with a minor in Computer Science from Duke University⁣ – ⁣Pratt School of Engineering.

Career

Brown got his first break when Avicii signed him to his label for his "Chalice EP" on LE7ELS in 2014.^[13][2] He made his live debut opening for Avicii at the Hollywood Bowl in 2013. Thereafter, he toured North America, opening for Avicii’s True Tour.^[14][15] After graduating from Duke University, his career picked pace, when he continued touring and releasing music with world-known DJs like Above & Beyond and deadmau5.^[16][17][18] In a few years, Brown saw support from some of dance music's biggest international acts, including Calvin Harris, Armin van Buuren, Avicii, Sasha, FISHER, and Pete Tong.^[19]

Brown released his debut studio album, presented in mixed format, titled 'Illusion of Perfection’ on May 11, 2018. His dislike of radio-edits inspired his decision to create a mixalbum. He released his second album, also presented in mixed format, called 'Stream of Consciousness' on January 31, 2020.^[20] Collaborators included label mates Ben Böhmer, Marsh, and Qrion. Both albums became number one on the iTunes Dance charts and presented Brown with international headline tours. In 2021, Spencer was signed by Sasha to his Last Night on Earth imprint and to Insomniac's newly established Factory 93 label imprint, further establishing his reputation in the global house and techno scene.^[21][22]

Personal life

Brown is openly gay; he came out publicly in June 2020, although he had confided in friends six years earlier.^[23] Being in the closet had led to depression and illness which he credits the dance music community for helping him recover, “I’ve transformed from a self-hating, anxiety-ridden boy to a self-loving, grateful man. I’m learning to transform my OCD into something more productive—like perfecting my mixdowns and sound design. I’m discovering ways to pass on the support I found in the dance music community, and I’m finding so much to be thankful for.”^[23]

Discography

References