Ikonika: hands-on workshops for girls make a huge impact
We catch the producer for a chat about the girls-only production workshop she’s co-organising in London next month
As we settle into 2016, we’re talking about and seeing more female producers than ever before – but the sexist landscape of the industry still gleans some rattling statistics: 91 percent of EDM is produced by dudes, only three women appeared in DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs of 2015, and Female:Pressure, an international network of female artists in the fields of electronic music and digital arts, revealed that just 10% of 2013 electronic music festival acts featured women.
Hyperdub assoicate Ikonika is all about taking a practical approach to beat-making, so alongside E.M.M.A, Dexplicit, and P Jam, she’s helping to host a girls-only session that aims to demystify the process of making sounds and get girls producing their very own bangers. We caught up with her for a quick chat about the exciting event.
Firstly, can you tell us about the event and what its purpose is?
The workshop is an introduction to music production specifically for girls.
What inspired you personally to get involved?
I think I’m at that point of my career now where I can pass down my skills and experience to the next generation. So when E.M.M.A asked me to help out, I was over the moon. I think it’s a fantastic idea.
How did you first get involved in production?
I started around ten years ago. FL Studio was my first DAW [digital audio workstation]. I found it fun to sequence, and experiment with sounds instantly.
Do you have any recommendations for platforms and resources for girls interested in pursuing production?
The best thing you can do is soak up everything around you. There’s plenty of tutorials and resources on platforms like YouTube.
Buy yourself some small bits of gear. It’s not all about software, especially if you’re like me and need something physical in front of you. Limit what you use and learn to use it/them well. Collect samples and sounds you’re attracted to, build a palette and practice.
The conversation surrounding representation in electronic music has opened up a lot over the past few years. As a working producer and DJ, can you see the gender imbalance improving?
It’s definitely improved as there is more discussion, but there are still obvious problems. With hands-on workshops like this, we can make a huge impact. E.M.M.A has received hundreds of applications for the workshop. It really goes to show that, yes, women are interested in music production and it’s only a matter of time before it won’t be ‘a thing’. We can go ahead and make our music without feeling our gender is an issue.
Will you be running more events like this?
I’m up for it 🙂
The workshop will take place at London’s Radar Radio on Saturday 19 March. If you’re interested in the session, pop Emma an email here before Friday 11 March, and check out more information here.
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