- Hey eta! Glad to have you here to ask you some questions about your latest release ‘Get It On’, how are you today?
- Doing great!
- Can you please tell us the story behind ‘Get It On’? How the collaboration with Scrubs started?
- Scrubs is actually one of my long-time friends. At the beginning of my journey, he would come to my spot to get help with learning music production and we would end up kicking it for hours, writing and talking shit. Since he was newer to working in a digital audio workstation, I would run the console but Scrubs has insane taste when it comes to house music so we work really well as a team in the studio. Over the years we continued to party, learn, and grow together in the house music scene and this collaboration is just one of many. Definitely one of my favorites tho and I think I speak for both of us when I say that i’m glad this one got to make it out of the vault. This kid is the house music Rick Rubin, and I don’t say that lightly.
- How would you describe your sounds?
- We both try and sample classics. Records that have been forgotten in time. We really try to take those gems and spin them in a way that pays respect to where they came from, while still being an original idea that can move a dance floor. The dream is to see our records played on the dance floors in Ibiza, Spain. Minimal tech house culture has been at the roots of everything we write as of late but speaking for myself, I really want to capture a sense of indescribable nostalgia. Like you know where it’s from but you can’t put your finger on it exactly. Just some raw vintage cuts, you know?
- Who is eta? At what age did you get into music and how?
- Well eta (pronounced eh-tah) is a sorta nickname that I came up with when moving to LA to attend Icon Collective. I chose the name eta because I wanted something that sounded somewhat ambiguous, but also something that had a lot of meaning to me as well. The main influence of the name was born from the 1980’s bmw e30. For those who aren’t familiar, the Bmw e30 has a crazy cult following and is regarded to be one of the most iconic cars of the 80s. I was lucky enough to own a few of them in my life, but my first was this 325e that I picked up for less than 800 bucks. A lot of people refer to the 325e series as an (eh-tah) and if you build the engine in a certain way they call it a super eh-tah. I spent alot of time working on that car with my friends and family, so when it came time to choose a name for the project, eh-tah was at the top of my list. What really sold me was the fact that the name had multiple meanings to me, but I will leave it at that. You ask how long I have been into music … I would say my entire conscious life. Since I can remember, I have had a fascination for not only music but the history and culture that surrounds it as well. My dad was well versed in the world of music and tho he never really played any instruments, he had a record collection that could fill a large public library. He introduced me to all kinds of tunes from a young age. His family was originally from Mexico and he was a first generation born in Texas. I think music was one of the most pivotal parts of his upbringing since it is such a universal way to relate to communities that you may otherwise not have much in common with. Because of this he always made sure I was well versed in music growing up. Listening to everything from Jazz and 70s rock to hip hop and funk.
- Do you remember the name of the first song you heard and you said ‘I want to be a music producer’?
- It was definitely during the HOWSLA era of Skrillex’s project that I became interested in actually pursuing the skill of becoming a music producer. I don’t know if it was really one song that made me feel like that tho, however if I had to try and pin it to one I would say “Chicken Soup” by Skrillex & Habstrakt really took me for a ride. I mean, the entire 2017 HOWSLA VA was groundbreaking for me. It was the first time I was exposed to acts like Chris Lake and Noizu. I feel like the moment where I really decided that this was what I wanted to do, was at a festival seeing how this music impacted people on the dance floor. Seeing that kinda house music live really drove me to becoming a music producer.
- Can you tell us who’s your source of inspiration or what inspires you when you’re producing music?
- These days I would say my top three inspirations are ANOTR, Latmun, and Kolter. But to be honest my tastes have been evolving pretty quick these days. I really like an eclectic range of artists and not JUST from house music. When i’m writing I like to think about the Motown era from the 1960s to the 1980s. I want to write stuff like that, just timeless records.
- What’s the hobby you love to practice when you’re not producing music or DJing?
- I love the outdoors, I just got back from a 6 day camping trip up in Yosemite. Spent everyday hiking around the mountains and making food on a fire. I really like getting away from all this and unplugging every so often. When I am out in nature I feel at peace with my anxieties and it provides a level of clarity that I can’t find elsewhere in my life. I think it’s important for everyone to find something like this, that allows them to retreat in a sense and regain some level of focus so that you can come back to your grind and remember why you do it in the first place.
- If you need to choose one song to listen to on repeat for the rest of your life, which song will it be?
- “I say a little prayer” by Aretha Franklin. It’s a song that I feel like has only grown on me more and more as I’ve aged. The vocal packs so much emotion and the entire beat is just tragic. But my favorite part is that regardless of this tragic emotion I feel, It also gives me a sense of hopefulness. I don’t know, just never fails to give me goosebumps. I am absolutely obsessed with that “tragic” color pallet that some artists choose to write with.
- Can you tell us your future plans, and where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
- Honestly, I have loads of dreams and goals. I could tell you all the shit I want to accomplish and places I would like to see my music reach. But if I’m being fully transparent, I just want to make music with my friends and travel. If I can do that for the next 5 years I won’t be stressing about the other stuff… it’s just stuff. I want memories I can look back on and cherish for the rest of my life. With that being said, one goal of mine that I would like to share is that my best mates Scrubs, Gio Lucca, Braydon Terzo, and I plan to start an imprint. These lads are some of the most talented and humbled people I know and curating an art project with the lot of them would be a dream.
- This is all for now. Thank you for your time answering our questions. Where can our community find out more about your music and your future releases?
- I would say instagram (@etasounds) and spotify are the best places to tap in with me. I keep up with my IG page pretty well and try to give my followers some inside content on my life and process as an artist.
Download and Stream – https://spinninrecords.com/releases/get-it-on
Follow eta on Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/etasounds
https://twitter.com/ETAsounds
https://spotify.com/eta
