Women in Electronic Music

October 1, 2011 7:00 PM

"Daphne Oram was the first woman to direct an electronic music studio, the first woman to set up a personal studio and the first woman to design and construct an electronic musical instrument." [previously: 1, 2, 3]

Like other technologies in the 1950s and 1960s, women played an often overlooked role developing the new field of electronic music. The Phthalo Podcast covered this topic last year, giving you a chance to actually listen to early examples. On the academic side, Tara Rodgers (aka analog tara) is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, who occasionally covers the topic on her tumblr.

Today, women in this scene still remain out of the mainstream (with a few exceptions). dpi considers some possibilities, while Bitch magazine covers the topic in three parts. Despite the lack of visibility, there are many active women musicians employing electronic instruments in their work, not to mention those on the spinning side of the scene. Her Beats keeps up with the latest and greatest, with a podcast featuring newer artists.

posted by spiderskull (13 comments total)

Also Superjane. Also Susanna of Rare Frequency.

That cyndustries.com link is awfully arbitrary. I was thinking maybe there were links to interviews or something but it's just a bunch of links. Someone knows about Celeste Hutchins and Jessica Rylan but doesn't list sites for Blevin Blectum or Ellen Allien or Limor Fried (previously)? That's a little weird.
posted by mkb at 7:55 PM on October 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

Great additions, mkb. Thanks!
posted by spiderskull at 8:09 PM on October 1, 2011

Also, Wendy Carlos
posted by exogenous at 9:30 PM on October 1, 2011 [1 favorite]

I bet none of these ladies can rock a shirtwaist dress like Daphne.
posted by fleetmouse at 9:38 PM on October 1, 2011

Also, beat master Delia Derbyshire, sexy loop goddess and Doctor Who theme writer.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 10:20 PM on October 1, 2011

Does tUnE-yArDs count as electronic music?
posted by drezdn at 10:34 PM on October 1, 2011

Else Marie Pade
posted by mumimor at 1:18 AM on October 2, 2011

From the Science Museum Blog on the 'Oramics to Electronica' exhibition:

On 10 October, a second stage of the exhibition will open, which will showcase an array of electronic music and sound reproduction equipment. It will be co-created by a range of individuals working with electronic music today. The Museum is also working together with employees of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and Electronic Music Studio (EMS), who produced the first commercial British synthesizer: VCS3.

I know what I'll be doing that week. I can pretty much trace my love of experimental electronic sound to a childhood spent listening to BBC Radiophonic Workshop stuff from the early '70s. Also, I found Tara Rodger's book Pink Noises: Women on Electronic Music and Sound a good read.
posted by frogbit at 4:30 AM on October 2, 2011

Also, Pauline Oliveros.
posted by box at 7:27 AM on October 2, 2011

Good stuff here. My favorite (electronic artist, woman or man) is Laurie Spiegel of Bell Labs.
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 8:11 AM on October 2, 2011

More awesome links. Thanks everyone!
posted by spiderskull at 10:02 AM on October 2, 2011

Lesley Flanigan is cool.
posted by jdfan at 6:38 PM on October 2, 2011

TOKiMONSTA (Jennifer Lee)
posted by june made him a gemini at 7:02 PM on October 2, 2011