Yes, the landscape for female identified performers has vastly changed in the last decade, especially in the electronic music scene. Artists like Mija, Alison Wonderland, Whipped Cream, Rezz, and The Black Madonna, to name a few, have been making waves in the scene. They’re performing all over the world and playing whatever they want, squashing the image of “female DJ” in it’s tracks. The days of women and femmes solely receiving bookings because of their sex appeal and not their music is quickly diminishing. In large part, we think that has something to do with Brooklyn-based collective Discwoman.
Oh you haven’t heard? You’re about to.
Emma Burgess-Olson, Christine McCharen-Tran, and Frankie Decaiza Hutchinson make up this American collective. Their mission? To elevate women and femme-identified folks and level the playing field against their male colleagues. This journey began from their humble beginnings in Bushwick’s Bossa Nova Civic Club, a techno institution in the trendy New York borough, to blossoming into the entertainment giant you know today. Discwoman currently handles event bookings, tour planning, track releases, and raising awareness for their cause.
[quote]Naturally we were all coming from different backgrounds and had different skill sets, but we were all really passionate about the same sort of vision – Emma Burgess Olsen, Complex 2018[/quote]
The goal of it all is intersectionality in the music scene. You know the traditional boys club of the mainstream EDM scene, everyone does, and these badasses aim to break the mold and change the vision.
In the last while, Discwoman’s focus has shifted slightly to activism work. Some of their events lean to benefit organizations such as, but not limited too, ACLU, Callen-Lorde, the National Immigration Law Center, and Planned Parenthood. By putting on events in support of these causes, Discwoman is not only legitimizing the electronic music scene in a way that is both productive and necessary, it also brings a level of excitement to these causes that make them accessible to a larger audience.
The future is bright for these reigning champions of female and femme representation. Their focus has never been to change the world of dance music, but, they want to make it just a bit better, and that’s okay with us. In a world of abuse bubbling to the surface and female identifying folks continually fighting for the same recognition in male dominated industries, Discwoman is a breath of fresh air and a force to reckon with, so keep watch.
Discwoman is ready to take the world by storm! Who’s ready for more female and femme representation in our scene? Let us know in the comments!
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