North American Femme Drum & Bass Pioneers Project: Preserving Our History

Oct 29

2 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

A DNB Girls initiative dedicated to recognizing, documenting, and preserving the contributions of women and femme pioneers in North American jungle and drum & bass.

The Stories That Built a Movement

Jungle and drum & bass have a rich history across North America, shaped by generations of DJs, producers, MCs, promoters, organizers, and community builders. Women and femme artists have been part of that history from the beginning. They helped build scenes, organize events, introduce audiences to new sounds, establish creative networks, and keep underground music communities moving forward. Yet many of their contributions remain under documented.

Lets face it from the beginning of the scene to now we’ve seen, flyers disappear, recordings becoming increasingly difficult to find, websites going offline, personal archives lost, many of our people from the 1st and 2nd gens leaving the Earth plane and with all of these occurrences, important stories more and more risk being forgotten. The North American Femme Drum & Bass Pioneers Project seeks to help preserve that history.

Why This Project Matters

Music history is more than a discography or a list of headline performances. It is also the story of the people who created spaces, supported artists, shared knowledge, and helped communities grow. Across the United States and Canada, women and femme contributors have played significant roles in the development of jungle and drum & bass culture.

Their experiences deserve to be documented in their own words and, recognized as part of the genre's wider history. This project aims to bring those contributions into greater focus through community participation, historical research, and archival preservation.

Documenting the Pioneers

The initiative seeks to gather and preserve information about early North American contributors, including:

DJs, producers, vocalists, and MCs
Promoters, event organizers, and collective founders
Radio hosts, journalists, and music advocates
Record label operators and other influential community contributors

Historical materials may include photographs, event flyers, recordings, interviews, releases, and firsthand accounts. The goal is to create a more accessible record of the people and communities who helped establish the North American scene.

A Living History

This is not simply about looking backward. Documenting these contributions can help future generations understand the foundations of the music they love and recognize the artists and organizers whose work made today's opportunities possible.

It also creates space for stories that have received limited recognition in conventional electronic music histories. Preserving this history is a collective effort.

Be Part of the Project

Were you involved in the early North American jungle or drum & bass movement? Do you have photographs, flyers, recordings, or firsthand experiences that could help document its history?

We welcome the opportunity to connect with contributors and community members who can help preserve these stories. Project information, participation details, and the official announcement will be shared through DNB Girls and Mizeyesis® channels.

History deserves to be remembered—and the women who helped create it deserve to be recognized.