International Women’s Day – A dance homage

We’ve all met them, half of us are them and today we celebrate their contribution to this world we know and love. We’re talking of course about women.

The needle we’re going to extract from the haystack of human history is a little look at the role of women in electronic music. Although female recording artists were catalysts for the evolution of dance music, in the time since it is only recently that female DJs and producers have forced their way into the international scene.

When you think of the role of funk, disco, soul and R&B (see our Sample This! features) played in the post-disco/Chicago House movements and the heavy use of female vocals, you see that women were just as instrumental to the evolution of dance music as men. Candi Staton, Loleatta Holloway, Alana and India were directly involved in house music from its inception in the mid-‘80s through the first few waves of four-to-the-floor rhythms. Jet-setting, global, superstar DJ Kim Ann Foxman is still at it enjoying genuine and justified respect from her peers in a career that has spanned decades.

 

 

 

The BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix series can be used as a rough guide to the best dance DJs around yet only now are we beginning to see the game start to open up to all and sundry. Looking at numbers you can see it’s still a male-dominated industry but there are some class acts refusing to be squashed and really pushing the envelope, building towards what will hopefully be an industry that represents its consumers. Because let’s face it, dance clubs are universal playgrounds.

The Essential Mix has been going since way back in ’93. It wasn’t until the 18^th episode of the mega-renowned mix series that a female DJ had a chance to shine when Lisa Loud joined Ralph Lawson for their set in February ’94. Lisa Loud then went onto to be the first solo female DJ a year later. Since then DJs such as hardbag, tech-nut Mrs Wood, DJ Lottie, Lisa Lashes, Jo Mills, Annie Mac, Nina Kraviz and B Traits have made the unofficial hall of fame. Be sure to check out Radio 1’s IWD program going on this weekend.

 

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These days you’ll be hard pressed to find rosters at big clubs and festivals that don’t feature acts like Maya Jane Coles, Heidi or Nicole Moudaber as headliners and make no mistake, those raves, tents and stages are packed with as many guys as gals. House started of a vision of togetherness and we are starting to finally realise that dream universally.

Modern deep house in particular is seeing female producers charting major hits but not exclusively with tech house also a welcome home for a new generation of post-gender beat wizards. Ladies like Kate Simco, Anabel Englund and Hannah Wants all heavily involved in the current scene as well as up-and-comers like Reagan Grey emerging all the time.

 

 

 

It’s not just in the booth or the studio where women are stamping their mark either. Legendary Berlin-based, BPitch Control supremo Ellen Allien has successfully ran one of the biggest electronic music labels for years as well as releasing her own material. The German capital seems to offer the fairest playing field for artists of all kinds, you may remember our interview with founder of new label Sol Asylum, Julie Marghilano.

 

So TNG wants to wish all men, women and children a happy International Women’s Day with a big thank you to all the hard-working individuals who laid the foundations for our music and who continue to shape and develop the industry, long may it continue. Special shout outs to Sam Devine, Kate Lawlor, J Phlip, Cooly G, Louisahhh!!! and well, everyone ever.