The Initial Shift: From Promoter to Artist
A decade ago, I was transitioning from a promoter into something more creative, more authentic. I stumbled upon the art of operating visuals and the idea of building a whole new experience with lights and motion. It was a new language I was eager to learn.
Later that year, I attended Road to Ultra PH, where I met SEDANO. He was already DJing and producing music and, like me, was navigating the early stages of carving out space in the scene. From then on, we started creating music and visuals together almost immediately, pouring in the hours to build something from scratch.
SEDANOxSTRO: The Spark of Collaboration
In those early shows, SEDANO was still performing under his own name, John Sedano, and I worked visuals from the tech booth. That changed after a veteran tech director watched me VJ and said, “You should be performing on stage.” I shared that with SEDANO, and soon after, he brought me up with him. I can’t even remember when or how it officially happened, but I was no longer just behind the booth; I was right there next to him.
That’s when SEDANOxSTRO began: our first attempt at presenting ourselves as a creative pair while still holding onto our individual identities.
He deserved to be recognized for the incredible artist he already was, and I had everything to prove. I was the former promoter-turned-baby-visual-artist with nothing to lose and everything to learn. It wasn’t like we were trying to become a “duo.” We just didn’t
want to stop working together.
The Evolution to STRODANO
By 2018, everything had changed. We had gotten engaged, and we were finally ready to stop straddling the line between me and you. We were no longer SEDANOxSTRO; we became STRODANO.
We had already proven ourselves individually, no longer trying to stand out in the crowd. What we wanted now was to build a space where everyone could just be—a place where people didn’t have to pretend to belong, or prove that they do.
The Philosophy: A Space for Authentic Connection
That’s what STRODANO became: a living space for connection. It’s a project that bridges scenes, supports collectives, and keeps it real, where the art isn’t what we make, but what happens between us.
I’ve come to realize that this scene, like us, will always be shifting. And with every shift. some will love it, and some won’t. That’s the nature of change, and that’s why authenticity matters.
Because at some point, what we do can’t just be about proving ourselves anymore; it has to be about being ourselves.
A Decade of Growth
As we approach a decade, we are continuing to grow that space with kindred communities who share the same values. One of them is Midnight Rebels, whose platform has helped amplify artists that challenge convention and celebrate authenticity.
Yet, while celebrating these kindred communities, it is the unity of STRODANO that remains the engine of our growth. This name, born from a commitment not only to each other but to the values we stand for, is the singular focus of our vision as we look to the next ten years.
The Unshakeable Core
And at the heart of it all is SEDANO.
Let me say this plainly: I would not be who I am without him. He believed in me when I didn’t know how to believe in myself. He saw the artist in me before I ever did and gave me the space to grow and the fire to keep going. I’d stand in every storm with him and slide through every rainbow, too.
With love,
STRO
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