Kevin Bronson on May 17th, 2020

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Rituals of Mine’s Terra Lopez credits her routine for keeping her sane during the COVID-19 crisis. In Buzz Bands LA’s QUARANTUNES, she looks forward to the arrival of a new album later this year on Carpark Records and shares a playlist culled from her weekly “Lockdown Lopez” online DJ sets.

THE LATEST FROM RITUALS OF MINE

Songwriter and multi-disciplinary artist Terra Lopez birthed Rituals of Mine in 2016 from the ashes of Sister Crayon, exploring dark, heavy electronic music with bold production and equally audacious lyrical themes. Working with longtime collaborator Wes Jones and live drummer Adam Pierce, Lopez, who grew up in South Sacramento, draws on her experiences as a queer woman of color in both her music and her art. Besides Rituals of Mine’s “Sleeper Hold” EP last fall on Carpark Records (see the video for “Burst” by directors Kris Esfandiari and Colette Levesque below), Lopez’s notable work includes the interactive art installation “This Is What It Feels Like,” which simulates experiences with street harassment. Plus, since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, she’s been DJing the weekly “Lockdown Lopez” (see below) virtual club for charity. And there’s a new Rituals album coming later this year (and a new single next month).

HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MANAGE THE ‘STAY AT HOME’ EDICT?

I’m trying my best to stick to a routine every day. Wake up early, drink coffee, catch up on the news for only 15-20 minutes, work out, answer emails and work on some type of creative thing, whether it be creating music, learning new software, DJing, reading, etc. I’ve found that sticking to a routine is what is keeping me sane. I’m past Day 50, I think, so I’ve been staying home and not going out anywhere.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO WHEN THIS IS OVER?

I’m really looking forward to performing live again. We will be releasing an album later this year on Carpark Records, and I truly hope we can tour at some point to play the new record and to connect with our fans.

ANYTHING WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS PLAYLIST?

Since quarantine, I’ve created a weekly DJ series called “Lockdown Lopez” [every Tuesday at 6 p.m. Pacific] where I take over my girlfriend’s bedroom and turn it into a club for charity. Each week we pick a new charity to donate to, and it’s been amazing connecting with folks and raising money for people. So, this playlist is some of my favorite dance tracks I’ve played over the last few weeks.