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Ariel Zetina smartbar resident

ARIEL ZETINA

Ariel Zetina is a Chicago-based artist, focusing in electronic music production, deejaying, and dramatic writing, taking inspiration from so many dramatic musical genres, including but not limited to Chicago house, American musical theatre, Belizean punta, Midwestern hard techno, Florida bass,  hyperpop and, of course, the queer club scene worldwide whom she considers her main colleagues. No matter the genre, she craves percussion that sounds like melody, melody that masquerades as percussion, and theatrics created from seeming chaos. Structured four-on-the-floor rhythms in symbiosis with arhythmic unquantized patterns of beats, and repetitions of lush and perhaps even mainstream vocals blooming from an earthy gritty womb. Minimal maximalism. Is it deadpan comedy or techno-opera? Yes.

Ariel is a resident DJ at the legendary house club Smartbar and has had the privilege to deejay all over the world, including opening for artists like Beyoncé, James Blake, Caroline Polachek, Sevdaliza, Big Freedia, and horsegirl, and playing iconic venues and festivals like De School (Amsterdam), Unsound (Krakow), Planetas Manas (Lisbon), and Pitchfork Fest (Chicago). In 2022, she was nominated for Breakthrough DJ-North America by DJ Mag, and in 2023 named Chicagoan of the Year in the Pop Music Category of the Chicago Tribune. She also co-runs the Chicago party and mix series Rumors.

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