Ryan Mullin is not the average Chico State junior.

Just last week Mullin, or iMullinati, opened for Vanic, a well-known trap DJ at the Senator Theater.

The show sold out and more than 1,000 people attended, a majority were Chico State students.

Mullin began his DJ career during his first year in college and has since grown a large and significant standing in the Chico music community. His unique style, which is a mix of “house and future bass,” incorporates a blend of brand new beats and classic throwbacks from bands like Blink-182.

The young DJ is in the process of composing his own music and draws inspiration from new and older artists like Mr. Carmack, Nightmare and especially Party Thieves.

“I know Party Thieves on a personal basis and he showed me the bigger picture of what my DJ career could look like in the future,” Mullin said.

Mullin has played at numerous venues in Chico and in Sacramento where he has also helped sell out multiple shows. However, he feels his performance at the Senator has been the biggest and most important, thanks to the immense support of his peers.

Despite his prominence in the community, Mullin’s success did not come to him overnight.

“Growing up, I was in marching band, jazz band and concert band,” said Mullin. “I was tormented for playing an instrument. People made me feel like what I was doing was stupid.”

Swayed by the peer pressure at the time, Mullin discontinued music and applied to Chico State with the intention of a career in the medical field.

During his first year in school, one of his friends introduced him to DJ-ing and from there, his passion for the craft took off.

“I realized that [medicine] was not what I wanted. I wanted to be that ‘band geek’ that everyone said I was,” he said.

iMullinati has a talent for reading the crowd and is perceptive to the kind of energy he needs to build for the following artist, so he tailors his music and stage presence to what the audience needs.

“Seeing the crowd go crazy when Mullin throws water and shirts at them is awesome,” Tyson Tavalero, a Chico State student who attended last week’s concert, said. “It’s crazy to see how big he’s getting and how fast it happened.”

Variety is key to keeping the act fresh and exciting which proves as an overwhelming task the more venues he plays.

“I like sounds that catch you off guard. Making new music is time-consuming because I need to make it sound completely new while also pushing the boundaries,” Mullin said.

Mullin can be found playing smaller venues every weekend and his next performance will be opening for G.T.A., a two-man electronic set at the Senator Theater, on Oct. 4.

“Success is loving what you do and everything you work for,” says Mullin. “I’m loving what I’m doing now and that’s because I keep the passion close to my heart.”

Anisha Brady can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_arts on Twitter.