DJ-priestess Sara Landry proudly reps the roots beneath her rhythms

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DJ Sara Landry found a moment of peaceful focus while performing for a huge crowd inside a brightly lit pyramid on the last night of the Coachella festival.

She stood at the turntables, brows knit in concentration, expertly blending operatic vocals with driving techno beats and guiding the energy of the crowd. The 32-year-old DJ, who goes by “The High Priestess of Techno,” was performing with Blood Oath – a group of talented female DJs she’d brought together, like her own supergroup, including DJ Jenna Shaw, LP Giobbi, Tokimonsta, and Mary Droppinz. When she finished her set and passed the controls to DJ Shaw, a serious expression melted into a happy smile.

Landry has quickly become a prominent figure in dance music, largely thanks to a hugely popular Boiler Room set from 2023 that’s now been viewed over 10 million times. The set featured her original track, “Legacy,” a captivating vocal piece where she performed with intense energy, creating a sound that felt otherworldly. A key vocal sample in the song, “No one can stop me now,” seems to have perfectly predicted her rise to success.

After graduating from NYU, Landry started DJing at bars around her hometown of Austin, Texas. Her passion for DJing began back in 2014, while she was bartending in New York City. She quickly became fascinated with the city’s nightlife, learning the ropes by promoting events and closely studying the techniques of DJs she admired.

Before her Coachella performance, Landry told De Los that she returned to her mother’s house and her childhood bedroom after attending college in New York and getting a taste of the city’s underground DJ scene – a very typical experience for many Hispanic families. She remembers being completely captivated watching a friend DJ one night, and that’s when she decided to buy her own equipment – she even ordered it from Amazon!

The day before Coachella, Landry was putting the finishing touches on new music in her Amsterdam studio, preparing to fly to California. While many artists in her position would be tired, and she felt some fatigue herself, she was still eager to make more music.

Landry explained that once they start performing, their mood doesn’t matter. They put on their headphones and focus entirely on the music and the energy of the crowd. Nothing else crosses their mind when they’re in the moment.

Landry is redefining what it means to be a self-directed DJ. She runs her own record label, Hekate—inspired by the Greek goddess of witchcraft—and also curates Blood Oath, a DJ series featuring only female artists.

Growing up surrounded by Austin’s music scene really influenced my career. I started going to shows on my own around age 15 or 16, seeing artists like Skrillex, Nero, and Deadmau5. I even used a fake ID to get into shows at smaller, underground venues – don’t tell anyone! I began as a fan in the crowd, watching from the audience’s perspective, and now I’m on stage.

I landed a stable, but uninspiring, office job by confidently convincing them during the interview that I was capable of doing data analytics – even though I had absolutely no experience in that field.

Living with my mom allowed me to save money and concentrate on eliminating my student loans and the debt I accumulated buying DJ equipment. However, I strongly advise against taking on a lot of credit card debt to pursue a music career.

I’ve been doing gigs for a while now – even small ones, like a Tuesday night bar gig for $40 when it was pretty empty. It’s been great to see the local music scene in Austin grow alongside my own career.

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You often speak out online about issues affecting the Latino community. Could you explain why it’s so important for you to share your Mexican background? I’m not a political analyst, but I deeply sympathize with people striving for a better life. The idea of rounding people up and putting them in camps – which is what feels like is happening right now – is something I strongly disagree with.

I have a fascinating connection to my family history. My grandmother was born in Mexico City, which means my mother’s side of the family is Mexican.

I was raised with music and the Spanish language, so I’m quite fluent in Spanish. I especially enjoy artists like Bad Bunny and all kinds of Latin music, including reggaeton – people are often surprised to hear me speak it!

Because my father is white, I appear very fair-skinned, and people often assume I’m fully white. As someone who is second- or third-generation, if you weren’t raised with a strong connection to your family’s culture, it can be awkward to identify with that heritage because others might not see you as authentically belonging to it.

I’m really passionate about Latino culture and always try to showcase it. I’d love to make authentic Mexican food in Amsterdam, but I doubt I’d be allowed to import the chiles needed due to customs regulations.

I definitely think being Latino has a big impact on my music and how I approach my career. It really influences the music I listen to and create – honestly, I think it’s where I get my rhythm from! [Laughs]

I really enjoy music with a lively, bouncing beat. I recently made a track and realized it needed some Brazilian baile funk drums, so I added them. I always try to incorporate that kind of energetic rhythm and groove into my techno. I have a special collection of Latin techno tracks – ones with Spanish vocals or Latin percussion – and I love to play them when I’m in South America or just feeling inspired.

I’ve been trying out different sounds for a while, but people still assume I only play hard techno, which hasn’t been true for a couple of years now. When you’re performing so many shows – around a hundred a year – you start wondering how to keep things interesting and new.

You know, as a huge music fan, I’ve been thinking a lot about genres lately. Sometimes labels like “hard techno” just feel…constricting, you know? It doesn’t really capture what I’m trying to do. Honestly, my music is more like a patchwork of everything I love. I’m constantly pulling from all sorts of genres and different styles within hard dance – it’s what I play when I’m in the studio, and I’ve basically been living in here for the last three months!

I’m currently working on an album. I’m not sure when it will be finished, but I’m really getting into the groove of being back in the studio – it feels great! The studio is my happy place, right after being on stage.

You built Hekate, your record label, and Blood Oath, a series of events for female DJs. What motivated you to create those platforms, and what are your plans for their future? I started my career at a time when getting signed to a well-known label was essential for any musician hoping to succeed.

Being an American artist in Texas felt really isolating, especially since I didn’t have any connections to the music scene in Europe. It was a struggle to get anyone to even hear my music, let alone offer a record deal. And when people did show interest, they always wanted things changed. Honestly, I’m a bit of a perfectionist – being a Virgo, I can be pretty controlling! I just decided it would be easier, and better for my art, if I handled everything myself and kept complete creative control.

Blood Oath actually began at my 2024 birthday party with a few friends. My agent, Bailey, surprised us with a DJ controller. We were all having a good time, relaxing and laughing, when she stepped up and started playing a really energetic drum-and-bass set.

Everyone had a great time taking turns, and I enjoyed it so much I asked Simon Kessler from Insomniac if we could play a set back-to-back. A month later, we did, and it was wonderfully chaotic! That’s the exciting part of being a DJ – you never know what the next person will play.

I’m fortunate to be at a point in my career where I can support and celebrate other female artists. That’s what I want to continue doing – helping us connect through music, recognize each other’s talent, and grow together.

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2026-04-22 04:02