^{By Luke Fuller}

Utah is craving something new. There are whispers of a scene bubbling up from the underground. People want more, but they don’t know where to look. We have a thriving indie rock scene, some hardcore here and there, and every now and again a group will come along and shake things up for a short while before moving on to bigger things. Hidden within it all is a desire for something more expressive, experimental, and raw.

This desire has culminated into the creation of ETA45MIN — a record label and electronic music collective born from the desire to reach out for more. There are artists all over the West who have found great company here with ETA45 and are working to keep everything running smoothly.

Now, ETA45 isn’t a just place to go see a show, we have plenty of venues for that. ETA is a place to create a show, to fluff your feathers and dance. It’s a place to really dig deep into what Utah has in store. In the noble goal to introduce, boost, and platform small artists, ETA has built a really beautiful space to be explored. All it needs now is people who take the time out of their lives to explore it, and that means you dear reader.

The people who read Provo Music Magazine likely have more than a few things in common with those who make ETA run. It takes a deep passion for community and music to seek out these magazines in the first place. It takes a sense for what is good, interesting, or expressive to really get what we have going on here. There are a lot of people who really want to make a difference in this strange music landscape that Utah has.

What ETA is doing really has the potential to change said music landscape of Utah. And I’m not the only one to think so. In the process of creating this piece, I reached out to a number of artists and eventgoers to ask them their thoughts. After much thought and many rewrites, I finally decided on just letting what they said speak for themselves. We truly have something special on our hands, and this handful of people gave some amazing insights:

“ETA is the epitome of actual underground in SLC. It’s the only crew in the city that feels like my formative raving experiences in LA, and I consider it to be a haven for artists and appreciators to share the parts of themselves that aren’t always represented — or valued — in mainstream art. It’s rare to find events with so much heart, intentionality, and earnest desire to contribute to something bigger than just a party.”

Rachel Clark (ETA45 safety logistics/ organization)

I think that in short, ETA45 offers two invaluable things to Utah: Firstly, it is the only platform, especially of its size, which showcases the many sounds it does. It’s kind of hard to overstate how important this is as far as both broadening peoples’ musical and cultural horizons as well as giving fans of these less mainstream sounds a place to hear them live. Secondly, ETA is one of the largest and most accessible parties in town. Their pricing has always been very affordable, they maintain a strong Insta presence … In being as accessible as it is, I think the party functions both as an entry point for people seeking out alternative nightlife in Utah and as a foundational touchstone for people who’ve established their presence in Utah’s alternative nightlife communities.

Isadora Zahalak (Activist and ETA45 attendee)

I went to my first ETA45MINS show in March 2023. My mind was absolutely blown away. I have been desperately wanting a scene like this in SLC for so long. I finally found a sense of community, something that I never felt from attending larger scale events. I have met so many diverse and talented people and have made some really incredible friends. ETA has inspired me to create and bring my own ideas to life. I finally felt the motivation to start DJing, and producing art and music, knowing I have a community that will support me. ETA has changed my life for the better. I love ETA!!

Cas AKA Rilagotchi (Event organizer/artist/raver)

When I first attended an ETA45 event, I felt this energy unlike any other event I’ve ever experienced/played before. I’ve done countless shows across America, but this is the first time I’ve felt so connected to a community. Meeting Sticky for the first time and hearing him express his desire to make a space for a music culture/community that has never really existed in Salt Lake City just made me excited about what he was doing. I wanted to support him all the more because it scratched an itch for myself that had never really been scratched before, yet was one that I had been yearning for for so long. I, among many others are thankful to Sticky for taking the risks to build a scene meant for the undefined. While the electronic music scene is fairly new still in SLC compared to other cities, it’s always been quite linear, and Sticky presented another option. He gave a space to those who have weird quirky music taste like myself, but also gave the tastemakers and curators the chance to share that music where other outlets might not. I think now music has evolved so much farther past what mainstream dance music has been presenting to the masses for the last 5-10 years. People are yearning for something new, they just don’t know what it is or where to find it. If you’re at all interested in experiencing something different, go to an ETA45 rave. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Gaszia (Electronic musician)

Now is an especially tenuous time for the label/collective. With many repeated hiccups and a few recent interactions with some less than favorable venue owners, ETA45 has had some trouble getting some events together. There is no reality where ETA45 permanently dies out as a label, but it is important that these events happen, and that people go to them so there can be more. The small groups in Utah that organize underground shows are a safe place for people of all walks of life to not only exist but express themselves. There is a deep need for places like these in our increasingly distant and anti-social world.

At the end of the day, there is a lot of good that comes out of events like the ones ETA45 puts on. Whether you’re going for the party, the art, the music, or a combination of them all it really can leave you more enriched than when you entered. Everyone needs these spaces, and this collective goes out of their way to make these events great for everyone, no matter where you’re coming from and why you’re there.

I urge you, even if you aren’t a raver or a particularly big fan of electronic music, attend the next ETA event. You will be shocked and, hopefully, excited to see the number of people who want to create great things just like you do. Keep an eye out for them, follow their Instagram, and try it out. You will not regret it.

While waiting for the next ETA event, give a listen to “Linen” from DUM BOY STICKY off ETA45’s most recent compilation RavePal, Vol. 3!

Editor’s note: In an earlier version of this article, one of the quotes indicated that ETA45 is an all-ages event. We have been informed that this is no longer the case and have edited the article accordingly.