EDITOR’S NOTE: For preview coverage of the 49th Utah Arts Festival, which runs June 19-22, The Utah Review is presenting individual or group profiles of artists, performers, entertainers and some newcomers to the event. Visitors will also see the first significant change of the last 15 years in the festival map. There are several new features this year: Voodoo Productions’ street theater will include roaming graffiti stilt walkers, contortionists and living master works of art. Salt Lake Acting Company will appear for the first time at the festival, offering a sample from its upcoming summer show, The Secret Lives of the Real Wives in the Salt Lake Hive. Urban Arts is offering its largest live graffiti mural installation, while a row of several other artists will be demonstrating their creative process in real time. For kids, as admission for those 12 and under will be free, there will be plenty of make-and-take art options in Frozen Spaces in the Art Yard. The City Library auditorium will be the home to the 22nd edition of the international Fear No Film program, with the strongest slate of narrative short films in the event’s history. Of course, dance, who wears the empress jewels in performing arts, will be represented by Repertory Dance Theatre, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Echoing Spirit Dancers and, of course, the ever-popular 1520 Arts, at The Round. For tickets and more information, see the Utah Arts Festival website.
DJ RENT EM SPOONS
Ishjon Hawkins, known as DJ Rent EM Spoons, is based in Salt Lake as a music producer who has carved out his own niche in the electronic music scene. Drawing inspiration from a diverse range of genres, his sound blends elements of chillwave, downtempo, and future bass, along with layering of ethereal synths, intricate percussion, and mesmerizing vocal samples.to his productions, allowing his tracks to stand out in a crowded musical landscape.
TUR: Would like a brief account of how you started, and decided to set out on its performing and writing music platforms.
DJRENTEM: DJ Rent EM Spoons is a Salt Lake City-based turntablist and producer remixing the rhythm of the Mountain West. Known for genre-bending sets that fuse local hits, underground bangers, and nostalgic deep cuts, Rent EM Spoons transforms regional culture into a universal groove. With a DIY background in beat-making and a deep ear for crate-digging, their performances blur the line between house party, time capsule, and full-on dancefloor ritual.
TUR: What is your musical training and background coming in as a performer?
DJRENTEM: Coming from a background rooted in crate-digging, beat-making, and live performance, DJ Rent EM Spoons blends a DIY ethos with hands-on experience in sound production, turntablism, and collaborative songwriting. Influences come not from classical training but from real-world immersion—cutting tracks in basements, spinning at block parties, and remixing the sounds of everyday life into grooves that move crowds.
TUR: Who do you consider as role models, inspirations and influences in your music and performing?
DJRENTEM: A unique blend of inspirations drives the sound: J Dilla for his soulful textures, DJ Screw for his slow tempo and genre-mashing chaos, Alchemist for crate-digging finesse, and local heroes who turn the mundane into magic. Rent EM Spoons is also inspired by community-driven art, underground scenes, and the energy of people who come together to dance, celebrate, and feel something real.
TUR: If you were to encapsulate your musical base into a simple phrase or tag, what would it be?
DJRENTEM: Whether remixing a Utah classic or dropping a bass-heavy original, every track aims to spark connection. The goal is to make people move and feel at the same time—using nostalgia, surprise, and rhythm to turn every set into a shared memory. For DJ Rent EM Spoons, the most vital ingredient is authenticity: building sets that reflect the moment, the crowd, and the place, while still staying true to the heartbeat that started it all.
TUR: What do you consider the most essential elements of writing or performing a song for yourself or your group that not only resonates with you (or your band and group) but also with the audiences who have been coming to your shows?
DJRENTEM: Every song or set starts with a feeling—whether it’s joy, nostalgia, frustration, or just the need to dance—and that emotion drives the process. The goal is to make something that connects personally but also leaves space for the audience to find their own meaning in it. That’s where the second element comes in: surprise. Whether it’s flipping a familiar local sample, throwing in a weird sound bite, or changing up the rhythm just when the crowd thinks they know what’s coming—those moments keep people engaged and turn a show into an experience. Finally, movement is key. If it doesn’t make you nod your head, tap your foot, or get up and move, it’s not finished yet. The beats have to hit, the transitions have to tell a story, and the crowd has to feel invited in—not just to listen, but to participate. So whether it’s building a track or spinning live, DJ Rent EM Spoons focuses on that blend: emotion, surprise, and groove—a combination that hits home for both the artist and the audience.