DANCE MUSIC’S HEROINES - ANNE ELLINGHAUS

Anne Ellinghaus, 43, lives in Kreuzberg, Berlin and has been working in the music industry for 17 years. Her first job was working in promotion for the distribution company EFA, she then went on to set up City Slang with her brother, Christof. This month, her new management company Buero Praline goes live, where she will be focussing on acts such as DJ Koze, international Pony and Erobique.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO WORK IN DANCE MUSIC? I worked with indie rock bands for years, so when I first encountered techno in the late 80s/early 90s, I didn’t really like it! But then someone showed me good techno, like Marshall Jefferson and Aphex Twin. Rock was full of testosterone – it was very male and they had little respect for women. The guys I met in dance music were all ten years younger than me – and I was pleasantly surprised at how cool they were. Gender was not an issue. I met Koze in the late 90s, he had great taste in music, and we became soul mates from day one. He would play me a lot of new music, and we clicked.

HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED A POINT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR THAT HAS MADE YOU WANT TO CHUCK THE TOWEL IN? Not in dance music, no. But when I was working in rock there were a few moments... Going into meetings and the men not saying hello to the one woman in the room, assuming I was the assistant or the secretary, but I think that happens far less these days. Everyone I’ve met in dance music circles all seem really nice - I’ve not had any bad experiences. A lot of the guys love themselves, but they’re not rude!

WHICH OTHER WOMEN HAVE BEEN AN INSPIRATION TO YOU? There are lots that I admire. Gudrun Gut of Berlin band Malaria and original member of Einsturzende Neubauten does a great job with her amazing female network, Charlotte Goltermann, who runs Ladomat is always a great help and inspiration to me. Artist-wise, I really like DJ Ada from Cologne who runs Areal Records. I‘m sure she will be an inspiration for lots of future techno heroines.

IS GENDER, IN THE DANCE MUSIC INDUSTRY, A STRONG INFLUENCE IN THE DELEGATION OF MUSIC ROLES? Well, let’s face it, men are so competitive - they have a problem with women taking the same jobs in any industry. There are fewer women in management and more women in PR and marketing, but it’s up to the individual, whether you want to embark on the race or not. I started in promotion and moved into management, as it was the natural progression. I wanted more.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO DEAL WITH HARASSMENT IN YOUR CAREER SO FAR? There are definitely some pretty rude guys out there that do not want to deal with women. I’ve been yelled at for no reason in meetings, even though I was right, which I found terribly frustrating, but in recent years, the vibe has definitely become nicer.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING A WOMAN IN DANCE MUSIC? First of all you have more body parts to shake around. Ha! But seriously, I think women and their abilities to socialise and network, their teamwork and communication skills in general are great assets for any business to have. In my experience, women in the music industry are supportive of each other.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG WOMEN TAKING AN INTEREST IN EMBARKING ON A CAREER IN MUSIC? Go for it. Be passionate about it. Kick some butt.

AND WOULD YOU SAY THE FUTURE LOOKS GOOD FOR WOMEN IN DANCE MUSIC? To be frank, I’m not sure it looks that great for anyone in dance music! Only the ones with a good network and teamwork abilities will survive.

Text: Lulu Le Vay and Liz McGrath Photos: Lars Borges and Jared Price