A new FLINTA-focused turntablism and vinyl event is set to take place at Dalston Superstore later this week.
The event – run by London-based community platform Vinyl Bitch – is dedicated to empowering and celebrating FLINTA (Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Nonbinary, Trans, Agender) individuals in the art of turntablism and vinyl culture. Tickets are available here.
Vinyl Bitch was founded last year by Atlanta-born vinyl DJ and producer MADDØG, aka Madison True, as a “non-judgemental and encouraging space” for turntablists of all skill levels to explore vinyl DJing. No previous experience is required and tutorials are given 30 minutes before needles drop.
So far, the platform has hosted six Open Decks events at East London queer venue Dalston Superstore, along with various workshops, takeovers and community building sessions across the city.
This Thursday (13th June), Vinyl Bitch will host its largest event to date, Spin Spin Sugar, featuring a turntable workshop, panel discussion and record swap, followed by a club night.
“Spin Spin Sugar is what we’ve been working towards in pieces since we first started in the fall,” founder Madison True told DJ Mag. “This is us dipping our toes into a proper club night or pop-up, and really showing London what we can do – that FLINTA turntablists and vinyl DJs exist and we’re badass, and that there’s not just one way to play vinyl.
“The idea is that you can walk in off the street, knowing nothing about vinyl DJing, and give it a go that same night. It’s so fun because people will message me after saying ‘I bought my first record’ or ‘I’m looking at turntables on Facebook Marketplace’, and it’s like all these baby DJs are coming out. The Vinyl Bitches are procreating!”
True was working as a full-time vinyl DJ in Indiana, USA, before temporarily moving to London during Covid to study at Point Blank. After noticing a “lack of all-vinyl nights” in the city, and how “nights that do exist were typically dominated by men”, they founded Vinyl Bitch to encourage marginalised people to get involved in the discipline.
“I realised that a lot of the time if there was a minority on these bills, they would be opening, so that’s why it’s really important for us to showcase FLINTA DJs all night long,” True, who has since returned to London’s BIMM University to complete her Masters, explained.
“It’s basically a space to demystify vinyl DJing because I think from the outside, it can be quite intimidating. There’s all these knobs and faders, and then there’s a turntable with loads of different components, and it seems like it’s all delicate... but it’s really not that complicated or scary!”
“Vinyl sales are at record highs right now, and gender minorities are up amongst those purchasing vinyl, but that just isn’t matching who we’re seeing behind the turntables,” she continued. “Once you get started pushing things and hearing what things do, it’s like, ‘oh, this makes sense!’ What the guys are doing really isn’t that crazy...”
True described Vinyl Bitch events as “wholesome, but not in a super cutesy way... Everyone is just super happy and excited to be involved. People will come along alone and by the end of the night, they’ll have a bunch of new friends.”
“There’s no trap doors with sharks underneath if you make a mistake,” they added. “There’s just applause and cheering because fucking up is how we all learn and we just need a safe space to do it in.”
Budding turntablists who don’t own vinyl are also encouraged to get involved. “People can just message me [Madison] and say ‘hey, I’m into jungle, I’m into house or afrobeats’ and I go through my collection and try to match your vibe!”
The next Vinyl Bitch Open Decks event will take place on 1st July. Keep an eye on the Dalston Superstore website for sign-ups.
Tickets to Spin Spin Sugar are available here. Follow Vinyl Bitch on Instagram to find out more about their upcoming events and get involved.
Read DJ Mag's feature on how Open Decks are making DJing more accessible for everyone here.