By Elizabeth Gold
Photos by Gavin Wilson

DJ's dig power. Looking out over a floor packed with bumping and gyrating bodies, and knowing that the dancers' next breaths depend on what beat you slip your needle into is a heavy responsibility. You take them from one mood to the next, pushing them to ever higher levels of hypnosis, of excitement, of passion. Or, if you put down the wrong groove, if a piece of your equipment chooses that omen to go out, all those happy people will blame you for breaking their good vibe. It's a high adrenaline job.

Like most activities involving overt control of a large group of people, DJing has traditionally been a male-dominated field, with a few women taking over the fabled wheels of steel every now and then. Fortunately, these days, there are a whole bunch of women out there who are acting on their urge to play out, instead of just mixing tracks in the privacy of their own rooms.

Not coincidentally, the sort of venues which welcome women on the turntables are frequently underground, experimental, and avant garde. But that's for the best, because, according to many of the women who spin in New York City's burgeoning "Illbient" scene, that's just where they want to be.

Illbient (so named because of a now legendary incident where, upon hearing the strange mix and clash of the music's different elements, a listener declared, "That's not ambient, that's illbient") is a melting pot of ambient, noise, hip-hop, and trip-hop, melded into a uniquely New York alloy of sounds and aural textures, often combining their performances with visual elements as well. Illbient shows have become known for their egalitarianism, lack of attitude, and anti-"clubbiness."

Among the many DJ's who are part of the scene, W.I.G. spoke to four women: DJ Singe, DJ Mutamassic, One Love Lucy, and Jasmin. Their styles and tastes are varied, but they all have a deep love of raw and unusual sounds and melodies, as well as an interesting take on what it's like to be female in a field frequently reserved for men.

DJ Mutamassic - Gulia

One Love Lucy - Lucy Walker

Jasmin Zorlu