‘The Future Is Female’
Jem PHOTO COURTESY HONOLULU MUSEUM OF ART
As Metro gives you a closer look at SuperCW this week, we thought it’d be a great time to shine the spotlight on a few other local female DJs as well. All three are pretty badass with their own personalities and sound, which you’ll learn more about below. They also happen to share ties with SuperCW herself.
JEM
Years as a DJ:
Three-and-a-half
Describe your sound:
Tropical-electro-R&B
Why did you become a DJ? When I was younger, I used to record myself on cassette tapes as if I had my own radio show. When I attended UH, I joined KTUH and made my dream a reality!
How has SuperCW influenced you or your career?
I was a big fan of SuperCW and one day, I found out she was a fan of mine! She tweeted KTUH saying, “Jem plays everything in my brain.” Soon after, she started booking me for gigs. I hadn’t had much experience spinning live, but she would encourage me constantly and share all kinds of DJ knowledge with me. I loved how she would walk into her gigs with such confidence and own it. I always thought she was so badass (still do). She has such great taste in music, and I love that she plays music that the crowd may not know — but that she knows they will love. She has shown me that embracing who you are and letting your personal style shine through is so essential. It may not be for everyone, but those who recognize it truly dig it.
Tittahbyte PHOTO COURTESY JARETT LAPITAN
How did you get your DJ moniker?
It came to me one day as I was walking up a set of stairs. I just knew “Jem” was it.
How has the field changed for women in recent years?
More females have been on the tables doing their thang! Hawaii is unique in the way that we have so many fierce female DJs here. Aside from Vegas, all the cities I have traveled to don’t seem to have nearly as many female DJs as we do.
One piece of advice I’d share with any aspiring female DJ is…
Don’t feel intimidated! Know that it takes time and practice, but with determination, patience and genuine love for music, you will get there! Feel free to ask me any questions; happy to help any aspiring DJs in any way I can.
Yooey PHOTO COURTESY RIANA STELLBURG
Favorite jam:
Of all time, Dreams by The Cranberries.
The weirdest thing that has ever happened to me while DJing is…
I witnessed someone get down on one knee and propose on the dance floor during Watch Me by Silento.
You can find me at:
Industry Night at Rumfire every Monday, and SKY Waikiki every Saturday. Check djjem.com for other events.
TITTAHBYTE
Years as a DJ:
Five! I’m still a baby but my music collection is what makes me older.
Describe your sound:
I love blending hip-hop, R&B, indie dance and bass. I like to think that my sets are an oral history of my music taste throughout my lifetime.
Why did you become a DJ?
Like most teenagers, I was insecure growing up and the only thing that I could identify with and would make me feel confident was my arsenal of good music. I’d upload rare songs onto my Asian Avenue/ MySpace pages and loved recommending music to people. It was like prescribing medicine to patients. I loved hearing that validation like, “You’re right, I loved that song!” It wasn’t till I started dating a DJ that he planted the seed that I should learn how to mix.
How has SuperCW influenced you or your career?
SuperCW and I started DJing out in public around the same time. I was DJing a lot of underground hip-hop events, and she would drop my name every chance she’d get whenever a corporate or Top 40 gig was looking for a DJ. Her co-sign was more than enough pressure on me to kill it at all the gigs she booked me. Without her, I wouldn’t have broken into the mainstream nightlife scene.
How did you get your DJ moniker?
I used to think that 1TB external hard drives were called 1 tittahbyte, no joke. My friends teased me forever and would call me Tittahbyte, so it just stuck.
How has the field changed for women in recent years?
I feel like there are a lot of steps forward, but there’s also a lot of steps back. There’s many stereotypes and you have a lot more to prove as a female in the industry. In the end, no matter if you’re a female or male, if you’re a great DJ and you have a great business ethic, people will respect you and want to work with you.
What is your process like? If I have a gig coming up, I’ll do my research to check what kind of gig it is: what kind of music should I play, what type of crowd is it, what equipment do I need? After I figure out the event logistics, I’ll spend the next few days digging for music that I feel will fit the gig. Then I’ll create a crate and pull music together so that I’m not stressing looking for a certain song during the gig … I like to put myself in the crowd and try to understand what music I’d want to hear at that moment.
One piece of advice I’d share with any aspiring female DJ is…
Be humble and realistic. Not just toward people, but yourself.
Favorite jam:
That’s the wrong question to ask a DJ! Right now, I’m currently listening to Syd’s Fin solo album.
The weirdest thing that has ever happened to me while DJing is…
I was DJing and there was this man standing on the side of me, staring at me the whole time.
You can find me at:
Row, every second Friday at Bar 35 and The Republik/Safe-house.
YOOEY
Years as a DJ:
“Bedroom” DJ for over 10 years. Officially a public DJ for almost two years.
Describe your sound:
Eclectic. I don’t have a definite genre I play, but among all the different genres, I tend to play songs that have a more “feminine” vibe to it — vocally and more melodic.
Why did you become a DJ?
I’ve always wanted to be, and I’ve always been a part of pretty much every music scene. Hence I’ve been a bedroom DJ for a decade but never had the courage to do it in public, even though I had a lot of friends that are
DJs and musicians that taught me over the years. I finally did it because I found that there were barely any women DJs … and I hear most DJs play the same generic club sets and no creative sound.
How has SuperCW influenced you or your career?
MAJOR. Going back to that creative sound, when I first heard her play, I couldn’t Shazam fast enough. Aside from DJ Delve, she was the first person to play indie dance music, which is the genre I’ve always loved but didn’t know how Hawaii would receive in a club-like setting. She is unapologetic in her music choice — it’s what makes her happy and you can see it in her performances. If it’s good music, it’s good music, and it translates through her very well. It pushed me to finally go out there and play and not be afraid of how it may be received, as it wasn’t the same cookie-cutter playlist. Being a music junkie, and having been around different scenes for 15 years, my music taste can get weird but I’ve learned through her that if it’s good to you, you can translate it back to be good to others.
How did you get your DJ moniker?
Well, I just go by Yooey for my DJ name. But everyone also knows me as Yoozilla because of my Instagram name from years ago. So my logo is a dinosaur with ‘YOOEY’ that looks like a mohawk hair.
How has the field changed for women in recent years?
It’s gotten a little better, but the gap is still far and wide and we have a lot of work to do. More female DJs and producers are coming out of the shadows and blowing up now. TOKiMONSTA, Mija, Alison Wonderland, and Anna Lunoe are some of my favorites that I see getting bigger and bigger every year.
Seeing more women DJs and producers in festivals and sold-out shows is amazing and really inspiring, but until they get equal treatment, fame and pay as a headliner like the boys, we still have a long road ahead of us. Locally, I think it changed over the last three years dramatically. SuperCW has had a huge part in this as she always pushed girl DJs to support one another, from a simple introduction to helping us get gigs.
What is your process like?
My process takes hours and even days. Virtual “crate digging” — finding new music — takes me days. I scour all my usual music blogs and spiral into the Soundcloud rabbit hole, plus listening to countless hours of mixes from some of my favorite mix shows from other DJs. Then I try to piece it together by energy and vibe level. Generally, I want to go on a journey, I don’t want to be stuck in one energy level; you have to give people room to breathe. Depending on what my set time slot is, I plan accordingly. Also, I leave room for spontaneous change-ups depending on the crowd. You don’t wanna be stuck in your set, and if the crowd is awkward toward it, change it! Then practice, practice, practice. For usual club gigs, I just see what’s the latest Top 40 songs and update my library a few days before the weekend to get current, and add it to my classic club favorites.
One piece of advice I’d share with any aspiring female DJ is…
DO IT BETTER! Do everything better! I’ve had a few female DJs that would always use a controller and didn’t know how to use industry standard equipment. I told them I would teach them and I did, and now they are using professional turntables and/ or CDJs. Using a controller at a venue that has equipment looks like a joke. As females, we are already looked down upon as not being able to use professional equipment, as if we are just fooling around and want to pretend to be a DJ. We have to just do EVERYTHING better. You want to book gigs because you are a superior DJ, not because you’re a cute girl and if you do it better, no one can question that.
Favorite jam:
Everything ‘90s-early 2000 R&B jamz. Mostly anything from TLC.
The weirdest thing that has ever happened to me while DJing is…
One time, when I was spinning on the main stage at The Republik for a packed house Electric Palms event, they brought me a little step riser behind the decks so I could be taller and people could see more than just my floating head. (I’m only 4-foot-10.) I was dancing a little too hard, I guess. I tripped off of it to the side. I got up really fast and I think no one noticed, but I felt like I had a small heart attack.
You can find me at: Instagram/Twitter @yoozilla. Also, hiyooey.com.
