Matinée Presents: 33 Below

Matinée Presents: 33 Below at Flash Rooftop Support: TBA For electronic producer, DJ, and artist 33 Below, making music has never been about following the rules. “I just fiddle around until it sounds right to my ear,” he says. “A lot of people are like, ‘No, you’ve got to do this, do that’—bro, no one cares. If it sounds good, it’s good.” That intuitive approach drives everything he touches. The New Zealand-born, Londoner born Jack Laven has ventured across house, drum ’n’ bass, UK garage, and well beyond. In addition to two vibrant indie EPs, Motions (2022) and PUSHER (2023), he’s released singles including the wistful fan favorite “Keep You as a Memory” and remixed Odd Mob, Rudimental, and Martin Garrix. While the BPMs and drum patterns of his productions vary, they’re unified by ethereal atmospheres, melodic enough for headphones yet commanding enough for the club. Laven grew up in Martinborough, a rural village with no highways — just sheep, cows, and vineyards. Yet it was there that he discovered dance music, watching DJ sets from Ultra Music Festival and EDC on YouTube during music class. “I just wanted to do what those guys do and be on a massive stage in Miami,” he says. Laven DJed anywhere he could: friends’ parties, school socials, even discos at the local pool (s/o the Masterton Wave Rave). At uni, he enrolled in a production course but dropped out after a semester: “It made me hate music.” Instead, Laven moved to Auckland, where he shadowed his producer friends in the studio. With help from YouTube tutorials and Disclosure’s Twitch livestreams, he slowly built his own songs. Motions, a set of dreamy, vocal-led UK bass tracks, taught him to trust his instincts, but, also, he says, “I felt I’d reached the limit of what I could do in New Zealand,” he says. Seeking a larger creative community and scene more aligned with his interests, he relocated to London in 2023. On his latest project LIVE FAST, 33 Below refines his signature blend of melodic songwriting and euphoric electronic production into a cohesive body of work that balances emotional vulnerability with high-energy release. Across the mixtape, soaring vocals and immersive soundscapes capture the exhilaration, uncertainty, and intensity of living fully in the moment. The project includes features from RL Grime, Pocket, Crybaby, Xira, Pola & Bryson, and Scrufizzer. With more music in the pipeline, Laven is focused on honing a sound that’s uniquely his. How will he know he’s truly made it? “By having everyone try to rip me off,” he half-jokes. Until then, he’s living his dream and aiming for that big stage. “I used to roll burritos in a burrito factory,” he says. “When I open Ableton in the morning, I thank God I’m not doing that shit anymore.” Date: August 8, 2026 Time: 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM Location: Flash Rooftop, 645 Florida Ave NW #7, Washington, DC 20001 Deep grooves and rooftop summer vibes.