As the founder of one of the bedrock venues for illbient, Soundlab, Bess Coleman is both a performer and a facilitator of other people's performances. She is currently recording a compilation of Soundlab performances for a double CD on Asphodel, which will be out this fall.
W.I.G.: How did you get started?
Bess: I was always interested in the idea of mix, of cultural mix, of media mix. The first place I really started doing this was in writing, which is how I make my living. At first, I was mostly doing spoken word stuff, because that was the clearest transition for me as a writer. And then, basically I needed to make the sounds that were in my head. I didn't want to be dependent on other DJ's, and I wanted to immerse myself in the sound.
There's something so transportive about listening to a wonderful set. So for me, I got up on the tables and it was the most insane adrenaline rush I had ever felt. It was at once like, you're god, you have the whole world caught up in-between 10 fingers, and also entirely out of body and strangely private. I started spinning at the Soundlab events that I started with my partner Howard Golkrim.
What exactly is the Soundlab?
Sound lab is DJ's and live electronic music, along with the odd, and rarities. We also did one visual installation. It's a real groove. Soundlab's a homebase for me, it gave me some space and time to play a set every week, but I would come in and play an early set or a late set. The first big gig I did was an event at the Kitchen called Tone, at a women's night. I came in and I played the last set, and I did spoken word with my mixes, which was really cool.
That's a lot of stuff to deal with.
I also love equipment. I love the tables and dealing with effects units and all these different things. I was setting up Soundlab weekly, so I was up to my elbows in gear. But I didn't want to make what I was doing into performance art, I wanted to move deeper into the sound. Mostly I work in trip-hop and jungle and then just kind of strange electronica. I like to touch the vinyl, I like to scratch, I like to be up in it.
Do you still write?
Writing is my first form. I used to be an assistant editor at the Village Voice.
Do you think being a woman makes a difference in terms of DJing?
Being a woman makes a difference. I've had a lot of guys come up to me and just freak out because I'll be playing this hard jungle. But it's your time and it's in your head. Once you step up to the tables in that way, it stops being a question of gender and starts being about flow. I guess you get to spin the world a little bit when you go up and play.
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