Underplayed
As representation becomes more important in society, stories of racism, sexism and general discrimination in industries will come out. While the natural reaction by many will be, simply, to say “get over it” or dismiss the drive for greater representation as “SJW” whining. Stacey Lee’s “Underplayed,” which comes to the Amazon Prime on March 8, is an entertaining, informative, and sometimes painful look at how the DJ part of the music industry has not been conducive to nurturing female and minority talent; the entertaining part of the film comes from listening to the music of Alison Wonderland, Rezz and Sherelle, among others, and realizing just what we’ve been missing.
Lee’s documentary uses the most recent edition of Billboard and DJ Magazine’s “100 Best DJs” list, which only has five selections who are not men. While I’ve always been an electronic music fan, DJs and dance music has not really been a thing I’ve gravitated to. I feel as though I need to change that after listening to these women, not just out of support for them as artists whom have had to struggle and deal with what they’ve had to deal with to find success, but because their music is damn interesting to listen to. The different layers that go into a track, the way some of them bring live instruments into not just the sounds they sample, but as an element of live performances; getting a glimpse into their creative process is part of the charge for me watching this film.
Electronic music has a rich history, and while I was familiar with names like Wendy Carlos and Clara Rockmore (arguably the most famous performer of the theremin), I didn’t realize (or remember) until Lee’s film just how much of that history of creation and musical innovation women were a part of. From that perspective alone, “Underplayed” should be essential viewing. One of the things I’ve always loved about creating in the genre is how you can build the “Wall of Sound” out of sounds people will either have never heard before, or reconfigure existing sounds into a new context, and seeing the artists in “Underplayed” work is one of my favorite parts of the film. Seeing them make it come alive in a live setting- it’s not just about playback; it’s live performance, and it’s ferociously exciting to hear.
We hear from managers, promoters, and people close to the artists themselves, but hearing these women tell their stories, and the pressure they feel, is the heartbeat of the film. Alison and Rezz have to cancel performances because of the emotional toll their creation takes on them. Nightwave steps away from performing after the comments to one of her live shows bring the misogyny and hate female artists deal with front-and-center. TokiMonsta has a surgery that seems to rob her of her ability to create; seeing her struggle with that, and succeed in spite of it, is one of the great triumphs of the film. The women of Nervo have to find a balance between being mothers while on the road. In-person harassment and double standards also play a part in these stories, as well, and something that drives women like Tygapaw and Sherelle into finding their own paths towards success. This is just the beginning, however, but by the end, all of these stories feel like they’re headed in better directions by the end. I’m excited to see where they go from here.
