Jenny Woolworth’s Women in Punk Blog

Jasmine Guffond is from Australia, but lives in Berlin now. She plays in the experimental electronic duo minit and also ventures out on her own as Jasmina Maschina. She released her first solo album The Demolition Series on Staubgold in April 2008. It’s beautiful. Kind of folk, kind of loop-y, kind of electronic, kind of like distilling grit and pleasure into nuanced soundscapes. Check out the track “Holy Holy Word” included here, just below the Q&A session:

JW: What is one of your favorite sounds and what does it mean to you?
JG: Falling asleep by the roar of the ocean. The repetition of the waves crashing down onto the shore creates an endless rhythm that is particularly soothing.

JW: Tell me about one of your most cherished records and why it is so important to you.
JG: Arghhhhhhhh, such a difficult question!!!!!! Soooooo many records to cherish……but one that I continue to love forever, is ‘The Velvet Underground’ by The Velvet Underground. When I heard this record for the first time it inspired me to learn to play guitar. The song writing, lyrics, arrangements and musicianship are perfect. Every time I put it on it sounds like fresh, sweet rebellion. Timeless music.

JW: What is the stupidest comment/joke you have heard about women in the music business?
JG: One comment that I find particularly annoying that I have heard a few times, not just in the music industry but also in the art industry is, ‘they have only been invited to perform because they are a woman’, claiming that some women have been invited to increase female representation at a particular festival or group exhibition, rather than because of her actual work/music/talents. A variation on this theme that I have also heard is, ‘that music label only signs up female artists’ Statements like this from my experience are always unfounded in any kind of research, or direct contact with curators of the particular festival, exhibition or music label that is being criticised. I think its ridiculous to critique an artist based on their gender, it makes me wonder about their engagement with art and music.

Download: Jasmina Machina - Holy Holy Holy Word