Behind-the-Scenes of Lethal Rhythms with DJ Joel Rabe

There isn't anything lethal about DJ Joel Rabe's mixes other than the way they transform average events into killer parties—and we got an inside look at what makes him tick.

Global DJ Joel Rabe loves to bring life to the party through his turntable skills and advanced technology. PHOTO BY KIM EVANS

Joel Rabe, founder and CEO of Lethal Rhythms (@lethalrhythmsdj), has brought the party to the event industry in nine countries, and a peek behind the curtain reveals just how many hats he wears. Rabe’s new showroom is filled to the brim with crates of equipment, scraping the surface of what makes him a good kind of mad scientist, from technical intricacies to wowing celebrities. “I’m always trying to make things better, so when I first started DJing, I was at the University of Nebraska, and I didn’t even know what a turntable was,” he shares, “but people that have known me over the years know that I have always connected with music.” The passion was there, and he had the drive to make a name for himself.

DJ Joel Rabe PHOTO COURTESY OF LETHAL RHYTHMS

DJing four nights a week for $10 an hour honed his signature style, and now Rabe juggles four businesses under one umbrella: Lethal Labs. And no, he isn’t experimenting with chemicals, but rather creating industry-breaking experiential tech. He is constantly developing new ways to enhance his clients’ events, from obtaining three Rolls-Royces for rental service Lethal Lux to building a reactive dance floor through Lethal Tech. “I’m a leader in the industry because of my technology. We have the three T’s at the Labs: talent, technology and tenacity. But talent always comes before technology,” he says of his core values. “You’ve got to have a natural ability in case something is going wrong.”

“We have the three T’s at the Labs: talent, technology and tenaciy. But talent always comes before technology.” –JOEL RABE

Lethal Rhythms shows off its technology chops by lighting up the DJ booth. BY MIKE WEINTRAUB

Starting out, Rabe jumped on opportunities and observed industry trends, landing him in the world of weddings. He was the outlier who embraced weddings with open arms, igniting a paradigm shift in wedding entertainment. The DJ’s big break came when Carley Rooney, former CEO of wedding planning platform The Knot, attended a bridal show in which he was featured. “I had her jump up on the turntables and mix. I have always done that. I have always believed that the bride or client is more important than me,” Rabe reveals. “I make them the star while I have the star energy.” Rooney then proceeded to deem Rabe as a top 10 trendsetter. Lethal Rhythms hit the ground running with 400 weddings in a calendar year, including a weekend where they played 17 weddings in one day—it’s no wonder they won a Modern Luxury Diamond Award.

“It’s crazy. I was at the Benz last week, and this week I’ll be at the Braves stadium,” he says of his schedule. While weddings are a huge part of what Lethal Rhythms is about, Rabe is looking to get into the corporate world. Today, top companies are looking to hire him for international events, and he is building relationships with your favorite streaming services. (Psst—keep an eye out for Netflix releases.) As for the new showroom, he intends to make his product viewable for potential clients, and if you want to learn from the best, Rabe plans to turn Lethal Labs into a DJ training academy in the near future. “I want people to come to me so I can make their events better, and bring the floors and tech and equipment to them,” he says. “I want Lethal Labs to grow.” With Rabe at the helm, it certainly will.