Experimentation in Vinyl Manipulation
In his teens, skateboarding opened the door to punk, hardcore and early hip-hop. After stints playing drums in bands influenced by the NYC hardcore scene, he gravitated toward house and techno, drawn in by the sounds of Derrick Carter, Richie Hawtin and the Chocolate Factory DJs. By 1994, he was DJing at underground parties across New York State and soon after became a staple of the East Coast rave and club scene.
While earning his business degree at Northeastern University, Tari managed Boston’s iconic Satellite Records and later worked as the house buyer for Boston Beat, further immersing himself in the dance music world. In 2004, he co-founded Bananza Recordings with longtime friends Marko Militano and George Nessis, an outlet for likeminded artists and forward-thinking house music. Alongside his cousin Marko, he formed the production duo Trademarq, with releases on Classic Music Company, OM Records, Nervous, and remixes by Brett Johnson, JT Donaldson and Derrick Carter.
Today, Tari continues to bridge the worlds of analog and digital music as part of the team at NYC’s respected Big Crown Records and the record pressing plant Echo Base, still rooted in the culture, still digging deep.
Tari is a seasoned DJ, producer, and music industry professional with deep roots in both the underground and club circuits. Over the last 30 years, he has played everything from outlaw raves to iconic venues like Limelight, Tunnel, Shelter, and Avalon, holding residencies and sharing stages with legends such as Little Louie Vega, DJ Sneak and Mark Farina.
Born in upstate New York, Tari was first introduced to music through his father, Olympic figure skater Tommy Litz, helping to cut music for skating routines. Flipping through crates of 12-inch records as a kid, from Sade and Gino Vannelli to Iron Butterfly, planted the seeds for his eclectic taste and instinct for sequencing music.
Mix Tapes
Production
Evidence of Fun
