our story
the joy of being here, together.
Burnin' Chancla is an underground pop-up dance party built by a community of people who find purpose in connecting with others on the dance floor. This party exists to identify and connect people across LA who live to chase the best dance floors we can find.
Inspired by The Loft, Paradise Garage, Nowadays, and Despacio, we strive to build a similar dance floor in LA focused on community, expression, and a deeply immersive light & sound experience. Burnin' Chancla is our love letter to the world.
built on the shoulders of
The Loft.
Paradise
Garage.
Nowadays.
Despacio.
In 2022, we were told about Despacio — the sound system collaboration between James Murphy and 2manydjs — from a good friend of ours. Upon entering that tent within the music fest “This Ain’t No Picnic”, we realized that this was what dancing and music can be when all conditions align simultaneously. It truly cracked our brains open for what a dancefloor could feel like and be.
We didn’t know it then, but that moment was the turning point in our lives. All things were considered — the sound, the lights, the floor, the records, the environment as a whole. That began what has now become a calling: to build the best dancefloor we can and share it with those that also seek that out. We hope to cultivate that pure joy and collectiveness made possible through formative experiences on the floor.
how we got here
Covid beginnings. Periodic calls to bounce music ideas off of each other — attempting to identify what felt natural and how to foster community through music.
Trial and error. Different music collective iterations fizzled out as we mined for our purpose. We were throwing paint at the wall and collecting data from what wasn’t sticking.
We didn’t know it then, but that was the point our purpose became crystallized. It was the feeling we had been chasing for years in music — and everything after that point was rooted in: “How do I spend more time in that environment?”
Coachella twice, just for Despacio. Then off to Miami for iii Points to soak up more. Andrés handed a dubplate over the rails shortly after doors — and his record got played on that soundsystem in that room. The stuff of dreams.
Our first “public” event. Before that, two years of concept parties at home — clearing the living room out and drilling moving heads into the ceiling for a night party, a day party in the patio with cinderblocks as stack bases. Then: a 2nd-floor loft in Filipino Town, wood floors, tight load-in and out. Blew some speakers, had a ball, learned a lot.
Our personal lives took precedence. But while rebuilding ourselves, we refined why we are chasing this thing. One party in the late summer — a Sunday, late afternoon into night. The last hour gave us a window into what this party could become.
Two parties is the goal — more than we have ever managed in a single year. The first happens in May, with a firm date coming soon. We are just getting started.
