LOS ANGELES — As the record spins, it takes Andrea Gutierrez, also known as DJ Sleep Walk, back in time.

Music is part of her identity, from hip-hop to the boleros her uncle used to perform.

“I remember as a kid being at the parties and sort of falling asleep to the sounds of the guitar,” she said, reminiscing about her time growing up in Mexico.

As she looked through her collection of vinyl records, she said that growing up undocumented, the music and those memories helped her feel connect to back home. While Gutierrez always loved music, becoming a DJ wasn’t something she initially thought of doing.

“A big part of that upbringing meant that I kept things to myself. I didn’t really like to stand out,” she said.

Now, she’s part of the Los Angeles chapter of Chulita Vinyl Club. “Chulita” means “cutie” in Spanish. It’s a non-binary and gender non-confirming women’s DJ collective that uses music and vinyl as a form of resistance against the erasure of culture. The first chapter started in Austin, Texas, in 2014.

Maryann Aguirre, also known as DJ Que Madre, remembers hosting the first meeting of the LA chapter of Chulita Vinyl Club in her home back in 2016.

“I thought I was just going to be meeting up with like-minded women, fem, gender non-conforming folks and go to record shops, hang out, see what other people’s collection was but I think to all of our surprise it turned into something we didn’t expect,” Aguirre said.

There are seven chapters of the Chulita Vinyl Club throughout the country. Members play throughout the world at festivals, events and night clubs. Here in Los Angeles, they have a residency at La Cita nightclub in downtown every third Sunday of the month.

For new mom Linda Tovar, also known as DJ Linda Nuves, music is tradition.

“Over time, we’ve built a camaraderie and have had a lot of experiences that I don’t think I’ve dreamt of when I first joined and that to me has developed almost into like a family,” Tovar said.

For Gutierrez, who hasn’t been back to Mexico in over 25 years, the music is a way to remember.

“It just, it makes me feel like even though all this time has passed, all those memories and all those people I haven’t seen in such a long time that they’re still with me,” she said.

She says sharing her experience and her culture through music is what the Chulita Vinyl Club is all about.