Should The Press Stop Talking About "Women In Dance Music"?

The Ransom Note has published a provocative editorial that examines how the discourse surrounding “women in dance music” may undermine gender equality and representation in the music industry.

The article accuses many publications of attempting to express their solidarity with feminism through “positive discrimination.” While lists, magazine features, club nights and production courses dedicated only to women in music reflect admirable intentions, The Ransome Note asserts that it might further reinforce exceptionalisms like “she’s good for a girl” or place female musicianship in a different category from that of simply the music they make.

“Though these articles are a well-intended celebration of talent, by grouping together artists based on their gender as opposed to their music styles and celebrating their involvement by virtue of their being female, presented always within the context of other females, we are setting these women up to be considered and judged in a different spectrum—and therefore unequally—to their male coworkers,” wrote The Ransome Note’s Jordan Rahlia.

Read into the other side of the argument here. You can read more about women doing great things in radio here all the while listening to this killer mix of female electronic composers.