Life & Work with Tim Hauser of Glendale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim Hauser.

Hi Tim, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I came up in Los Angeles in the mid-1990s, during a time when the rave and Burning Man scenes were still very much underground and driven by community rather than commercial success. I began DJing and producing music in 1996, playing warehouses, desert gatherings, and afterhours spaces where experimentation and self-expression mattered more than polish. Those early experiences shaped everything I’ve done since.

In the early 2000s, I began performing under the name Ruff Hauser, DJing festivals like Lightning in a Bottle and playing afterhours clubs such as Space Island, while also immersing myself in the visual side of the scene. I went to college for graphic design and 3D rendering in the ’90s, and I’ve always had a deep appreciation for physical media, I still remember loving the smell of freshly printed rave flyers. That passion eventually led me to work in production design, including red carpet events with Greco Decor, where I learned how large-scale environments come together under real-world constraints.

Around 2007, when EDC was still at the Los Angeles Coliseum, I began working in site operations with Insomniac Events. Over time, I found myself running crews of 40 or more, often being among the first on site and the last to leave. I was deeply involved in logistics, infrastructure, and behind-the-scenes operations for events serving hundreds of thousands of attendees. If you’ve ever been to an Insomniac show, there’s a good chance we crossed paths in a fire lane, backstage corridor, or production area, quietly making sure everything ran smoothly.

Those opportunities eventually led me to start my own record label, Cats & Boots, where we curated DJ rosters for festival stages at events like Nocturnal Wonderland and EDC Las Vegas. I performed on stages and art cars that I also helped design and build, which felt like a full-circle moment, blending music, visual design, and production into a single creative expression.

Today, I continue to freelance as a 3D designer, working on projects such as the EDC Artist Lounge and Aston Martin car shows, while still staying connected to music and live events. Most recently, I’ve been collaborating with longtime friend Stephan Jacobs on a new project called MIDILAB, an AI-powered prompt-to-MIDI platform designed to inspire new musical ideas and workflows. It’s a natural extension of everything I’ve learned over the years, and I’m excited to finally share it with the world.

Looking back, my path has never been about chasing a single lane. It’s been about following curiosity, staying rooted in community, and quietly contributing to the culture, whether onstage, behind the scenes, or somewhere in between.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road hasn’t been smooth at all. I’ve gone through a lot personally and professionally to get where I am. I’ve lost my dad and close friends, and I’ve supported family members through bipolar disorder, something my dad lived with and something my nephew faces now. Mental health has been a real part of my world, and navigating that teaches you patience, resilience, and how to keep moving even when life feels heavy.

There were plenty of times where I felt like a struggling artist, even while working inside multi-million-dollar productions. You can be surrounded by giants and still feel like you’re surviving off the trickle-down. That kind of pressure can break you if you let it. But pressure also makes pearls, and I had to learn to see it that way.

I’ve spent years working on myself through workshops, books, and a lot of reflection. But the biggest lesson has been learning to really know myself and manage my emotions instead of getting swept away by them. I started thinking of emotions like a volume knob, when everything got too loud or overwhelming, I realized I had the ability to turn it down. That choice, that level of self-control, changed the way I moved through my life and my work.

I’m still on the journey, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come. Every setback forced me to grow in ways I didn’t expect. Looking back, I can finally say, “I did it,” and I’m still doing it every day.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve always lived at the intersection of music and visual design. I’m a DJ and producer who came up in the LA rave and Burning Man scenes, and I’ve been creating and performing electronic music since the late 90s. Under my artist name, Ruff Hauser, I’ve released on labels like Cats & Boots, Night Bass, Ministry of Sound, and Black Hole, and I’ve played everything from underground after-hours to major festivals like Lightning in a Bottle.

At the same time, I built a career in creative production and 3D design. I’ve spent more than 20 years working with Insomniac, designing and visualizing installations, stage elements, lounges, and large-scale themed environments. I specialize in taking concepts and turning them into real, buildable designs, the kind of work that sits somewhere between art, engineering, and storytelling. A lot of people know me for being the bridge between the creative idea and the physical reality of a festival experience.

What sets me apart is that I don’t come at this work from just one angle. Whether it’s a track, a render, or a full environment, I’m always thinking about how something feels,the mood, the energy, the emotion behind it. I understand the technical side, but I also understand how audiences move, how they respond, and how to create something that feels alive. I bring the perspective of someone who has been inside the culture, onstage, backstage, and behind the scenes,for decades.

I’m most proud of being able to build a creative life that blends all the things I love: music, design, storytelling, and experiences that bring people together. Everything I make, whether visual or sonic, comes from that same intention.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness, which meant a very structured and insular upbringing. It made me observant, introspective, and comfortable seeing the world from the outside looking in. I learned early how to navigate strict systems while quietly holding onto my own curiosity and creative instincts.

Because of that environment, I became very attuned to nuance, how people behave, how rules shape communities, and how expression finds its way out even in controlled spaces. I was drawn to music, art, and design as outlets where individuality and imagination could exist without needing permission.

I was naturally curious and hands-on, interested in both the technical and emotional sides of creativity. I liked understanding how things worked just as much as expressing how they felt. Looking back, that balance shaped everything I’ve done since, from music and visual design to large-scale production and building creative experiences for others.

Pricing:

• Freelance 3D Design & Rendering — Project-based rates available Specializing in festival environments, lounges, installations, and experiential concepts.
• Event Production Consulting — Custom quotes Experience includes large-scale festival logistics, backstage operations, and crew oversight.
• DJ/Producer Performances (Ruff Hauser) — Contact for rates Available for clubs, afterhours, art cars, and festival bookings.
• Creative Tech & AI Workflow Consulting — Flexible rates Helping artists integrate new tools and creative processes into their production workflow.
• MIDILAB.ai — AI MIDI Creation Platform Day Pass: $5, Monthly: $20, Annual: $200 (includes unlimited MIDI downloads, AI stream access, VIP support, and early access to new features).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://timhauser.myportfolio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruffhauserlive
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ruff-hauser
• Other: https://midilab.ai/

Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/hidden.img/