NEONAUTICA: Where Classical Training Meets Rave-World Joy

NOLA EDM: For those meeting you for the first time — who is Neonautica?
Neonautica: Of all things, Neonautica actually started nine years ago as a contemporary classical voice/sax duo! We are both classically trained and performed all over the United States focusing on that kind of music, presenting new pieces by modern composers. Over time we began to hybridize our recitals with experimental theatre and various pop genres. By 2022 we were writing original music under the broader umbrella of EDM.

To this day, we aren’t exactly sure what to label ourselves in terms of genre! What we focus on is bringing joy to our audiences through live performances. We always want to delight our listeners by combining so many different types of music: EDM, orchestral, funk, soul, cinematic, pop, and more. We are really active and almost manic on stage when we are doing our thing! We are like that nerdy, super friendly rave Mom and Dad who also like cooking up their own dubstep tracks with strange sonic worlds. Our energy is “that one couple who showed up to the afters bringing a casserole.”

NOLA EDM: Your show NOËLNAUTICA is coming up on December 17. What inspired the idea of a “Christmas Rave for Charity”?
Neonautica: We were inspired by GRiZ and his annual Grizmas events up in Detroit. We wanted to do the same thing – bringing bangers to the people to help raise money/donations for charity during the holidays – to New Orleans!

NOLA EDM: You’re partnering with K4K in Harmony for this fundraiser.

What does this organization mean to you, and why was it the right fit for this event?

Neonautica: This is our inaugural NoelNautica event. We plan on doing this annually henceforth and choosing a different local charity/non-profit each year. Partnering with Koats4Kids in Harmony this December made so much sense because Alan (our duo’s saxophonist/songwriter) works at Xavier University of Louisiana with Dr. Jee-Yeoun Ko, the organization’s director. The idea was immediate and obvious! Koats4Kids in Harmony provides warm winter clothing and music education initiatives to disadvantaged youth in the city of New Orleans. We love it.

NOLA EDM: SkyFaux is opening with a DJ set before your main performance.

How did this collaboration begin, and what does SkyFaux bring to the Neonautica world?
Neonautica: SkyFaux is the stage name of our best friend and co-producer, Jeremy Valley (a New Orleanian born and raised). We’ve known Jeremy for decades and he’s really an invaluable artistic partner in what we are making. Like us, he brings a lot of experience in non-EDM genres (jazz, classical, soul, funk, old-school songwriting) to the table.

NOLA EDM: Outside of music, what inspires you creatively?
Neonautica: We are really inspired by contemporary visual artists and modern theatre. If we could visit Mass MoCA and the Guggenheim every single day, we would.

NOLA EDM: Looking ahead to 2026, what’s next for Neonautica?
Neonautica:

2026 will see the release of our first EP of originals (we have some singles out now) plus a ton of local performances. We really look forward to supporting the New Orleans EDM scene way more by both creating and attending shows.

In March we are featured artists at a festival up in Ohio where we will be doing both our theatrical recital Black Meridian (our nonstop, hour-long, two-person abstract opera telling a story of love and black holes) and a live EDM set on back-to-back days! We like to think we are the only duo in the country that could and would do such a wild thing.

This summer we are heading to Shambhala Music Festival in Canada for some inspiration. It will be our first time there, so we are excited!