Today we’d like to introduce you to Angelica Arriola.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m a first-gen Filipina American who started DJing and streaming on Twitch in 2019 as “cheska”. It’s a nickname I’ve had my entire life and it felt fitting to choose a name that was, well, ME. I have always loved music and going to shows. Every time I was out at a show I would have remixes and mashups in my head so I decided it was time I tried my hand at mixing them myself! As for my branding, I didn’t sit there and think to myself, “hey, what should my theme be?”. I have bunny ears on my headphones because I’m obsessed with bunnies! It all just came together organically. It’s a plus that bunnies like to hop around… I just so happen to love bouncy music.
I started my journey on Twitch because I wanted to track my progress. I became obsessed with DJing and streaming and found myself mixing almost everyday! At the time, I was going to school to become a respiratory therapist. Unfortunately, COVID happened in the middle of clinicals and when I graduated, I felt so unprepared I quit after a year. It was then I decided to fully commit to DJing/streaming because I felt so passionate in my journey there. It was a vastly different path, but I truly felt called to do it. I was lucky to have been on the platform right before the pandemic, I believe it gave me a foot in the door when other DJs were only starting to use Twitch to stream their mixes.
The pandemic really made online the place to be. It was then when various lots of people discovered me. I started getting booked for online music festivals, interviews, and guest appearances on some channels that I really looked up to! That momentum kept going after the pandemic and I got booked to play shows (both local and out of state) and even got booked to play my favorite festival ever, Lost Lands!
Today, I am still streaming on Twitch regularly and getting booked for shows and festivals. I put my first song out, “kickin it”, in the beginning of the year and hope to continue growing in the music realm!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In the very beginning of my journey, I was frustrated just trying to learn how to DJ. It actually took me about 6 months on and off to really get the hang of mixing! I also had to learn how to be more confident when I was starting to get booked for shows. I’m not a super extroverted person so getting on the mic and telling people what to do was a little bit of a challenge for me.
On the streaming side, there is always the equipment set up that is a bit of a learning curve- audio and alerts on screen sometimes break and that’s a whole other problem to figure out. Reading chat, responding, and keeping up with everything happening on stream while also mixing is probably the hardest part of streaming. It’s one thing to respond to chat, it’s another to do that *and* make the mix sound good.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a Twitch streamer and DJ/producer. I spin electronic dance music- specifically dubstep, trap, and bass-leaning genres. I stream my mixes online and sometimes get to bring it to clubs and festivals! I’m known for my pink hair, multi-genre bass sets, and love for bunnies – specifically my deaf rabbit, Echo.
My sets are known to be bouncy and high energy, incorporating many different genres in the bass music umbrella. I like to showcase my favorite songs and try to keep the crowd on their toes. I like to make my sets tell a story. There are high energy parts, lulls in energy, then back to high energy, but in a different way.
I am most proud of getting to play my favorite music festival ever, Lost Lands, because they discovered me online. I was taken by surprise when they came into my stream and I guess I impressed them enough for them to book me to play! I was not expecting to play that festival for a while… playing it this early in my career is still crazy to me!
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
It’s hard to tell what will become of the music industry in the next 5-10 years. AI is starting to show up in a lot of songs, flyers, art works… even full blown AI artists are here! I don’t believe that AI has a place in art. I think there will be a big shift into artists showing their work, documenting progress, and basically showing proof that their art is made by them.
I’m curious to see what the music industry will be like in 10 years. My only theory is that there will probably be so many more new genres that I can’t even comprehend right now!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.cheskachunes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheskachunes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheskachunes/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cheskachunes
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/cheskachunes
