Despite COVID-19 causing the unceremonious closing of almost every fandom convention and electronic dance rave, the Nightkids continue to live the rave way of life through other safe means, one of which is through online livestreams. Ever since the closing ceremony of Realms Con 2019, our partners at Hard Dance Texas were planning and anticipating the 3rd installment of Dream Drop Revolution to return to the Omni Hotel in Corpus Christi, Texas; however, due to the novel Coronavirus ravaging the world, Realms Con had to join the very long list of conventions that had to postpone their event for the sake of health and safety, which we at HakubiVerse believe is the most responsible thing to do and we salute our fellow promoters in putting health and safety above anything else. Although Realms Con will not be having their 16th event this year, this does not mean that we can’t still celebrate one of their biggest dance parties; HakubiVerse and Hard Dance Texas, in partnership with Neon Genesis Hardcore, Anivents Unlimited, and Realms Con, make possible the 2020 edition of the Realms Con rave, Dream Drop Revolution Online, taking place on twitch.tv/hakubiverse October 2nd through the 4th.
Dream Drop Revolution Online is a virtual music festival considered to be the 5th installment of the Dream Drop Revolution rave series (others being Dream Drop Revolution in 2012, Dream Drop Revolution HD 2nd ReMIX in 2013, Dream Drop Revolution R in 2018, and Dream Drop Revolution VERSUS 2 in 2019). The series was concepted by Christian Lalinde (also known as Sephi Hakubi) in 2012 at his beginnings of event promotion.
I was originally meaning to make this to be an annual event taking place in November here in San Antonio, but I ended up shelving it after 2013 as I was not able to secure a proper venue and I was thinking about retiring from event promotion and focusing on developing myself and my family that I was about to marry into. Four years later I was invited to headline Realms Con for their 13th year, which ended up being my best performance of my career, and still is. I had an amazing time in Corpus Christi. I’ve felt zero anxiety and felt so much love from all the wonderful people down there; I really wanted to return, but I remember just before I would ask after closing ceremonies, the con chairs immediately made plans for me to return, so I paused and then replied an agreement as calm and cool as I could be at that moment. I can say I such an amazing time and they took care of my family and I so well that I not only became a returning guest, but I also stepped in as a consultant and helped them along with my director partner Sebris in building and promoting the dance. One of those ways I helped build it up is reviving the Dream Drop Revolution series that I had in the fall some years ago and integrating it with the convention as I’ve felt those underground shows I did back then were always themed around anime and otaku culture.
Christian Lalinde (Sephi Hakubi)
Upon its revival, Dream Drop Revolution would be incorporated into the series of Hard Dance Texas events that would take place throughout each year such as San AnTokyo, Smash! Festa, Nation of the Nightkids, and Everything is Harder in Texas. As COVID-19 caused the cancellation of Smash! Festa and the subsequent events that followed, Hard Dance Texas and HakubiVerse would transition these events online, first with WeekEND Rave Smash replacing Smash! Festa and airing on internet radio on weekendravesmash.com, then Nation of the Nightkids Online airing on Twitch as part of Okashicon at Home. Dream Drop Revolution will follow a similar plan; although instead of an all-night afterparty, Dream Drop Revolution Online will take place across the 3-day convention weekend.
Already the lineup is absolutely stacked with DJs and artists from Texas and many parts way beyond thanks to fellow partners Neon Genesis Hardcore and Anivents Unlimited. Here are the list of DJs confirmed so far:
Adam Rackham
AoS
Baeritoki
DJ Chef Nguyen
Creep-P
The D
DeBisco
DK Bean
Drop Team Epic (Kill Screen & Pearl Grey)
Eduardo Serrano
Figmint
JON_TIN
Kawaii Club
Kill Screen
Nimbuz
Pearl Grey
Rob VanWest
Sebris
Sephi Hakubi
Spree
Syntho
Trill Nye
Wolf n Spice (Sebris & Sephi Hakubi)
W.T. Snacks
YUKKURi
Zero
More artists are expected to be announce in the upcoming weeks leading to the Dream Drop Revolution Online festival. Make sure to catch this incredible online massive starting October 2nd, 2020 on twitch.tv/hakubiverse.