Vibrant, multi-talented, and unabashedly genuine, Brandon Wisinski aka Wreckno has made a name for himself as an icon on many fronts.

His sassy tunes full of hip-hop beats and booty-shaking bass alone make Wisinski a trailblazer. On top of this, the gender-fluid artist breaks barriers for the Queer community in the world of electronic dance music.

Beyond his unapologetic loud-and-proud stage persona, Wisinski is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in an industry where diversity remains an important issue.

In fact, making both the dancefloor and the decks a safe space for people of marginalized identities lies at the core of all Wreckno productions.

Wisinski’s special role in the spotlight didn’t come easy, though. Nonetheless, Wisisnski’s infectious radiance shines through his long-distance call with us as he candidly shares the story of how the unstoppable Wreckno came to be.

EDM Maniac: It’s Wreckno! Thanks so much for joining us. What’s been on your mind during Pride month this year? 

Wreckno: So this Pride month has been a little different for me and the team. Because of the way certain things have shaken out, it’s the first Pride where we’re not planning a big roll-out for new music. It’s almost a little weird but it’s been really nice honestly.

 I’ve been finishing up my Pride tour, and it’s been nice getting through shows without some big project looming over me, so that’s been a much-needed reset for me in a lot of ways. 

EDM Maniac: As a performer and a member of the queer community, your personality on stage exuberates confidence and pride. How does the Wreckno persona relate to your off-stage life?

Wreckno: I was just talking about this to my partner actually.  One of the hardest things I’ve been dealing with is going from performing at my top tier and having a really confident moment like when I’m dancing a choreo or something, to coming home where everything starts to get quiet.

You just kind of sit with yourself, and I’m no longer Wreckno, I’m just Brandon. I’m just a human dealing with my own insecurity issues. 

It can be really a weird dichotomy because I know how I present, especially with body positivity and my confidence as a queer person, but sometimes there are days where I don’t feel like Wreckno.

That’s especially true on stage when I might not feel the best, and I just think “Can they all tell that I feel like shit?” So that’s been something I’ve been kind of battling with this year. 

EDM Maniac: That’s understandable. With that said, you’ve come a long way in your journey.  What experiences helped you grow into the iconic trailblazer we know today?  

Wreckno: Love those words! I would say it comes out of some darkness. When I was growing up, I  lived in a small town and I didn’t know the term gender fluid, nor did I have the vernacular to know what being non-binary was. 

You look at who I am now on stage with very gender-bendy outfits—that’s who I am, and I feel super confident as a performer.  I was already doing that when I was in high school,  but I was living in a small town where it’s a lot easier if you don’t do that.

Even though I did get some support from my family, there was a lot of shame that was quietly pushed on me. You end up always feeling like you’re too much and just water yourself down.  I wasn’t ready to fully accept myself for a long time.

I think a huge part of moving forward has been my relationship with my partner as well as a lot of my own self-work. Having someone who encourages you not to be scared and to be yourself helps you be able to say “This is who I am, this is who I’m proud to be.”

All the experiences from those years culminated, and now, I have a stage to be who I am, that’s allowed more people to connect with what I do and I’m very thankful for it. 

EDM Maniac: The queer community has long been active in the rave and EDM scene. From your perspective, how has the relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and rave culture evolved over time?

Wreckno: I think in the mainstream, we’re getting a lot more people like myself and Moore Kismet or Baby Weight, GRiZ, and other gay, trans, and non-binaries who are finally creating a lane for themselves and making it at more visible mainstream gigs like Insomniac events–or doing our own events!

Online, I also see this German techno-culture side of the electronic scene that’s like “too cool for school” where they don’t even fuck with anything mainstream and I’m honestly kind of obsessed with it.

I see a lot of sick-ass artists that are gender non-conforming in that scene. It makes sense because I feel like that’s where the gays have always been and stayed, but I do think people like myself are finally getting more opportunities in the broader EDM scene.

Of course, It can ruffle feathers sometimes because it has been sort of a bro-fest for a long time and you’ll get the people who say “Oh you’re only here because of XYZ” and all that bullshit but, I do genuinely think we’re going the right way.  

EDM Maniac: How do you preserve your confidence in the face of criticism or hostility as a public figure?

Wreckno: Oh my goodness, I wish I had the best kind of answer for this. To anybody, getting into entertainment—straight, gay, whatever—nobody prepares you for the reality of what putting yourself out there can turn into, especially when it’s your passion.

When it comes to people in entertainment, I think we put people on a pedestal but then love to watch them fall, and it’s easy for strangers to forget that there’s a real person involved. 

Before, I would doom scroll a lot, and that could even turn into a form of self-harm. I think I’ve gotten better at handling that. You can choose not to put stock in what a stranger says about you on the internet and remember the love you have around you instead. 

EDM Maniac: Where is there room for growth in making the dance music community a safer space for the queer community and people of marginalized identities?

Wreckno: I think we’ve come a long way. We’re seeing promoters and events put more diverse artists on and bringing in harm reduction and stuff like that, but there’s always room for growth.

For me, I think it would be continuing to put on smaller queer acts and pushing the narrative that this is a safe space, and I think that really comes down to the teams to take the initiative.

EDM Maniac: Thank you so much for sharing!

Wreckno: Absolutely! Sending love your way and thanks for having me.

Images Courtesy of @divisuals Tessa Paisan Photography

The post Interview: Wreckno’s Journey To Becoming A Barrier Breaker In Dance Music And Beyond appeared first on EDM Maniac.

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By: Federica Brandi
Title: Interview: Wreckno’s Journey To Becoming A Barrier Breaker In Dance Music And Beyond
Sourced From: edmmaniac.com/wreckno-interview-pride/
Published Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2023 20:11:21 +0000

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