When it comes to gender equality, the music business is still in the early stages of course correction. Female singers/songwriters and performers are consistently in the public eye, yet their producer counterparts struggle with industry acceptance. Some women produce their own projects to prove their abilities, while many eschew the spotlight, climbing the ladder as sound engineers and assistants. Still, pioneers like Imogen Heap, Linda Perry, and WondaGurl have left their marks and continue to carve space for newcomers.
IMOGEN HEAP
British art pop musician Imogen Heap has been active since the mid-’90s. A true multi-instrumentalist, record production is second nature to her, and in 2005, she created “Hide and Seek” using a vocal harmonizer. The track reached mainstream status through its inclusion on The O.C. and became sample fodder for acts like Jason Derulo, Rusko, and others.
Heap’s innovation has also taken the form of hardware technology. In 2011, she launched Mi.Mu, her MIDI-controller gloves for live performance. Superstar Ariana Grande would employ the same gloves on The Honeymoon Tour.
As a producer, Heap lent her ethereal touch to Taylor Swift, co-producing the folktronica ballad “Clean.” Unsurprisingly, considering her dramatic bent, Heap’s music also appears on the stage. She composed music for the West End play, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, receiving a Grammy nomination in the process. With such a rich and multi-faceted portfolio, Imogen Heap inspires respect from stars and audio pros alike.
Linda Perry
While Linda Perry is best known for writing and producing Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful,” her career extends much further than that one smash hit. She first explored her talents as a music producer while working on her 1996 solo record, In Flight. A few years later, she produced half of P!nk’s sophomore album, Missundaztood. The lead single from that album, “Get the Party Started,” was entirely written and produced by Perry.
Utilizing her rock background, Perry transformed P!nk’s R&B-fueled pop sound into a more rebellious concoction. Soon, megastars like Celine Dion, Alicia Keys, and Miley Cyrus would line up at Perry’s door. Throughout the 2000s, Perry provided a well of inspiration for artists looking to deepen their material.
WondaGurl
Canadian record producer WondaGurl is a mere twenty-seven-year-old. Early in her ascent, she won the 2012 Battle of The Beat Makers in Toronto, impressing guest judge Boi-1da enough to work with him for years to come. Indeed, by age sixteen, she’d already created beats for rappers Travis Scott and Jay-Z. Fast forward a few years, and the young producer found herself in the studio producing a single for Rihanna.
From Drake to Mariah Carey, WondaGurl’s discography contains some of the biggest names in mainstream music. Who knows where she would be now without entering that hometown beatmaking competition? (Fun fact: one of the prizes that WondaGurl won at the competition was a Roland GAIA SH-01 synthesizer.)
TOKIMONSTA
Korean-American producer TOKiMONSTA rose to fame via her unique blend of electronica and hip-hop. Early on in her career, she attended the Red Bull Music Academy. Subsequently, acclaimed producer Flying Lotus signed her to his label, Brainfeeder. TOKiMONSTA soon began DJing and grew into an in-demand performer and producer.
In addition to producing her solo albums and EPs, TOKiMONSTA employs her skills as a renowned remixer. Artists who have enlisted TOKiMONSTA’s talents include Justin Timberlake, Beck, and Maroon 5, among others. TOKiMONSTA also nurtures fresh talent like Daktyl through her label, Young Art Records.
In 2015, TOKiMONSTA underwent two brain surgeries after being diagnosed with Moyamoya disease. During recovery, she struggled to comprehend music the way she used to. She overcame the obstacle monumentally and produced her Grammy-nominated album, Lune Rouge.
ARCA
Venezuelan musician Arca’s unique brand of avant-pop first caught the attention of rapper Kanye West in the early 2010s. After co-producing West’s acclaimed album, Yeezus, Arca embarked on a series of high-profile collaborations. She shared her talents with the likes of Björk, Frank Ocean, F.K.A. twigs, and The Weeknd. She provided an official remix for Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande’s joint single, “Rain on Me.” At age 34, with ten studio albums under her belt, Arca has already proven to be a prolific music producer.
Known for her intricate soundscapes, Arca blends electronic, hip-hop, and reggaeton elements into a unique sonic mixture. Lyrically, she often studies the details of her relationship with gender identity as a trans woman.
Catherine Marks
It’s been almost twenty years since Melbourne-born Catherine Marks embarked on a new career as an assistant engineer in London. Since then, she’s worked on countless projects, but many people heard her name for the first time this year. After all, she co-produced boygenius’s three-time Grammy Award-winning The Record.
Before this momentous achievement, Marks had already built an impressive resume. From Alanis Morissette to The Killers, she worked with artists spanning rock, jazz, and folk music. If Marks’ discography flew under the radar before, it’s certainly turning heads now.
Emily Wright
In the glossy world of high-end pop music, polished vocals mean everything. Highly skilled vocal producers are in high demand, and Emily Wright is certainly one of the finest. An LA-based vocal producer, Wright’s name pops up on so many mainstream records that it’s easy to lose count. Many of the most recognizable hits of the last two decades carry her signature. These include “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” and “Till the World Ends” by Britney Spears.
Sylvia Massy
American sound engineer and music producer Sylvia Massy has worked actively since the 1980s. In the early stages of her career as an assistant engineer, Massy was recording legends like Barbra Streisand, Queen, Prince, and Elton John. As a mixing engineer, she honed music by Red Hot Chili Peppers, R.E.M., and Johnny Cash.
Massy later helped define the signature sound of the celebrated rock band Tool. Produced and mixed by Massy, Tool’s debut Undertow went triple platinum in the United States. Today, Massy continues to offer her services from her private studio in Ashland, Oregon.
Björk
It’s rare to see the Icelandic legend Björk contribute to other musicians’ projects as a producer. Still, when it comes to her albums, she’s entirely in charge. A classically trained musician, Björk introduced sophisticated string, brass, woodwind, and choral arrangements to pop music. Intertwining electronic beats with acoustic instrumentation, she challenged musical norms and trends. Eventually, Björk began composing for film. Her most notable score was for the Palme d’Or-winning Dancer in the Dark in which she also starred as the lead actress.
Always an artist first, Björk continues to release groundbreaking music and self-produced her latest release, the Grammy-nominated Fossora.
Jennifer Decilveo
Exchanging a full-time career in finance for one in music takes guts. Yet, that’s precisely what songwriter/producer Jennifer Decilveo did. Thankfully, she managed to cut through the noise in no time. In 2015, she co-wrote and co-produced Cheers to the Fall, R&B singer Andra Day’s Grammy-nominated debut album. She was also the sole producer behind Fake Sugar by Beth Ditto and helmed most of the tracks on Sing to Me Instead by Broadway star Ben Platt. Recently, Decilveo served as co-producer on folk rock artist Hozier’s album Unreal Unearth.
What makes Decilveo’s work so interesting is her adventurous spirit. Although she often partakes in projects with a strong pop appeal, she doesn’t refrain from blurring the lines between genres. From E.D.M. to soul music, Decilveo’s signature sound appears on an array of recordings.
