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Ray Volpe’s FOREVER, VOLPETRON Is More Than an Album, It’s a Movement
Ray Volpe’s debut album FOREVER, VOLPETRON blends bass, house, and festival energy, proving he’s one of the Producers & DJs shaping club culture in 2025.
- By: Julianne Elise Beffa / Photography By: @omarmaliksalah
It is a Friday night in Los Angeles and the Hollywood Palladium is vibrating at maximum frequency. Lasers slice through the smoke, bass rattles the floorboards, and thousands of fans scream in unison as the drop from Ray Volpe’s “Laserbeam” detonates. For anyone who has followed electronic music closely over the past few years, the moment feels iconic. But for Ray Volpe, it was more than just another headline show. It was the night he officially announced FOREVER, VOLPETRON, his debut album that finally brings together all the sounds, styles, and identities he has spent 15 years building into one cohesive statement. The crowd at the Palladium became part of his story and the fans in that room became witnesses to a career-defining reveal.
“MY DEBUT ALBUM ‘FOREVER, VOLPETRON’ IS FINALLY HERE!! Over a year and a half in the making, spending endless nights on it to make sure it’s perfect. I hope you’re able to hear 15 years of Ray Volpe in this; I wanted to make a project that epitomizes my journey. From brostep, melodic dubstep & bass, heavy dubstep, bass house to everything in between, you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of everything I love and everything I’ve been through. The past few years have been beyond imaginable and now I get to say I have an album out. LET’S GO!!!!”.
The album is more than a playlist of tracks strung together. FOREVER, VOLPETRON is a love letter to bass music, fandom, and self-belief. It captures everything Ray has built over the past decade and a half, from explosive dubstep and brostep to soaring melodic bass and gritty bass house. Singles like “Song Request” and “Rewind” with Sullivan King already became fan-favorites in the lead-up to the album, each showcasing a different side of his artistry. While designed for the massive energy of festival mainstages, the emotional core of the project makes it equally magnetic for fans listening in headphones on repeat.
“I think it’s a good balance between the two,” Ray said when asked how much he considered live set expectations when crafting a record in an exclusive interview with LOOP. “It’s finding that balance that was hard for me. My newer fans know me more for my heavy bass & high energy stuff, while my older fans know that I’ve always made multiple styles whether melodic, etc. I took the time to really showcase it all here for those who have been around for years & those who have just joined my journey.” The album is filled with that range. A clear standout is “Danger” with TYNAN, which has gone viral with support from Excision, Illenium, Subtronics, and Sullivan King, complete with TikToks flooding comment sections with requests for the ID. There is also “What’s Up” with Virtual Riot, “As Long As I Got You” with Adventure Club, and “Careful What You Wish For” with Point North. Every collaboration expands the album’s world without ever diluting Ray’s voice.
When asked about “Song Request,” one of the most meta and hilarious tracks on the album, Ray explained, “It’s always been amusing to me that crowds in EDM will ‘sing’ along to songs without lyrics. Whether it’s the rhythm of a drop or the notes of a catchy melody, they were chanting along. It also kinda takes you back to that age old meme of ‘Who says EDM doesn’t have lyrics?’ The idea of the main pre-drop being a person singing the melody was just the destination, I needed a way to get there. That made me turn to the idea of what more of the common non EDM listener would assume a DJ to be, just a random person behind the decks taking requests, & the idea just went further & further from there.” He said when recalling some of the wildest real-life requests, saying, “I think my craziest request I’ve gotten mid set is to either play the first song I’ve ever made (I was so confused how anyone in 2025 would even know that) or requests to let their friends behind the booth because it’s their birthday or something (PSA birthdays don’t get booth access sorry love you).”
Volpe is not just paying attention to his own trajectory but also to the state of Top 40 music and how it intersects with club culture in 2025. “I really love the variety we’ve been seeing in Top 40 lately,” he said. “The fact that a song from K-Pop Demon Hunters is #1 on the Billboard Charts is mindblowing (especially as a massive K-Pop fan myself). Seeing lots of international influence populate into Top 40 whether from Asia, South America, etc is really awesome to see as I think music is a universal language that we can all dance to, cry to, or headbang to.” He has also noticed what he calls the “resurgence of real popstars,” pointing to artists like Tate McRae and Katseye as idols kids will have posters of on their walls. At the same time, he is thrilled about the sonic resurgence of the 2000s making its way back into pop and club tracks.
Seeing lots of international influence populate into Top 40 whether from Asia, South America, etc is really awesome to see as I think music is a universal language that we can all dance to, cry to, or headbang to
When pressed about which genres are running the clubs right now, his answer is both realistic and celebratory. “EDM is hotter than ever, which is great for us. On my side of things this more wonky throwback sound is taking over. People like Tape B & Levity being at the forefront. You can hear it even in some house sets. Aside from that, the mainstream EDM scene is just on fire right now. Being in the ‘bass scene’ I think a lot of my peers might not see it the same but when someone like John Summit or Disco Lines eats, we all eat too. This blend of progressive house, tech house, deep house etc is opening a lot of new doors to people who never listened to electronic music before outside of what’s produced for stuff in Top 40, and usually that ends up being a gateway to something they can workout to at the gym which ends up leading people down a rabbit hole into some heavier more chaotic EDM like bass music where I mainly shine.”
The post-COVID club scene has shifted in ways that producers and promoters are still adjusting to. “Absolutely,” Ray said when asked if he had noticed changes. “On the business side, a lot of tickets move in the last week. When you see ‘SOLD OUT’ in 5 minutes for a DJ’s show, they’re the anomaly. I’m saying that to speak to any aspiring artists out there as it’s easy to fall into bad habits & negative mindsets when comparing yourself to others. Post-COVID, a lot of people are deciding what they want to do the week of, not six months out. On the fans side, I noticed a bigger demand for more value for what they are paying for overall. I think people want something closer to a festival experience at a club to even guarantee buying a ticket. Whether that’s more stacked lineups, more production, whatever it may be, there’s a thirst for more overall.”
I think people want something closer to a festival experience at a club to even guarantee buying a ticket. Whether that’s more stacked lineups, more production, whatever it may be, there’s a thirst for more overall.
When it comes to what DJs should be playing in clubs, Volpe is clear that he wants creativity. “I think we may be at my personal limit for throwbacks as it’s almost becoming something DJs are relying on for a reaction versus something original, but I am guilty of it too & throw some in myself but I’d love to see more genre-mixing personally! I love playing more than just dubstep in my sets. That’s definitely something fans have come to expect from me. Hearing bass house, drum & bass, some K-pop or pop stuff even, etc. It’s something I think that keeps things really fresh & prevents a set from going stale. I would love to see it more.”
As for what is hitting in the club right now, Volpe points to a few favorites. “I think the main crowd pleasers these days are anything ISOKNOCK, whether as a duo or their solo projects (ISOXO & Knock2) – They have the scene in a chokehold & any time I play an edit of ‘SMACK TALK’ the crowd goes rabid.” When asked what the song of the year is for club play, he responded, “Overall in EDM, probably ‘No Broke Boys’ by Disco Lines & Tinashe. It’s a generational hit. In my scene, I’d say either Subtronics & Wooli’s ‘Lock In’ or even my song with Sullivan King called ‘REWIND’ as it gets some of the loudest reactions from the crowd no matter who’s playing it.”
Mainstream pop and hip-hop also sneak into his sets. “Absolutely! In my sets you’ll always hear some type of mainstream vocal or edit. For today’s music, I have stuff like ‘Gnarly’ by Katseye in there or Fred Again..’s ‘Victory Lap’ and some throwbacks like LMFAO’s ‘Party Rock Anthem’ or Black Eyed Peas ‘Rock That Body’ (which has had a recent resurgence due to TikTok!).”
Testing new tracks live is one of the most important parts of Volpe’s process. “Definitely getting a vocal reaction from the crowd is my usual meter! If they start screaming it’s like the biggest hit of dopamine right to the dome. That or seeing the entire rail headbanging in unison is always a good sign. There’s always a rail camper or two that are just there to vibe or film, so when they start going crazy too, that’s the biggest win.” His current instant crowd-reaction mini set is a trio of weapons: “Ray Volpe – Laserbeam (we use lasers for the first time of the show for this & it still goes off every single time). Knock2 – Dashstar (the crowd just loves that melody so much). Ray Volpe – SONG REQUEST (I’ve made it a thing to see which crowd can be the loudest, so there’s a bit of a competitive edge when I play this now & crowds go crazy for it).”
Throwbacks are still in his arsenal too. “Satisfaction by Benny Benassi! I have a bass house flip that I made for my shows & every single time the crowd really gets energetic. I think that original song is forever a staple in electronic music history.” He even has some guilty pleasures reserved for afterparties, admitting, “I made a house edit to my song ‘SEE YOU DROP’ that goes off at after parties / pre-parties. I don’t think that’s well-known so it’d surprise the main set fans for sure.” For Volpe, what makes a track truly universal is simple. “Topline of the song! It’d need a catchy hook for the clubs & TikTok but also something repetitive enough to reinforce an anthem theme for festivals.”
His advice to other DJs trying to balance hits with surprises is both practical and rooted in his own success. “Mash things up! Make flips, make edits, use vocals over other existing songs. The list goes on! It’s about blending for me. Not just playing a song and it dropping into another, but making them compliment each other & having things come in when you’re expecting something else.”
Ray Volpe’s story is also a reminder of perseverance. Not long ago, he found himself uncertain about the path ahead. But he kept going, driven by belief in his sound, even when it was not the trend. That perseverance paid off. This year he sold out his biggest headline tour yet, culminating in the unforgettable night at the Palladium. Alongside the tour, he brought his explosive sets to some of the world’s biggest festival stages including EDC Las Vegas and Mexico, Forbidden Kingdom, Illfest, World DJ Fest, Rampage Open Air, and Wobbleland.
Beyond the decks, Volpe is a comic book superfan, a gamer, and a quick-witted, endlessly genuine personality who connects with fans just as easily online as he does from the stage. His social media presence is as tongue-in-cheek as it is heartfelt, and his willingness to connect in DMs or joke with fans creates a sense of community. His fandom is not just listeners, it is a world, and FOREVER, VOLPETRON invites them even deeper inside.
From the viral breakthrough of “Laserbeam” to the genre-spanning ambition of FOREVER, VOLPETRON, Ray Volpe has proven himself as more than a dubstep act. He is an architect of sound, a crowd scientist, and a fan-first creator who continues to redefine what it means to be a DJ and producer in 2025. As bass music evolves, as house music dominates, and as the Top 40 continues to blend international influence with EDM’s DNA, Volpe is positioned at the center of it all. His album is not just a debut but a portal into a world he has been quietly building for years. The gates are open, and the Volpetron is no longer just a nickname. It is a movement.
Listen to FOREVER, VOLPETRON below!
