Hardware Dreams & Awakening Thru Rhythm with Sleepy Cat
Awakening Through Rhythm and Redefining the Techno Narrative via ATRATR
Sleepy Cat is a Los Angeles–based artist rooted in the underground house and techno community, known for raw, hypnotic productions and immersive live performances. He has played at iconic venues such as Sound Nightclub, sharing stages with artists including Sasha Robotti, Marques Wyatt, and Manik.
Following a brief hiatus from DJing, Sleepy Cat immersed himself fully in techno, re-emerging in 2023 with a sound defined by tension, repetition, and stripped-back intensity. His debut techno EP on Orly Gal’s Hidden Symbols label was well received within the circuit, earning support from Richie Hawtin. This was followed by a second EP on Secus’s Rituals imprint, gaining further support from Wata Igarashi and DVS1.
His latest EP continues this trajectory, further exploring techno’s primal and functional roots. Released on Portland-based VAST Recordings, the project features remixes from Declan James and Secus, with support from Takaaki Itoh, The Advent, and Slam.
Alongside his solo work, Sleepy Cat is launching his own label, ATRATR, with its first release scheduled for February 20, 2026. The inaugural project features collaborations with close friends and artists who are staples of the Los Angeles techno scene, reflecting a shared commitment to pushing the city’s sound forward. The label’s debut marks a focused effort to spotlight a deeper, uncompromising vision of techno emerging from Los Angeles.
Now centered on live hardware performances, Sleepy Cat draws inspiration from live techno artists such as Surgeon, Colin Benders, Lady Starlight, David Castelliani, and Trovarsi. Throughout 2025, he refined his live set through performances with Technofam, Transcendent, LEMs, and Materialism, positioning 2026 as a pivotal year in his deepening involvement within the global techno landscape.
Hi Sleepy Cat! Thanks so much for talking to 6AM. How are you?
I am doing very well. A lot of excitement for the upcoming weeks preparing for big milestones within my career as an artist. It’s been a rewarding journey so far and I am starting to see some of the hard work paying off.
Just to start, why the name Sleepy Cat? What was the reason to pick this name and how does it represent the sound or yourself as an artist?
Sleepy Cat is actually a name that was given to me by a few friends who noticed certain attributes of myself and my behavior. Being cat like in my demeanor and one who likes to sleep in due to being a nocturnal person. I was producing house music when I first started the alias which fits with being a ‘House Cat’ so it seemed like a good fit to who I am. Of course I’m more a ‘Techno Cat’ now but House and Techno both have dear places in my heart. When I switched to producing more techno I decided to maintain my ethos of being an artist that wants to make music for underground warehouses and have decided to continue with my Sleepy Cat alias.
Congrats on starting your new label ATRATR! Starting a label is not a small move. What was happening internally that made launching ATRATR feel necessary for you?
The underground scene is known to be DIY and the best way to control your output and how you represent your music is to start your own label. I saw how my peers were operating their labels and it gave me good insight on how to run/start a label. Almost every artist I respect and love has their own imprint so it helped push me to start my own.
ATRATR stands for Ascend To Reality — Awakening Thru Rhythm. What does the name mean to you? At what point did that phrase shift from a concept into something you wanted to name your label after?
I wanted a name that worked as a strong acronym and felt futuristic. Rhythm is how I stay present whether I’m on the dance floor or performing it pulls me into the moment. ATRATR reflects a near future where people are constantly plugged into machines and disconnected from reality. The music is meant to do the opposite to get people moving and feeling awake in the present. Ascend To Reality Awakening Thru Rhythm.
The first release on a label usually sets the tone whether intentional or not. What did that debut project represent for you personally, beyond just putting music out?
Over the past 2 years I have been refining my sound as a techno artist. My taste in ambient, raw, hypnotic, driving, dark atmospheric, textural sounds became the compass and guide. I was fortunate to form friendships and bonds with the other artists that I collaborated with in the EP where we converged our styles to produce tracks that had this tone. I love the heavy to lighter aspects of this release as it represents a wide range of emotions and feelings. I want that same ethos to come across in the releases on my label.
Collaboration played a role in the first release. When bringing other artists into a brand new imprint, what were you looking for in them that aligned with the ATRATR identity? Were you looking for mainly analog gear based artists such as yourself?
Initially I was not intending this to be a collaboration based release. I just ended up with all these tracks with my friends in which we were just having fun being in the studio making music. Most of the collaborations were in person either at my studio or my collaborators. I am big fans of all of the artists I collaborated with and feel they all contribute tremendously to the LA techno community. But most of the decision to include them in my label was first developed through friendship and mutual respect for each other's craft.
ATRATR is described as more than a label, more like an evolving narrative. If someone is just discovering it today, what would you want them to understand about the world you are building before they even press play?
I see the hopes of a brighter future in our convergence with technology and machines but not without an offset in our traditions of what it means to be human. I feel we are at the beginning of a shift in this future where I see humans and machines coexisting to create more than what humans can by themselves. The sounds and music coming from the label is a representation of deep emotions of dark and light from the future ahead of us. Where each artist is a vessel to provide a sound track that will awaken the listeners spirit and self.
Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with us. Is there anything else you would like to add?
I want to give a big thanks to Orly Gal, Insical, Secus, Trovarsi, SOLëM and Aztekan for collaborating with me on the first release with ATRATR. This release is for them as much as it is for me.It was a pleasure speaking with you.