It seemed to come out of nowhere — and then it was everywhere: six rounded points in the formation of a flower. Flyers were hung around San Francisco that read “program.soulseek. Big Bass and Hot Trax. Find Yourself Tonight,” the poster’s details were minimal and directed those interested to follow a link. Two and a half weeks later, another flyer began to circulate. In little to no time, large crowds were lining up outside unmarked warehouses, bars, even a Mission District mixed-use plant and wine store every weekend over the past year and a half. Stamps — showcasing the same rounded flower — mark the wrists of individuals as they enter, heading to these untraditional dance floors, many with a hope to lose themselves in the rhythm. 

Event series-turned-DJ collective, program (stylized in all lowercase), has been hosting events that tie together nostalgia, underground electronic music, and a desire for community over the past year-and-a-half. program’s founders, DJs Erika “erika” Martinez and Arthur “sfcowboy” Javier have curated and performed at these events across San Francisco, and more recently across the country with their team of artists, musicians and event planners.

 program has collaborated with everyone from local DJs to major names in the electronic music space, hoping to keep nightlife in San Francisco diversified and fresh. program has hosted artists including DJ Crystallmess (who performed at Frank Ocean’s Coachella set in 2023) and Japanese electronic music artist POiSON GiRL FRiEND, pairing them in lineups with other DJs local to cities they visit. program events may vary in music type; yet, all remain true to their vision. program aims to raise awareness about the Bay Area’s electronic music scene through events inspired by the music genre’s rich history. Now, the program team is set to turn a historic venue in San Francisco into a hub for nightlife unlike any other. 

Post-COVID Party Scene

According to Martinez, no one expected the journey to turn out this way. “Originally, we were just going to be a late-night event series that threw shows in different locations, in not only the Bay Area but other cities and eventually other countries,” Martinez explained. “Now we’ve grown to be more than late-night shows.” 

program started as a passion project for Martinez and Javier, who shared a love for the post-pandemic club revival taking place in San Francisco. 

During this time, Martinez and Javier found excitement and motivation in the changing landscape of San Francisco’s nightlife.

“There were just amazing parties happening in San Francisco, and we were inspired by that,” Martinez said. “It inspired me to learn how to DJ, and then we threw backyard events at friends’ places.” 

Shortly after, as Martinez and Javier became more immersed in the local music scene, they began working with DJ collective Vitamin1000 for a few years. Yet, both felt called to create program to explore a different creative identity. “I think our personal tastes and aesthetics started to change as we figured out who we are as individual artists,” Javier said. 

“We decided that we just wanted to go in a different creative direction,” Martinez said. “Arthur and my vision aligned, so program worked out perfectly.”

Historical Influences

Javier’s vision for program’s identity takes inspiration from electronic music history. As he explained, “It came from post-punk electro because that was what I got into before I got into house and techno and a lot of the main DJing genres, that created the branding that is program.” 

The fusing of electronic music with punk influences inspired program’s name as well. 

“I put a list together, and it was just names from post-punk songs,” Javier said. “The name program was from this band called Silver Apples.” Silver Apples is often considered a pioneer behind the 1960s rise of electronic rock music. 

Javier aims to keep this history a driving force behind program’s branding, utilizing post-punk inspiration for flyers and other marketing around the events. “Going to shows is that connection between post-punk into the world of electro,” Javier said. 

Larger than San Francisco

program’s first late-night events took place in 2023, and since then have steadily expanded to shows on both coasts. This is partly thanks to program’s Brooklyn-based team member Alexis Cerritos, who met Martinez and Javier at San Francisco’s electronic music festival, Portola. 

“One of my best friends and roommates at the time had been to their parties. He put them on my radar. When I went to Portola two years ago, I randomly ran into Arthur and Erika in the crowd,” Cerritos said.

Cerritos continued to spend time with Martinez and Javier in San Francisco and New York, and his background in the music industry booking events led to his role at program. He helped facilitate program’s expansion to New York over the past year. 

While this expansion was a major development for program, their next chapter is starting back home, in a new venue that has significant roots in the community. 

Martinez explained that the development of a new venue, while unexpected, may have been what the team was working toward all along. 

“At the beginning, Arthur and I weren’t sure if we even wanted to have a home base,” Martinez said. “At first, our Instagram [handle] wasn’t program.sf, it was program.tba because we don’t want to be affiliated with just one place. It’d make it harder for us to get booked in different places, so we just won’t say where we’re from.”

A New Chapter Back Home

As Bay Area natives, the program team couldn’t forget their origins. “We realized that we were so proud of SF, and we thought that SF especially needed this,” Martinez said. “It’s where we wanted to focus our energy. So then we changed [our username] to program.sf. Then, we had a conversation that this is our home base. We can do one-off things, like we do in New York, but those are going to be far and few. Very high quality and higher production shows.”

Even in its logo, program is inspired and driven by the arts and culture of San Francisco. The 6-point flower, designed by Javier, is reminiscent of San Francisco’s Summer of Love.

program’s founders are now exploring two new facets of their artistic expression, opening a venue of their own in San Francisco and experimenting with publishing an electronic music magazine. 

According to Javier, the idea of opening an event venue dawned on him in conversation with a friend, and the idea was adopted quickly by the rest of the program team.

Emily Vu, a member of program who works on soulseek, program’s zine, and future magazine said, “The space is a historical venue established in San Francisco, and there’s so much history behind the music, the bars, the parties. It’s a really symbolic thing because I honestly think program is making waves in the music scene in San Francisco and beyond.” 

The venue will be located in a space that was once notable in San Francisco’s nightlife. While specific details cannot be revealed yet, Javier ensured the location was chosen thoughtfully, in line with program’s commitment to honoring music history and musical subcultures.

According to Javier, this new venue will also provide more stability for the program team. 

“We go to venues every week or every other week and we’re constantly re-setting up all of our stuff,” Javier said. “It’s cool, but it gets so exhausting, and you don’t even really get to develop on it because you’re just trying to set it up to that level. Now with this spot, I will constantly be building on it and creating iterations of the space.” 

While there is no set date for the venue’s opening, fans can expect weekly events Thursdays through Sundays coming soon. 

“This could be what everything has been leading to. It feels weird because that makes program seem like a stepping stone in a weird way,” Javier said. “We will never let go of program. It’s just going to change in a good way that we’re excited for.”

Community Makes the Difference

program team members Kelly He and Molly Wright became involved in program after attending their events. He and Wright say they would not have joined the team if it weren’t for the tight-knit community forming around program and similar events. “We’re all so supportive of each other’s work and we’re all such creative people,” He says.

“It’s been one of the most supportive, amazing things that has happened to me, and being able to be a part of something that’s so special and getting to work with all of these people is incredible,” Wright said.

Whether in San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York,  program’s vision remains unchanged. The goal is to transform the electronic music scene through creating spaces for connection and education surrounding the genre.