When asked to create opportunities and visibility for partipants other than cishet males, it is the Indian creative community's go-to strategy to feign somnolence. Just about done with this apathy, more and more women and queer artists in India are taking it upon themselves to create communities that help build each other up. Linked by common interest and trials, those long since sidelined increasingly understand the importance of a strong supportive network. They recognise the depressing reality where it does not already exist, and recaliberate it into an opportunity to make one for themselves.
One such community network is The EQ way, a support platform for women and queer DJs created by Neha Pardeshi and Pooja Bangad. Through The EQ way, Neha and Pooja promote a network of women and queer DJs, hyping their upcoming gigs, while also routinely inviting them to grace the airwaves on the EQ Way radio show on the Sound of Berlin channel on Flux Music and have their signature styles reach a wider audience.
Neha Pardeshi is a regular fixture in Hyderabad's nightlife DJing as Nephra, while also curating Syzygy - her show on Frisky Radio for four years running - first Wednesday of every month. You can listen to her recent deep techno/house mix for Pioneer DJ radio here:
Pooja Bangad is a resident at Analog Room, Dubai, while playing a great many clubs and festivals globally and curating the aforementioned the EQ way radio show for Flux Music, Berlin. Listen to a snippet of her track 'A.M.' released under her Ikigai alias on Underdub Records:
As DJs and Producers, both of them understand the shared experiences, conditions, and concerns of being a woman artist in India up close, and as is usually the case - it was partly their own frequently uncomfortable trysts that gave way to the EQ way. Instead of letting their past experiences, fears and disappointments holding them back, Neha and Pooja chose instead to recognize and or cultivate new or old relationships with other women and queer artists. Here is our quick chat with them about the path the EQ way has forged:
How did The EQ come about? Was there a specific event that galvanised it?
EQ way came into existence because we wanted to help ourselves and other women to make space in the male-driven music culture. To bring about this balance we made the first move by creating EQ way as a common voice through which we support each other.
Where is The EQ based or where does it operate from? Is the focus on female electronic music artists that are Indian and / or those from the Indian diaspora or open to those outside of these parameters?
Pooja B runs the EQ Way radio while she's on the move, and Nephra is based out of Hyderabad. The collective focuses on female and female identifying artists and contributors across the globe and is not restricted to India.
What do you consider to be The EQ's USP?
The EQ Way is open to including anyone who is a cis female or from the LGBTQ community worth their salt wanting to contribute, collaborate or who needs a platform to showcase their music...be it individual artists or a collective.
Because we aren't a localised collective, we don't run regular events like other collectives. When one of us is visiting other cities, we collab on events or projects. We also support female artists via our socials by promoting their gigs, podcasts, etc.
What are the current programs / events / initiatives The EQ is running? What do you have planned for the future?
The EQ Way show on Sound of Berlin radio channel will continue to highlight more talent as it has in the pat. In addition to that, we will be part of a showcase at ADE this year. Our vision for the future is to host events in collaboration with other collectives, push for more collaborative works among women/LGBTQ arists, encourage & involve more women in the dance music scene.
We are hopeful for the EQ way and other communities to play a more active role in not only celebrating women and queer arists and bringing that crucial positive affirmation to their lives, but also in processing the heartache and trauma that accompanies them in their professional journeys while working in music.
In the meantime, if you are a women or queer musician, or working in music in India in any other capacity - booking agent, visual artist, manager, sound engineer etc. - don't hesitate to email us so we can bring your efforts the attention they deserve.
Written by Uvika Wahi
