Sprocket is a conscious dance pioneer and one of the founders of the Ecstatic Dance Movement which originated at the Kalani Oceanside Retreat, deep in the Hawaiian jungle.

Thanks to his parents eclectic musical taste he loved every kind of music early on. When he was six, his dad ran a nightclub and would sometimes bring him along in the afternoon to restock the bar at the club. While dad was busy filling up coolers and prepping the bar he put Sprocket in the DJ booth, turned on the system and let him play records to keep him busy and out of trouble.

He threw his first dance party at age 12 at his high school in Germany. By age 16 he was playing proms and parties around town and able to see live performances by some of his favorite artists. Anything from Kraftwerk to Dave Brubeck, Queen, Zappa, Zeppelin, Marley, R&B, funk, disco, all the way to industrial, experimental, heavy metal and obscure punk bands like The Exploited and The Tubes.

He would mix his sets with a variety of musical genres and even throw in a little jazz and classical music here and there. Why not? Sprocket recorded loops and mash-ups on two UHER reel to reel tape decks and a KORG MS20 analog synth and whatever stuff he could make interesting sounds with, much like his inspiration Einstürzende Neubauten. With his best friends Lippus and Andreas he soon formed the punk band EGAL (who cares) and spent countless hours in their practice space (an old bakery) until their ears were bleeding (or the neighbors couldn't stand it any longer).

Who needs drugs when you can get high off the music?

Fast forward a few years and Sprocket works with the groundbreaking Fairlight CMI at the Technical University and finds himself at the first Love Parade in the summer of 1989, when 150 people took to the streets dancing in Berlin. It was conceived as a political demonstration for peace and international understanding through love and music.

One of his favorite dance clubs and inspirations was the Far Out / Zorba The Buddha dance temple in Berlin. It had a wide variety of patrons and music and tolerant hosts. Everyone could be himself. The premises were bright and clean with planters of beautiful palms, plus the music wasn't too loud. Just perfect. They had a beautiful sounding (and looking) speaker system and occasionally played jazz and classical music!!!

His adventures took him to countless Burningman festivals where he dj'd sunrise sets on the Playa and met Max, the chef at a magical oceanside retreat center not far from Sprocket's new home on the Big Island of Hawai'i. The serendipity of their chance encounter soon banded them together like brothers and they played parties together and organized and developed a Sunday morning dance event based on their eclectic musical styles and love for joyous, exuberant and transcending dance journeys.

The seeds of Ecstatic Dance were planted into fertile volcanic soil and watered gently every Sunday morning. The event slowly became bigger and bigger and eventually evolved into a world-wide phenomena which now touches countless beings and brings much love, joy, connection, and healing into our lives.

Learn more about the history HERE