Words by Caron Williams
Great movements are marked by an incredible vision. They offer a sense of community, an identity and an ethos that resonates profoundly with a set group of people. They fundamentally mold and shift culture, and ultimately propel the culture as a whole to new heights. A South African movement which has done just that is Until Until. It has electrified the local event circuit and exemplified what a group of young, passionate, hungry and inspired people can truly achieve.
Founded in 2013, Until Until began organically as a natural progression of braais and house parties amongst friends. With the realization that they could pull a crowd, they ventured onto their first official event, High School Cool, which took place on June 16. The idea was very simple; hosting a themed event which contained an entrance fee to cover the crew’s costs. Collectively, 1200 people attended the event, and thus began the start of Until Until’s pervasive impact of Johannesburg’s event circuit. Until Until officially formed and launched their second official event, Pyjama Party, which has grown to become one of the most famed events in the city.
Whilst their natural affinity for dope parties has allowed them to build a series of iconic events that have resonated profoundly with the culture; it is their vision and desire to make a bigger impact which led them to found Ten Media Group. “Ten Media Group is an agency. We do brand activations, brand building, brand research, as well as run events from conceptualization to building events for brands, and we own our own properties under the umbrella of Until Until,” explains Thulz. “Until Until owns Genesis, Pyjama, etc. those are specifically our own events, and Ten Media Group is the agency is that runs everything, it’s essentially the holding company of Until Until.”
As Until Until’s reputation as a leader in events started growing, they worked closely with brands who formed part of their sponsorship. “We started gaining insights on brands as we’d sit with them and have discussions with them as to how they want to activate their events and how they want to speak to consumers,” says Honx. Their love for brands and natural predispositions as creators led the thriving group of Until Until members to further explore their love for brands with the development of their own agency.
“For our events, we’re quite specific about the brands we work with,” explains Thulz. “With agency work, we’re open to working with as many brands as possible and creating something new.” Until Until’s vision encompasses pushing creative boundaries in the form of their experiential events, as well as working with brands that are opened minded. They’ve worked with brands such as Virgin Mobile, Castle Lite, Nike and Dipstreet store.
A defining facet of Until Until’s success has been their unequivocal love for the culture, having an acute understanding of their audience and their desire to deliver unforgettable experiences. This year’s event roster includes their annual flagship event, Genesis All Black, as well as Pyjama Party later this year and the second installment of the Braam Beach Party. They also host Fake Friday which takes places at Great Dane in Braamfontien. “These events all have a meaning to us. Genesis: All Black kick starts the eventing season of the year. We placed it on the Saturday during Easter weekend to galvanize a lot of people during that time,” Honx emphasizes. “We want a theme for all of our events, we don’t just want to throw normal parties,” adds Monti.
After a string of culturally impactful events, Until Until recently announced their very own stage at one of the South African legs of Ultra Musical Festival. Fundamentally an electronic dance festival, Until Until hosting their very own stage is an unprecedented move and speaks to their tenacity and reaffirms their ethos which is based on constantly redefining events. The Until Until stage will feature both renowned and up-and-coming South African DJs, including PH, Dimplez, Milkshake, Matte Black, Vigi, Capital, Speedsta, Shimza, and many more.
When prompted as to why or how they’ve been able to make such a profuse cultural impact, Thulz emphasizes Until Until’s ability to immerse their audience holistically. “It’s a powerful experience in terms of how it’s marketed. We really take people through a journey; you really live it from the first announcement on social media to the actual event, and post the event.” Another striking factor that has set them apart has been diversifying their line-ups and offering music that connects with people from all walks of life, creating a rare and inclusive party experience. “Our purpose is to bridge a gap,” says Honx. Until Until has embarked on spreading their footprint nationally. “We always want to grow. We want Genesis to be the biggest festival in South Africa. We want Pyjama party to be the coolest party to attend as a youngin’ in South Africa. We want to dig deeper into the culture and be a part of defining it.”
