SoundCloud’s Discwoman documentary shows the humans behind a club culture movement
The co-founders explain their motivation and mission in their own words.
Each entry in SoundCloud's Next Wave documentary series features a group of artists shifting the culture around them, but in the newest episode, Extended Mix, the need for change has never been more pressing. Zooming in on the front lines of New York City's independent nightlife scene, the new entry goes face-to-face with the co-founders of Discwoman. Discwoman are a combination of DJ collective, booking agency, and whatever-the-hell-else it takes to break white men's stranglehold over club culture and its notoriously exclusive lineups. While the group represents next-level electronic artists like Umfang and Bearcat (among many others), their mission is deeper than techno: Discwoman are 100% committed to using their fast-rising platform to support women-identified and non-binary DJs across culture.
“How do we actually become stakeholders in this conversation in music?”
“It was initially a one-off event. But it snowballed into: how do we actually become stakeholders in this conversation in music?” asks founding member Christine McCharen-Tran, recounting a moment from the group’s origin. Discwoman originally made their name at packed late-night events, but the documentary features co-founders Christine, Emma, and Frankie creating and hanging in the proud light of day. Speaking from their bedrooms and apartment kitchens, each member gets a chance to describe their motivations for starting the collective and explore why N.Y.C. and Soundcloud were so crucial for their early success.
Watch the full documentary above, and follow SoundCloud on Youtube for new episodes and new cities each month in 2017, with artist selection co-curated by The FADER. Upcoming entries will feature Rio, London, and Berlin. Bonus: get up-to-speed on Discwoman's current roster with a FADER-selected playlist, below.