The Women Producers of Panorama Music Festival

It is summertime in New York City, which means that for these short two months, those in the Big Apple can finally partake in one of California’s favorite pastime: music festivals.

While the New York City landscape cannot quite compete with that of Coachella Valley or Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, the diverse inhabitants and artists in the city are what make the festivals worth attending. The city is brimming with creative talent of all kinds, and next week, people from all over will flock on ferries and over bridges to bask in unprecedented musical excellence.

Goldenvoice will be hosting Panorama Music Festival on Randall’s Island from July 27-July 29th. The three-day festival’s lineup includes massive names in music  such as Janet Jackson, The Weeknd, The Killers, SZA, Migos, and the XX. While most fans are rejoicing that SZA has not permanently damaged her voice and that Janet Jackson is making a much-needed comeback, what is most exciting about this lineup is the extensive list of female producers.

Image Source: Panorama NYC

11 female producers will be playing sets at Panorama Music Festival this year. This is, in part, due to Panorama introducing The Point in 2017. The Point is, per Panorama, “an open-air club celebrating New York City’s key role in the ongoing evolution of DJ culture and electronic music.  The Point is a shaded dance party with continuous DJ and live sets all day and night embedded in the center of the festival. The Point will feature a mesmerizing LED light show experience and state-of-the-art Funktion One sound system surrounding a one-of a-kind dancefloor. DJs will use both vinyl turntables and CDJs to spin mixes of house, techno, disco, and other electronic sounds from the underground.”

Out of the 18 artists primed to play in this space over the weekend, 11 of them are women! Over the next week, Gender Amplified will be profiling the trailblazing women who will be behind the soundboard at Panorama. Today, we cover Avalon Emerson, Bearcat, and DJ Haram.

Avalon Emerson

Image Source: Last.FM

Avalon Emerson, American techno producer, has been featured in posts by the New York Times, MixMag, and Resident Advisor. While Emerson is now based in Berlin, where one can find the best of the best women producers, her roots lie in San Francisco, California. In 2017, Avalon Emerson played Panorama Bar, on a Klubnacht, in Berlin, and her nine-hour set (yes… I said nine hours!) blew the crowd away. Her sets always surprise; Avalon loves to play her demo music and the tracks that are still a work in progress and have yet to be released. As one of techno’s most in-demand producers, it will be a privilege to see her intimately perform at Panorama.

Bearcat

Image Source: Discwoman

Kerrie Ann Murphy, artistically known at Bearcat, is a producer, DJ, and composer whose music reflects her political beliefs. She infuses her musical creations with political gestures of disobedience, defiance, and empowerment. This Philadelphia-based artist is part of the women collective Discwoman, and has worked not only as a DJ and producer, but also an audio engineer and professional make-up artist since 2005. She has performed sets for artists including 21 Savage, CupcakKe, and more. Her willingness and bravery to dig deep into her emotional side in her musical work is what truly makes Bearcat unique and one-of-a-kind.

DJ Haram

Image Source: Discwoman

Last but not least on our list today is DJ Haram, another member of the Discwoman collective. Her music has the walls at clubs bouncing and booming with the people dancing. DJ Haram dabbles in DIY sound making, including experimental sound, landing her gigs at Moma PS1 and the Fringe Arts Festival in Philly. Many of her productions and live performances serve as an homage to her Middle-Eastern heritage and history, yet provide a hard-hitting twist through her assertive production.

If you are planning on going to Panorama next weekend, you have got to check out these incredible women producers. If you were not planning on going to Panorama, I am sure you are re-thinking that decision.

Find tickets to Panorama here: http://www.panorama.nyc/passes/