The underground scene in California is not one I am too familiar with, but if Etari has anything to do with it, then you know the sound is divine.
With an alluring ability to seamlessly weave between high-energy grooves, breaks, progressive, trance, and techno, Etari has carved out a name for herself to play the likes of The Lot Radio in NYC, Kiosk Radio in Brussels, and Dimensions Festival in Croatia, to name a few. Debuting with a bang on LA’s iconic 100% Silk, it wasn’t long before she had follow-up releases on Spray’s Punctuality Records, Fuaim, Plot Records and Delusional Records, to name a few more. Following on from this, she is a proud parent to Auntie, noted as one of LA's best underground parties, which comes as no surprise given the stellar line-ups (Ciel, Danny Goliger, D. Tiffany, Regular Fantasy and so on).
We’re stoked to have her on as the 86th instalment in the series, as we’ve been long-time fan girls and this mix is nothing short of spectacular, with some truly iconic tracks in there as well.
Can you tell us a little bit about the energy behind this mix, is there anything you would prescribe doing while listening?
Hey y’all! Truly such a pinch me moment to be contributing a mix & interview to H&S. This has been one of my fav series for many years now, and I’m so beyond hyped to share this with everyone :)
A lil glimpse into the making of this mix- I went to Sustain Release for my very first time last year (2025), and I was absolutely blown away by the sensual, ethereal, playful magic that this festival carries. Truly get chills anytime I think about it, which is a lot lol. When I recorded this mix earlier this year, I basically channeled all of that inspiration I left with, and imagined myself playing there one day. This mix, from start to finish, is my ode to Sustain Release.
I envision this mix being listened to in a few diff scenarios… for my baddies trying to wake it UP during a long day at work. for my gym baddies getting some sexy movement in & are ready to PUMP it. Or imagine this.. it’s the start of a fab asf weekend, you’re with all the bestianas and getting ready for an iconique night. This mix is playing in the background, we just took shots of mezcal, love & friendship is in the air, everyone is stimming to oblivion. Lock in, let’s go.
How did the name Etari come to be?
When I first started the Etari project back in 2019, I remember thinking to myself, what’s my favorite word and why? The word ethereal instantly came to mind. Not only do I love the definition of the word- “extremely light, delicate, and refined, often in a way that seems unearthly, heavenly, or not of the physical world”- but this is truly how music makes me feel when I’m entirely moved by what I’m listening to. Ethereal is an immersion, and this is what I want to help people feel when they’re getting the Etari experience. I’m also half Hungarian, and in Hungarian the word ethereal translates to éteri. Made my own lil spelling & pronunciation change & boom, that’s how Etari was born.
“Ethereal is an immersion, and this is what I want to help people feel when they’re getting the Etari experience. I’m also half Hungarian, and in Hungarian the word ethereal translates to éteri. Made my own lil spelling & pronunciation change & boom, that’s how Etari was born.”
Tell us a little about Auntie, the hot sexy femme-forward (but all-inclusive) queer wonderland you’re proud parent to - how did it come about and what (or maybe the likes of who) can you expect at a night of Auntie?
Hot, sexy, femme-forward (but all-inclusive) queer wonderland... EXACTLY that!
Auntie is mine & Dani's (best friend & business partner) lil utopia that we started together in 2024. We’d both been partying in the LA underground scene for several years, and had always been inspired by the heavy DIY culture that happens in LA, as well as the community that keeps this scene alive. It’s truly something special and unique, and suddenly we found ourselves dreaming up our own lil world, a space where we could showcase what became the Auntie vision- a women-led party, passionate about driving the underground scene forward through our curations, but also highly focused on uplifting marginalized voices, showcasing local talent, and creating safe spaces for artists and the community to flourish and experience joy.
We’ve always wanted the spaces we gather in to feel homey and familiar and I think that’s something we’ve really accomplished and something which can be felt when you enter Auntie. I say this because one of the really big things both Dani and I find so endearing about Auntie is the people who gather at the parties. From the very start, we’ve had one of the friendliest, sweetest, sexiest, ass-shaking crowds, and it truly is such bliss to see everyone not only enjoying the music but each other’s company. The Auntie crowd remains open, respectful, and receptive every single time, and we are so grateful for that!
You have such a varied production catalogue of sound, how do you feel your sound has evolved from where you were to where you are now? Were there any big turning points?
When I first started making music under Etari, I was in my early 20s, and I remember my inner world feeling a bit all over the place. I was experiencing a lot of big feelings at the time, and I feel like you can really hear that in a lot of my earlier productions, like my debut album “Rainbow Eucalyptus”, for example. A lot of mellow, melodic, dreamy, sad girl type shi*t. Which I will always love! My favorite type of music, actually.
I’d say one of the main turning points in the evolution of my productions had a lot to do with the music I was experiencing at some of my favorite festivals, and all the non-stop, late warehouse nights here in LA. I’ve been fortunate enough to see so many artists I look up to throwing down some extremely fire sets. It led to this realization of like... damn, I really want to hear my own music being played out more on these dance floors that I love to be a part of. Not only as someone behind the decks, but also as someone getting the f*ck down on the dance floor. With that came a more sassy, high-NRG, club-forward approach to my productions.
However, one of the most exciting parts about music production is that the overall energy of what I’m creating can always change. That’s the beauty of being an artist. Like oh wait, I can make whatever the hell I want, at any time? Hell yeah, and I will!
And finally, what’s next for Etari?
I have a couple of very fierce EP releases coming out in 2027, so definitely stay tuned for that hehe.
I’m also planning to announce a new alias by the end of 2027, which will be geared towards my love for all things ambient, downtempo, and trip-hop. This is something I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time now, and I’m really excited to showcase this side of my musicality to the world.
Stay locked :)