Breaking the EDM Gender Barrier with NotLö and Her New Single, “Expectations”
Notlö – By Instagram @sartakespics
“Well and I’m a lesbian so —“ and the call dropped. The phone rings again and I’m greeted with apologies and laughter, which I return. “Was that the last thing you heard? Oh my god!” laughs Alex, the effortlessly charming woman behind the electronic dance music (EDM) act NotLö.
Through optimism, good vibes and the occasional cloud of smoke, Alex’s career is just gearing up. Her story is one of women supporting women, cross country leaps, a little bit of luck and an incredible natural talent. My first experience with her deep, dark music - like many other’s - was simply walking by her set at the 2021 Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival. I haven’t been able to get her music out of my head since.
Like many industries, though, the EDM world is still overwhelmingly made up of men - straight, cisgender men. Being anything different in the small circle of festivals and DJ sets means a battle to be taken seriously. But with a genre with such little focus on the person at the center of the heavy dance beats, why are we still so focused on men being in charge? Unfortunately, Alex and I don’t have the answers to that, but we’re hoping you can join in and push the industry to also ask.
Read on to find out more about this budding EDM icon and how she broke through the field of men to hit her stride. You can also stream her newest single, “Expectations,” which is out today.
NotLö – Press 2022
Tell us about yourself. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was in college, I started going to a lot of music festivals. I went to Okeechobee the very first year it launched which was a pivotal moment for me because it’s when I really fell in love with the music scene. I loved the environment so much that I ended up going to Okeechobee every year after that. Then I sought out every festival I could possibly afford!
Once in the festival world, I saw some of my friends start mixing and making their own music, and I was like, “I wanna do that.” I was hearing creations that were right up my alley. So, about five years ago, I just started making music. It sort of began with me messing around with programs and doing research on which ones were the best, what schools and local venues were hosting the kind of music I was making, and looking deeper into my own influences. At this point, I was living in Charleston, South Carolina - about 200 miles from where I grew up in Greenville, South Carolina. When CharlesTheFirst came through town, though, I realized there really hadn’t been - and probably would never be - many EDM artists coming through. So, I left and moved to Denver, Colorado, where I could be more immersed in the scene.
Did you teach yourself to make music or did you take classes?
In Denver, I did an internship program that helped me learn audio engineering which was amazing because now I learned to mix and master all of my own music. That really helped me find my style and how to refine it with all the tools at my disposal. Once my internship ended, I studied YouTube tutorials and whatever other resources I could get my hands on. I was also just trying to share my music with the world and whoever would listen to it. I would work with any promoter that came my way and try to get on any stage I could, sometimes even working for drink tickets rather than actual money.
The first turning point was a DJ contest. A lot of people told me those were dumb, a waste of time and that I shouldn’t even audition. But I figured you, you know, to an extent you have to just take a risk and try out anything to see what sticks. So I entered the contest and I won. It was wild, it really opened up my world to a bigger network and I always think back to those random moments that I didn’t think would be pivotal, yet they truly were. You never know who is going to be watching and what opportunities will fall into your lap.
Where did the name NotLö come from?
It’s actually a really funny story that started out really not serious, but grew to become quite important. A few years ago we were sitting around at a festival smoking some joints at the end of the night. My friends said I should make a DJ name so I can take myself more seriously, and that it would help me market my music better. One friend said, “Your name should be ‘Not Low’ because you’re always high!” We laughed, but of course we played around with it. We made the “o” unique with the dots, and it stuck. Over the years, thought, a theme emerged in my music and projects: I always wanted to make people feel included. So with inclusion becoming a huge part of my process and performance, I found myself wanting everyone who listened to my music to have an uplifting experience - I wanted them to feel high, not low.
How would you describe your sound?
You know I’ve been working on finding my sound in the last two years and I really love making dark, gritty bass music. But I’ve also found that I can do more than that. I’ve started venturing into a more liquid, ambient side that feels very uplifting and empowering. My manager and I talk about how my music goes from nightmare vibe to dream vibe - it can be dark, but then it’ll turn to a more dream-like sound.
You’ve popped off pretty recently, meaning you must have put in a lot of work during the height of the pandemic. What was it like as a growing musician during such a strange time?
The pandemic was interesting because I really took the time to write a lot of music and refocus on what I wanted. I had been putting in a lot of hours at a restaurant before the lockdowns began, so as traumatizing as the pandemic was, it still gave me a moment to regroup and consider what it would look like to make music my sole career. However, I also started really seeing how hard it is to be a girl in this industry - we just aren’t taken as seriously. So this refocus helped me prepare for that struggle ahead of me.
And what did that struggle look like?
I know women struggle in most genres, but genres like pop can be a least a little friendlier to women because I feel like that’s where we’re expected to be. This world of dark, heavy dubstep is such a small world, it’s a niche. And guys seem to think since girls are “pretty” and “cute” that we’re not gonna make scary music, that we can’t go hard. But without fail, someone (usually a dude) will hear my music and say, “What is that? I like that!” But when I send my music to those same people, it ends up just sitting in their inbox because of their preconceived notions about female artists. And it doesn’t make any sense. I don’t know why we still have such a huge focus on white, cisgender men, but here we are.
An assumption about EDM specifically is that it’s just noise or party music, so most people don't realize how much time and emotion goes into each song. Can you talk about your creative process and what goes in to your music production?
Making music is very relaxing for me. The final product is, of course, satisfying and therapeutic, but even just envisioning the song and finding my focus is so calming. I drink some tea and settle in somewhere comfy to really get my vision down. But no matter what inspiration comes to me, at the end of the day what I really look for is how the crowd will feel. I want people to be hyped and dancing and cheering - and I want to always bring that feeling of unity out through my music.
Which of your songs gives you the most intense emotions?
It’s probably my remix of Minnesota’s “Desolation Peak.” That song was one of my first attempts at not having such a dark sound in my production. I was trying a lot of things to express my melodic side and now I can’t wait to release more melodic tracks! I still kept my same dark, gritty sound, but the vibe and message is different in this song - and you can tell. It’s been so fun to express that side of my artistry, so having that song to mark the start of that journey is special.
Which song was the hardest to write or record?
I’d say “Abysmal” because it was my first release with Gravitas, a relationship spurred by CloZee. It was also my first real interaction with CloZee and she had been a favorite of mine for such a long time. I wanted to produce something that she would really like and want to release, so I felt a lot of pressure! But it was good pressure because I felt the need to write the song fast and clean. I wanted something different, so I found violin and Turkish guitar samples to show how my sound can blend with all types of global styles. It turned out to be a great track and really authentic to my sound.
Which song surprised you with the response it received?
I’m honestly still surprised at how well “Catnip” did. It’s literally a song about my cat, Taco. I made this weird song with squeaky noises that felt really silly to me, but people were like, “Oh my god, send me this!” Now it’s one of my most-listened-to songs. Who would have thought? But it shows that you can’t ever write off just making music for fun.
Which show or festival caused you to look up and say, "Okay wow, I'm really making this happen?”
I think the first big moment for me was Hulaween. We were looking out at the crowd and it was, like, FULL. That had always been one of my favorite festivals and I remember one of my friends even saying, “Ugh Alex what if you played Hulaween one day?” Such a full-circle experience. It was the same with Okeechobee, I had been going since its inception, so to play that festival was unreal, I couldn’t believe it. Ultimately, too, these moments showed me that people really do love EDM! It’s amazing.
Who is one woman in EDM we must listen to?
I mean, you gotta listen to CloZee. Not only is she an incredible artist, she’s just a great person and she’s helped me out so much. She discovered my music because that’s just what she does: she lifts up underground artists. She had me open for her at shows and really promoted me - I feel so fortunate she did that. She even put me in touch with her agent who wanted to pick me up after hearing my music. I just can’t get over how nice and genuine she is. She proves that one person can change your life so quickly and easily.
What advice can you give to other women and girls finding their way in the music industry?
Just go for it, seriously. I totally get being nervous about taking the plunge, it’s scary! And things like resources, money, age, experience - all of those things can feel like barriers. But if your heart’s in it, you should give it a shot. It’s crazy what you can accomplish when you have your full heart in something. Just put the music out there - you never know what’s going to happen.