Why are there so few female Djs and producers?

[kozee]

When some one books me I really step up 150% and give the best mix, selection, and preformance to prove the haters (including women) wrong!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

[luke.envoy]

check ten two by subeena, nasty trip hoppy tune with grimetime b line

http://www.myspace.com/subeena

[8bitwonder]

dya think paul was using reverse phsycology perhaps? to bring the girls out of the woodwork?

[indostylez]

i have long hair... does that count ?

[sinewave]

reading that girls don't cos theyre not good enough is complete crap.

its a male dominated industry, but i can name a number of female djs and producers into some form of electronica.. maybe not dubstep, but it is still quite an underground form.

as a female, heavily into production, with such a passion for music i find it hard to be taken seriously. why is that ? more women need to be encouraged to express themselves creatively.

[metalboxproducts]

Maybe women just know they're not very good at music so they don't try.

Oooh

[paulie]

Maybe women just know they're not very good at music so they don't try.

that is silly, sir. something so broad as music? how could anyone say that?
it is bewildering, the ignorance of this statement.
as a female producer, i highly resent that...
though i would be nowhere quick without my tech.

LMAO

[spaceboy]

LMAO

[subzer]

most dj-ing women i know have more soul in there sets. not soul like soulmusic, but more a fine taste when it comes to the athmophere of the records played and putting them together... or something

[subeena]

...the "inverse psychology" theory was nice tho....

[numaestro]

Tinkering with electronics - like a lot of time consuming hobbies are classic male strategies to escape the control and influence of women. Think your old dad in the garden shed, the geezer with the seriuos interest in motors or the D-I-Y freak. Women usually prefer to do other things which they consider more important. Doesnt bother me if they want to contribute but they are normally are a bit crap though.

[paulie]

Word!

[Jubz]

Bwahaha.

[obiwan]

Yeah I think the whole anal, sit in front of a computer three hours bit maybe doesn't appeal. In other genres though women are easily as prominent as men. Paulie's a joker! Can't be getting any you know what!!!
I've tried to get my GF to try her hand at Reason but not yet, maybe more on the decks thing mixing though. Big and small girls, short and tall girls!!! Woh woh wowwwwww!!!!!!!! its a dutty its a dutty yo -oh!!!

[shonky]

Yeah I think the whole anal, sit in front of a computer three hours bit maybe doesn't appeal.

Think that's pretty spot on right there. Know quite a few female DJ's, mostly pretty good, but hardly any producers. In my experience, the ladies are usually the first one's up dancing, so I think that women are pretty perceptive about what's going to work where for the massive.

Quite a few have said that they've been squeezed out by male dj's, who are maybe more assertive in taking the best slots in a night, so have generally had to be a bit more pushy to get to play at all. I also think that blokes are probably a bit more limelight hungry than most gals (alpha male bullshit may apply here), whereas most women aren't so bothered about fripperies like this.

Seems most women I know who do music are more into the singer/songwriter malarkey, as it's more emotionally fulfilling than spending hours on heavy bass noises sitting at the pc, and I think women generally are more emotionally open than men in these things anyway.

I know there's exceptions to these points though, but that's generally what I've found.

[misskatiemo]

Yeah I think the whole anal, sit in front of a computer three hours bit maybe doesn't appeal.

Think that's pretty spot on right there. Know quite a few female DJ's, mostly pretty good, but hardly any producers. In my experience, the ladies are usually the first one's up dancing, so I think that women are pretty perceptive about what's going to work where for the massive.

Quite a few have said that they've been squeezed out by male dj's, who are maybe more assertive in taking the best slots in a night, so have generally had to be a bit more pushy to get to play at all. I also think that blokes are probably a bit more limelight hungry than most gals (alpha male bullshit may apply here), whereas most women aren't so bothered about fripperies like this.

Seems most women I know who do music are more into the singer/songwriter malarkey, as it's more emotionally fulfilling than spending hours on heavy bass noises sitting at the pc, and I think women generally are more emotionally open than men in these things anyway.

I know there's exceptions to these points though, but that's generally what I've found.

I'll say I agree with you on most of your points

but also point out that, as a female, i've been drawn to the dirty basslines and drummy rythms my entire life (hence, why I played drums for 7+ years)... so I'd count myself as an exception

[shonky]

Yeah I think the whole anal, sit in front of a computer three hours bit maybe doesn't appeal.

Think that's pretty spot on right there. Know quite a few female DJ's, mostly pretty good, but hardly any producers. In my experience, the ladies are usually the first one's up dancing, so I think that women are pretty perceptive about what's going to work where for the massive.

Quite a few have said that they've been squeezed out by male dj's, who are maybe more assertive in taking the best slots in a night, so have generally had to be a bit more pushy to get to play at all. I also think that blokes are probably a bit more limelight hungry than most gals (alpha male bullshit may apply here), whereas most women aren't so bothered about fripperies like this.

Seems most women I know who do music are more into the singer/songwriter malarkey, as it's more emotionally fulfilling than spending hours on heavy bass noises sitting at the pc, and I think women generally are more emotionally open than men in these things anyway.

I know there's exceptions to these points though, but that's generally what I've found.

I'll say I agree with you on most of your points

but also point out that, as a female, i've been drawn to the dirty basslines and drummy rythms my entire life (hence, why I played drums for 7+ years)... so I'd count myself as an exception

Fair enough, I'm sure most of the women on this forum are exceptions to the rule. Should also apologise to any sensitive singer/songwriter guys on the forum in advance when I make such gender specific arguments

To be honest though, surely women by rights should make far better musicians if they find it easier to express themselves. Or thinking about it, maybe why that's why men turn to electronic music to express themselves more often than ladies, it has a sort of detachment to it that does suit the male psyche more in some ways.

Always amuses me to think that loads of this music that ends up trying to sound so macho and evil is probably made by skinny geeks who'd shit 'emselves at the first hint of trouble

[jas nasty]

Wow. interesting.

im a girl, i spin dubstep, and am playing around, with serious aspirations to get into producing.

but yeah, as once again evidenced at the Skream night here, dubstep is most definitely a sausage fest so far!!
But i love it, and am very dedicated, so here i am to brave the ocean of testosterone! ha ha.

i was wondering if there were really any other women out there spinning dubstep....Kozee?

who else....? anyone?
and yeah producers?

i know the Syrup Girls (NYC) play grime, and played alongside Plasitcian...


hmm.

i will definitely have to reread and respond another time...
but these are some of the reasons i started the all female dj night here in Montreal-
http://www.traktion.com/wow

Some of the issues are that most women i know didnt, or dont feel comfortable getting help or access to equipment, practicing in front of guys, or having to sell and promote themselves, or playing alongside all male lineups.
Also, as women we dont feel that the standards are the same, and feel that getting booked, promotions, and most business dealings involved are always a bit skewered or mildly exploitative by male promoters, etc-

i should just post old interviews maybe, because i am interviewed and asked about these issues ALL the time...

here is an interview from the past-
http://www.nocommercialvalue.ca/archives/index2.html

here is a tidbit from an old interview....
by Alan Wigney for the Ottawa Sun, April 19th

"We felt we wanted to create a space for ourselves and for other women to play,"
"Although all three of us (Jasmine, Cyan and Rue) play quite a bit outside of WOW, we really liked the idea of an all-female DJ collective that would enable us to share music and skills in a non-competitive way."
It's also an opportunity to demonstrate strength in numbers. As Ottawans well know, female DJs are still very much the exception in the club scene.

"If anything, WOW is trying to convince the dancing public that women DJs are not novelty acts,"
"We book talented, music-savvy women who might not have enough opportunity to play elsewhere or to promote themselves aggressively enough in the male-dominated DJ world. The key word should be talent; when it comes to talent, male or female is secondary.

"At the end of the day, whether we're getting booked because we're females, because we're DJs or because we are seen as a novelty, we get booked -- we show up, we throw down bumpin' beats and we get the dance floor moving and have a blast doing it all together. The sooner people realize that sexual politics are utterly irrelevant when it comes to music, the better."

[shonky]

^^^
As above. Should be a level playing field, if it's good, it's good.

Personally speaking, I've always gone out in a mixed crowd socially, and I think that's the best way forward. I can remember going to see Babes in Toyland in the early 90's (know a lot of people are saying "who" at this point) and I felt it really cool to see my female friends represented, and what a bunch of knobheads the geezers shouting "get your tits out" were.

Hopefully in the 21st century, we can surpass this dogma and appreciate good music regardless of who made it. If there's all women groups putting on nights to redress the balance then good on em