Reykjavík Grapevine


Reykjavík Grapevine - 20.04.2018, Blaðsíða 32

Reykjavík Grapevine - 20.04.2018, Blaðsíða 32
DJ Dominatricks Will Make You A Rave Slave The DJ/VJ duo on technology, obscurity and oppression Words: Alexander Jean de Fontenay Photos: Timothée Lambrecq DJs Catch DJ Dominatricks at Húrra at their all-nighter on April 27th, and at 'Mayday!', hosted by Axis Dancehall, on Wednesday May 2nd In the past half year or so, the DJ/VJ duo DJ Dominatricks have become an intriguing addition to Reykjavík’s nightlife. The two deliver absorbing performances, mixing hard-hitting electronic dance music and dark, technologically-centred visuals. The duo consists of two promis- ing young talents—the DJs/visual artists Arna Beth and Melkorka Þorkelsdóttir (a.k.a. Melly). They met in high-school and had an instant attraction to each other. “Melly had been stalking my artwork on the in- terweb for a while, so our first conver- sation felt very natural,” says Arna. Techno & trap Arna was asked to perform an in- strumental set of her own music at Stage Dive Fest in December 2017. “I hadn’t finalised anything, so I asked Melkorka to collabo- rate on a DJ set,” she says. And so, DJ Dominatricks was formed. They have different backgrounds when it comes to music. “Melly comes from a more h i p - h o p & t r a p based background which can be a very interesting t w ist in our sets,” Arna said. “When Arna asked me to collaborate I agreed without hesitation. I had been do- ing very bubbly and flamboyant DJ sets as DJ Motherfunker,” Melly explained and adds “Transition- ing to techno was out of my com- fort zone. But I decided to go for it.” Contemporary rebellion DJ Dominatricks offer an unusual mixture of visual and musical ex- pression, blending alternative gen- res such as trance, gabba and reggae- ton with nostalgic industrial techno originating from Berlin and Detroit. “I’m very much into electronic and experimental music, so I en- joy playing tracks that are hard to find offline,” said Arna. The two also consider their style an act of feminist rebellion in today’s op- pressive culture. They want to ex- aggerate their resistance to it as much as possible. “Honestly, we use this platform to serve as ambassa- dors for female empowerment in a male-dominated world,” says Melly. “We want people to be a bit afraid of us, but also to keep wanting more.” Techno obsession One might consider their perfor- mances, with their dark and fu- turistic music and visuals, a con- scious attempt to stand out from the crowd. But Melly thinks otherwise. “Standing out is not our objective per se,” she says. “We’d much rather use the stage as a platform to ex- press our interests and project what we would like to experi- ence as an audience.” The influence of new technology, sci- fi and internet cul- ture is strong in Dominatricks’ aes- thetic, musically and visually. “We both grew up with the internet, and were both outcasts from a very young age,” says Arna. “I became isolated from the outside world as a teenag- er.” Melly adds: “I’ve been commit- ted to my funeral-esque dress code ever since my emo adolescence.” DJ Dominatricks have a busy schedule ahead, playing three times in the coming weeks. “The summer is packed with exciting things, like performing at LungA festival and Reykjavík Arts Fes- tival,” says Arna. “Stay tuned!” “You will become the slave to our rave,” finishes Melly. Music Lead us into temptation “We want peo- ple to be a bit afraid of us.” Open: Mondays-Saturdays 11:30-22:30 Sundays 16:00-22:00 Now offering catering service! Closed Mondays. Marshallhúsið, Grandagarður 20, 101 Reykjavík. Bus route 14 (Listabraut) To reserve lunch and dinner call +354 519 7766, or info@marshallrestaurant.is, marshallrestaurant.is

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Reykjavík Grapevine

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