Earlier, in most Electronic Music genres, we used to see men usually running the entire scene. It is very rare to see a lot of women who have made it big. However, with the time changing now, we see a lot of women artists emerging from different walks of life and who are making the world dance to their tunes.
What can we not say about some of the wonderful women who are ruling the techno scene? Of course, we have the supremely talented Nina Kraviz and Ida Engberg. The world knows about them and how good they are when it comes to their sets and their productions. However, we chose to write about a few ladies of the techno scene who you should know about and who do deserve a lot more exposure and appreciation. Get your headphones out and check these marvelous ladies of techno who are sure to have you dancing!
Umfang
Emma Olson, better known as Umfang, is also the co-founder of the reputed label “Disc-woman” that focuses and highlights women artists. Umfang saw herself getting recognised and growing as an artist in 2017. She made her debut at Berghain in September of 2016, less than a year after quitting her job managing a thrift store to focus on music. She holds a monthly residency – Technofeminism at Bossa Nova Civic Club focusing on emerging talent and an affection for Vinyl.
The Black Madonna
A Sublime technician behind the decks, The Black Madonna is known for fluent and dynamic vinyl sets, which span from disco to techno. And then of course, there is her inimitable energy, an infectious joy and ability to connect with the room, which along with her skill has cemented her as a beloved regular and crowd favorite.
Volvox
A dominant force on the Brooklyn underground scene, Ariana a.k.a Volvox, is known for her tough, stripped-back techno and groovy, acid-flavored sets. She has been a busy DJ and event producer since 2005 and in that time, she has managed to share the decks with many international starts including The Black Madonna, Marcel Dettmann, DVS1, The Hacker, Legowelt and Mike Servito.
Inga Mauer
Russia based Inga Mauer is one you can’t miss. The music she serves up comes from a place of love and knowledge in equal measures – no cheap thrills, just pure musical joy. Growing up in a remote village in the heart of Russia, Inga listened intensely to early Bunker Records, Cybernetic Broadcasting System (now intergalactic.fm), Trax, and UR recordings which have set the scene for her seductive sound: a mix of blistering atmospheres and dark emotions, flirting with a wide range of genres like Industrial Techno, EBM, New Wave and Disco. This young talent is gaining a fast-growing reputation from Den Haag to Berlin, from Cologne to Tel Aviv, and completing a circle of influence as a desired guest on Intergalactic.fm. Not only a great DJ, Inga is also a truly restless producer, constantly recording lunatic jams and wild rhythms in a world of no musical compromises.
Helena Hauff
Helena Hauff is a German DJ and record producer based in Hamburg. She is known for her “stripped-down techno and electro tracks,” that are recorded using strictly analog equipment and draws influences from acid house, EBM and industrial music. Hauff, who has studied physics and systematic music science, previously worked as a DJ at Hamburg’s Golden Pudel Club, where she hosted a night called Birds and Other Instruments. She released her debut record, Actio Reactio EP, in 2013. Following a series of releases on various different labels, including James Dean Brown’s Hypnobeat record label, she released her debut full-length album, Discreet Desires, through Werkdiscs records in 2015.
Amelie Lens
One would be hard pressed to find another artist whose meteoric rise parallels that of Belgium’s most exciting new export, Amelie Lens. She has, in a little more than a year, soared from relative anonymity to one of today’s most in-demand DJ/Producers the world over. Lens’ rise to the top may seem to have happened in the blink of an eye, but her work ethic, composure at the controls, crowd engagement and an incredible prowess in the studio have proven to be the perfect ingredients for her swift ascent to the apex of her trade. it was no time before she began headlining the industries most acclaimed events. From Awakenings and Circoloco to today’s best clubs like DC-10 Lens commands an intense touring schedule trotting to all corners of the globe on a weekly basis. As if it wasn’t apparent after all this, Amelie is just getting going and there seems to be no decrease in her pursuit of worldwide dance floor domination.
Deborah De Luca
Born in 1980, Deborah embarked on a career in the music world working very hard, starting as a waitress in many clubs and then as a dancer for several years.
When she was a teenager she moved to Northern Italy for the high school, started a route into the world of fashion studying to become a fashion designer. But soon she understood that this path was in a completely different direction. Her enthusiasm for the night life in the local gave her the right reason to start a journey that now counts a lot of people who appreciate her for her talent.
She soon came back to live in her hometown, Naples, which led Deborah to work on her knowledge of new music genres and trends. Her music in a few years became a high quality brand, a good fusion of hard techno and minimal sounds without ever being common. All of this is synonymous with her passion and strong personality.
Today, Deborah De Luca plays all over the world and continues to always produce fresh and innovative music.
Rebekah
Celebrating 20 years since she first stood behind the turntables, Rebekah has established herself as one of the leading exponents of techno currently operating on the global circuit. Her love affair with the harder sounds stretches back to the legendary Que Club in her hometown of Birmingham where she drew influence from the likes of Dave Clarke, Derrick Carter, Richie Hawtin and Billy Nasty.
Every artist, regardless of their discipline, needs to evolve. In fact, it is something inherent within creatives. The need to push the envelope, have new experiences, and share new impulses is deep rooted, and yearns to be nurtured. That is the position Rebekah found herself in during the early stages of 2016, fast forward to 2017 and it seems that the fruits of her labour is coming in to fruition The fact she now shares billing with artists of the calibre of Adam Beyer, Chris Leibing, Perc, Dustin Zahn, Tommy Four Seven, Alan Fitzpatrick and Sandwell District is testament not only to her talent, but the way in which her music has been received by the techno community.
Paula Temple
A self-confessed Noisician, Paula Temple’s debut ‘Colonized’ EP made one of biggest statements in 2013 for uncompromising techno, followed by remixes for avant-electronic acts The Knife, Perera Elsewhere and Planningtorock. Such refreshing high-voltage output has rapidly placed Paula Temple at the forefront of new techno. Her HYBRID live/DJ sets have become a sensation in such scene bastions as Tresor, Berghain and I Love Techno. Her first full live AV show NONAGON with Jem The Misfit, set in 9 parts, was premiered at ADE 2014 receiving high acclaim.
La Fleur
Don’t even think about putting La Fleur into a box. For a start, she’s had too many twists and turns in her career to be edged into one particular corner.
La Fleur actually started her working life as a pharmacist – but despite her acute understanding of laboratories, her passion was for an altogether different kind of mixing. It was an active choice to make music, and La Fleur chose with her heart – and feet. With a slew of cutting-edge club productions under her belt garnering praise and attention from producers like Ian Pooley and Carl Craig and clubs like Watergate and Panorama Bar alike, La Fleur’s sound is simultaneously house and techno, classic and futuristic alike. She knows how to speak to a crowd and – just as importantly – she knows how to make them move. Playing extended sets as the sun comes up while entertaining and educating is something that La Fleur worked long and hard towards. Not just what to play, but when to play and how to play it. She currently is the label manager for Power Plant Records and a resident at Watergate, Berlin and Labyrinth at Pacha, Ibiza.
Nastia
Anastasia Topolskaia, best known as Nastia, kicks tarted her career unexpectedly in 2005 in the city called Donetsk. Since 2006 she gained experience as a promoter, stage manager and radio show host. But her main occupation is DJing. For five consecutive years Nastia worked on projects of Kazantip. Since 2006 she has her weekly radio show at the infamous and most popular radio stations of Europe – KISS FM Ukraine. Now it’s her whole project, which includes a radio show, conceptual parties and a vinyl label, which started this year – all combined under influential name ‘Propaganda’. She focuses on mixing as she believes it is what she does best. In her own words, “I am not a producer. I am a real DJ. Although producing doesn’t really interest me – I know that my best skill is at mixing records. I love my hobby, which transformed into my profession and my way of life during recent years. My aim is to see as many people as possible on the dancefloor and to dance with them, leading the mood with what unites us all – music. I am what I do.”
VONDA7
VONDA7 is part of a new wave of electronic creation. Her talent in the studio, vast record collection and innate ability to shake up the driest of crowds with her diverse eclectic sets is leading to international acclaim. In a previous life, she earned her stripes interviewing DJs & producers, and shooting videos from the parties in her home town Poznan (PL). Her never-ending bond with electronic music led her straight to the front doors of the very prestigious SAE in Amsterdam, which in turn kicked off a new chapter for her within house & techno. She loves her analogue setup and combines it with digital technologies. She was a winner of a worldwide DJ/Producer competition held by Burn & W Hotels in 2013. She identifies her style as Raw but melodic techno and ware-house. In her own words “I like to mix things up… like a salted caramel of electronic music. I’m tough enough.”
Giorgia Anguli
Born in Puglia, also known as the heel of Italy’s boot, Giorgia is a composer and multi-instrumentalist. After a classical music education Giorgia developed in a short time a deep interest in the electronic music and she started experimenting new live techniques. From the very first project Metùo she aimed to create a multi-sensorial performance mixing sounds, images and scents. She never stopped looking intensely for the interaction with her public. Giorgia Angiuli also composed soundtracks for movies, commercials and fashion shows collaborating with many well-recognized musicians.
In 2014 she became a part of Kevin Saunderson’s legendary techno label KMS, from December of the same year Giorgia Angiuli is represented in Italy by La Terra Management, the agency founded by DJ Ralf. In the last years she released music on many labels as Stil vor talent, Harry Klein, Crosstown rebels, Souvenir, Wow rec., Einmusika, Parquet and more. Stylistically Giorgia’s solo project moves between pop, techno and house. She uses her voice to create a dreamy dimension intensified by the use of unique toy instruments. During her set she combines keyboards, drum pad and theremin with the sounds of toy flute, sax, trumpets and many other toys. Mixing all these samples and loops she shapes a vibrating and energetic groove that sets the dance floor on fire.
Ellen Allien
Ellen Allien is a German electronic musician, music producer, and the founder of BPitch Control music label. Her album Stadtkind was dedicated to the city of Berlin, and she cites the culture of reunified Berlin as one of the main inspirations for her music. She sings in both German and English. Her music is best described as a blend of IDM and Techno music, which is dance-floor oriented and has noticeable experimental elements. she lived in London where she first came in contact with electronic music. When she later returned to Berlin, electronic music had become increasingly popular in Germany. In 1992, she became resident DJ at the Bunker, Tresor, and E-Werk. She started her own show on the Berlin radio station Kiss FM and created her own record label, calling them both “Braincandy”. Due to problems with distribution, she gave the Braincandy label up in 1997 and instead began organizing parties with the name, “Pitch Control”. Allien created the label BPitch Control in 1999.
She currently lives in Berlin.
Charlotte De Witte
If there’s one DJ about to take the world by storm, it’s Charlotte de Witte. Never shying away from a challenge, always malling her career and music the way she envisions it. And scorching through a myriad of uncompromising, aggressive techno sets across Europe every single weekend. No surprise then, that the rest of the world is calling for Charlotte. After already having toured Asia and Canada, she’s ready to conquer the world. Few DJ’s belong to the group that can work on that level – from the biggest stages to the sweatiest basement raves. Still her heart remains tied to the both the underground Techno scene and Belgium. Having moved into production, de Witte has wasted no time in establishing herself as a serious talent in the studio as well as behind the decks. But whilst a Charlotte de Witte DJ set is guaranteed to get you moving, Charlotte’s own music has provided her with a chance to reveal another side. Her aggressive, stripped-down approach to her own tracks is a testament to that before mentioned dark side, while the tracks also often feature her own vocals. “Making music really gives me a chance to tap into the more emotional side of electronic music that I love. Music that has that melancholic side to it, I just find it so much more interesting, whether DJ’ing, producing or just listening myself at home.”
These are some of the ladies whose music we thought you must listen to! Think we missed out anyone (Apart from Nina Kraviz)? Let us know in the comments below!
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well , you def missed:
TIJANA T
https://www.residentadvisor.net/podcast-episode.aspx?id=533
Clara 3000
Jennifer Cardini
Chloé
Where is NInaa? :O