BAMBII on the music industry's unequal power dynamics

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"Is the infrastructure working?" The Canadian DJ and producer talks about her experience playing Coachella and the music industry's unequal power dynamics.

Is the electronic music industry pay-to-play? This week's RA Exchange with Jamaican-Canadian DJ and producer BAMBII tackes this question, exploring whether innate talent is really enough to become an artist, or if success favours those with privileged socioeconomic backgrounds.

BAMBII, a queer club innovator whose exhilarating, rave-ready records exist at the crossroads of jungle, dancehall, drum & bass and UK garage, lives in Toronto. She made waves earlier this year when she posted a viral Instagram story about her set at US festival Coachella, where she said she was forced to play with malfunctioning sound and DJ equipment. As she explains to today's host, British journalist Tara Joshi, the debacle spoke to a broader issue about an economy built on exploitation. BAMBII played the festival for free, paying her way to the gig in exchange for exposure.

The music industry, she argues, thrives on unequal power dynamics; her experience was one of countless examples of how many artists are taught to be grateful for anything, and to be silent if they feel otherwise. "The music industry shows us how the world operates when there are no rules," she claims. "There is an assault on ethics and care in this industry. People love to recreate capitalism in the highest form."

The artist also details her forthcoming EP—Infinity Club II, which is out on June 20th—as well as the North American club music scene and the local grassroots collectives that she believes are keeping underground nightlife alive. Listen to the episode in full. -Chloe Lula

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