Ahead of her headline set for He.She.They in New York this weekend, the UK-based producer curates an exclusive playlist of her favorite emerging artists, spanning hypnotic techno to bouncy sample-heavy house.
Valentine’s Day is distant history, and the future holds an inclusive rave where everyone’s welcome. Tomorrow night London’s club night He.She.They arrives in New York, with the mission of taking club culture back to its radically inclusive roots, and an all-female-identifying lineup of DJs led by Maya Jane Coles. The UK-based DJ and producer is probably best known for for her 2010 track “What They Say,” featuring an addictively sonorous bassline that percolated through underground dance floors before eventually catching the ear of Nicki Minaj. Since then Maya has tested her range with a string of top-billing festival sets, a deep house odyssey for Fabric 75, and two full-length albums, including her mermerically moody 2017 release Take Flight. Tomorrow night, Maya will be joined by crossover dance icon Kim Ann Foxman, Jackathon Jams mastermind Heidi, and Brooklyn’s own genre-spanning producer and DJ Lauren Flax.
“This kind of night is exactly what the dance/electronic community has needed for a long long time,” Maya tells Document. “In the past I’ve often felt like the queer scene has lacked parties that embrace the darker side of dance/electronic music and the underground dance scene has generally lacked parties that truly embrace queer culture. I love that He.She.They is a safe space for anyone who thinks outside of the box and a place that welcomes people to harness their creativity, which I feel like the rave scene has slightly lost over the recent years.” She credits the exuberant crowd—and its equally wild outfits—with keeping the atmosphere refreshingly insane. “It can get exhausting sometimes when you’re faced with a room full of people half dancing and more concerned about filming you on their phones. It’s the opposite of that here. Everyone’s dressed in crazy outfits, just having fun and really appreciating the music in a true party environment. It’s a refreshing atmosphere for sure.”
In anticipation of tomorrow night’s event, Maya has created an exclusive playlist for Document to spotlight her favorite artists of the moment. It includes Berlin-based vocalist/producer Catnapp (a frequent collaborator), emotive Canadian duo UNDERHER, a sample-based house track from Kristin Velvet that Maya describes as having a “chunky, heavy bottom end and bouncy flow,” and a “hypnotic, slow techno joint” from London’s ABSOLUTE. Keep an ear out also for a remix of Kiddy Smile’s “Let a Bitch Know” by Catz & Dogz—Kiddy will perform at He.She.They during Paris Fashion week at the end of the month. “I love his playful and humorous yet fearless take on the way he presents himself and his music,” Maya says.
He.She.They with Teksupport takes places Saturday, February 16 from 10pm-late, at 99 Scott Avenue in Brooklyn. Tickets are available here.