Feline Q&A with DJ Storm

October 30, 2009

Established in 2004 with Storm at the helm, the all-female drum & bass collective have gone from strength-to-strength, proving that the Feline formula is no gimmick. At Feline you won’t hear any testosterone- fuelled rave sound, but a perfectly blended mix of the best tunes provided by highly-skilled selectors who are passionate about their music. As a result Feline attracts an audience that is equally well mixed, musically open-minded and cheerful. Since its inception Feline has held nights in the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Italy incl. Sardinia, Estonia, France and more.

At the heart of the crew are some of the drum & bass scene’s leading ladies and a unique mix of talented professionals. Storm has recently been representing for Metalheadz with appearances on the label's 15 year anniversary tour and will be touching down in Amsterdam, Austria and Switzerland amongst other places over the next month. Flight has recently returned to the radio after a brief hiatus and is now hosting her 'Next Chapter' show on Rinse FM. Alley Cat has been busy too, compiling and mixing the latest Kokeshi podcast, working on a dubstep track feat. MC DRS, and mastering the next release on her label, which sees a debut release for Cardiff-based dubstep sensation Lung.

We caught up with Storm to find out more about Feline and this weekend's event:

Q. Saturday night sees the Feline crew hosting Room 2 at Area alongside Renegade Hardware. How does Feline differ from your average drum & bass night?

A. I suppose the big difference for Feline is that we are a collective of DJs and MCs who are female. I have been DJing since 1992 and, as a female in a male orientated scene, I have always been aware that things are that bit more difficult to be taken seriously. However it has not been impossible. It has always given me hope when I have come across other female DJs and MCs. It has always been tricky to put female nights together, due mainly to the lack of female representatives, and they were always seen as a novelty. Four years ago I was given the opportunity to give Feline a go. Even in the beginning we did not have enough DJs but, as time went by, new lady DJs started to become known to me and now over time we have found ourselves with a strong selection of DJs and MCs .

Q. All the Feline DJs are quite versatile and also play other types of music, including dubstep (Alley Cat, Flight), house (Flight) and old school breakbeat (Storm). Do you prefer playing events with a cross-section of styles on the night?

A. Feline's first music will always be drum & bass, but we have been in a situation , i.e. two floors , that has afforded us the opportunity to promote females in a much broader way.

It has allowed us to become known as not just as a drum & bass female collective, but as a collective of females that can turn their hands to all styles of underground dance music.

This has allowed us to bring in and support females from different genres, which has just enhanced the Feline experience.

Q. In over four years since Feline began, you've travelled across the UK and Europe, as well as holding down a London residency. What are the standout moments for you with Feline at home and on the road?

A. We have had some great times together and some really excellent nights. One of my favourites was in Budapest in Hungary, the vibe was so amazing and Feline Kru rocked the house. I think it made us realise that Feline had arrived for real. Also, Tallinn in Estonia was one of Feline's most crazy and memorable nights we encountered. We were up against it as luggage had been lost including playable material, the festival had been cancelled. The promoters found another venue and we all had to fight for a set. The Feline Kru decided, we had come all this way we had to play. So we all played together after much downloading and burning of tunes and washing and drying of clothes! So Miss Pink, Flight, Chickaboo, Deeizm and myself all played together. Our love of playing outweighed all the adversity we had encountered and we really enjoyed ourselves , I was so proud of us.

Have to also give a shout to Sun and Bass , Feline touched down for the first time there this year and we had a fabulous time and the crowd were very receptive.

Q. The Feline sessions on Drum & Bass Arena Live TV have been a huge hit so far - have you been surprised at the response you've received and are there any plans for another session in the future?

A. Yes, we have had a massive response from the DNBTV takeovers. I am not surprised by it at all, I am always confident that the Feline Kru can deliver, I totally believe in our abilities and the absolute love of what we are doing. I think that is the key to what we are doing, DJing is my absolute love and somehow Feline has to been able to bring together like minded women. We all have a great love of what we are doing and we are professional at what we do. We are also lucky to be working alongside two of the most amazing MCs, Chickaboo, who has been around as long as I have and brings not only amazing lyrical styles but a wealth of experience, and also Deeizm MC, who has been making a name for herself over the last few years, she brings such a breath of fresh air. We have really enjoyed the opportunity to show what we can do and we have to thank Risky and all the DNBTV Kru for allowing us this opportunity. We hope to put this on a regular basis.

Q. Part of the success of Feline has been to inspire and draw attention to up-and-coming female talent. Which new female artists are doing it for you right now in drum & bass?

A. We are always on the look out for the next new female DJ and over the years we have had some great ladies through our doors. This weekend at Renegade Hardware, we've invited Bekah to Feline: she has been around for a while and has passed me some amazing sets. So we are happy that she is live this weekend and can show what she can do, she is definately someone to watch out for. We also have special guests The Ladybugz , a female collective forging a way for themselves in the fusion/dub scene.