John Acquaviva @ Dance Music 101

John Acquaviva is the Managing Partner at Plus Eight Equity Partners, an early stage venture capital firm that has partnered with electronic music industry leaders to invest in groundbreaking music technology companies.


Life: when was the moment you figured out that Dance Music was meant to you?

From an early age I remember selecting 45’s for a school party when I was in grade 2 or 3.
I always wanted to share my love of music and pick it at the right time for my friends.

Laugh: when was the last time you had real fun?

I have fun every day. Especially when travelling. So in a work context last Thursday i was with some colleagues in Berlin and we met, then had food, reminisced, make jokes and although not a party… turned into a late one.

Love: name the one thing you love more than anything – and why is that?

Music-food-travel.

Past: name a significant moment in your career in Dance Music – and why is that?

I have a pretty good past, but i never look back. What I am doing now and for the next days, months and years ahead at Plus 8 Equity is a good one. It has taken almost 3 decades of experience to get here and now we are doing some really good stuff for the music world, technology and of course our partners.

Present: what do you think that is trending today in music, clubs and festivals?

There is a real dichotomy as festivals are bigger and commercial than ever for the most part and clubbing is really underground and for the real music lovers [at least the clubs i hang out and also play at].

Future: where is industry heading in the years to come?

Some really great things. The whole world is living in technology 2.0 and for us… we are living in music 2.0. The companies in our portfolio in the signature below attest to that. The website shows 6 but we have now a stake in 8.