Sara Landry: The Queen of Techno

How the self-taught producer became one of the biggest names in Techno.

Underground EDM styles have been gaining popularity in the American music scene with sub-genres like Hardstyle which features aggressive basslines and heavy kick-drums, or Hardcore which showcases rapid tempos paired with striking basslines. But have you ever heard of Techno? This sound of repetitive bars, loops, percussion and heavy synthesizers has slowly made its way mainstream thanks to DJs like Sara Landry. 

Sara Landry, an American-born DJ based in Amsterdam, has been sending synth waves across the world with her dark feminine sound which she describes as, “witchy warehouse techno,” in an interview with DJ Mag. Bewitching the world of Techno under her trance called dance. 

With no musical training, Landry is a self-taught audio engineer, producer and DJ within the realm of Industrial Techno, leaving listeners in awe with her raw talent and persistent self-education.  

Landry had her humble beginnings in Austin, Texas where she had a Saturday residency at Ethics Music Lounge.  She took pride in her ability to control her music by designing every detail of production and sound design while also arranging, mixing, mastering and adding vocals for each of her tracks. 

Landry officially debuted in 2018 and had been featured in several Spotify editorial playlists like “Techno Bunker,” “Electronic Circus” and “Electronic Rising.” Not even a year later in 2019, Landry was signed to deadmau5’s label, mau5trap, where she released her first multi-track Techno EP on May 17, 2019. Since then, Landry has made quite a name for herself, with fans often calling her “The Queen of Techno.” 

In a 2020 interview with Attack Magazine, Landry recalls sacrificing, “hundreds of hours of sleep, more than 8000 hours (about 11 months) of my time, all romantic relationships, and every dollar I’ve ever made. Worth it, though.”  

The following years proved this to be true for Landry, starting with the opening of her own record label, Hekate, where she truly honed the “witchy warehouse techno,” sound she wanted. While also maintaining steady popularity in Europe, she garnered enough attention to draw massive crowds at festivals in the United States like Chicago’s ARC Festival, Red Rocks Amphitheater, and the Brooklyn Mirage bringing Techno and her artistry mainstream.? 

Techno hasn’t always been a part of conversations in the States, with genres like dance, house and trance dominating the scene. Yet DJs like Landry continue to bring new sounds into our EDM scene.  

When talking about the rise of Techno in the United States with DJ Mag, Landry’s theory is, “in times of political and economic struggle and strife, people tend to gravitate toward these harder, faster, more intense genres and music…it creates a pocket for that chaos to be expressed outside of normal life, to release all of this angst and fear and anxiety and uncertainty that I think plagues us at every waking hour.” 

I had the honor of watching a Sara Landry set live at San Bernardino’s Beyond Wonderland and her dedication, control and passion for her music is undeniable. Playing at “The Looking Glass,” stage brought by Factory 93, Landry brought a crowd larger than expected. With fans shoulder to shoulder and overflowing, it was evident just how much Landry’s music evokes emotion in her listeners.  

Landry states in her interview with DJ Mag, “I’m supposed to be using my powers or whatever gifts I was given in this lifetime to create a space where people can come and feel safe, to let themselves go and open themselves spiritually and mentally and energetically.”  

Some of Landy’s most popular sets have been her Boiler Room and Knockdown Center sets. Not only providing entertainment but gives you the space to dance, let go, and feel alive.  

More Sara Landry? Find her on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube and Soundcloud.  

Upcoming performances (United States):  

• Friday, May 17 at EDC Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV. 
• Friday, May 18 at The SF Mint in San Francisco, CA. 
• Thursday, June 20 at Electric Forest 2024 in Rothbury, MI. 
• Friday, June 21 at The Concourse Project in Austin, TX. 
• Saturday, June 29 at The Caverns in Pelham, TN. 

Featured Image, Sara Landry at Terminal V Festival 2024. Photo taken from @saralandrydj on Instagram. Photo by @magazip_visuals on Instagram.