2023 Artists

I offer perspective and a keen sense of selection. I’m a longtime DJ (since 1990) and a budding researcher / writer of electronic dance music culture (EDMC), having presented at conferences, symposiums, and showcasing installations that celebrated the culture’s achievements while continuously honing my craft: the ability to deliver absolution through sound. I’ve been buying electronic music singles since 1985. Did I just age myself? Well, ageism sucks. Until I see it disallowed on party flyers’ self-congratulatory rule lists, I will speak out against it. I wrote for Jaxlore, an early internet mainstay (and mixtape label) that covered the regional Florida rave scene beginning in 1995 and mused on cultural shifts, covered events, reviewed records, and relished my journey through life in rave for their last decade (2007-2017). Unofficially, I’m a freelance writer of transgender studies and EDMC, having been featured in the femme-focused, London-based Pink Noise Zine, in 2019 and 2021. I was also published by Oxford University Press in April, 2022 for the best-selling 2nd Edition of ‘Trans Bodies, Trans Selves’. It was #1 on Amazon’s chart of Gay & Lesbian Studies for over a year. Then, Amazon abolished the category in a reorganization. Your local library should have a copy; check it out. From 2015 to 2018, I hosted two underground electronic music programs for UNF’s WSKR 95.5 FM and appeared on several podcasts, notably D.C.’s Technofist. 164 episodes later, graduation called. Among other radio guest spots nationwide, I was also featured on Daisychain that December. It was my most intimate guest mix. Perhaps my most intimate mix ever. I also represented Ego Killer, a small collective showcasing performers who put music in front of persona, purpose in front of person. Concluding the effort in 2019 after 12 years, I moved beyond the collective’s reach to the great city of Philadelphia, taking the ethos of underground dance music fast forward into the future. Of course, any top-drawer cuts from the last 50+ years are fair play. In short, I escaped for a better life and actual healthcare. 2020 – 2022 was a whirlwind: eight appearances on Philly’s WKDU 91.7 FM and broadcasting live from the 2021 WKDU Electronic Music Marathon, playing renegades that were never possible in the Deep South, two headlining slots at Philly’s most famous afters, Void (which was included in Resident Advisor’s ‘Sacred Spaces’ book), and a slew of warehouse parties. The pandemic saw a shift in the culture. I called this new era “Rave 3.0”. Nearly two years on, with the scene going through a market correction, realizing that not everyone with a passing interest in this life we live can curate a viable, ongoing event/series/afters, we’re at the threshold of Rave 3.1. Resettling during a long pandemic and still being seen as the new girl, I keep my 2023 schedule busy despite recovering from a longtime illness: [lorem ipsum insert oblique sentence about official duties and work on LGBTQ+ policy until autistic urge to be wary of strangers triggers move to Delete key lorem ipsum]. I also advocate for autism awareness, play podcasts, lots of renegades, some club nights, and post online when I feel like it. I’ll surely write about all that in this newest incarnation of my website; my own little piece of virtual real estate. 33 years on, I still buy new (and old records) weekly and enjoy toasting the digitally-trained ears of the under-30 crowd with a set of new vinyl scorchers. I play out whether I post about it or not. The place still fills up and that’s what counts. Mostly though, 2023 is a recovery year. So now, free in Philadelphia, I aim to continue making waves by sharing the power of EDMC in community, education, inclusivity, intersectionality, and the spirit of ecstasy. Respect wins respect and love always wins in the end.

Affiliations: AirLockPHL / Hot・Bed / Ancient Puzzle Arts / Basics / [various renegades]