Amplifying Women in Dance Music: Aysha
Read Time: 5 mins
We’ve compiled an interview series, Women in Dance Music, where we look into the struggles women in dance music face, hoping to identify what can be done to improve the scene’s landscape for women, LGBTQ+ artists, BAME artists and artists from all disaffected backgrounds.
The second iteration of this series stars Aysha, a long-time friend and collaborator with Transistor. Coming up through the Nottingham scene, Aysha has taken her deeply curated selections to supporting slots for artists such as MPH and Notion and has played a mix on BBC Asian Network!
What are your personal thoughts and experiences with the balance of male to female bookings in dance music?
"I had a bit of a rough start getting sets and gigs in Notts. I later found out some rumours that the men that were doing the same events that I did under the same residency for the same amount of time were getting paid and I wasn’t (I was also the only girl). I also got no warning or reasoning when they decided to no longer book me or have me as a resident. So I definitely saw a lot of imbalance."
"I believe a lot of the time, male promoters and DJs will not base who they want on their line-up based on skill, taste and performance, but sometimes on their gender and appearance."
"However there’s been a massive shift in Notts specifically, I see so many more females getting work and getting treated extremely well and fairly etc, and I think that’s a testament to all the work and representation female artists have been consistently pushing."
In your experience, what are the main differences you’ve noticed in how promoters, the audience or the media treat male and female DJs?
"The most I see is, and especially in smaller house events, you’ll find they will put one female DJ on the line-up, and the rest will be men, and most of the time you’ll find the woman opening; it’s almost like they just put us on there to tick a diversity box and get us out the way."
"I’ve also heard stories where so many promoters will promise pay, but when the time comes, they’ll tell you they can’t due to low ticket sales/tight budget, but then all the other men on the line-up will still get some pay, so it can be easier to disregard us as females."
What has helped you overcome any barriers that might be useful for emerging women and gender-diverse artists in the scene?
"I think I got lucky with TRN as the boys have always treated me no differently. However, before this period, I really had to concentrate on my craft, network, post and ask venues for opportunities for a long time. This isn’t a bad thing, as it comes under the umbrella of working hard and grinding, but I did find it harder because I was a female and didn’t know any other female DJs in 2019. I remember I would go around Notts with my CV for DJing to all types of places. My advice is do not be afraid to put yourself out there, confront the big people, the ones that intimidate you (probably for the wrong reasons), and go for what you want. If you believe you’re good enough or as good as your peers or any man, for that matter, it’s probably because you are! Don’t let the outside noise or that one room full of male promoters allow you to back away. Your self-belief, humble attitude and perseverance will pay off."
"Regarding ethnicity and diversity, I personally feel it has only bettered or helped my position because I stand out even more; I'm the only Pakistani female DJ I know!"
Do you feel you’ve seen much progress in the industry on these issues in recent years, and if so, what?
"Yes massively. I think the impact of artists like Girls Don’t Sync, Nia Archives, Arthi, Sexy Lady Massive, etc. has immensely improved the balance of female and male DJs not only being booked but also being considered, getting a spotlight, a voice, and the flowers we deserve. The stigma that we’ve carried for so long is literally in the name of ‘Girls Don’t Sync’, so that notion of; we don’t know how to DJ, we don’t do it properly, we don’t KNOW music, has been broken down. Don’t get me wrong, this industry will probably always be dominated by men, but the hill doesn’t seem as steep anymore."
What changes would you like to see made to the industry that would make the scene more inclusive for women and gender-diverse artists?
"More females behind the scenes!!!! Whether that’s promoters, event owners, hosts, creatives like photographers and social media creators, this will help build the music scene with females in all areas, planting the seeds and making it a more balanced community. Yes, more all-female lineups and more men-and-women b2b’s and collaborations will help and have been helping, but we need to be injected into every aspect of the scene."
If you have any insights or ideas for improving this aspect of the scene and you'd like to share this through Transistor, email isaac@transistoruk.co.uk for a chance to be featured in a future edition of this series!