The Next Girl DJ competition is, as you’ve probably noticed, up and running on Let’s mix. The same goes for the Next Girl DJ blog, written by British journalist and music industry figure Lulu LeVay. LeVay is a journalist, writing for i-D, The Independent and the Observer to name a few, but she also writes fiction, manages bands, produces events and parties and teaches music industry skills to young people and is a creative marketing consultant.
Some how, Lulu LeVay also finds time to blog for Next Girl DJ. Recently, she has discussed grandma DJ:s, if sex necessary sells and the ever present UK club cult figure DJ Harvey. We caught up with Lulu to get her thoughts on the competition and DJ:ing in general.
You will be blogging throughout Next Girl DJ. What can readers expect?
– Insight, gossip, interviews with judges and contestants, anecdotes from what happens. The rest of the blog features discussions about the music industry, that is issues around gender and dance music, and looking at surrounding issues in dance music – such as file-sharing and the digital age.
You mentioned the gender issue. Why does Europe need a specific girl DJ contest?
– This is a tricky one. In an ideal world there wouldn’t be the need for a girl DJ competition, but the truth is that there a very few female DJ:s visibly out there. One of the purposes of this competition is to encourage aspiring female DJ:s to come out of the bedrooms and into the limelight, and to engage more in DJ culture.
More and more girls are getting into DJ:ing. Is it because it’s no longer necessary to hang out in dusty basement with blokes in filthy sneakers to get the best music, or why?
– I think that the birth of the digital age has empowered a lot of women into feeling comfortable in researching and listening to music. They no longer have to feel intimidated going into record stores – I know I did! Instead they can browse for what they like online.
– Today, girl DJ:s are more eclectic and have more knowledge in the industry, and there are many who produce as well as DJ. Women who are out there playing are taken more seriously. But I do feel that the ‘fashion’ girl DJ has let the side down of late, pretty girls who don’t know how to turn on the mixer and are hired just to look pretty behind the CDJ:s.
But DJ:ing it’s still a massively male dominated scene. Why, do you think?
– It is. Boys with their toys? Geeks, gadgets? These things have always belonged to the male species. Is it because the cool factor is more important to men? The music industry is still male dominated, but there are signs that more girls are getting involved: More female managers, more female A&Rs, a lot more now than when I started out.
The Next Girl DJ comp will be decided in live finals held in Paris, London, Berlin and Brussels throughout May. What does it take to be the final winner, in your opinion?
– It’s actually pretty simple: A mix of music selection, execution and personality – with the latter being of utmost importance. We want to see someone who is in their element whilst getting in the mix, who really comes alive as that is intoxicating for everyone else around them. Be great at what you do – and love it just as much!