NIAMHZK
NIAMHZK
Self-doubt, Creativity and a driving passion. Here's how upcoming DJ, Niamhzk has pushed past the effects of a male-dominated industry and is making a name for herself with fun juicy breakbeats and classic electro. This is the story of Niamh Kinsella.
Niamhzk has overcome the challenges of a male-dominated industry with a combination of self-doubt, creativity, and an unwavering passion for music. She found solace in mixing during the lockdown of 2020, and her fascination with sound and music as a listener inspired her to pursue music creation. Her love for writing and creating, as well as her interest in spoken word poetry, led her to infuse industrial sounds to create a unique and new sound that brings people together.
Interviewed by Isaac Dale (he/him)
Well, I first started mixing in the beginning of lockdown in 2020, as I found it just gave me something to do. I think I've just been fascinated by sound, and music as a listener. Even if I'm not necessarily a musical expert in terms of performing, I have always been one to appreciate it. I feel like I fit into that category, and I also used to love writing poetry. They weren't necessarily lyrics, but writing has always been a creative outlet I enjoy. And so I kind of work with a lot of spoken word poetry and yeah, I guess I infuse industrial sounds over each other to create something new. And creating a new sound is just something I find amazing, being able to pick out sounds that you hear in everyday life, and ordering, layering and constructing them in a way that creates “music” is an exciting practise. Sound acts as a medium, whilst it have the capacity to bring so many people together, it can equally cause divisions. I think this is something i’ve definitely come to learn even just over the past couple of years of being able to play music myself and just immersing myself in the culture, industry etc.. Having a large group of people together on a dance floor is a pretty special thing, it's this weird unity of bodies who are all there to appreciate the sound, and being able to share that sound is why I love what I do.
What was the catalyst for your interest in music, and becoming a DJ?
Who are your idols and inspirations?
I think that one of the most beautiful moments was right after I placed one of my first sets, when one of my idols, who I don't need to disclose, approached me and commented on the versatility of my track selection. That was so validating to me because that's exactly what I try to do. I try to mix it up. I try to experiment with different sounds. Obviously, I idolise other female electronic music artists. Because seeing representation and seeing yourself in the position that they are is inspiring. When the representation isn't there, it's really hard to picture yourself, landing these gigs. But when, when they do come about it's sort of like, Oh, hell yea - it's possible. As for my inspirations, I love Avrin, D Tiffany, Maara, TYP, Souy Mata & Amor Satyr. Oh, and of course Roza Terenzi. It’s the distinctiveness of all of their sounds that gets me. Their production. Everything really.
Could you tell us a bit about your sound?
For the past couple of years, I've been trying to explore new music and artists. Seeking inspiration and fine-tuning my taste. More than anything really this makes me a listener, just geeking away on Bandcamp and devouring hours upon hours of music. I'm not going to lie, I can find qualities I like in most songs I listen to, but I won't sit through the whole song if I feel it doesn't speak to me or correlates with my style. But it's like an addiction of sorts. I need to feed it. I am constantly mixing up the genres of music I listen to. Challenging myself and just immersing myself in different sounds is, so important, especially as an artist. But you just need to take it day by day and extending out beyond the more commercialised techno sound, and diving into the deeper, yummier stuff is a favourite pastime of mine. I play an eclectic mix of genres, not one to really categorise my sound but I suppose its a bit of industrial-bass, electro, and break-beat. There is just so much consistent, experimentation in those genres. Keeps it playful.
What is your involvement with inertia? And can you tell us a bit about what inertia is?
Inertia is an event label that previously used to operate out of Colour Club. They have and continue to be a huge support to me. They were among the first events companies here in Naarm to reach out and offer me opportunities to play. It genuinely meant a lot when I was first starting out to have access to this platform and network of other like-minded creatives. That’s something inertia does well - they always have a lineup of young upcoming local djs. Its great to see this support for less established artists in the industry. Inertia has since relocated to New Guernica, so that's the club I find myself playing most at now.
As a woman in the extremely male-dominated arena that is the music industry, what have been your experiences? How does it affect your work?
I'm so in awe of other female artists as well as queer and BIPOC artists who are hustling in a field that has conventionally been dominated by a particular type of person. Artists who defy these boundaries, inspire me so much. It's really difficult not to get in your head about the degree to which your talent should or should not be recognized or how much space you deserve to take up. Comparison is a killer. I used to struggle with this inner dialogue of “Do I deserve this?”, or “Am I just a token female artist on the lineup?”
There have been times in the past when event companies have reached out and as awesome as it is to get these opportunities, I am conditioned to think as a female, that I'm a token female artist and they just need someone to fill that slot. When I do play, I sometimes feel that people may not take me as seriously as my male dj mates. It’s a process of unlearning this ingrained mentality but doesn’t get me wrong, it sucks. At the end of the day, I enjoy what I do, I’m passionate and that’s the most important thing.
What is your take on the current music scene for young DJs and artists? Do you think it is a smooth ride, especially for womxn, gender-non-conforming people, and BIPOC
I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by such an energetic creative scene here in Naarm. There is such a dense pool of talent within this city alone and it's super inspiring to watch young people showcase their art, and more generally just put their passions into practice. The hustle is refreshing but it's hardly a smooth ride. There’s no denying that the electronic music industry is male-dominated and it is pretty damn disappointing to see lineups that are completely devoid of any representation particularly considering the breadth of talent among artists who are seemingly non-conforming in terms of their racial or gender background. This distinction between conforming and non-conforming gets pretty tiring and it sucks to feel like you are part of the latter. I suppose the overall issue or takeaway here is that there isn’t a lack of talent among womxn and BIPOC artists in Melbourne, but rather a lack of representation across the board.
And, what would you like to see change?
I feel like there's a lot. I mean, it's going to take time, undoubtedly. It's not one of those immediate fixes. But I’d love for more people to show genuine interest in the pursuits of gender-nonconforming people and people of colour. I think event companies and venues don't realize how obvious it is when it is performative. People are naturally drawn to popular things, and of course, these businesses are businesses, so they get these artists that they know will sell tickets, but as an industry, I feel that we need to move beyond that thought and see that there is so much talent beyond the artists we already know and love. People want to see fresh faces. People want to hear fresh tunes, and people that come from diverse backgrounds can offer something fresh. And that is what's going to propel the industry. It’s obviously important to appreciate those that are successful, but its true that opportunities are disproportionate. Yeah, I think there needs to be more female mentors and for that to happen, there needs to be more opportunities given to women in the first place. There isn't an insufficient lack of talent, but a lack of opportunity.
What’s next for you? Any exciting upcoming projects
There’s so much I want to do. I’d love to engage in more cross-disciplinary creative projects involving art and music. That intersection of art and music is super fascinating to me. I have a few ideas in the works for projects that explore this dynamic. Producing is also on the cards - at the moment I’m just experimenting with ideas and influences. I’m happy at this stage just being a part of it - enjoying and supporting the scene, the music, the people. but of course, I’m excited to get my own work out there. I want to be able to offer people a sound that is intentional and refined, yet unique and new to their ears at the same time. So, watch this space I guess.