ONHELL is a mixed Mexican DJ, producer, and community-builder from Northern California. They’ve been releasing music for about a decade on labels like 1985, Terrorhythm, Deadbeats, and NAAFI, as well as throwing their own parties and making salsa.
Outside of music, he's usually hosting some kind of gathering, nerding out about Lord of the Rings, or cooking. Fun fact: “ONHELL” isn’t a typo. It’s his actual first name, and it’s how you say Angel in Spanish.
Onhell has hosted many ‘parties’ in various locations. These parties are fundraisers, with the profits donated to local orgs.
Your parties look epic! And for a good cause. What is the purpose of these parties?
These parties are my way of responding to the chaos in the States by creating joy and community while supporting grassroots groups that uplift LGBTQIA+ and marginalized communities. We are filling the void of queer-leaning, multi-genre bass music parties with eclectic lineups, dancers, and environments where everyone can feel safe, free, and fully themselves. I want to lead by example and show that celebration can be a form of care, empowerment, and positive change.
They started as a DIY alternative to club culture that felt intimate, intentional, and community-driven. Now they’ve grown into a movement. Every party includes a harm reduction table, free water, and some form of fundraising or mutual aid. It matters to me that nightlife feels like a resource, not something that just extracts. We’re building chosen family in real time.
What’s one of the craziest moments from these house parties?
Beyond the fundraiser parties, I recently did a full DIY house party tour with ten house parties in eleven days. We drove city to city, set up speakers in living rooms, and paid for the whole thing just by selling shirts. Every show was completely free. It was chaotic in the best way. We stayed in strangers' homes, people brought us gifts, and every night felt like a surreal fever dream.
Some highlights: sleeping in a room with loose exotic spiders owned by a 78-year-old Russian druid, a Portland clown-stripper house that was exactly as unhinged as it sounds, and a girl who followed us to five shows like we were the Grateful Dead. People went absolutely feral at these parties and it reminded me how rare house parties have become and how deeply people miss them. That’s the energy I want to keep alive in everything I do.
Love your track “Dubstep for Kids.” What inspired it? Will we hear it in your set?
“Dubstep for Kids” was inspired by my friend Distinct Motive. I used to tease him that his tracks sounded like toddler music because they were so minimal. Eventually I thought, what if I actually made a dubstep track for kids in that style? So I made a simple tune, added animal sounds like cow goes moo and chicken goes cluck, and it worked. Then I had to make a music video for it and it just kept escalating from there.
The funny part is that the song actually does what it says. Real kids love it, and parents love it too because it’s not an obnoxious kids’ song. It’s dubstep so they can survive while their toddler goes feral.
I heard you're a Lord of the Rings enthusiast. What are your thoughts about New Zealand before arriving?
This feels like a pilgrimage. I’ve been obsessed with Tolkien and Lord of the Rings since I was a kid, so I definitely want to see all the filming sites. But I’m also excited to experience New Zealand and Aotearoa as a real place with its own people, food, land, and culture beyond the movies.
You’re looking for places to crash after the festival. What kind of adventures are you hoping for?
I’d love to link up with people, go somewhere magical, and wander the island. I don’t enjoy staying in hotels. I’d rather stay with someone I connect with than be alone in a room. I love staying with fans and cool people. Ideally I’ll end up on a boat, or at a Lord of the Rings location, or somewhere making beats in the middle of nowhere.
Any final words?
I’m so honored to be part of Twisted this year. My whole mission is to create spaces and art that feel like home for the lovely sweet freaks of the Earth. I think I’ll fit right in. If you see me wandering around the festival, please come say what’s up.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Keep having fun <3
Make sure to check out ONHELL's set this year. And if you're up for it, offer your hand to help him chase the hobbit lore around Aotearoa <3
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