THE APEX TIMES
Doc Martin reflects on ’90s L.A. raves and remembers DJ Dan as he returns for 2026 festival run
In a new interview, the San Francisco-born DJ/producer discusses how early West Coast rave culture formed around vinyl, community, and underground labels, and shares memories of his late friend DJ Dan as he prepares to play Shambhala and Houghton.
Doc Martin, the DJ/producer known for helping define early ’90s West Coast dance music, is looking back on how Los Angeles rave culture worked in practice while also mapping out a busy 2026 summer of live appearances. Speaking to Billboard over Zoom from Oceanside, California, Martin said that more than three decades after his start as a record-spinning newcomer, he still feels driven by the same motivation that led him into the scene, including his habit of capturing and preserving sounds he was hearing in the underground at the time.
Martin, whose birth name is Martin Mendoza, described arriving in the Los Angeles area and becoming part of the emerging early ’90s dance ecosystem. Billboard reported that he played alongside fellow Southern California figures including DJ Dan and Marques Wyatt, and that he was not only performing but also treating the moment like a catalog he could archive. According to the report, that impulse later translated into releasing music on wax, cassette, and eventually CD and digital through his label, Sublevel.
The interview connects that history to Martin’s ongoing relationship with the party circuit, which Billboard characterized as still active in 2026. Billboard reported that Martin is preparing for a summer run that includes the Om Records Retreat, a campout celebrating three decades of the Om Records label that took place the prior weekend, followed by additional festival and event appearances across the United States and abroad.
Among the scheduled dates cited by Billboard, Martin is set to play an all-vinyl set at Flash in Washington, D.C. on July 11, then return to Southern California for the Love Long Beach Festival 2026 the following weekend. After that, the report said he will head north to British Columbia for Shambhala, described by Billboard as a long-running favorite, before crossing the Atlantic to play the U.K.’s Houghton Festival.
Billboard also used the interview to connect Martin’s personal and professional history to his social circle within the scene. The report said Martin opened for Deee-Lite and discussed his “recently deceased” friend DJ Dan, framing Dan as both a collaborator and a key figure in the early era that Martin helped shape and document.
The article’s Q-and-A format also reflects Martin’s sense of continuity between the ’90s and the present. Billboard reported that Martin said he had promised himself long ago that if his enthusiasm for the traveling lifestyle and for sharing the music ever faded, he would quit. In the account, there was no indication his energy had lessened as of the time of the interview, with Martin continuing to describe his home base and routine in addition to the music.
As Martin’s 2026 appearances approach, the interviews place emphasis on preservation and community memory in addition to performance. For attendees, the combination of all-vinyl programming, cross-country festival travel, and references to early L.A. rave networks suggests a focus on the culture’s continuity, even as the events themselves are set to unfold on different dates and venues across multiple countries.
For event-goers and music historians alike, the interview offers a snapshot of how one DJ and label-driven approach helped turn a fast-moving underground scene into something durable. The upcoming dates and the attention to Sublevel’s long-running presence also suggest that, at least for this artist, the archival impulse is not simply about remembering the past, but about creating a format for the next audience to experience it. (All quoted and schedule details referenced above are those reported by Billboard in its interview.)
Why It Matters
- The interview ties specific 2026 tour dates to a documented origin story of early West Coast rave culture, offering continuity for fans and record collectors who track scene history through releases.
- Vinyl-focused programming, as described for July 11 in Washington, D.C., reflects ongoing demand for particular formats and can affect how audiences experience underground dance music.
- By highlighting the role of independent labeling and long-running imprints like Sublevel, the coverage underscores how production and distribution choices can preserve a subculture beyond the club era.
- The emphasis on DJ Dan’s memory points to community impacts within the music ecosystem and the way the scene publicly marks key figures through ongoing events and remembrances.
- Cross-border festival appearances at Shambhala and Houghton illustrate the international reach of a U.S.-rooted scene and the continuity of West Coast dance culture into global venues.
Key Facts
- Doc Martin, whose birth name is Martin Mendoza, spoke with Billboard over Zoom from Oceanside, California, for an interview published July 6, 2026.
- Billboard reported that Martin helped define the early ’90s rave scene in Los Angeles after relocating to the city from his San Francisco roots.
- The report says Martin played alongside SoCal scene figures including DJ Dan and Marques Wyatt and acted as an “archivist” by putting house, acid house, techno, and other underground sounds onto wax, cassette, and later CD and digital.
- Billboard reported that Martin’s label Sublevel launched as part of that documentation effort and is still operating decades later.
- Billboard said Martin’s 2026 summer schedule includes the Om Records Retreat, an all-vinyl set at Flash in Washington, D.C. on July 11, and the Love Long Beach Festival 2026 the following weekend.
- The article reported additional dates at Shambhala in British Columbia and the Houghton Festival in the U.K.
- Billboard reported that Martin opened for Deee-Lite and discussed his recently deceased friend DJ Dan in the interview.