As one of the most patriarchal genres in music, even googling “EDM DJs” only shows one female artist, and only after 40 other DJs have been listed. Women in the industry have previously spoken out about the sexualization of female artists in the EDM genre and how hostility is the main reason for girls being discouraged. But there is hope yet! There are currently some brilliant female artists killing the EDM scene, proved by last summer’s festivals and recent EDM charts, so here we’ve compiled a list of 5 female DJs to listen to and support – let’s end the male-orientated trend to this genre, girls can DJ too!
Alison Wonderland
Australian DJ and producer Alison Wonderland is probably the most successful female DJ of the last decade, having received the “Highest Female DJ Billing Ever at Coachella”, bringing in over 1.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone and holding the number one spot of the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart twice. Tracks you might know include ‘I Want U’, ‘Church’ and ‘High feat. Trippie Redd’ and recently the Sydney-born DJ debuted a cover of Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘Disarm’ on a Lollapalooza Livestream.
Alison Wonderland- Peace official video
Rezz
Rezz is a Canadian artist with a dark and unique sound and signature hypnotic goggles. Recognition from big EDM names Deadmou5 and Skrillex has made her short-spanning career incredibly successful, with over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify and two JUNO awards for “Electronic Album Of The Year”. A collaboration with fellow Canadian electropop artist Grimes was confirmed earlier this year, unsurprising as the ‘Oblivion’ singer’s recent works portray a similar sound as Rezz’s. We are yet to hear this collaboration but can easily predict how brilliant it will be.
Rezz- Dark Age (Official Video)
Honey Dijon
Honey Dijon has been on the Dance scene since the 90s, fusing styles like house and disco boundlessly to create brilliant tracks. The DJ and trans rights activist has also been deemed a fashion icon, having been responsible for a lot of major runway and collection launch party soundtracks for decades including Brands like Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior. Our favourite tracks by Honey include her rendition of Carly Simon’s ‘Why’ featuring Nomi Ruiz and ‘Not About You’.
Honey Dijon & Tim K featuring Nomi Ruiz ‘Why’
Krewella
Krewella is an EDM music group comprised of sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousef. The duo rose to fame in 2013 with their debut album Get Wet, touring major EDM festivals the same year. After 2013 the group had to take a break from music due to the resignation and lawsuit by a former member, followed by a lot of focused misogyny on social media. The sisters released a new album in January, zer0, sporting personal growth and a cultural blend.
Krewella & Yellow Claw- Rewind (Official Music Video)
Anna Lunoe
Anna Lunoe is an Australian DJ, vocalist, songwriter, and producer. The artist frequently performs at major American music festivals like Coachella, HARD fest, Ultra, and Lollapalooza and currently hosts a show on Beats 1 Radio (Apple Music). Our favourite tracks by the charismatic DJ include ‘303’, ‘Bullseye’, and her collaboration with Flume, ‘I Met You’.
Anna Lunoe, Valentino Khan & Wuki (Official Video)
Words by Daisy Grace Greetham
Graphics by Georgia Walters
