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Sama Abdulhadi techno

Sama’ Abdulhadi, a Techno Rebel With a Cause

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Bearing the title as Palestine’s first female DJ, anyone who speaks with Sama’ Abdulhadi would agree techno rebel might be a more fitting crown. “Palestine or music, that’s my knowledge in life,” says the DJ and producer. Sama’ Abdulhadi is a techno rebel with a cause. Abdulhadi has become a face of the emerging electronic music and experimental techno scene in the Middle East. However, while the rest of the world is just starting to hear about her, she’s been dedicating her life to music for the last 15 plus years. Read more

sexual violence Derrick May

Multiple Accounts of Sexual Violence Surface Against Derrick May

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Famed techno DJ Derrick May was dropped from lineups earlier this year amid sexual assault allegations that began to appear online. Multiple accounts of sexual violence started surfacing against Derrick May as cases against the late Erick Morillo gained attention via social media. In the last twenty-four hours both DJ Mag and Resident Advisor revealed details of multiple women coming forward with incidents of sexual violence against Derrick May. Read more

Trump losing 2020 election

Electronic Music Artists React to Trump Losing and Biden’s Presidential Win

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Unless you were living under a rock this weekend, you would have seen Donald Trump losing to Joe Biden in the U.S. Presidential race. There was a collective exhale that was full of hope and relief. This last election marked the country’s need to make changes and get out of what felt was like a toxic relationship. On Saturday, November 7 several media outlets started reporting election results with Trump losing as Biden became the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election. It felt like the whole world was also celebrating with the United States including artists and celebrities who also shared in the spirited weekend. Read more

election-Biden-Trump

Electronic Music Artists Weigh-In on U.S. Election, Biden vs. Trump

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The U.S. Election is only a day away, and artists are talking. DJs and producers are using their social media to encourage voting in the U.S. Election and also share their opinion about Biden and Trump. For many, the 2020 presidential race has taken on a deeper meaning than most U.S. elections. It represents more than simply voting for a leader but voting someone out. It’s an opportunity to recover not only from a pandemic but the damage the country’s current president has created in his four-year term. The U.S. presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump have exchanged plenty of insults in what has become a chaotic election. These house music and techno artists share their thoughts about the election and are showing a favorite between Biden and Trump.

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#ForTheMusic

Demanding Accountability, #ForTheMusic Tackles Sexual Abuse

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2020 has been a year of awakening and for others, it’s also been a reckoning. Artists who felt untouchable have been proven quite otherwise. Bassnectar, Billy Kenny, and the late Erick Morillo are among some of the names that surface when it comes to addressing the pervasive issue of sexual violence within the music industry. They’ve all been “canceled” or at least have helped show why it’s (still) important to continue talking about it to bring the dance music industry back to its roots. #ForTheMusic is the first step to creating a safer environment. Read more

Raving During COVID-19

Raving During COVID-19: Are DJs Compromising Club and DIY Culture?

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Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: raving during COVID-19. At the start of COVID-19 the dance music community came together and found alternate solutions to live music events. Necessity is the mother of invention and many quickly became tech experts. From DJs to promoters, they flooded the virtual gates hosting live streams through various channels. However, after almost six months since lockdown first started, it seems as if many have had enough of these pseudo-get-togethers, including some big-name DJs.

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TOKiMONSTA inclusivity

TOKiMONSTA Urges for Greater Inclusivity & Calls for Mentorship

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TOKiMONSTA isn’t afraid to get loud. Urging for greater inclusivity, she’s amplifying the power of her voice via social media to make noise. “I was never one to state my opinions on society outwardly.  It wasn’t what I thought musicians should do,” explains Jennifer Lee, artist’s real name. “However, times are different now.” In an e-mail interview, Lee talks about the music industry’s shared responsibility in elevating artists from different backgrounds and highlights a series of “checks and balances” within the ecosystem. She also dishes on French artist Dombresky’s remix of her song “Come and Go.”

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Sexual Abuse Billy Kenny

Sexual Abuse & The Entertainment Industry: Billy Kenny, Bassnectar & Others

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DJs and producers Billy Kenny and Bassnectar (Lorin Ashton), despite playing on opposite spectrums of electronic music, share something in common, and it’s not just the letter “B” in their names. Both have been hit with serious sexual accusations coming from a long string of accusers, all of which are highlighting a troubling pattern of sexual abuse and rape. No court actions have been taken at this point, but these aren’t isolated incidents in the world of electronic music. They join a string of male electronic music artists known for inappropriate behavior. The sexual allegations against Billy Kenny and Bassnectar bring to light not only the music industry’s prevalent issues of sexual abuse and sexism but also the perils of stardom. Read more