Student DJ duo Auxymorons only started playing at informal “aux” parties a little over one year ago. Now taking the next step in their music careers, they are playing sets at concerts and festivals, including Austin’s upcoming Finding Euphoria.

 Former roommates and UT seniors Aaron Vail and Matt Kimm began playing for crowds individually during their junior years. Almost accidentally, Kimm said, they found their niche for electronic music and decided to collaborate.

 “We both got hired to play at Sigma Chi’s Halloween party last year and we ended up on stage the entire time just helping each other out,” advertising senior
Kimm said.

After that party, they were continuously being booked and named themselves the Auxymorons, engineering senior Vail said.

 They have since played upwards of 50 shows together, Kimm said. Recent performances include playing seven sets during Round Up, a weekend they consider one of their biggest challenges yet. The Auxymorons have also played downtown and at other universities across Texas.

 Finding Euphoria booked Auxymorons after Vail direct messaged Euphoria Festival on Instagram.

 “I DM’ed them over Instagram something pretty sarcastic,” Vail said. “Something along the lines of, ‘Thanks for inviting us to the lineup. We can come play if you insist.’”

 Hannah Kelly, content and marketing intern at Euphoria and friend and fan of the Auxymorons, saw the direct message and responded, telling them to send their music to one of their talent buyers.

 Kelly, a journalism and Plan II senior, later went with a talent buyer to one of their South By Southwest shows in March.

 “They played kind of an impromptu show at Corner Bar downtown,” Kelly said. “It was so much fun. There was a lot of energy and our talent buyer was there and saw the set and talked to me after the show. I said, ‘Yeah, these are my friends. They’re really great.’ And then he said they would work on booking them.”

 Finding Euphoria is a festival that embraces the Austin community and especially likes to connect to UT, Kelly said.

Vail and Kimm, who have gone to Euphoria for years, said being invited to perform there is one of their biggest accomplishments.

 Being in Austin has been beneficial to the duo in general, Vail said.

 “There’s just so much room for an aspiring artist to grow,” Vail said. “So many crazy opportunities in this city.”