Dave Lee Announces He Won’t Be Using His “Joey Negro” Alias Anymore
In a Facebook post earlier today, British producer and DJ Dave Lee announced that he won’t be using his most famous alias of “Joey Negro” anymore.
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Online Petition Prompts The Black Madonna to Change Name to The Blessed Madonna
The Black Madonna has changed her name to The Blessed Madonna.
The decision comes as a result of requests for the Kentucky-born DJ, real name Marea Stamper, to change her alias. These requests culminated in a petition on Change.org that was making the rounds on social media over the weekend. The grounds of the petition were that her chosen artist alias is a form of cultural appropriation and digital blackface.
Black Girl/White Girl Celebrate Being Different & New Music
Music is a form of expression that conveys emotions and messages. It tells love stories and heartaches. Music has also been a means to disrupt the status quo and expand consciousness. Going against the current isn’t always the easiest or safest because it can single you out. Stepping away from what’s expected and doing things differently involves risk, and not everyone is willing to place their bets. However, for the DJ duo, Black Girl/White Girl (BG/WG) being differentâboth in their personal and artistic livesâhas given them freedom.
Our Changing Industry: Nina Kraviz Ray-Bans, Music On Armani Shoes and Big Star DJs on GTA
Music On Armani shoes and Nina Kraviz Ray-Bans: no one would have predicted something like this in the late ’80s or early ’90s.
Back then, and until the rise of DJ superstardom, DJs and those involved with electronic music were considered to be a danger to the status quo and to the system, the agitators behind illegal raves, the evil pipers leading the world’s youth toward quasi-anarchy.
But things have changed, and they have changed a lot. DJs are idolized by the masses and whereas in the United States that is mostly the case with mainstream EDM names, in Europe it’s techno, house and tech house artists that are on this pedestal. No matter which side of the pond you are on, eyes are on club culture and brands have become essential components for club nights, festivals and other events to occur in the electronic music scene.
15 Back-To-Back Sets You Need To Listen To
Last year Ben UFO expressed his feelings on the importance of back-to-back sets, attempting to tackle the criticism some have thrown at promoters and DJs alike, with claims that b2b billings are a simple marketing gimmick to sell more tickets.
While there is no doubt that interesting back-to-back pairings do catch the attention of event-goers, the words of the highly thought-of British DJ had us looking back in time at some of the best back-to-back sets ever recorded. We have selected fifteen of our favorites that we think you should definitely give a listen to!
Smartbar Chicago Will Host Series of Workshops With Focus on Women in Music
Last month Chicago’s Smartbar, the famed clubbing institution that has been running in the city’s Northside for over 30 years, announced the return of its Daphne series with a list of club nights featuring some of the best dance music talent in the world.
Smartbar has hosted Daphne events in the past, club nights focused on representing the role of woman-identifying and genderqueer artists in the electronic music industry. So while not totally new, the upcoming Daphne: A Women’s Movement In Dance Music is a month-long festivity that continues with that same mission, but does it tenfold within a shorter period of time.
On top of the club nights already announced throughout the month of March, with artists like Nina Kraviz, The Black Madonna, Cassy, Octo Octa, Honey Dijon and more all scheduled to play, Daphne and Smartbar will also be holding a string of workshops open to the public and participants of all skill levels. The workshops will address topics such as artist promotion, DJ mechanics, queer religious figures and more.
See the below flyer for full details:
The Black Madonna Releases First Single On Her “We Still Believe” Label
Fresh off of a fantastic 2016, arguably her best career year yet, The Black Madonna has just released the first single on her newly launched We Still Believe imprint.
“He Is The Voice I Hear” is Marea Stamper’s first original production release since 2013, a ten-minute track that oozes disco from every pore. Created with her studio partner Ruper Murray, “He Is The Voice I Hear” includes live instrumentals from Davide Rossi and Christoforo LaBarbera.
Although sold out on vinyl already, the release is available digitally. Referring to the single, Stamper said, “‘He Is The Voice I Hearâ is my first all new work since ‘Lady Of Sorrows.’ Itâs been a long journey from there to here. Iâm so thrilled to continue the story and finally realize my dream of bringing together an ensemble of live musicians.”
Enjoy it below:
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Watch Between The Beats: The Black Madonna by Resident Advisor
In the latest edition of the ever-popular Between The Beats mini-documentary series, Resident Advisor followed Marea Stamper, or The Black Madonna as you may know her, on a string of gigs across Europe. You may remember the series from past editions that featured Seth Troxler or Nina Kraviz, both of which made headlines throughout the worldwide dance music scene.
The near 28-minute-and-a-half video explores Marea’s career journey and the hurdles she faced to get to where she is now. In 2012, just four years ago, she felt that she had failed as a producer and DJ and was ready to hang her headphones for good. But she didn’t.
The Black Madonna Opens Up About Sexual Assault in the Electronic Music Industry
More often than not, my attachment to a particular producer or DJ is born out of simple respect and admiration of their music. In most cases, this has little to do with them as a person and their online personality, but rather is a connection built solely on music.
That isn’t so with The Black Madonna. I first discovered her by pure chance when attending one of my first nights at Smart Bar in Chicago – her infectious and high-energy set had me dancing non-stop for hours. I was hooked. By that time in my electronic music path, I had stopped wanting to meet and talk with every DJ I liked, preferring to maintain a pure DJ-to-dance-floor connection. I began following her on Twitter however, and soon found out that I looked up to her as more than just a musician.
It didn’t take me long to realize that, in what is undoubtedly a male-biased scene, she provides a strong voice for the countless number of talented female artists of the world, as well as other more marginalized members of our industry.
Recently, she lent that voice to highlight the sexual harassment, abuse and discrimination that females, gays, transfolk, and people of color constantly face in the world of electronic music. In an interview with Traxmag, she provided personal anecdotes underscoring just how prevalent sexual assault, inappropriate behavior and personal violations can be. Sadly, she noted that this type of despicable behavior is so widespread, that many have “taken [it] for granted as ‘the cost of doing business’ in this industry”.
In the interview, Marea stresses the importance of “empathy,” which she defines as, “listening to what someone who is different from you has to say about their own experiences, and doing your best to respond in a way that is kind and makes them as comfortable as possible.” Having had the courage to speak up about subjects that are, to say the least, controversial, Marea is often at the receiving end of intimate messages from young women who reach out to discuss their negative experiences and to ask for advice. She makes it clear that she always takes the time to give these messages her upmost attention and importance – Marea not only truly understands the struggles others face, but does her best to put her background to use in a way that can really make a difference in helping those going through similar situations she has faced.
The article’s title comes in the form of perhaps the most hard-hitting quote from the interview, “I am a woman who learned about Underground Resistance from the first guy that ever put a bruise on me.” It is after mentioning an instance that saw her almost get sexually assaulted by a peer at an after-party, that she points out just how common these episodes are. Originally published in French, the article has only just been translated to English, and comes out in the middle of a week where the world has learned that a convicted rapist has only been sentenced to 6 months behind bars because, according to judge, a longer sentence would have âa severe impact on him.â While perhaps the timing is just a coincidence, it provides a perfect voice for episodes both within and outside of the industry she is in.
Marea’s words have a profound impact not only in the dance music industry, but on the world as a whole. Years after discovering her as an artist, I have come to admire her outlook and courage even more than the brilliant music she produces and plays.
Read the full interview on Traxmag.
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