Review: Gash Collective moves the needle

'There is no right and wrong’, one third of Eve member, Lauren, assures the room of attentive female identifying DJ’s and producers. ‘And if anyone says you’re doing it wrong, they’re lying’.

We’re at the stripped back Tara Building in Dublin for the last DJ and production workshop sponsored by Smirnoff. Their campaign to welcome more female artists into the music industry with free workshops around Belfast, Cork and Galway finishes off in Dublin today with the help of the Gash Collective. The group are behind the idea to ‘Move The Needle’ and get more girls involved in mixing and producing music. Over the course of four hours, the general ethos to just ‘trust yourself’ is reinforced by Gash members Dream Cycles, ELLLL, the Eve collective and Aoife Nic Canna - all prominent artists on the Irish electronic circuit.

A pair of CDJ’s and 1210’s dominate the room contributing to a strong sense of anticipation in the air. Before we get stuck into the technical side of things, Jenn aka Dream Cycles eases us in with a presentation on influential and unusual sound creators, including 90’s experimentalist Cosey Fanni Tutti and rising techno star Lena Willikens. The idea to educate us and open our minds with such a presentation was a clever one. It left us feeling we can break any boundaries we set ourselves, should we choose a potential career in music or even just to pursue it as a hobby.

ELLLL talks us through Ableton for beginners and emphasises that ‘you don’t need to buy loads of stuff to make music and if anyone tells you otherwise, it’s bullshit’. Ableton and headphones is all we need plus confidence and creativity to make our own projects come to life. Among the discussion of sampling and how to navigate the interface, it’s a basic introduction to Ableton that doesn’t leave us reeling.

Two thirds of the Eve collective Lauren and Mitzi show us the typical CDJ setup and how to mix in a track. ‘Beatmatching before everything’ basically. It might seem overwhelming for a complete beginner but the relaxed and open environment of the workshop means Eve are inundated with questions before encouraging us to get behind the decks. Despite the time constraints, they share their own ups and downs, challenges and captivating anecdotes leaving us intrigued to learn more and experience their journey ourselves. It’s a much needed honest depiction of what the art of DJing, from mixing to developing a distinct sound, is all about.

Aoife Nic Canna wraps up the day, a seasoned vinyl mixer and well known figure in Dublin for her extensive vinyl collection and over twenty years of mixing under her belt without touching a pair of CDJs. Perhaps a more complex way to mix, it’s hands on and remains the optimum way to train our ears. Nic Canna's calming presence means questions are once again asked freely, with attempts on the 1210’s made, without us feeling too self-conscious.

As the workshop comes to an end, there’s a profound sense of positivity as members of Gash hang around to chat before their showcase at Tengu later that night. Perhaps there’s an unspoken conclusion to why the music industry is male dominated (for now) with a history of blatant sexism. It’s easy to point the finger at club promoters for unbalanced line-ups but really, it’s about maintaining confidence and the ability to trust ourselves, as well as tackling any self-doubt issues head on in order to grab DJing and production by the balls. Workshops from Gash with its relaxed atmosphere are so needed right now to remind us not to get caught up with what other people think, in any aspect of our lives. Or as Helena Hauff would say: ‘Just do what the fuck you want!’.

Support the Gash Collective online and keep an eye for their next workshop and obligatory free afterparty here.