When he threw his first warehouse party in 1996, Chad Anderson had no intention of becoming a promoter. Now his company, United State of Consciousness, is the largest producer of electronic music events in the Northwest. USC's yearly Halloween bash, Freak Night, and its annual June anniversary party, for example, have grown into massive events that attract top national and international DJs and thousands of revelers.

This year's USC Five Year Anniversary party is no different. It will feature some 34 acts on four stages. And along with big names like Uberzone, the Beatnuts, Juno Reactor, and Andy C, the event will also showcase live BMX racing on an indoor dirt track; a video game competition playing out on a huge, 20-square-foot monitor; a skate park and exhibition worthy of the X-Games; and an interactive wonderland of games and attractions such as the Titanic Adventure Slide, obstacle courses, IndyCar Video Racers, the Gladiator Dome, the Tsunami Slide, and the Psycho Swing.

So how do you go from throwing a one-off party to becoming a large-scale promoter? Apparently by not thinking too much or trying too hard.

"We didn't even plan to start doing these types of events," recalls the 26-year-old Anderson. "I was actually into the clubs, and I had some friends that ran clubs in San Francisco who came up with the idea to have an event. So we decided to do one in Seattle." That first all-night party, held at the NAFF Productions warehouse on West Marginal Way, featured impressive sets by Seattle's Terry Mullen and DJ Taj, Tacoma DJ Donald Glaude, FLX, Sugar D, Quest, and Kip.

"My friends just helped me come up with the concept and we did a couple of shows that went really well," Anderson says, characteristically modest in tone. "After that we came up with the idea to do something called One a Month. We rented a warehouse--actually a parking garage--and we got a lease on it. We used it one weekend a month for a year and it just started to grow. It started with about 600 or 700 people. Before you knew it, by the end of the year, sometimes we were getting up to 1,500. And then from there we would do a Halloween event every year, and then we do our anniversary. Each year it grew. The first anniversary was like 1,500, and then it was 3,000, and the next year was 5,000."

Using its growing reputation for throwing a great party, USC lured electronic and hiphop acts to the burgeoning Seattle scene, especially British artists who hadn't played these parts before. Sasha and Carl Cox made their initial Seattle appearances at USC events. Frankie Bones, the Jungle Brothers, and Afrika Bambaataa likewise came here for USC gigs.

"I'm definitely into the music. I never wanted to be a promoter. Never even thought about it. I used to just hand out flyers for friends, you know? There was interest from people who wanted to get involved and we just went for it. I didn't really think about where it was going to go next. But then once we started to do the anniversaries and it started to get bigger, that's when we started realizing where it was going to go." Anderson is pleased with the growth of electronic music. "Cycles change, you know? And this is the next thing. So we wanted to make sure we were taking it seriously and that we were there when it hit. That's where we are now."

Since that first warehouse party in '96, USC's focus has changed. "It's no longer a rave, what we do," Anderson says. "That was the underground, warehouse-style event. What we're doing now is turning it into more of an electronic music festival. We're trying to be taken seriously. It all intertwines with the youth culture. They're into all these different things, and if we can bring them all together with music...." He trails off, thoughtful.

And while USC can now throw a 20,000-capacity soirée with stages full of some of the largest draws in the industry (other acts slated for the anniversary blowout include Donald Glaude, DJ Honda from Japan, DJ Icey, Christopher Lawrence, and Ed Rush), Anderson isn't putting all his eggs in one basket. Instead, he and his partners at USC intend to diversify. In addition to branching out with events in Portland, Tacoma, and other Northwest cities, there are plans for a West Coast tour. The company is also gearing up to launch Conscious Records, in order to put out tracks by its own roster of talent, including DJ Taj, Eva, and Dig-Dug, all of whom will appear at the anniversary. There is even a USC-brand clothing line in the works.

"We're on the threshold of what our next move will be," Anderson tells me. Not bad for someone who never intended to be a promoter.