Sunburn | Sara Landry: Female DJs have always dominated; recognition is long due

American DJ and music producer Sara Landry is coming to India for the first time but it feels like shes always been connected to the country So imagine her excitement at being able to perform here on the first day of Sunburn 2025 which has moved to Mumbai for the first time since it started 18 years ago in GoaAmong her many accolades Landrys most recent is being voted as the Worlds No 1 Hard DJ by the prestigious DJ Mag in their Top 100 DJs 2025 list for her dominance in hard techno It is only right then that the Netherlandsbased DJ is called the High Priestess of Hard Techno because of her palpable beats that showcase a different side of electronic music and the island city is going to witness it this weekendAhead of her performance midday spoke to DJ Sara Landry about her India visit and her latest accolade but not without diving into the evolution of the genre and her music and most importantly the rise of female DJs in the worldHere are the excerpts1 Is this your first time in India and the cityYes it is my first time in India and I am so excited to be in Mumbai Irsquove heard so many amazing things about the beauty of the city and the energy of the people and I canrsquot wait to experience it firsthand I am so excited to play some trippier psychedelic music and just deliver a beautiful experience to the fans2 How have you seen techno music evolveItrsquos been incredible to see techno and hard dance grow and reach wider audiences I know a lot of technojunkies are grappling with the idea of it emerging from the underground in the way that it has but I love it Itrsquos proof of how powerful hard dance is and the fervour that has resulted is proof of the magic in the musicI never compare genres because there are aspects of every genre of electronic music that I love and pull inspiration from What I love about this scene is how everevolving the many subgenres are so I donrsquot think you can put one above another The magic of modern technology in music production means that things are constantly changing and evolving and as an artist its so beautiful to be able to take elements from a variety of hard dance genres and make music that is in its own unique sonic space3 During the same time how have you grown as a music producer ever since you started outI have grown so much since I started ndash I mean my first show was a tiny house party in Texas during SXSW Music has always been a huge part of my life and who I am when I was in college at NYU in New York City I was very much around the scene but it wasnrsquot until after I finished school and moved back home to Texas that I decided to make music my career From that moment I was just heads down doing my thing ndash and here we are todayI originally moved from the US to Europe to get used to the energy it took to be touring so much ndash I was actually first in Berlin but I just didnrsquot really vibe there When I would go to Amsterdam I was always so happy so I decided to move there ndash even if Irsquom not home much because of my touring I am very glad I get to call it home4 You were also recently crowned the No 1 Hard DJ by DJ Mag What role do you think it plays for female DJs in the worldI am so grateful to be where I am and to have been given this award As I continue to grow and progress individually itrsquos so important for me to continue to foster the incredible community of women in the scene around me as well The girlies have to stick together I hope it inspires any female artists to know that it is possible and they can do it too with hard work and determination6 In a music industry that is known to be predominantly male have you seen the rise of female DJs since the time you started outItrsquos funny because wersquove always been here and wersquove always dominated ndash but wersquove only recently been getting recognition There is such a vibrant talented community of women in electronic music and wersquore not going anywhere anytime soon Irsquom incredibly grateful for the talented women who stand around me and am honoured to share the stage with them and support them Any opportunity I have to dance while my friends play I always take7 Having moved to the Netherlands some time ago how has that shaped your understanding of world musicHarder styles of dance music have deep roots in the Netherlands so I definitely credit my move to Amsterdam and my collaboration with Dutch promoters for the evolution of my sound I love the elements of gabber and hardstyle and love including high energy inspiration from these genres in my music This regional cultural understanding has just served to deepen my belief that music is the universal language that unites us across cultural and linguistic barriers So my goal when I make music is to make something that can be felt and understood by anyone regardless of the language they speak or where they are from8 With your India visit are you hoping to collaborate with some Indian DJs male or female or would you be open to itIrsquom always open to collaborating with amazing artists from anywhere but I always feel like I never have enough time to really get into it I love Indian sounds and melodies they are so beautiful I love Hindi mantras and chants and that shows up in a lot of my music and the psytrance tracks that I play and it is always transcendental and makes me feel very elevated9 What are you currently working on in terms of new music and can fans expect a sneak peak of something new at the festivalI canrsquot give too much away but Irsquom always working on new music ndash fans will just have to wait and see for themselves when I get behind the decks Irsquove been working on a lot of very psychedelic tracks and Irsquom excited to see how the crowd responds to them10 Last but not the least what are you looking forward to in India beyond the music in terms of food and cultureIrsquom very excited to experience the cultural richness and beauty and very excited to experience the cuisine I love Indian food and Indian flavours and canrsquot wait to try as many things as I can India is such a beautiful place with so much culture and I am so excited to be experiencing it for the first time through the lens of hard dance electronic music