THE IWD SPOTLIGHT

To celebrate International Women’s Day we’re shining a light on the inspiring females who have helped shape the underground electronic music scene.

JOSSY MITSU

Jossy Mitsu is one of our artist focuses, an incredibly multifaceted DJ renowned for delving through the BPM’s of everything from UKG, Jungle, Techno, and anything in between.

Part of the all-female collective previously known as 6 figure, although now there are 5 in the gang. Jossy has stamped her imprint on the underground music scene with some colossal moments, selling out Electric Brixton’s alongside 6 Figure Gang, DJ Storm, and Sicaria Sound. Keep Hush hosted Jossy b2b DJ Flight ft MC Chickaboo which was one for the ages, a cold and complimentary Jungle set featuring three greats.

Jossy’s annual UKG valentine mix is one for the calendar, the tradition has been running for 7 years and shows her UKGold encrusted heart with every mix. We recommend everyone to delve back through her SoundCloud to enjoy these cherished blends.

Last year Jossy launched her first production ‘Whirl’, premiered by DJ Mag, and swiftly followed this with a raucous 2012 style remix of ‘Elka’s – Breathe’. She’s continued this prolific vein of form with a production alter ego ‘CELIIINE’, keep your eyes on Jossy as she’s just getting started.

Sicaria Sound

Sicaria Sound are our second focus, the female collective consisting of Ndeko and Imbratura. The 140 big shellers have been on an incredible rise the past few years injecting some much needed female energy and influence into an often male saturated scene.

We’ve seen them performing around the world, including being selected as part of RA’s top 5 performances from Glastonbury, holding Rinse FM radio residency, crushing various boiler room sets, selling out Electric Brixton alongside 6 figure gang and DJ storm and launching their own label Cutcross Recordings!

It’s safe to say they’ve been busy but we’re approaching the end of the road, with the ladies citing health and well-being factors as their priority.

The ending is bittersweet as they have recently launched their debut EP ‘Binate’ featuring 4 killer tracks infused by their African and Arab backgrounds. We hope this exciting crescendo isn’t the end but merely a break until normality returns. We’re manifesting Sicaria Sound taking over a heavyweight festival sound system some time in the future.

Our third focus heads into the realms of Drum and Bass, with recent addition to Leeds - Dilemma, one of the new school in liquid DnB, and an artist who’s made a huge impact since dropping her debut release 4 years ago.

DILEMMA

Dilemma's signature style of stripped-back liquid has seen releases on some of the best labels in Drum & Bass including Soulvent Recordings, Spearhead and Skankandbass whilst notching up support from luminaries including Calibre, Friction & BCee. She’s a wicked DJ too, who blessed us with an appearance shortly before lockdown, as well as regularly appearing on lineups including Hospitality In The Park, Fabric, and at the incredible Let It Roll festival. Now residing in Leeds, we’re sure we’ll be seeing her joining us on regular lineups in the near future.

DJ Mantra

No focus here without including Jungle, and our pick is an artist who’s absolutely at the forefront of the genre - DJ Mantra. As Head honcho alongside partner Double O at one of the most highly regarded events of its kind in the country - Rupture, she’s overseen a revolution of the genre in the capital, with consecutive sold-out shows at London hotspot Corsica Studios.

Her unparalleled work ethic has also seen her notch up appearances for DJ Mag, Fabric, Outlook, and label takeovers at Manchesters ‘Formless’ and our very own License To Jungle. Her club night has also seen considerable success as a record label, pushing cutting-edge jungle to the masses with a string of releases from the crème de la crème of Jungle including Coco Bryce, Threshold, and Dead Mans Chest. Mantra has played a pivotal role in addressing the issue surrounding gender equality and diversity on lineups in jungle, drum & bass, and beyond, with her EQ50 concept offering mentorships and guidance in navigating the music industry, helping pave the way for the next generation of up and coming DJs.

Charli Brix

No list would be complete without mentioning some of the amazing vocal talents in the underground electronic scene, and Charli Brix is definitely the most talked-about name currently residing in Drum & Bass.

With a sirens voice that absolutely calls to you, she started her career with releases on Monstercat before her breakthrough release 'Just One Look' alongside Enei in 2015. Further releases alongside QZB on Flexout Audio showcased her ever-growing ability, and follow-ups on Critical cemented her position as the go-to vocalist in DnB. Continuing to impress she’s notched up releases on some of DnB’s finest including Spearhead, Hospital & Shogun Audio in the last few years, and managed to earn runner up position at this years DnB awards, a testament to just how far she’s come in such a short space of time. She’s also an avid ambassador of welcoming diversity into the scene, working with EQ50 to coach and mentor up-and-coming talent in the ever-expanding world of electronic music.