At 30 years old, Joe Rath had a realization that changed the course of his life: no one was stopping him from becoming exactly who he wanted to be. So he leaned into it completely. He built a project that matched both his sound and his larger-than-life presence, transforming himself into CUTDWN, the most shredded DJ in American hard techno. In just three years, he has gone from learning how to produce in his spare time to becoming one of the fastest-rising names in the scene.
Long before the festival slots and international bookings, Joe was just a kid playing video games like RuneScape and World of Warcraft. During endless gaming sessions, Pandora radio was on repeat. That was where he first discovered artists like Basshunter, ItaloBrothers, and Cascada. Eventually, those melodies led him to hardstyle through artists like Headhunterz and D-Block & S-te-Fan. Once he fell down the hard dance rabbit hole, there was no turning back. The music only became faster, harder, and more distorted from there.
Music itself had already been part of Joe’s life for years. In middle school, he started playing in the marching band. In high school, he performed in a metal band with electronic influences reminiscent of Attack Attack!. But it was his first EDM show in 2011 that truly rewired his brain. Seeing Tiësto alongside a then-rising Avicii in Houston lit the fuse. “From there, I made EDM my entire personality.”
Years later, in April 2023, Joe downloaded Ableton simply because he wanted a creative outlet for his free time. Armed with a few Masterclasses, YouTube tutorials, and determination, he threw himself into producing. Early guidance came from his friend Kirk Churchill, formerly known as INIGMA. “He also gave me my first few shows by being generous enough to let me go B2B with bookings he already had.”
When it came time to name the project, Joe wanted something that matched both his sound and his physique. CUTDWN “just sort of came along.” The direction of the music, however, had already been decided. Since hard techno started exploding in the United States around 2021, he knew that was where he belonged. “I liked how it had all the same elements of hardstyle, but it wasn’t heavily based on a million fakeouts before a drop.”
To Joe, the rise of hard techno represents something bigger than a trend. In his opinion, “hard techno is helping immensely revamp harder music’s popularity in the States. I’m glad it’s bringing in more fans and that there are more independent promoters throwing hard dance shows. That means we will have a stronger standalone scene for US-based artists.”
His production setup is simple: a MacBook M4 Max running Ableton 12. This setup has helped him land releases with labels like Basscon, Audiorotica, and Group Chat. One day, he hopes to release music on labels like Teletech, Verknipt, and Propaganda. For anyone new to his music, he points to one track immediately: “‘Azid Reign.’ It’s my breakthrough track and everyone’s favorite.”
Artists like ANGEL CANNON, 999999999, and KRUELTY have all influenced his sound. If given the chance to collaborate with anyone, the answer comes easily. “KRUELTY for sure. No one comes close to his level of production quality and design. He’s an absolute unit of a producer and also one of my favorite acts to see live.”
CUTDWN’s rise from underground newcomer to festival performer happened quickly. His first set was for just 35 people inside a storage unit in Orlando. Since then, he has opened for Sara Landry and Holy Priest, performed at Wasteland, and played a Teletech event in South Carolina. His music has already taken him overseas to Barcelona and London, but one moment stands above the rest: playing EDC Las Vegas in 2025 on the Beatbox Art Car. “It was the best feeling getting that EDC performance slot.”
Now, he returns to EDC once again, this time opening the Wasteland stage on Saturday, May 16th at 7:00 PM. Yet even with all the milestones he has already crossed off, there is still one dream show he wants more than any other: performing in the Philippines. “I’m half Pinoy, and nothing would be more satisfying than being able to play in my home country and bring all of my family to the show.”
Outside of the spotlight, Joe wears multiple hats. Alongside producing and DJing, he runs his own label, Carnage Merchandise, and previously operated a management company called The Hard Haven. What started as a way to maintain ownership of CUTDWN’s music and trademarks has evolved into one of the emerging hubs for hard dance talent in the United States. “Label Engine is my distribution group, which is under Create Music. Darlene is my contact there, and she is honestly a lifesaver. I ask her for help on the regular, and she’s always super responsive.”
The ambitions for CUTDWN continue to grow. Some of his biggest goals include the “first album release for the project, hosting my own label showcase internationally, a 20-plus date tour for 2026 – 2027, and releasing 100 originals/collabs/remixes by the end of 2027.”
Still, beneath the heavy kicks, brutal drops, and statuesque physique, Joe keeps life surprisingly simple. Outside of music, he enjoys the gym, his finance career, and spending time with his dog. “I’m a simple man.”
And maybe that simplicity is the real secret behind his success as CUTDWN. It all comes back to the realization that started everything in the first place: “Free will is very real, and you can do whatever you want in life. I became a DJ at 30 years old, and I’ve already done things a lot of artists dream about doing. No one is stopping you, do and pursue anything and everything in life.”
Continue following CUTDWN on his journey using the links below.
