TARA BROOKS

Tara Brooks is known for her hypnotic, eclectic, & diverse sounds. Her unique selections & brilliant programming captivate her dance floors & take them on a journey. She seamlessly fuses house, breakbeats, acid, electro, electronica, funky, trippy, soulful techno, & emotional uplifting grooves.

From intimate settings at legendary clubs like TV Lounge & Marble Bar (Detroit), Kater Blau, Watergate and Sisophys (Berlin), Output (NYC), Public Works (SF), Stereo (Montreal), Space (Miami), and Flash Club (DC) to festivals including The BPM Festival, EDC Las Vegas, Lightning In A Bottle, SXM, Rakastella, Coachella, Desert Hearts, Return to Rio, Rainbow Serpent Festival, & her unique sets at Burning Man, she’s built a loyal worldwide following.

At Burning man you’ll find her performing at Robot Heart, Disco Knights, Pink Mammoth, Distrikt, & Carl Cox's Playground. Tara has established herself as an always-evolving experimental artist with an out-of-the-box track selection that never fails to leave her audience with an incessant lust for more.

As a Los Angeles native, Tara found her calling within the LA underground dance scene. She has since propelled her productions forward to pave a path as a respected and world-renown artist. From "Eunoia", her first EP on John Digweed's iconic Bedrock label, to releases on Katermukke, ExoticRefreshment, Get Physical, Balance Music, Kindisch, Desert Hearts Records, her evolving productions prove her unique style & a true mirror of herself: passionate, emotional, risky, fiery, fun, & authentic.

Hello Tara, to begin with the interview , we would like to know how your introduction to electronic music happened and how you decided to become a DJ?

My family’s greatest passion is music. It runs through my DNA. I discovered Southern California raves & was touched by the power of electronic music & its electric energy. After graduating from San Diego State University, I picked up my first vinyl record & instantly discovered a unique feeling of happiness through playing. It was my destiny to pursue a life in music.

Growing up in Southern California /west coast culture exposed me to dj’s such as Doc Martin, Dj Dan, Miguel Migs, & John Tejada. I was also inspired by Sasha and Digweed, James Zabiela, Jeff Mills, Victor Calderone, Sven Vath, & Carl Cox

What advice would you give to women who want to become DJs and producers, and do you think it's more challenging for women to navigate this industry?

I hope all women dj’s & producers learn the art, history, & true craft of DJing. I hope they focus on the passion and healing that learning how to mix records together and understanding music culture brings rather than racing to become famous or popular on social media. There’s so much love and vibration the music gifts us, so we must respect the art and community we share it with.

What was the process like for signing with all the amazing labels that you are part?

It was very organic! It was all about the music. It didn’t matter how many followers we had or how polished our pictures looked. The labels chose us based on 1 thing only! The music!

How was your experience at Day of the beats in Tequila, Jalisco?

It was fun. The production was next level & sound was beautiful. Very nice people in tequila! Gracias!

How would you describe your genre in your production and your genre when DJing?

My genres in DJing and production are always evolving. Every set has many genres as it’s a journey based on the collaboration of the energy of the crowd & me. All environmental factors contribute and it is in the present moment which determines the journey we take together.

My production used to be much deeper, melodic house, tribal, edgy, & progressive. Today it has evolved into a fusion of house, electro, breakbeats, acid, electronica, ethereal soulful melodic techno with a twist, & much more to come.

What has been your favorite performance so far, and why?

Rainbow serpent festival, Space Miami, Desert Hearts, & ‘ok cool’ at tv lounge & Whirling Dervish in Denver, to name a few. All these special sets there were no limits or boundaries. An open minded & forward thinking crowd, perfect sound, and I felt so confident in experimenting & letting go!

What are your next steps, what's next in Tara Brooks’ career?

Excited to play the new Robot Heart Residency in Oakland, Ocaso Festival Costa Rica, the legendary Breakfast of Champions in SF, while wrapping up a stacked journey album. Next up is my collab with Hannes Bieger feat Cari golden, remix for Ardalan on Desert Hearts Black, collab with the Mekanism, my first release on Doc Martin’s label, Sublevel, & my latest remix/ passion project, Motorcycle's “As The Rush Comes”

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH TARA IN 2024

Keep an ear out for new projects: A collab with Hannes Bieger feat. Cari Golden, an exclusive remix of Motorcycle's As The Rush comes, remix of Ardalan's The Maniac on Desert Hearts Black, release on Doc Martin’s label, Sublevel, and an album's worth of new sounds and styles. Tons of new mixes and podcasts including Insomniac Wenzday, Ultra Music Festival Radio, LP Giobbi’s This is Femme House, Gray Area + Ocho for Diplo's Revolution on SiriusXM, live Desert Hearts, Robot Heart set, She Said So - Dublab, & many more coming soon.

You can catch her performing at clubs around the globe like Superior Ingredients (Brooklyn), Coda (Toronto), Arc Festival (Chicago), Ocaso Festival, & will be focusing on collabing on surf/music/mental health/ocean awareness collabs with Parties 4 Peace in El Salvador and Costa Rica.