Sara Landry talks HEKATE imprint, Austin’s techno scene, & more

Sara Landry has made quite a statement in the world of club music, with past releases coming via imprints like Possession, as well as running her own techno parties out in Austin, Texas.

The American artist enters a new chapter in her career this summer, with the launch of her very own record label, HEKATE. The imprint kicks off with an EP from Landry herself, with plenty more sounds in the pipeline.

We spoke to her to chat about the new label, what she has planned for the future, how she compares the US club scene to Europe, and more. Read the full interview, and listen to her “Incoming EP” below.

Hey Sara, thanks for talking to us – tell our readers what you have been up to over the past few weeks?

Thank you! Lots of things! It’s been a hectic few weeks. I’m finally touring, which I’m excited about! I just launched my record label HEKATE and I’ve been working a lot on that, preparing merch and some production classes to go with the first release. Definitely a busy time, but after last year, I’m very grateful to be busy again.

One of the main headlines for your career at the moment is that you’ve just launched your own label – HEKATE – why was now the right time for you to become a label owner?

I always wanted to start a label, and last year I felt like I finally reached the point where my label concept was fully formed and my production skills & musical ideas were at a point where I could build something unique to me.

I also felt like I had passed the point of needing others to validate the worthiness of my music, so I decided to take my career into my own hands and lean into my ‘weird’.

Really I just wanted to make what I wanted to make and do things my way, and I don’t mind a little extra work if it gives me full creative control (this is also how my raves started).

And how would you describe the label’s sound in one word?

Esoteric.

The first release is your new 4-track Incoming EP, what’s the message you want to send with this one?

The ethos of HEKATE is all about divine feminine esoteric power, and so my goal was to make things that feel fun and powerful, while also including elements that appeal to the ladies, gaydies, and theydies.

So much of techno seems to be filtered through the experiences and tastes of men, and as a bisexual latina woman, I wanted to create a space to explore techno from other perspectives by taking “risks” and trying new things.

And which other artists can we expect to see on the label in the coming months?

TBD! I am planning to do a various artists release and I’m starting to reach out to producer friends about it, but I want to get the hang of running a label first before I bring on a bunch of new artists. A VA is definitely in the works though, and I will be doing all I can to amplify the voices of other producers, particularly other women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ artists.

Is there a label you’d love to release with but just haven’t had the chance yet?

The original three were Possession in Paris (I have releases with them coming out this fall), Perc Trax, and R, Kobosil’s label based in Berlin.

You’re based in Austin, a place with a deeply rooted musical history – do you remember the first time you were exposed to live techno music?

My first experiences with live techno didn’t really start in Austin, since Austin didn’t have any European techno before I started throwing my raves. So I had my first exposure traveling to Europe and then around the US (once I knew what to look for).

My first “real” techno experience was Tresor and Berghain in 2017, and then the following spring I went to Movement Detroit, and now here we are. 

And how would you compare the American techno scene to that of European hotspots, like Berlin and Barcelona?

In Europe, techno IS club culture. In the US, it isn’t there yet, which is surprising since the genre has its roots in the Black and LGBTQ communities in Detroit. So I’d say that there are definite underground pockets and that the scene is growing here, but it’s a few years behind Europe since most Americans don’t really get exposed to it unless they’re looking for it.

Things are definitely changing though, and a big goal of mine is to do my part to build the scene here and bring techno back home.

Thanks so much for answering our questions, before we go – is there anything else you want to mention?

HEKATE merch (including art prints!) and production courses are coming soon! The HEKATE bandcamp and my website will have all the details, so watch those spaces!

Sara Landry – Incoming EP is out now on HEKATE.