Several weeks ago, we caught a Facebook post by electro star Peaches, whose sexually-charged career has challenged the norms of mainstream sexuality since her first hit, “Fuck The Pain Away.” The presumably feminist performer called out UK dance music magazine DJ Mag’s annual reader-voted Top 100 DJ List for containing zero women. “DJ MAG! Your Top 100 DJ boy club list can eat a dick! Where the ladies at???” wrote the often controversial performer. Look around the dance floor (and the online), and it seems the ladies are everywhere—in various states of undress.
Peaches’ calling out of male DJ dominance (along with a recent article in UK music-think tank site The Quietus) raises the spectre of sexism in dance music, ironically a community that was founded mainly in the gay nightclubs and loft party scene in ’70s New York City, a collective of folks who are decidedly not misogynistic. But sex sells, and even as the ’90s rave scene was decidedly androgynous—with baggy clothes and ecstasy reducing sexual interaction amongst purveyors to some heavy-petting in the e-puddles—record labels and promoters looking for a market advantage soon turned to images of sexy gals (and occasionally guys) to move units and bring in punters. And since fashion swings like a pendulum, E and Jncos soon turned into booze and tight jeans, giving dance music a more sexually-charged energy, similar to the meat market clubs that the music once revolted against.
Of course, True Religion is as unstylish as Mickey Mouse gloves in 2011, but a new wave of ravers, especially in America, have learned to blend rave’s colorful costumes with minimal coverage of one’s actual body. Inspired by Electric Daisy Carnival’s Circ du Soleil-esque stage performers, the phenomenon began in the mid-’00s, when images of topless, be-thonged girls photographed at EDC started to appear on photo sharing site Flickr. What happened next is pure speculation, but it makes sense:
Inspired presumably by the near naked performers on stage, combined with Southern California’s bikini-babe norm, a few courageous gals dared to bare in public and were captured by the camera. The internet being a membrane that lets all sexual material permeate, those photos soon became the top images on Flickr when searching for EDC. The year after the photos first appeared, perhaps 100 girls, inspired by the 10 photographed the pervious year, showed up in various stages of undress. Those 100 photographed beauties inspired 1000 the following year—leading to the current climate where body paint and lacy lingerie are considered a complete outfit at many dance music events.
The #2 image on Flickr search for 'Electric Daisy Carnival 2008'
If anyone dares to pontificate on dance music’s current rise in popularity, he (or she) must certainly consider the “naked teenagers” factor that draws masses to these events.
Even those not immersed in the mainstream American rave culture are still subjected to images of sexualized girls in unexpected places. Fans of the UK’s post-dubstep scene have probably found themselves surfing through hundreds of YouTube clips featuring their favorite underground tracks accompanied by photos of models that can best be described as American Apparelized.
No one is certain where this phenomenon started. The explanation could be simple—where dance music tunes on YouTube used to be accompanied by photos of the vinyl sleeve or center label, the new digital realm of music has left a void when it comes to imagery, easily filled by hot girls.
At least one artist has taken exception to this new practice. UK buzz DJ Ben UFO recently tweeted, “”Wouldn’t it be rad if that guy on Youtube who posts ‘UK Bass’ rips alongside pictures of conventionally attractive indie girls just stopped?” However, it’s unclear whether or not UFO is mostly upset by the images or, as the owner of “UK Bass” label Hessle Audio, the copyright infringing tunes found online.
Of course, none of this thoroughly explains the severe lack of female DJs in the upper echelon of dance music. Certain scenes do promote women as equals, especially the European techno community, where DJs like Panorama Bar resident Cassy are greeted with enthusiasm by fan often not even seen towards their male counterparts. But this is an extremely small community in relation to EDC/Electric Zoo/Ultra Music Fest’s mass-appeal. This year’s Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas featured only two ladies, DJ Tatiana and Tara Brooks, both local Vegas jocks who were given token opening sets. Both Tatiana and Brooks are highly attractive women, which is worth nothing only because recent Spin Magazine Dance Music Issue cover star Skrillex is one of the fugliest dudes you will ever see onstage.
Cassy / DJ Tatiana / Skrillex
So what does all this mean for dance music fans, DJs, and promoters—both male and female? It is tempting to fram this as a problem that needs to be solved. However, the issue certainly lies deeper than just the EDM scene. Dance music is but a microcosm under which to view the dynamic between the sexes. Unsurprisingly, things are not equal, but it is erroneous to think any significant corrective measures can be achieved in one (still relatively) small music scene.
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It is obviously not as easy for women. Since you mentioned DJ Tatiana and I just read this article a few weeks back, I thought i’d post it so you can read about an experience she had.
Also there are so many machines out there that “make” DJ’s/producers. Tiesto’s incredible marketing machine which began back in the day. I have been a huge part of EDM for my entire life. I have also booked DJ’s and know about the politics involved. David Guetta is now number one in the DJ ranks. His career was given a huge boost by his publicist wife who is responsible for his success at the level he had it and so quickly.
You must have talent to be successful but there are many components at work. I do think that there are a huge amount of talented women out there who are making it but it seems to be a long road with not so much support.
The article I was talking about – http://weeklyseven.com/nightlife/2011/10/20/lady-chameleon
Does it really matter who’s spinning the tunes? Not to take anything away from the obvious talent that many DJ’s have but at the end of the day, they’re usually spinning someone else’s tracks. Their purpose is to make the party, regardless of what’s between their legs! The fact that there were no female DJ’s in DJ mags top 100 is hardly surprising either. The mag itself isn’t exactly representative of the immense spectrum of electronic music is it?!
Were you trying to make a point here? If so, you’ve failed. Thanks for noting that there are at least 2 female DJs that are respected and that Peaches has called out the scene for its failure to recognize the rest. This article was a great montage of semi-nude ladies with a pointless stab at Skrillex that undermines what could have been the point- we should be recognizing talent, irrespective of the package its delivered in.
worthless article, there are plenty of women djs and producers that don’t sell sex to sell music or their brand. should have highlighted the ones that are trying to change the game.