Meet Jason and Taylor Juarez and Passios | Co- Founder Ze Fuss LCC (Both)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason and Taylor Juarez and Passios and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason and Taylor, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Jason: Me and my partner had the idea of bridging the gap between the queer community and the bass community here in Denver. Years ago, we were attracted to what the EDM scene had to offer- freedom of expression, safety in being authentically our truest selves, ridiculous dancing, and endless good times with our friends. We both feel as if the culture has shifted in more ways than one. The environments that regularly host bass music here in Denver are very focused on sound system culture and with this comes a heteronormative standard of how to act, how to exist, and how to carry yourself. The focus at most bass shows are the DJ (who is more times than not a cis gendered white male), the sound system, LED board/ visual wall, and ticket sales. We wanted to shift this focus to less prioritized aspects that make this scene so magical- the vendors, the painters, the performance artists, visual artists, and the overall attendee experience- all while bringing in more queer artists of all mediums and reminding people that sound and bass culture is rooted in queer culture. Something else we noticed was that queer environments here in Denver mostly play hyperpop and mixes of top 40 hits during club hours. While this is understandable and respected, we want to make it our mission to bring a much broader variety of EDM to these environments. All this being said, I find it kind of sad that I have to turn a certain version of myself on for gay club environments, and another version of myself for bass shows. I want to feel the safety and freedom in being authentically my truest self while expressing myself in any way I see fit without judgment from others in the EDM scene here in Denver while trying to meld the two communities together harmoniously.

Taylor: My business partner and best friend Jason is honestly the one who had the vision of Ze Fuss and he came to me and pitched this utopian version of what the bass scene could be..and I was hooked. We both worked at a different collective at the time, he was one of the founders and I was a decoration coordinator. But this collective ultimately had run its course and we felt we couldn’t do what we wanted to do there. It really was just the inevitable next step to start our own journey. I think there is also something to be said about creating your own passion, your own dream job. I’ve given up believing that a corporation is going to give me what I need to feel fulfilled in my day-to-day. Ze Fuss gives me hope.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Taylor: Originally, I went to school for Media Production. I wanted to make films that made people feel things, but no one can prepare a creative kid for the unforeseen obstacles of their dreams. High schools don’t tell you about how you will never have a stable job when you work in TV because projects end, or the kind of fame-obsessed people it can attract, or the lack of opportunities. Then again, even if they told me I’m not sure that would have made a difference. I needed the reality check so badly. So when I got it, I realized I needed to find something that is still a creative outlet but could be sustainable. And what is even better than finding your perfect job? It’s making it.

We worked so hard to have a cohesive aesthetic, mission statement, and purpose with Ze Fuss. Jason and I would talk for hours about what we wanted to be, refining it over and over again. We are on the same page to what we are trying to make: An inclusive space where the queer community and the bass community become one. And what we do at our events directly reflects this mission. I have been part of the bass scene since I was 15 years old. I have never been to an edm concert that also has a fashion show, drag queen performances, fire spinning inside, and the list goes on. We care very much about delivering on our promises and I think our growing fanbase sees the authenticity in that. I also think being based here in Colorado since 2017, we have been able to grow a large network and we can’t give enough thanks to the friends that have supported our dreams along the way.

Jason: I love to move, to dance, and to attend community events where our mission is embodied. The world can seem so dull and monotonous when thinking about how we are “supposed” to live our lives- the whole idea of a 9-5 honestly makes me sick to my stomach. I function best and feel most alive when the sun is down and when the night comes to life. I envisioned a path that allows me to take part in creating spaces for bass music and the queer community to converge. I like to think that over all creating these spaces and constantly practicing and showcasing my craft of fire spinning shows people that a 9-5 isn’t the only option that one must or can pursue. There is so much more to life than making a bill doing what you kind of love or kind of hate just to spend it on things that you actually like just to go back and do it all over again. I feel like I saw a way out of this cycle with pursuing an artistic/ creative career.

I’ve put myself in situations where I risk a whole lot and have seen the opposite of reward. I take these moments in stride, and take mental notes of why whatever happened happened, and carry on with taking more strategic steps in getting to where I want to be. Though in the moment if a risk didn’t seem worth it given the outcome- there is always a lesson to be learned and to be taken with you in your subsequent actions. I took a risk in moving away from my family in Chicago to pursue a Chemistry and Philosophy degree here in Colorado. I took a risk in not pursuing chemistry, but instead hosting events here in Colorado as well as pursuing being a performer. I took a risk in pouring a whole lot of time and energy into running a music and arts collective for years just to be dismissed and tossed to the side by the owner of the LLC because of personal vendettas. That initial step I took to move to Colorado didn’t work out the way I planned, but if I hadn’t gotten my degree, I wouldn’t have met my support system here in Denver. I wouldn’t have met my current business partner who tirelessly pours her entire heart into this project. If I didn’t go through the experience of running that initial collective, I wouldn’t have the vision I do now of what I want to be and what I don’t want to be- what I want this project to be and what I don’t want it to be.

We want the world to know that we are here to share art, encourage radical self expression, and to fuse the queer community with the bass community.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Places to visit: Meow Wolf, Denver Art Society, 1st Friday Santa Fe Art Walk, Beacon, Red Rocks, Kulture Music Hall, Cheeseman Park (especially on Sundays for music/flow days), South Pearl Farmer’s Market

Places to eat & drink: Bao Brewhouse, La Diabla, Avanti, Forget Me Not, Postino, Barcelona Wine Bar, Yummy Hot Pot, Hey Bangkok

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Our parents and each other. We constantly inspire and push each other to be the best version of ourselves. We work harmoniously together as co-founders of this LLC.

Website: TBD – launch on June 29 (zefuss.com)

Instagram: @ze.fuss

Image Credits
The two fire photos: David Cohn
All other photos: Justine Johnson
Feature Photo: David Cohn