As a whole the EDM and festival scenes are known for being more tolerant than others. With roots in disco and funk, it’s always been an open and loving environment where people can grow, and accept those around them. More focus on LGBTQ+ and marginalized folks in the industry has been an incredible shift forward for those communities, and the future seems brighter than ever. But one question everyone seems to have, even now in 2017.
WHERE ARE ALL THE LADIES?!
Women and femmes have been at the forefront of almost every technological and creative breakthrough of the last century, so why aren’t they better represented within the festival scene? There’s literally no reason the EDM scene has been a boys club for as long as any of us can remember.
Well, these folks aim to change that.
Starting at 9am Pacifc, called Always On, and continuing for the next 50 hours after, it will feature “a 50-hour livestream of progressive electronic music performed entirely by a roster of women, transgender, and non-binary artists. The musicians will be broadcasting from around the world—some of them in home studios, some in music venues in front of crowds.” (WIRED, 2017).
Produced by the folks at Moogfest, who are responsible for the multi day California based music festival of the same name, and hosted by Moog, the originator of the modern synthesizer, paving the way for current electronic music. Their basis was simple, that the industry has been male dominated for far too long, and they’ve had enough of it. The multi country, multi venue livestream takes us from stadiums all the way to home studios, it’s important to acknowledge everyone at the forefront of this movement, especially the bedroom DJs.
Suzi Analogue, an electronic producer and mixtape DJ who’s performing on the livestream, spoke to WIRED saying “It is of the utmost importance that female, trans, and non-gender conforming people have space to perform their music on a larger level,” Analogue says, “not only because we have been long-since ignored and not given platforms to do so, but because our songs and art echo messages of survival and hope that can inspire the hearts of people to live and continue to push forward.”
This also holds court to announce the 2018 lineup for the annual Moogfest, another exciting thing to watch!
Stay tuned and watch as these folks aim to change the forefront of the male dominated festival and electronic music scene, in a lasting and positive way.
Did you watch the livestream? Who was your favourite? Let us know in the comments!
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