Loco Dice

In 2003, the British broadsheet newspaper The Guardian famously declared that ‘dance music was in terminal decline’. Citing the greed of superstar DJs and unimaginative, uninspired music as the reason fans were leaving the genre, it seemed at the time to be the lowest point for dance. Yet out of these ashes rose some of the most seminal dance record labels of today. 2003 was the year in which Toolroom, Size, Cadenza, Ed Banger, Refune, Armada and Buzzin Fly were born. Despite emerging in the toughest year for the music industry, these labels survived and were eventually flourishing in 2013, ten years later. This documentary tells the story of this explosive decade.

As one-half of the Grammy award-winning duo "Deep Dish", Iranian-American Ali Shirazinia (aka 'Dubfire') has established himself as one of the world's most successful DJs and producers. But the road to success was not an easy one. With candid interviews from family, childhood friends, industry peers, and fellow artists, this film takes an intimate and honest look inside the nuanced world of dance music. This is an aspirational story about pursuing your passion, daring to dream big, and the challenges that come with success. It is an insider's look at what its like to be an electronic music artist from Above Ground Level.