Jenny Woolworth’s Women in Punk Blog

May I introduce Eve Massacre? She is a Nürnberg, Germany based dj/producer/artist and amazing music mix mistress. In her own words - a “one lady electro ravepunk clubstep disco violence unit.” She is one of the few female mash-up artists and I am constantly amazed at her range of influence and the skill with which she pieces together bits of songs into entirely new creations. Check out her extensive collection of mixes along with her own productions. Three of my favorite selections are included below.
I caught up with Eve on a sunny cobbled street outside a former disinfection clinic in Bavaria and she told me everything I wanted to know…

JW: What is one of your favorite sounds and what does it mean to you?
EM: The squealing sound of breaking trains. There’s a railway yard not very far from where I live and whenever the wind blows from that direction you can hear those thin whistling sounds that overlay each other in strange harmonies. During the day you don’t really recognize it but at night it is very present. It means to me both ‘home’ and ‘the possibility of going anywhere anytime’.

JW: Tell me about one of your most cherished records and why it is so important to you.
EM: I have to choose Fugazi’s ‘Repeater’ cause it really left its traces on me and the way I do things. I first heard it on a tape by a friend and I instantly loved the music, loved the lyrics, and it was a constant companion on my walkman. ‘Suggestion’ from that album was one of the first feminist songs I ever heard.
I was into hardcore at that time, but the trite sloganeering often seemed brainless and the tough boys’ club behaviour of parts of the scene didn’t really make me feel welcome. Fugazi brought a change. Not just with their d.i.y. ethics and lyrics but also with their music - it had melody and dance basslines, and their interplay seemed to breathe ‘equality’, there was no ‘lead’ and ‘backing’ roles for the instruments and vocals.
Of course it was not just them that brought a change to that scene and it was not just that album but in my memory it stands for it. I’m aware that today we live in far more cynic and disenchanted times and Ian MacKaye’s do-gooder tone now seem lame to a lot of people. But back then Fugazi stood for hope and a music community that cared and for networking, you know, all that ‘more than music’ romanticism that I fortunately still ain’t cured from.

JW: Who is a woman that has inspired you in your life, musically or otherwise?
Tine Plesch, a friend and a writer (Tescard, Intro, etc.) and radio editor (Radio Z in Nürnberg) whose sudden death was quite a shock a couple of years ago. She was a true inspiration to me and I’m happy that I had the chance to know her. She stripped feminism of its stale image and made it fun and positive and intellectually challenging. I loved how she always was ready to talk with everyone and was able to find something interesting about anyone. She encouraged me in many ways - to stand up for my ideas and against ‘-isms’ when most other people discouraged me with the usual ‘you won’t change anything’ or ‘it’s not worth it’. I don’t know if without her I would have had the self-confidence to start a radio show and to write about music, and I guess I also owe her a sense for how important it is to encourage others to get up and do things instead of just musing about possibilities.

Download: Eve Massacre - Sweet as Neurotic Indie Boys (Moldy Peaches vs. C.O.S. vs Bloodhound Gang vs. Trans X vs. Die Goldenen Zitronen)
Download: Eve Massacre - Twisted Space Invaders (Missy Elliott vs. I-F vs. Sean Paul)
Download: Eve Massacre - Fast Hearts (Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. Etienne de Crecy)