Female EDM DJs you should know
It’s hard to ignore how male-dominated the electronic music scene still is, but that doesn’t mean there’s a shortage of powerful women making their name behind the turntables, increasingly getting the respect they deserve. There’s no excuse for dance music being a boys’ club anymore.
Though it’s still not easy for female DJs to get to the top in a patriarchal industry, there are some seriously talented women out there: from seasoned veterans to rising stars, here are 12 female artists you can’t afford miss.
In the EDM scene, a comparatively tiny number of women produce, DJ and get invited to play at music festivals, when it’s clear that there’s no shortage of talent. From radio hosts like Annie Mac to DJs and music producers, the work women have done for this industry needs to be celebrated.
Charlotte De Whitte
Charlotte de Witte (born 21 July 1992) is a Belgian DJ and record producer, best known for her "dark and stripped-back" brand of acid techno and minimal techno.[2][3] She has previously performed under the alias Raving George. She is the founder of the labels KNTXT and Époque. De Witte's music is known to embody raw and gritty elements which attract both techno purists and new listeners.
Charlotte has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the past few years, solidifying her name as one of the best new artists in the techno community.
From building herself up through releases to touring and livestreaming, de Witte is here to bring the mesmerizing sound of her dark and trippy techno to listeners on a global scale. She, along with other techno DJs, are now seen performing in mainstage slots at some of the biggest festivals in the world including Tomorrowland.
In what is considered to be a groundbreaking achievement within the electronic music scene, de Witte has taken this year’s #1 spot in DJMag’s Alternative Top 100 DJs — shooting up from the #7 spot last year to dethrone the legendary Carl Cox (who has held the #1 spot since 2018), and becoming the first woman to do so since Smokin’ Jo took the title back in 1992 in the magazine’s original Top 100 DJs ranking.
She is also ranked #34 in the original Top 100 DJs in 2020, climbing up 42 spots from previous year when she entered the rankings at #76.
Nina Kraviz
Kraviz was born and raised in Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia. She moved to Moscow to study dentistry where she later gained her residency.[1][2][3] Kraviz also worked in a number of roles in the early 2000s before she started her music career, including fixing "cosmonauts' teeth", hosting a local Irkutsk radio show, writing for a fanzine, and holding a club residency on Friday nights.[
She is a former dentist from Siberia who is now one of the most celebrated figures in the international techno scene: a d.j., a producer, and—when necessary—a music critic.
Hypnotic and captivating, Nina’s passionate ear for house and techno has led her to the very top of the techno scene. Major festivals likes Coachella, Sonar, Awakenings and Decibel are all in a day’s work for Kraviz.
The Siberian taste maker is well known for her musically uncompromising energetic DJ performances, where she plays music most others wouldn’t dare and for her sincere connection to the audience. This unique feeling together with a badass attitude and charismatic stage persona have earned Nina Kraviz headliner status at all the reputable festivals worldwide.
Amelie Lens
Amelie Lens was born in Vilvoorde, Belgium. When she was five years old, her mother died and Lens was raised by her grandmother from that point on.[1] She went to art school in Antwerp.[1] From an early age, she had a diverse interest in music, citing Nine Inch Nails, Underworld, Boys Noize and Ellen Allien as early influences.
The rise of Amelie Lens’s career has been extraordinary. Within only a few years she has developed into one of the top techno DJs worldwide.
With her passion for techno, her penchant for perfectionism and her uncompromising sound, she has risen from being a raver to a techno superstar — and there is no end in sight.
Amelie Lens is taking the scene by storm ever since releasing her solid debut EP on the Italian Lyase Recordings.
The title track Exhale quickly began living it’s own life as a very recognisable and uptempo floorfiller. Lens’ mesmerising whisper driven by buoyant percussion and a heart-throbbing bass is a gimmick that grows on you fast but delicately before it leaves you craving for more.
A collective sign of approval came from Berlin based power duo Pan-Pot who reached out to Amelie and asked her to get involved with Second State, Tassilo and Thomas’ own imprint. The label is what you might call a real family endeavour. Although not bound by blood, their artists share a strong ‘next of kin’-like love and appreciation for each others work
A happy home to grow up in and a promising platform for Lens to release her music on for many years to come.
As a DJ, Amelie has had a lot of exposure this year which earned her the amazing opportunity to curate her own nights at Labyrinth club in Hasselt. She shares the line-up with big industry names while giving local talent a platform to get discovered.
The name ’Exhale’ - taken from her Lyase EP earlier this year — acts as a brand name for quality club nights that will produce and capture the beauty of form and harmony found in techno music.
Deborah De Luca
Deborah De Luca (Nápoles, 23 de julio de 1980) es una DJ y productora italiana. Pincha principalmente techno, en los estilos del hardcore techno y el minimal.[1]​ En 2014 creó su propio sello discográfico, Sola_Mente Records, para poder publicar su música de manera independiente.[2]​[1]​ Se considera una de las figuras más prominentes de la música electrónica italiana.[
Born under the shade of the sails of Scampia in 1980, difficult neighborhood at the periphery of Naples.
Introduced by Pete Tong as ‘The Techno Queen of Naples’ when she made her BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix debut in 2019, Italy’s Deborah de Luca now makes another debut — this time in the Top 100 DJs poll. Though it’s no surprise; Pete Tong is far from her only fan. Deborah has legions of them, who can be seen profusing their everlasting praise under anything she posts on social media.
Though she’s plenty more than a social media darling: until COVID stopped touring in its tracks, Deborah’s eye-watering schedule took her from Lebanon to London to Valencia to Paris to Bucharest and Croatia in a matter of weeks. She could be spotted at Resistance Miami, Ostend Beach, Brunch in the Park, Verknipt ADE or Eden Ibiza, where she held a residency in 2019 alongside Tronic boss Christian Smith.
Nervo
Nervo (stylised as NERVO) are an Australian DJ duo comprising twin sisters Olivia and Miriam Nervo (born 18 February 1982).[1] After signing with Sony/ATV Music Publishing at 18 years of age, the sisters pursued careers as songwriting partners. In 2008, they signed with Fredrik Olsson and his Swedish music publishing company Razor Boy Music Publishing, which led to co-writing the Grammy Award-winning single, "When Love Takes Over", performed by David Guetta and Kelly Rowland.
Australian twins Nervo ramp up an infectious energy that cannot be exhausted.
Miriam and Olivia consistently feature in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs list, co-wrote the Grammy Award winning When Love Takes Over with David Guetta & Kelly Rowland, and are well acquainted with the biggest stages in EDM.
Starting out in the mid-2000’s, Australian sisters Mim and Liv Nervo made their name by writing smash singles for artists like Ke$ha and Kylie Minogue, remixing superstars like Katy Perry and Thirty Seconds to Mars, and joining forces with David Guetta to co-write his Grammy-winning «When Love Takes Over.»
Now, one of the most sought after acts in dance music, NERVO, can be found balancing their rigorous worldwide touring schedule while working on their debut album that soaks deadly-catchy melody into the loud, dirty beats that set apart their brand of progressive and electro-house.
It is impossible to keep their infectious spirits from spreading positivity no matter where the music plays.
Alison Wonderland
Alexandra Margo Sholler (born 27 September 1986), known professionally as Alison Wonderland, is an Australian electronic dance music producer, DJ, and singer. Her debut album Run, released on 20 March 2015, peaked at No. 6 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold by ARIA. Her second album, Awake, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.[3] She was listed at No. 96 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs in October 2018. She is also the highest billed female DJ in Coachella history.[4] Outside of being well known for her music, she is outspoken about her support for mental health and frequently shares her experiences with her fans.[
Alexandra Sholler (born 27 September 1984), who performs as Alison Wonderland, is an Australian electronic dance music producer, DJ, and singer.
Her debut album, Run, was released on 20 March 2015, which peaked at No. 6 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold by ARIA. Her second album, Awake, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic Albums. She was listed at No. 96 on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs in October 2018. She is also the highest billed female DJ in Coachella history. Outside of being well-known for her music, she is outspoken about her support for mental health and frequently shares her experiences with her fans.
Krewella
Krewella is an American electronic dance music band from the Chicago suburb of Northbrook, Illinois, United States, that formed in 2007.[1] Their musical style has been mainly described as EDM,[2][3][4] dance-rock,[3] and dance-pop.[5] However, Krewella's style has been influenced by a number of electronic sub genres, including progressive house, electro, dubstep, drum and bass, trap music and future bass.
Fueled by an independent spirit and a revolutionary approach to art, Krewella is a pioneering dance music duo that has forever impacted the pop realm via their boundary-pushing sound and forward-thinking art.
Originally formed in 2007 in Chicago by sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf, Krewella exploded onto the scene in the early 2010s via their electronic-powered sonic style, which tackles everything from headbanging EDM to emotional electronic pop and beyond. As one of the few independent, woman-fronted, Pakistani-American artists in dance music, Krewella today stands as one of the most successful electronic acts of this decade.
Rezz
Isabelle Rezazadeh, (born March 28, 1995; Ukraine) known by her stage name Rezz (stylized as REZZ), is a Canadian DJ and record producer from Niagara Falls, Ontario.
She released her debut EP, Insurrection in 2015 through OWSLA’s sub-label Nest HQ. In 2016, she signed with Deadmau5’s record label Mau5trap, and released follow-ups The Silence is Deafening and Something Wrong Here. On August 4, 2017, Rezazadeh released her debut studio album, Mass Manipulation, with its follow up, Certain Kind of Magic, released in 2018. in 2018.
MissK8
Kateryna Kremko (Ukrainian: Катерина Кремко), known professionally as Miss K8 (born 18 June 1981), is a DJ from Kyiv, Ukraine.[2] She has played at music festivals such as Defqon.1 and Masters of Hardcore, gaining recognition for her performances.[3][4] In 2019, Kateryna took some time off due to pregnancy.
Building her legacy on the strong foundations of persistence, devotion and a perpetual love for music, it’s no surprise that Miss K8 has become one of Hardcore’s most influential figureheads.
Rising to international stardom, Miss K8 has conquered the industry by securing her position in the prestigious DJ Mag Top 100. She now claims the 65th spot in the list (2018-2019). In 2019 she has been voted as the ‘Best Female Hard Dance Artist’ in the annual IDMA awards, during Miami Music Week.
Dubbed the «Goddess of Hardcore» K8 has made a bold «St8ment» with her class selection of timeless tunes that display power, dynamism and high tempo savagery.
Her magnetism on stage is simply captivating as she never ceases to leave crowds around the world in complete awe. However, don’t be fooled by her striking beauty — Miss K8 isn’t afraid to create a battlefield on the dance-floor!
Nastia
Nastia, the Ukrainian DJ whose real name is Anastasia Topolskaia started her career in 2005. In a short time, she became a curator of KISS FM stage and a resident at the legendary Kazantip festival, she also hosted her weekly live radio show from 2006 to 2016 on the aforementioned radio station.
In 2010, she was offered residency at Moscow’s cult Arma17 club. Inspired by the club’s team and their project, Nastia began to organize her own parties in Ukraine.
After gaining experience and recognition, Nastia, together with the team of Closer, the famous club in Kyiv, created the Strichka festival in 2014, which runs to this day.
Ukraine’s Nastia could be techno’s most outspoken DJ — a world famous artist who matches her razor-sharp skills behind the decks with an honesty on social media that some find difficult to take. Though she’s one of the biggest DJs in the world, she’s determined to do things her way, even if it means turning gigs down or shunning the oft-taken production route.
Nora En Pure
Daniela Di Lillo[5] (formerly Niederer,[6] born 20 July 1990),[6] better known by her stage name Nora En Pure, is a Swiss-South African DJ and deep house producer.[7] She first received recognition for her 2013 single "Come With Me". Further popular releases are "Morning Dew", "Lake Arrowhead", and "Tears In Your Eyes." In July 2016, she was invited to put together a two-hour long mix for Pete Tong's radio show: "BBC's Essential Mix".
Seamlessly connecting disparate sounds and styles, Nora En Pure’s name has become synonymous with organic instruments, emotive piano leads and enchanting melodies.
Globally renowned and adored for her cinematic soundscapes and ethereal performances, South African-born, Swiss-based Queen of Deep House, Nora En Pure, has spent the last few years working
relentlessly to reach the pinnacle of the dance music scene. Proving her eminence with every
performance, playing stand out shows at the likes of Coachella, Burning Man, Tomorrowland,
Panorama NYC, Daniela Di Lillo is a true force with an indomitable work ethic and an eye for immaculate detail. detail.
Mariana BO
Sandra Mariana Borrego Robles, conocida como Mariana BO (Culiacán, Sinaloa; 27 de octubre) es una DJ y productora mexicana que ha fusionado el violÃn y percusiones en vivo con música electrónica. Logró posicionarse en el puesto #34 de la encuesta realizada en 2022 por la prestigiosa revista DJ Mag.
Mexican-born Sandra Borrego Mariana Robles, aka Mariana BO, has a unique set-up in her live performances, combining her skills on the violin with electronic music.
Having learnt to play the instrument classically in her youth, she often brings this musicianship into her DJ sets — on stage she’s played alongside the likes of David Guetta, NERVO, Tiësto, and Paul Oakenfold to name a few.
The last few years have seen her take the stage worldwide playing at Tomorrowland, Ultra Europe, and various festivals in her native Mexico including EDC Festival, Electric Planet, Holi Festival, and Mayan Madness in Tulum. Her productions encompass various styles including big room, psytrance and dubstep to hardstyle and bass house. Notable releases this year include her singles ‘Feeling Good’, ‘Queen Of The Desert’ and ‘Mariachi’ — and there’s more to come. She’s also focusing more deeply on music that’s not just EDM — she’s been experimenting with new sounds and projects such as creating soundtracks for brands or short films.
