Joseph Villa

CEO, Founder

Electric State Radio & Media Worldwide

Joseph Villa’s EDM roots link back to the early 1990’s as a key member of a rave group called Global Underworld Network and World Evolution (WE).

Global Underworld consisted of Branden Powers, Nicholas Luckinbill ( today of Insomniac ), Chris Howland and Joseph Villa. 

Pre 1993 Global Underworld had been doing smaller indoor raves in private secret warehouse locations but then decided to throw a larger outdoor event. They were the first to throw an outdoor like rave festival in early 1990’s in Mexico and it was a success. 

With the internet booming in 1990 as well as the conglomeration of these groups: street artists/ urban music artists (DJs)/ tech nerds/ hackers and free spirit hippies the groups together had a cult like feeling location called the loft, located in San Diego CA on 6th and Broadway. This significant conglomeration spawned the creation of the rave culture and festivals as we know them today. The loft on 6th and Broadway was very significant due to a combination of important factors, free spirit hippies, who cared about the world we live in, spirituality, caring for one another, peace, harmony, love and health and they even has a spiritual guru named Mershid. This mix of these groups was astonishing, and they had no idea the impact they would have in creating the foundation of an amazing community where everyone is loved and welcome. Also to mention electronic music brought them all together as well.    

Global Underworld Network was responsible for creating the spiritual fantasy like rave festival, the most notable outdoor festival was called Narnia. Global also was doing a handful of indoor raves called Universary, Lilly Put, Wild Kingdom, Opium, Eden and a handful more at various warehouse locations. Most notable San Diego location was called Soma which is still around today. But what really began to take off was the outdoor festival called Narnia attracting thousands. Global Underworld had street teams put together of graffiti artists who would draw and illustrate some of the most amazing flyers and these teams would hit the streets and blanket every club space where club goers would go. Nick being from LA and close friends with Pasquale Rotella (Insomniac) we would travel up to LA and meet Pasqual and his street teams would help us distribute and blanket the city of LA with our raves flyers. It was a team/ family network between San Diego and LA raves crews. Everyone had respect and no one would battle each other out of respect. Battling back in the day between rave promoters meant we wouldn’t throw shows on the same days so it didn’t affect the attendance and make the crowds lighter. As 1993 came on LA started to take off thanks to Pasqual and his crew taking over the LA rave scene as Global had San Diego. 

Global Underworld’s Narnia rave was the foundation of the fantasy rave festival, Branden had MTV covering the event as well as Spin Magazine and it became nationally known by 1993 yet the festival was just being thrown in Southern California. From early 1990’s to mid-1997 Narnia was the biggest outdoor rave festival in the nation, maybe world. 

Global took a big hit in 1995 or 1996 as a landowner who supposedly leased the land for the Narnia rave was not the actual landowner and the rave ended up canceled. In 1997 or 1998 the last Naria was thrown at Snow Mountain in Big Bear, and it was a success but shortly after the group broke up. 

Joseph went on to other ventures, Branden moved to Las Vegas and made a name for himself as a major entertainment direction for Hard Rock and Caesars Palace. He then went on to open a well-known bar the Tiki lounge and various other restaurants in Las Vegas, still operating and thriving today. Nick went and carried on with Pasquale Rotella (Insomniac) and the team kept the same foundation that was set in the early 1990’s till today years later. 

Electric State is very thankful Pasquale and Nick kept this special movement and community alive all these years that this small group of guys started in the early 1990’s. Also have to give credit to all those street teams/ street artists, the hippies, tech crew, DJ’s, and everyone involved in the early days. We hope you enjoy Electric State Radio and Media because it’s not just another radio outlet it’s something a bit more special.