Bass Babes that You’re Not Going to Want to Miss at Lightning in a Bottle
Lightning in a Bottle Festival impresses us every year by standing strong as a boundary-pushing leader in the music scene. This year and last year, LIB passed the gender diversity test by booking 45% women, as represented on their main phase one lineup. The Stacks stage especially includes standout femme talent in bass music, although we hope to see greater gender equity in the future since the current bass stage lineup is only 15% women.
Bass n Babes is a bass music collective that aims to uplift queer, femme, and other underrepresented DJs/producers. By bringing queer and feminine energy to bass music culture, we push the scene forward and tap into talent that has historically been overlooked. The LIB lineup contains a lot of femme talent and we wanted to shout out some of the bass babe artists we are most excited to see.
Part of Mixmag’s Breakthrough DJs of 2023 and the Beatport Next 2024 cohort, Bianca Oblivion uniquely blends grime, baile funk, Baltimore club and Miami bass. Her sets keep the dancefloor moving with top tier energies and fresh sounds. She is also the co-founder of Warp Mode – a roaming LA party and a platform for femme, non-binary, queer and POC artists.Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Episcool (pronounced “E-P-IS-COOL”) is a prominent name among the Soundcloud universe, episcool has assisted with the growth of the underground community through her music label SUS COLLECTIVE, and continues to push the boundaries of music. Episcool blends bass, trap and hip hop in a way that creates a hype yet chill atmosphere that makes you feel as cool as her. This year Episcool is making her return to LiB after playing two Stacks last year.
Co-founder of Kyra Collective and standout member of Bass n Babes Kurei is making huge strides in the industry, performing at big festivals such as Lightning in a Bottle, Shambhala, and Apocalypse Festival. Her songs pull inspiration from house, ukg and 140 sounds, infusing it into a fresh and original sound of her own. Her music captures the essence of the divine feminine with alluring melodies and enchanting atmospheres. Slide to her set for some ethereal, slutty UKG and pretty fairy-core bass.
The Librarian is a pioneering DJ, producer, label owner, and festival founder who has established herself as one of bass music's most influential creative forces and tastemakers. The Librarian's dynamic performances seamlessly traverse the full spectrum of bass music, deftly moving between 130 breaks and adjacent techno to UKG, deep dubstep, jungle, juke and drum and bass. Not only is she the co-founder and music director of Bass Coast Festival, she is also a touring artist with seventeen years of experience playing clubs and festivals.
Mantra Sounds is a visionary artist hailing from the tri-state area. Her multifaceted talent as a DJ, producer, and vocalist, pushes the boundaries of conventional EDM genres such as experimental bass, DnB, house, and more. Mantra Sounds effortlessly fuses her vocals with dark, shadowy elements, to fluid and uplifting rhythms, creating a signature sound that feels both bold and introspective. She just made her LA debut with Bass n Babes and released a four-track EP over the month of April.
Mary Droppinz lives by a simple truth: music is an out of body experience. Her eclectic sound travels all over the dance spectrum and takes listeners on a journey across genres seamlessly blending breaks, bass, UKG, electro, house, techno, acid, DnB, and hip-hop all in one set displaying that everything is about energy. Her mission is to educate people about different sounds in electronic music, create a safe environment that transcends the dance floor, and truly connect those experiencing it to each other and the music.
Naughty Princess brings the dance floor heat, weaving beautiful eastern melodies over trap and hip hop beats, and delivers the freshest bass music with her unique style and energetic performance. One of her main goals is to create that magical dance floor experience where people can really let loose, express themselves, and dance their hearts out! Naughty Princess is also passionate about empowering women in a very male-dominated music industry which has for too long disrespected and objectified women.
Osyris sculpts a journey through mysterious frequencies and imagery; the Osyris experience is sure to take you through a glimpse of the universe she has created around her music. When watching her perform, leave all your expectations behind and prepare for the unknown. People have described her sound to be “experimental bass music infused with trap” but it is always maturing and evolving, so the only way to really find out is to take a step out of your mind and into the realm of Osyris. You can get a glimpse into her realm by watching her mysterious music videos or listening to her latest releases.
Puka, a Denver-based DJ/producer, is an experimental producer & engineer fueled by a passion for sound system culture. In her personal works she creates audio experiment’s that reflect the diverse underground culture from which she draws inspiration. In her DJ career she’s had the pleasure to share her unique soundscapes as tour support for artists such as, Alix Perez, Mersiv, Minnesota Bass, Champagne Drip, Potions, Player Dave, Meso and more. She has also made festival appearances such as Lightning in a Bottle, Gem & Jam Festival , Firelights Festival, June Jam.
A DJ/producer born and based in London and of Moroccan descent, Sicaria is known for her exciting and forward-thinking dubstep sound, cementing her status as a heavyweight advocate for lively, chest-rattling 140 bpm sounds. She is heavily influenced by her Moroccan heritage, where her intricate, complex percussive rhythms shine.
VEIL is the highly explosive, dark and mysterious byproduct of many years of creative evolution. Her former DJ project spacegeishA toured the globe, and is one of VEIL’s biggest influences, giving her the strength and confidence to take risks and set trends. She produces her own original tracks with cutting edge soundscapes, transporting listeners to cryptic dimensions where the bass rattles heavy. Her sound is refined, but spicy, chaos, weaving together elements from dubstep, drum and bass, halftime, and leftfield. The polished curation of a VEIL encounter combines her live selecting skills, original tracks, and custom visual elements -- making each set its own paradigm shift. She is pushing the sound of bass music forward with her own productions as well as with her record label Street Ritual.
Zen Selekta crafts music that gracefully intertwines moody, profound, and shadowy elements with ethereal melodies and global influences. Her creative flame is kindled by the diverse tapestry of life itself – be it through her rich Spanish heritage, books, film, spiritual practices such as meditation, exploration in nature, and engaging dialogues with those she meets along her path. She finds magic in the wonders of our diverse world and the cultures that intertwine within it, weaving these influences into her music.
These women are only a few of the influential femme artists that are making an impact and paving a new path for the bass music scene. Support these artists and the femme bass music movement by showing up to their sets, streaming their music, and following their social media accounts.
You can get tickets to Lightning in a Bottle here.
Here is the analyzed LIB Phase 1 Lineup with women highlighted in yellow.
