Electronic Dance Music, or EDM as the kids call it, is undoubtable one of the fastest growing musical genres of our time. From the cool stylings of Electro-Swing to the biddy magnet that is Bassnectar, there is a subgenre of EDM out there for everyone looking to jam. And with the uprise of EDM comes the culture that inherently follows and based on the ‘trap gods’ that run the show, the EDM world is a place of twerking, psychedelic drugs, and larger-than-life musical environments. Although despite what your parents have warned you about, EDM isn’t all about blunts and bitches. Just look at Liz Tillman, a recent graduate of Hofstra’s Zarb School of Business. By day, Tillman may look like your average college grad working at a top marketing firm in NYC but when the sun goes down, the strobe lights come up and Liz Tillman can be found at the center of the dance floor at the craziest trap shows in Manhattan. Yet while the EDM NYC writer and RAW creator may be loving her life in the mosh pit, that doesn’t mean this girl doesn’t have a thing or two (or ten) to say about her experiences in the world of electronic music.
HC: Describe your experience working in the music industry.
LT: I have worked in the music industry in many capacities. I’ve been am EDM radio producer and host for FM and internet radio, an EDM podcast host, a journalist and contributer for various music blogs, and I have also co-founded my own interview series called RAW, which features interactive and hilarious segments with artists to showcase their “fun side” (which you don’t typically see in traditional interviews. I can’t remember the last time I had a normal sleep schedyle, I’ve never recieved a pay check for any of my countless hours of work, and because I devote every walking moment to music, my free time is so nonexistent I haven’t had a date in a year. But honestly, none of these personal sacrifices phase me since music will always be my first love.
HC: What are the best and worst parts about EDM and EDM Shows?
LT: My favorite part of the EDM world is simply the music, Generally, music has a unifying quality, but EDM is unique as it promotes a dance-centric haven- and body language is something all genders, races, and backgrounds can understand- so it can break down any potential differentiator and really form a strong collective of people who share a love for music. In the EDM world, simply being on the dance floor inducts you into this culture where you don’t need words to communicate, and you are welcomed freely and without question to express who you are. Being a dance-lover and overall extrovert, there’s nothing I love more than forming friendships on the dance floor, showing off my killer moves (maybe learning a few from others) and embracing my 20s as the “carefree decade” it’s cracked up to be. As for the worst part.. I hate the commercialized “EDM” world. Speaking to what the average consumer recognizes as “EDM”-festivals and shows of this nature are generally understood as giant orgies where people are loaded with amphetamines. Because “EDM” is marketed by corporations as an “escape” for the millennials to blow the money they aren’t spending on college loans in exchange for an “experience” this “carpe diem” theme (which is inherently threaded in the very nature of dance music) makes it seem like the right opportunity for people to experiment with drugs and let down their sexual inhibitions. Since this “image” of EDM is smeared across every PR platform, people make inaccurate assumptuons about what it means to be part of this subculture. So how does this impact someone like me? Well for one, I know the second I explain to someone my EDM professional background, they simply assume all I do is party and discount all of my extensive work and successes. Instead of asking about my experience, I get questions like “Do you pop Molly?” Basically what I’m saying is, I feel like people can’t take EDM seriously or respect it as anything more than “party music” because of the way mainstream culture understands it.
HC: What is your perspective on the connection that people make between drugs and EDM?
LT: Whether you’re talking Woodstock ’69 or Ibiza 2015, anyone who understands music knows that regardless of genres, music and drugs go hand and hand. What I don’t appreciate is the way people criticize EDM as being the hub of drug culture, when you can easily go to a country music concert and see the same thing. I’m so sick of the drawn out “EDM VS Drugs” conversation though. As I explained, the intrinsic “party” atmosphere of EDM makes people feel invicible, catalyzing them to make dangerous decisions which can lead to overdoses, as we’ve seen at many festivals. However, you can’t blame a genre of music or a venue for something like this. No matter how grand or miniscule you make your security measures, people will find a way to take drugs at shows. The best I think festivals can do is offer people free water, various safety locations and tips, as opposed to trying to shut down these events all together, thinking this will end drug use. I’m not here to preach, but the quintessential problem I see is that people use “EDM” as an excuse to take the lid off their ID, blaming it on the music, when really the responsibility is entirely on themselves.
HC: Are they accurate?
LT: Do people go to EDM shows and take drugs and get dirty on the dance floor? Yes. Do people do the exact same thing at other shows? Yes. What I find most frustrating is that this stigma about EDM being synonymous with drug use is so heavily engrained in people’s minds that it completely overshadows the fact that there are just as many people, like myself, who go to shows sober, only to enjoy the music.
HC: What do you have to say to those people who say that you can’t have fun at a show without being high?
LT: That is a really naive and immature stance on the way they chose to consume music. I mean, you can spew drug statistics at them, but at the end of the day it’s their choice and they are entirely accountable and responsible for their actions. I would encourage them to try and find the joy in music without needing “external stimuli.”
HC: What has it been like as a woman in the world of EDM?
LT: Through my experience, I have found that if you are a woman working in EDM, then you have to work 4 times harder than a man to get half of the recognition. The music industry as a whole is known for being sexist and shady, but some of the experience I’ve gone through moves beyond sexism and crosses the line to all out disrespect. For instance, while working a festival this summer, I was thrown out of the artist lounge area because I was accused of being a “groupie.” For this festival, I had all the proper credentials, wristbands, and I was even carrying camera equipment! However, if I were a man, would I be called a groupie? Probably not. Another example: when I explain my past experience working as an FM radio producer and host, where I single handedly formed various venue partnerships in New York and executed successful campaigns to generate greater tune in numbers, most people will ask, “oh, who did you sleep with to get the free tickets to that show?” It’s impossible for people to believe that as a woman working in this industry you can accomplish anything without having to sleep with anyone as a form of reciprocity. The truth is, you don’t need to sell yourself, your ideas or your integrity, and to any women in the industry who have experienced some type of sexism or abuse, I would HIGHLY encourage you to reach out and say something to someone, because there is no excuse for that type of behavior. I will recognize though, that when you chose to take a more “conservative” approach to conducting yourself in the music business, it makes your life 10x harder than it would be alternatively.I will play devil’s advocate. Most people are quick to judge men and shame them for the way they treat women; however, I have also found that women play their part in the game too. I know many women who understand the value of interpersonal relationships in this industry and will use their feminine charm and sexuality as a way to network and gain access to the people or events they want. Basically, no one in this industry is a saint, but I do think there’s a greater conversation to be had about the abuse women experience in this industry since it’s so prevalent, and these horrific realities need attention so it no longer remains an “uncouth reality” that people turn an eye from, but an outright disgrace that will not be tolerated.
HC: What are your views on the movie We are Your Friends?LT: It’s bullshit, don’t watch it. The commercialization and sexism I noted earlier are manifested in full force in this film in every way. The movie downplays the struggle artists in the music industry go through to achieve fame; it’s not an overnight success, or even a 365-day period success. For many DJs, it takes years to get their name even at the bottom of a festival bill. Additionally there is no female representation on the industry side, and the solitary female lead has no compelling story or power; she is merely made a proverbial love interest and sex object. When you portray women in subservient roles, then that perpetuates the stereotype that women can’t stand up for themselves, and will give all the more reinforcement to treat them as such which is WRONG. Don’t pay that horrific movie any attention, please.
HC: How do you think that the EDM scene could be more accepting of women?
LT: Stop treating us as sex objects and start treating us as peers. Stop shaming women for letting loose on the dance floor with their friends, but declining your offer to dance. This shouldn’t become a “women vs men” conversation though, we all can work together well, but at a universal level women just deserve to be treated with respect.
HC: What are your aspirations as far as music blogging and your project RAW?LT: I have written for a few music blogs, but currently I write for edmnyc.com. I love it because NYC is home for me, and I love my city and all my fellow club crawlers who I see week after week.As for RAW, I am very excited! My co-founder for that project and I are an incredibly dynamic team and it’s so refreshing to work with someone who shares not only your passion, but your creative and professional execution strategy. Since both of us have a strong background in interviewing artists and contributing to music blogs, we combined forces to turn the “traditional interview approach” upside down. We created “RAW (Real Artists’ Words),” where we create unedited interview content with artists to expose who they are as people, so their fans can have the opportunity to feel like they really know them, beyond their stage persona. Some of our fun segments include teaching Party Favor how to “pop lock and drop it,” doing “morning exercises” with Fight Clvb, and we have a new one coming out soon with Savant where we play charades with him! It’s so much fun and I’m really anxious to see how far we can take the project, and hopefully build a following (and maybe some money!).