The 20 Best Female Producers Right Now

We're aware that most dance music talk tends to turn into sausage party fests. There's definitely a larger list of males behind DJ booths and on the t

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Complex Original

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We're aware that most dance music talk tends to turn into sausage party fests. There's definitely a larger list of males behind DJ booths and on the turntables, but that shouldn't mean that the women don't get their due. From electric house bangers to deep, atmospheric dub, today's EDM scene has a strong female presence that shouldn't be ignored. We've already highlighted the most important women in the scene today, and showcased the most powerful women behind the scenes. Now let's look at the best female producers in the game.

Miss Kittin

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Location: Paris, France

French electroclash producer Miss Kittin might not be a name our youngest ravers will know, but we're telling you that you should. With a pedigree stretching nearly two decades, Miss Kittin has released five studio albums (including her most recent, Calling From The Stars) over legendary labels like Astralwerks/EMI, and continues to play international festivals like Miami's Ultra.

Pretty Low

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Location: Los Angeles, CA

Originally from Hawaii but now in L.A., Pretty Low doesn't sugar coat anything when it comes to her music. Trap, dubstep, and dnb, she makes it all with a dose of heavy bass. She's skilled at both piano and guitar, but there's something about the way her bass is knocking that has us glad she's not abandoned the dance music scene.

Feral is Kinky

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Location: London, England

She's not only a force to be reckoned with when it comes to producing music, but give her a mic and it's game over. She's had recent releases on Play Me Records as well as a collaboration with David Heartbreak on OWSLA.

Dani Deahl

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Location: Chicago, IL

Dani's a Chicago-based blogger, DJ, and producer who has been pumping out solid original tunes and intricate mash-ups. Her list of accolades have brought here everywhere from contributing to URB to having Billboard-charting singles (the Whiskey Pete-featured "Poppin' Whistles"), and counts everyone from Diplo to Donald Glaude as fans of her work. She's a regular in the Chitown scene, and is a force to be reckoned with.

Cooly G

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Location: London, England

Fans have been captivated by this producer/singer/DJ since her first released dropped on Hyperdub in 2009. She's one of those artists who made an immediate impact with her music, so much so that even if there are lull periods in her released work, she'll still be bigged up by those in the know. She has a knack for the space dub aspect of the dubstep/bass music scene, and is a talent that you need to keep on your radar.

Magda

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Location: Detroit, MI

For many, electronic music started in Detroit. The techno sound definitely calls the Motor City home, as did Magda, who's part of the next wave of Detroit's underground electronic music scene. Her influences vary from the hometown electronic soul to Italian horror film soundtracks, and while he sounds dwell within the techno genre, she borrows influences from house, disco, and other realms to create a truly shapeshifting tour de force with her sonics.

tiNI

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Location: Berlin, Germany

A key compoenent of Loco Dice's increasingly formidable Desolat family, Germany's curly blonde-haired house and techno DJ named tiNI has shown she is one of the best producers in the world. A deep, emotive sound with side-splitting kick-drums and heart-tugging basslines, tINI has toured the world, held down residencies in Ibiza, London, Germany, and Italy, released her debut album Tessa in 2011 and continues to dominate. We're excited to see her progression.

LOUISAHHH!!!

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Location: New York, NY

Falling in line with the Bromance squad isn't easy, so when we saw that LOUISAHHH!!! (a name that's "a war cry or a shriek of delight") dropped her first solo EP via Brodinski's imprint, after bringing her deep house and techno vibes everywhere from Slow Roast to Top Billin', we were definitely impressed. She's got a knack for creating those tracks that end up being mainstays in your box, getting dropped at the peak of the rave's height.

Kito

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Location: London, UK

Kito came out swinging, with her first single "LFO" (alongside frequent collaborator Reija Lee) being snapped up by Skream for his Disfigured Dubz imprint back in 2009. Since then, she's slowly risen in the ranks, aligning herself not only with Ed Banger, but as being one of the few women rubbing elbows within the Mad Decent camp. Her group with Reija Lee is said to be releasing more material in the near future, and if it holds up with the forward-thinking brand of bass music she's known for, we can only expect good things from Kito.

ill-esha

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Location: Denver, CO

Residing in Denver, Colorado ill-esha is not only is a producer, vocalist, instrumentalist, and MC, but she acts and does voice acting as well. She's been praised in the drum & bass realm, for her bass music-leanings, and has been known to DJ and sing at the #samedamntime. ill-esha feels like one of the next to blow, if some smart label does right by her.

Star Eyes

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Location: Brooklyn, NY

If you saw the 2013 RBMA Culture Clash, you definitely remember seeing Star Eyes representing with her Trouble & Bass crew. As a founding member of the squad, she's represented with T&B by providing her own take on deep and dark house grooves that she affectionately calls "haunted house." Her sound is the epitome of "trouble and bass," and we can't wait to hear what she comes up with next.

J.Phlip

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Location: San Francisco, CA

The dirtybird crew is a tight one and so you better believe any member has earned their feathers. J.Phlip is no exception to that rule as her crowd-pleasing sets have been winning crowds and her records have been selling. With J.Phlip, you don't really know what you'll get, but trust you'll have a great time and you'll shake your ass.

Gina Turner

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Location: New York, NY

Hailing from NY, Gina not only dominates while DJing, makes amazing minimal house tracks in the studio, and is also the head of Turn It Records. Gina brings a deep quality to her tracks, building tracks that have dancefloors locking into solid grooves, built on past classics but drenched in the sound of now.

Grimes

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Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

Sometimes, we're not even sure how to classify Grimes' music. It's very DIY, but with tags like "witch house" and "lo-fi R&B" we know one thing: she's bridging gaps that we didn't realize could be connected. Grimes is three albums deep, acclaimed by many, and is crafting some of the finest music out there.

Nina Kraviz

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Location: Moscow, Russia

Many spent 2013 chatting about Nina being interviewed while she was in the bath. We wonder how many of those same critics were in awe by her self-titled 2012 album, which showed the world how awe-inspiring Nina Kraviz' work can be. Mixing house music (in a number of varieties) with sung vocals and the odd ambient number, she showed the world that Siberia has more than jokes about how cold it can be. The best part? She's not trying to throw too much into her music. You establish a groove, then flourish within it.

NERVO

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Location: London, UK

These sisters are not only touring the world playing the biggest festivals: Lollapalooza, Tommorowland, Ultra and EDC, but they also put in work in the studio producing songs in their own right but also for the likes of David Guetta, Ke$ha, Kylie Minogue, & The Pussycat Dolls. If you're looking for the pair that will help bring EDM to the pop stations, you've found your duo.

Ikonika

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Location: London, UK

Ikonika is one of the dark princesses of the UK underground. Like Cooly G, many first heard Ikonika's work via Hyperdub, but instead of dwelling in the atmospheric dub, Ikonika takes inspiration from everything, ranging from bright pop music to synthetic video game soundtracks. Somehow, she finds a way to befriend the ghost in the machine, showcasing how much beauty and soul can be found in places you'd not imagine.

Nicole Moudaber

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Location: London, UK

Creator of Mood Records and professed "Queen of Techno," Nicole Moudaber has proven to be amongst the techno elite having tracks top the Beatport Techno Chart that have impressed dance music legends like Carl Craig. Deep and downright sexy, Nicole's productions are nothing to snooze on.

TOKiMONSTA

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Location: Los Angeles, CA

This L.A. native is the first female to join Flying Lotus’ crew/label BRAINFEEDER and has been travelling the world and producing tracks that has grabbed the attention of Ultra Records as well as fans worldwide. She came about as a part of the burgeoning "beats" scene, but her latest efforts have shown TOKi truly spreading her wings and flying in the name of experimentation and beauty.

Maya Jane Coles

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Location: London, UK

Also known as Nocturnal Sunshine, this UK native can produce various genres from deep house to dubstep and people are taking notice, especially with the release of her debut album, Comfort. She's been a delightful artist to track, with heaps of acclaim coming from all circles as her star has risen, and with her ability to straddle the fences between moving the crowd and creating deeply emotive material, she's solidifying her place within the dance music scene with every new track.

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