10 Best Female Deep House DJ's
One thing that has always intrigued me since I started listening more to electronic music is: why are there so few good female DJ's and producers? It seems to be this way all throughout the electronic genre, much more extreme than other sorts of music I listen to (well, maybe not in most metal). But there is a light at the horizon. Slowly but surely more female talent is taking the stage, especially in the house genre. A couple of years ago, when my taste was more focused at the progressive side of the spectrum, I got to know the Australian Nervo sisters and Swedes Rebecca & Fiona, but that was about it. Today, the deeper side of house is proving to be a good playground for several great DJ's/producers who happen to be a woman as well. Let me introduce you to a few.
Raving George
Let's start off with our cover girl (photo by Fille Roelants). Raving George is actually Charlotte De Witte from the beautiful and overall awesome city of Ghent in Belgium. As her name suggests, she's quite into raving, which means she usually produces dark techno and tech house tracks. However, at the beginning of this year she teamed up with fellow Belgians Oscar and the Wolf for a more accessible deep house sound which gained her a lot more exposure. Makes sense, it's an awesome track!
Maya Jane Coles
We're staying in the darker parts of the deep house landscape with this Londoner, who appeared in a previous blog post together with Raving George. Maya Jane Coles, also producing as Nocturnal Sunshine, has been around for a while now but doesn't feel like stepping down. Rightly so. Her best track of the year so far is this remix of Sam Smith, with her own unique vibe all over.
Nora en Pure
I would probably not be able to create a list of South Africa's 10 best DJ's/producers, but if I tried, Nora en Pure would surely be on top. The blonde is currently based in Switzerland, which explains why she's at the forefront of the recognisable Swiss deep house sound together with EDX. Deep drops are her signature mark and her best so far is beneath, imho.
Pretty Pink
From Switzerland it's a small step north to neighbouring Germany, where Pretty Pink is from. She's been part of the German melodic deep house uprise over the last years and might even be on the verge of a breakthrough. Personally I'm a big fan of her remixes of German songs, like this emotional one.
Sofia Zlatko
A married couple behind the decks? Yes, Brussels-based Vijay and Sofia Zlatko are quite unique. Though it was Vijay who started it, the big growth in quality and popularity over recent years can also be largely attributed to lovely Sofia. From G-House to melodic to deep house, the duo is known for their versatility. Below you'll find my favourite G-House track from their hands, also mixed in my years old G-House mixtape...
Melanie Holzkopf
Yeah, I have to admit I had to google her. I only knew Mel as 'the girl from Mƶwe', but guess what, she has a name! A couple of years ago the Austrian girl decided to change her indie band for a new melodic deep house project together with Clemens Martinuzzi. A pretty good choice, if I may say so!
Lovra
Our second German entry to this list is based in Berlin and only emerged on the deep house scene at the end of last year. Laura is also a graphic designer and model, but to be honest I only care about her producing qualities. And so should you. Just listen to this brand new remix of Kovacs.
The Jane Doze
You're right, these are two girls. And yes, that does make our list longer than 10. Now get over it. To find the birthplace of The Jane Doze we've got to cross the ocean to the city of New York. They are more known for their progressive house tracks, but I prefer their deeper remixes, of which this one is my favourite!
Eau Claire
You might remember Eau Claire from my previous blog post, and if not, go read it! That's about all I have to say.
Cat Carpenters
The Dutchies, where are the Dutchies? Don't you worry child, here they are! Amsterdam-based Cat Carpenters are the second female dj-duo in this list, and the only bad thing about them I can think of is that I feel they should put out much more music! And so will you after you check out their latest original.
Juliet Sikora
I know, I know, I reached 10 already. Or did you only notice now? Anyway, couldn't leave out the co-creator of this awesome deep house track I once used in a mixtape. Tried. Couldn't. Really.