Falling into her Tāntra [Exclusive Interview]

As we flow through the energy within our atmosphere, we encounter the developing artist Tāntra emerging into the scene. From our Hawk Eye 2024 Watch List, we grasped more insight into her mindset and expanded our knowledge of the aura that surrounds her. Already getting the attention of artists like A Hundred Drums and Of The Trees, and curating her own events in the developing Florida scene, Tāntra elevates the perception of her audience through her talents. This past month, Electric Hawk got to chat with the healing personality Tāntra for an exclusive interview to get a deeper perspective on who she is.

seradopa: I only know the surface level about Tāntra, so I wanted to dive more into the origin story. How did it all start?

Tāntra: I’m four years deep into this project! When I started, I moved out on my own when I was 18. I moved in with a girl named Maria, and she had a board, and all of her friends had their little mixing equipment. It was nothing too professional or too serious. It was just for fun! One day, I was mixing on her board and having fun; that’s where it started for mixing. You know, music has always been a big part of my life. I’ve been a dancer since I was two. Either learning jazz, hip-hop, contemporary, or whatever I can learn, I learned it. I always found peace and ease of mind when entering the space of music!

seradopa: I know you are now primarily focusing on drum and bass. What led you to want to work in the genre?

Tāntra: It’s crazy because I just started doing drum and bass! I first started with house. I loved a lot of Afro-house, tech-house, and melodic-house. So, that was more of my thing when I first started. Then, I slowly went into 140 and experimental dubstep. One day, I found liquid drum and bass, and it really hit me. I haven’t stopped since, honestly. It’s the emotion that you can carry through liquid drum and bass that really gets me, for sure.

seradopa: Do you remember the track you found that made you think this was it?

Tāntra: The first people I started listening to it was Subliminal Records. But the first track I heard was “Leave it Unsaid” by Technimatic, and then after that, it was “Affordance” by Anwius. With that style, I’m able to share a lot of my journey and emotions through it!

seradopa: Can you go behind the meaning of your artist name? Along with the butterfly branding behind the project!

Tāntra: Absolutely! Let me tell you a little bit about Tantra. Tantra means woven together in Sanskrit. People practice Buddhist or Hindu meditation. Sometimes, you integrate Tantra within yourselves or with your partner through central practice. When people hear Tantra, they say, “Oh, it means sex,” but no, it’s that practice of sensual meditation with each other. And it gets confusing because there are four levels of Tantra.

There’s Kriya, meaning action, and Carya, meaning union. There’s Yoga Tantra, which is the highest method. Lastly, Anuttarayoga the highest union, which stands apart. Because most Tantra is spiritual alchemy, it can bring total enlightenment in one lifetime. It also prepares you for death and the intermediate state between lives. So, it’s a lot to gauge into one sentence, essentially. That’s what I practice, and the flow makes me happy!

And then the butterfly. I had to ask my mom this question because she’s always called me her butterfly since I was a baby. And so she said, I was always fun as a baby. You’ve always been quiet, gentle, and beautiful. So, I am my butterfly for my mom.

seradopa: How has it been growing Tāntra in the Florida community? Florida has been evolving, but I don’t know much about it!

Tāntra: Since I started, it’s been great! Everybody’s been willing to help me. I found myself going a little bit more when I started working with Alliance Presents. My friends had me for a couple of their shows. And then, I’ve been getting opportunities to go down to Miami. Shaliee with Space and also American Grime, they have helped me a lot. Up in the St. Petersburg area, we have Sacred Sessions and Alchemy. Everybody has just been willing to help my growth, as well as willing to help each other grow. It’s a beautiful scene that we’re starting and creating here!

seradopa: Is this what helped you start Samsara Events?

Tāntra: Yeah, not exactly! I threw my first Tāntra & Friends event in 2022. I just threw an event for my birthday, you know, nothing crazy. Tāntra’s birthday, but I named it Tāntra & Friends. I had all the locals of Gainesville who basically grew the DJ scene there. I had all of those people come out and play for the show. It was a successful event! We were almost sold out.

After seeing that event and seeing how the community interacted with the event, it really pushed me to a second one, the next year in 2023. I did one for my going away party. I was leaving Gainesville and heading over to St. Petersburg, and I wanted to do one more last show for Gainesville. That one went extremely well! So, doing those two shows, creating a process of an event, seeing it happen, and seeing the community and joy that you’ve created gave me enough pleasure and warmth inside me to keep it going.

Also, I have a new job! I’m the artist relations director for Vivid Sky Vertical in Gainesville. Now, being on the back side of the industry, I’m learning a lot more. It’s just what I want to do, and it’s super awesome being able to get the community together.

seradopa: What are some key lessons or moments you’ve learned from? From this project and just you as a person?

Tāntra: Whenever I started this project, I was very excited and energetic, just doing things from creating mixes and music that I think people would enjoy. Last year was probably one of the most monumental years for myself and the project. I was going through a really deep loss of somebody. I lost all touch with myself, and it broke me down into nothing. And yes, last year, I did have the Of the Trees, and A Hundred Drums shows, but after that, everything started getting quiet.

Then, there was one day I was just very down. I looked at my computer and thought, “What if I sit on Ableton right now? Do I still have the drive to work on Ableton?” And I sat down, able to let my feelings speak for themselves. I ended up creating one of the most beautiful pieces that I honestly don’t think I can recreate unless I’m in a space like that again.

I’m very thankful for having that darkness because it showed me what I love doing and the sounds I love creating. I was told by people that this isn’t ever going to be good because it’s not music that you can dance to in the club. That was something that someone said to me, and that broke me. That made me want to push. Being in that space and refining my sound again is what helped me. But you’re going to hear a little bit of a different sound with my new music, for sure!

seradopa: Do you believe this industry is changing for the better? What needs to be improved to make things more inclusive and build a better supportive community?

Tāntra: First, what I think is changing for the better in this industry is the recognition and the respect women are starting to receive. It’s a male-dominated industry. We have A Hundred Drums, Zen Selekta, Lizzy Jane, and all of these amazing women stepping up and saying, “Hey, we deserve to have the same respect and same everything that the men are getting.” And that is something I’m behind and trying to push, as well.

What I think needs to change… the culture is starting to change, but people aren’t being there for each other at festivals. They’re just taking care of themselves and not caring about anybody else. I want to promote a sober experience. The past festivals I’ve been to since I’ve gotten sober, I’ve been able to be in a space where I can enjoy the music. And if I see somebody in the crowd who is a little too far gone, I’m able to help with that. I feel there definitely needs to be respect towards each other, and that needs to grow a little bit more because I feel like it’s falling short.

seradopa: Lastly, what are your goals for Tāntra for 2024 and beyond?

Tāntra: I would love to play a festival this year. I feel like my sets are more curated for a festival. Like I said earlier, I can throw down when I want to. But the whole thing about coming into a Tāntra set is to experience a journey, find yourself, and experience your emotions within. Everything I do through mixes, artwork, and originals is always connected and always has a tie to something happening in my life or my journey. As well as wanting to come out with an album this year! It’s going to be a little different. It’s not going to be full of drum and bass, but it’s going to incorporate some of the sounds that I found last year, as well as create new sounds.

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Looking for new music? Keep up with our weekly Spotify Playlist, Fresh Hunts. Updated every Friday with all the latest releases. Whether it’s the newest drops from Tāntra, all your favorite artists, some old-school, or underground…we just want you to hear it.