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Review for Club Commons: Moving Bodies to Grow Movements in Queer Nightlife and Beyond, by British author and activist Anjali Prashar-Savoie.

On the club scene and at festivals, people still dance all too often to the beats of male DJs. Men still predominantly have the deciding vote here, but over the past decade, these spaces have discovered that female producers also exist. Somewhere in between, LGBTQIA+ artists are also trying to gain a space on the same stage. Nevertheless, the live music industry is still mainly a heteronormative, male business. In reaction, various queer feminist collectives and initiatives have emerged in recent years, building their own ‘safe.r space’ and working towards greater diversity, equality and inclusivity on the dance floor.

Belgian-Tunisian DJ and techno producer Sara Dziri has become an integral part of the Brussels club scene. At the end of March, her debut album 'Close To Home' will be released on the Scottish label Optimo Music. An album full of personality and authenticity. 'The end of a personal quest', she says.

Her visual and digital art is deeply intertwined with her work as a producer. British-Egyptian FRKTL (Sarah Badr) divides her time between Cairo, London and Riga. Since setting foot in the Latvian capital, however, she has found time to complete 'Excision After Love Collapses'. A record that, in a strange and unexpected way, seems to translate the spirit of the times and completely absorbs the listener.

Rebellion seeps through the work of Beirut-born artist Thoom. With her label 'Career Whore' and a musical shift away from the usual harsh noise sounds, she continues to challenge the music industry. On 'Pork' she distances herself from her aggressive electronic noise and takes her first steps as a singer-songwriter.