Rithma

An L.A. transplant who quickly earned both acclaim and a recording contract after relocating to the Bay Area, this emerging DJ and producer is now preparing his first project for Om Records. Born Etienne Stehelin, he began with formal studies in jazz guitar and has long cited Miles Davis as his foremost musical inspiration aside from his mother, herself a working musician. His profile rose swiftly after he wrote and issued his initial self-released single, “Rithma 001,” in 1997; that effort served mainly as a rehearsal, whereas the follow-up “Rithma 002” drew genuine notice from listeners and tastemakers alike. Subsequent collaborations with longtime friend and ex-bandmate Scott Finley appeared on Fiji Records in 1998 and 2000, the most recognized of which is the joint release Rithma vs. Scott Finley. His solo material found homes on several underground dance imprints, among them Tweekin Records in San Francisco and Beau Monde in the U.K. He also supplied a track to Sounds of Om, Vol. 2 and delivered two EPs for Om Records—Caffeine Sunshine and The Escape—whose title cuts earned strong support on dance floors and prompted the label to offer him a multi-album agreement.

An enthusiastic global traveler known for an offbeat wit and commanding stage charisma, Rithma generates excitement at every stop. In his role as an Om artist he performs at premier clubs in San Francisco and Los Angeles, yet he also surfaces without warning at intimate rooms and after-hours gatherings, often stretching unannounced sets across several hours. He built his reputation on high-impact, kinetic tech-house performances and kept adding to compilation projects such as 4 A.M. Sound of Tech House while developing a debut album targeted for mid-2003 release.