A connoisseur of sound and experience. American underground bass and electronica scene.
SoundScrybe (Christian Cortes) is a Tucson, AZ music writer, event producer, and DJ who has forged his taste and identity in the expansive realm of global electronic music. A lover of the dance floor, he crafts his sets for the sonically adventurous, blending textures, intensities, and rhythms into a seamless narrative that traverses the landscapes of bass-driven music. Drawing from a love of psyc
hedelic bass, deep dubstep, drum and bass, deep tech, and downtempo electronica, SoundScrybe’s musical styling bends and defies genre culture while drawing from the shapeshifting frontiers of visionary sound design. Christian's professional affiliations include June Jam, Quantized Creative Agency, High Road Productions, Street Ritual, Walter Productions, Shanti Planti, Desert Trax, and Headroom Music Collective. His writing has appeared on nearly 100 music releases since 2015 and he has opened for artists that include Desert Dwellers, Dirtwire, Random Rab, Bluetech, Jade Cidada, and numerous beloved acts from the N.
03/26/2025
One of my favorite frames since getting back into the rhythm of shooting film. I was at the end of the roll and wishing I had more, but all it took was one shot to capture what I’d seen: stillness, shadowplay, and that stark contrast of the desert against cold steel.
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📷 Nikon FM2 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 Ai-S
🎞️ IlfordHP5
03/24/2025
Funny how the last shot of the day can sneak up on you... kind of like the end of winter.
Looking back, I wish I’d stuck around for a few more frames—but after hiking in the snow at elevation all afternoon, and now surrounded by kids sledding as I made my way back to the car, it felt like the right time to wrap.
Got a few more from this hike during Mt. Lemmon’s final snow of the season that I’ll be sharing soon. For now, here’s a quiet farewell to winter as temps in Arizona shoot into the 90s this week. 🥵
03/11/2025
Took to the rolling hills and grassland of S. AZ wine country over my birthday weekend. I'm rather impressed by how well my fifty year-old Nikon captured the landscape and am feeling more inspired by shooting film with each new roll. So glad there's a B&W film lab in Tucson again!
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Sure do miss those high school darkroom vibes though...
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📷 Nikon FM2 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4
🎞️ Ilford HP5
📍 Sonoita Wine Country, AZ ()
03/11/2025
Not quite ready to let go of winter... 🫠
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Hold for the occasional DJ gig, I've been shifting my digital profile away from music back toward photography over the last year... slowly archiving posts that don't really fit in and changing what and how often I share. The music scene feels overcrowded (not that digital photography isn't) and I'm increasingly more interested in just producing and promoting the events from a distance (through entities) rather than pushing them personally... I've even been considering retiring my DJ monicker (after 10 years of solid use) and switching this whole thing over to my name. I still love DJing, and don't plan to stop, but I don't feel as aligned with the SoundScrybe persona as I once did, and the idea of shaking things up feels right...
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I suppose a bit more pondering is warranted. 🤔
03/08/2025
Family portrait of some of the residents of Saguaro National Park. 🌵
Tire as I do of constant sun, it's not hard to be reminded of just how special this strange desert landscape and its inhabitants are... Trying not to take it for granted!!
03/06/2025
Breaking free from creative paralysis... Not expecting much traction on Instagram with my photography, but working not to do it for the likes anymore... Nevertheless, really digging Threads for art, so follow me there for more consistency (and higher quality) going forward. 🤍
01/09/2025
Excited to be opening this one up Friday night at Walter Studios! 🔊
12/06/2024
Living that candid life with some recent mobile captures near and around the Old Pueblo. I love Tucson this time of year. 🌵🍂🌞
11/30/2024
Weekend means it's time for me to catch up on photography posts. I'm always fighting the reality of my limited availability during the week, and my hobby work tends to fall to the wayside, but I'm becoming more okay with not needing likes and comments as a means of valuing my own work and posting when I have time rather than when it's "optimal." 🏔️
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All said, here's another capture from our early autumn snowstorm up on Mt. Lemmon. What a fun afternoon of shooting! The numerous outlooks and hikes on this mountain have become my happy place as an Arizona photographer... Anyone visiting Tucson is missing out if they don't make it up at least once. 🌵🌲
11/22/2024
Excited to be coming along for the ride with , , and on January 10th at ! 👀
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Been hosting Rab and Skysia at going back quite a few years now, and they’re two of the very few artists in the scene who consistently impress me with their awesome vibes and energy in the often-exhausting world of outdoor festivals. Plus, they make pretty sweet music too. 😉
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With bringing visuals for Rab’s set, and Skysia having a ton of visuals of his own, I’m looking forward to seeing some mind-bending art on stage in Studio A. Not sure what I’ll play to open, but I’m feeling called to revisit my psychedelic roots… 👽
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➡️ Grab those pre-sale tickets at walterstudios.com!
11/21/2024
Can't wait to play tunes at Walter Studios next month with the main dudes Random Rab and Skysia! Can't think of two people with bigger hearts and better tunes in the scene. 💙
✨ Join us on Friday, January 10th for a special A/V event at ! ✨
Step into a mesmerizing audio-visual journey with , a globally recognized pioneer of vibe-driven performances. Paired with the artistry of , one of the most celebrated visual designers in the scene, this collaboration promises an immersive experience we seldom see in the Valley. 🎭
The night continues with a special guest performance by , showcasing his bold, heavier sound, and opens with a deep set from . 🎼
This is a preview of the events High Road Productions is aiming to bring to Arizona in 2025 and beyond, infused with the spirit of June Jam and reflecting our ongoing mission of building community through tastefully curated experiences throughout the state. 🌵
🎟️ Tickets are on sale — head to walterstudios.com to grab yours and begin making your plans for a great night!
11/19/2024
Arizona never ceases to amaze with its landscapes and diverse weather. Those who think it’s just a desert have a lot to learn about the American Southwest. 🏔️
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📷 Nikon Z @ 98mm
📍 Mt Lemmon, AZ
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11/12/2024
One more blast of autumn snow photos from our early November dusting in the Lemmon. ❄️🍋
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Really looking forward to more weather photography this fall and winter. Been slowly building out my photo kit and my car for longer exposure to the elements, but there’s a lot of personal training and learning required to capture and present photos that really hit the mark, and that’s where I’ll be putting more of my energy in the seasons ahead. Really can’t beat the satisfaction of coming home with an SD card loaded with photos, even if you only end up with a few good shots. At least you got outside! 😎
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More photos coming soon. Considering setting up a proper website for my photography, but not sure I’m there yet or if the juice is worth the squeeze yet. How likely are you to buy photography prints (not necessarily from me) for your home? If so, what kind of photos attract you? Enquiring minds wish to know…👨🏽💻
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Perhaps more importantly, is anyone actually buying art these days? Or just consuming it digitally?
11/11/2024
Falling into fall on Saturday, 11/23 with and a boatload of crew at ! 🍂
I’ve been throwing parties in AZ featuring for many moons now, and the dude never ceases to impress me with his wickedly fun music and vibe. It’s been close to a decade since I first met him at and interviewed him back in my music journalist days, and I’ve enjoyed watching his deep psychedelic sound evolve alongside heavier bass over the years while keeping its unique edge! Looking forward to closing out the night after his set and playing some stuff I wouldn’t normally spin at my favorite venue in AZ. 🖤
This party is free with RSVP before 11 PM, and if I know .radd, .xsounds_, , and , that FNK FAM JAM is going to be e###xtra spicy! 🥵🔥🌶️
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Christian Cortes (SoundScrybe) is a music content creator with a predilection for psychedelic music and electronic event production. His creations can be experienced through his work as a writer, DJ, music label manager, talent agent, marketing specialist, and music event producer. He works out of the desert southwest city of Tucson, AZ.
As a writer, he has been commissioned by electronic music artists around the world for everything from biographies and press releases to speciality release content and in-depth writeups. His words have appeared on websites such as LostInSound, Reality Sandwich, and The Untz, as well as on dozens of musical collections by international artists on labels Shanti Planti, Street Ritual, Desert Trax, Merkaba Music, and Dreaming Awake Records.
As an event producer, his journey began as an event writer and photographer who quickly discovered a talent for project management and artist relations after entering the electronic music event industry in 2015. His portfolio includes work at Symbiosis, Serenity Gathering, Lightning in a Bottle, Gem & Jam, and key production roles at Coalesce NYE, Juniper Jam, June Jam, and Convergence at Arcosanti. He also serves as the music director and co-founder of Arizona’s High Road Productions.
As a DJ on international psybass label Shanti Planti and American bass label Street Ritual, SoundScrybe crafts his sets for the sonically adventurous, blending textures, intensities, and rhythms into a seamless narrative that traverses the landscapes of visionary and bass-driven music. Drawing from the realms of deep and psychedelic dub, mid-tempo bass, breaks, and halftime DnB, SoundScrybe’s musical styling bends and defies the boundaries of genre culture while endlessly probing the surreal and shapeshifting frontiers of high-fidelity sound design.
Christian Cortes also works as talent agent for international talent agency Sub.mission. His roster includes artists dela Moon, Bumble, Mindex, Pathwey, Soulacybin, Ovoid, Dillard, Digital Vagabond, and Living Light.