When I was a teenage raver growing up in the warehouses and deserts of New Mexico, there was always an agreement that no matter the style, no matter the crew, and especially no matter the genre, you all had to share the stage.
House had to be willing to mix into drum and bass, then drum and bass had to be willing to mix into techno, and if this guy wanted to end with a trance set, then just deal with it, because everybody was included. Everybody.
Having all the genres play together on one stage with one crowd and one experience was kind of the whole point for a while there. It was a chance for the crews to come together, to dance together, to celebrate the moment. To rave without shame.
The variety was a huge part of the fun, and yet even with saying that, I have to admit, there was one genre that was always given a bit more respect. In fact, especially in the warehouses, it went even further. No matter who threw the function, there always, I mean, always, had to be a jungle room.
Had to be. No question. Now, granted some people went with a chill room, and some trip hop, but for the most part, it was always the same. Jungle Room. Always the jungle room.
It was a simple set up too. DJ grooving and vibing, jungle crew all bouncing and moving to their own rhythm, the rest of the world completely unaware of what was happening in this dark, hidden room off in the back of the warehouse.
It was as much a religious experience as anything I’ve ever come across. You were in that jungle room because that’s where you belonged, and yet you didn’t know that until you got there.
The reason I say all this is because that’s the feeling I get when I listen to this mix that femme.antics did for subsequence radio. It feels like I’m back in the jungle room. Back when it was still natural. And true. And real. But that’s the beauty of music. It has a way of coming back to you.
This mix and this DJ represent a new horizon for Jungle music in New Mexico, but also a return to the beginning. In one hour it says more than my words ever could.
Soulful, Rhythmic, Jazzy, Organic, and with that subtle bounce. The one you catch and you seem to just keep grooving with. Over and over. Even when the music stops. This is the kind of Jungle you go outside and can still hear in the life all around you. It’s not just a representation of our culture, but a part of it as well.
Saying I am impressed by this DJ is an understatement. I started this wanting to write about a genre I love dearly, but have disconnected from, and yet I found so much more. A DJ with an understanding of how to play it right in a way you just can’t be taught. I am very excited to see where this DJ goes from here with some really unique shows coming up.
To start, femme.antics will be playing twice this upcoming weekend, and each time will be unique to that setting and that crowd, which is something I am noticing, is the standard these days. You have to have your own style, and play it well, but you also have to be diverse in your sound and crowd. Don’t settle for just one, and that shows not just in what femme.antics plays, but also in who she plays with.
On July 8th she’s playing the Effex rooftop with Mary Droppinz, who recently played the Desert Hearts Festival, and also with New Mexico house ambassador Ana M, as a part of a very solid run of shows of We house Fridays from Mr. Afterhours presents.
Then she and Ana M are both switching up their styles again for the MIXXD show at Insideout on July 10th. Where Madam X will also be playing, and I can’t state enough how excited I am for such an eclectic DJ to be stopping by here.
Two nights in one weekend to hear quality sound by top level DJ’s, and both are set under the desert sky we love so much. I even heard that at the MIXXD show every single DJ will pay a different genre, and if you aren’t paying attention, I kinda dig that.
From there femme.antics has perhaps her biggest show to date, as she is playing at the very well-known and very well respected Denver Club simply known as the Black Box. She will be opening up the lounge as British drum and bass legend Fabio headlines the main room.
A major night to remember for everybody involved. Sharing the bill with such a respected DJ shows that femme.antics is getting the attention of those who know what proper jungle is, and I’m happy to be able to witness it.
As the mix itself progresses it stays at a very top level and tempo, reminding me of perhaps my favorite Jungle DJ, Shy Fx, both in its ability to signal back to sounds I heard from the past, and yet still representing so much more.
You could hear her saying something here, and after talking to femme.antics I learned that this mix itself is a tribute to the late Patrick Uno, a longtime member of this New Mexico Rave scene, and someone I met as a teenager long ago when we were both still young and carefree.
Patrick Uno wasn’t just a part of the Jungle and Drum and Bass scene in New Mexico, he was very much the heart of it, and his loss has left a hole I don’t feel we are meant to ever have replaced. But part of why I say this is because you can absolutely hear his spirit and influence in the next generation of the Jungle Crew, and I know that is shown most with femme.antics aka LJ Enriquez.
I’m thankful to LJ not just for carrying this feeling forward for the rest of us, but also for being an honest person during a time when we’re all trying to hang on to what’s true. And as with this mix, some things will never be truer than some solid Jungle bouncing out of the speakers surrounded by the people who love it.
I feel very confident you will have many chances to see femme.antics all summer long, but until then, bump this mix, show some love, and keep it going for the ones who just can’t go to the show anymore.
And as always,
See you in the Jungle Room.
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