Since it's inception in 2019, FEMWAV has consistently created space and amplified emerging music and content by newbie DJs, producers and collectives from India. FEMWAV was born out of Fembot5 - India's first field-study of gender inequality in the music industry. An anonymous effort initiated in 2016, that rapidly resonated with international solidarity. By 2018, forty plus female and male artists, musicians, activists, writers and DJs were contributing to the research and website. Arguably Fembot5 is the biggest repository of research, analysis, data, opinions and ideas focussing on gender inequality in the indian music industry. The collective effort eventually filtered into three basic tenets - Research, Advocacy and Action. 2020 it's time for some action! Outside institutional piety, the imported divas and nepotism, which very often forms a web around the issue of music based empowerment in India. FEMWAV's manifesto to amplify female and non-binary content and create new empowerment models has resulted in a new audio-video series titled 'Narratives'. "We are speaking to dozens of unheard (and aspiring) female producers, DJs, rappers and singers, and archiving their voices, as narratives. The narrative has to be inclusive, localised, personal and open to new ideas and challenges ..." states 'tsurbhi' newest member of FEMWAV.

What is the core idea behind the new series? How did it come about?
FEMWAV - The Indian electronic music sorority has few female voices and far fewer is the presence of new talent, when compared to the overwhelming majority of men, 'bros' and divas taking up most of the space, resources and bookings. But the situation is evolving, is changing bit by bit, as new initiatives and empowerment models are taking form, to bring female talent and their voices at par within the spectrum. This change needs to be documented, needs to be archived and presented. The initial idea came about as a combined effort between FEMWAV and Synthfarm. A diverse and vibrant bunch of female artists that gathered at Synthfarm 2020, also manifested as the highest number of female participants - including the three participants selected under the Empowerment of Female Talent In Electronic Music.  

Voices featured in this dialogue include Kaali (New Delhi) - DJ Shireen (New Delhi) - Plastic Parvati (Kolkata) - Aliisa (Finland) - DJ Surbhi (New Delhi) - 'zequenx' (Srinagar) - Uvika Wahi (Portugal)