100 Malaysians, 100 Milestones – LSA100 this year celebrates diversity in the DJ scene. Born from the desire to put women at the forefront, Cherry Bomb is more than just a collective — it’s a platform for female DJs, producers and performers to showcase their talents and inspire other women in the scene.
From the moment the girls of Cherry Bomb enter the studio, there seems to be a major shift in aura. A prerequisite for being a DJ (at least, in my own understanding) is to have a magnetic presence; that innate ability to command a room. And with three of them at once, the feeling is altogether amplified. It feels like a brief record-scratch moment, and the beat would drop when we begin the cover shoot. In short, these girls are the very definition of cool. (Move over, boys. It’s time to let the girls show you how to spin it, electropop-style.)
At its core, Aida “Aidaho” Azrin, Jovynn and Ashley Lau together make up Cherry Bomb. But the idea of the DJ collective is to bring together all the girls in the scene and create a space for them to play whatever they want, however they want to. The official Cherry Bomb website puts it eloquently: “it’s more than just a party — it’s a movement.” Think riot grrrl but with electropop.
“A lot of people have this ‘hate’ or at least, like, stereotypes towards female DJs,” Jovynn told us just last year. “Whenever someone blows up, they think it’s just because of their looks, or because they’re wearing something sexy or whatever. And female DJs, well, we wanna break out of that. ‘Cause you know, you don’t have to look ‘sexy’ to be a successful DJ. It’s all about the art, and the music.”
In other words, the electropop girls want an uprising. We’ve been seeing it happen in real time, since the days of Icona Pop and Tove Lo — and especially now with Charli XCX and Brat Summer. We’re living in the era of the resurgence of rave music and electropop. Everyone has a ‘365 Party Girl’ somewhere within them, waiting to be unleashed. And Cherry Bomb, explosive as they are, aims to be the fuel that lights the fire.
How did you all come up with the collective Cherry Bomb? What was the idea or intention behind it? And what do you hope to achieve as Cherry Bomb — both personally, professionally and within the local DJ community?
Aida Azrin (AA): I was tired of seeing the same male-dominated DJ lineups, so I decided to curate my own DJ lineup to give more girls a chance to showcase their talent. Ashley and Jovynn were one of the first DJs I booked for a Cherry Bomb event, and we came together naturally as a trio after that because they shared the same vision as me. We hope that Cherry Bomb will be able to set new standards for diversity, inclusion and gender equality in the electronic music scene, and inspire the next generation of female talent in the music industry.
Who has influenced each of you the most, sonically? Also, if each of you could be stuck in one year or one decade’s music scene forever, which would it be?
AA: I credit Flume, Jamie xx, Burial and Shlohmo, for changing the way I listen to music – their experimental sounds showed me that a true love for music goes beyond limiting yourself to one genre. I wasn’t a DJ back then, so I would love to go back to the 2010s because that was the decade that made me fall in love with dance music.
Jovynn (J): Victoria De Angelis and Indira Paganotto. I’ve watched both their sets live recently and it was super euphoric, they’re amazing at their music selections & building up the energy of the crowd. If I had to pick one genre, it’d be techno. Hard and bouncy kicks give me a lot of energy!
Ashley Lau (AL): I’d pick Swedish House Mafia as my biggest influence. The way they blend their music with art and creativity really resonates with me. If I could get stuck in one music scene forever, it’d be the ’90s R&B and the early days of hip-hop.
What is your personal opinion on the difference between ‘old school’ DJing, where everything was restricted to vinyl, versus modern DJing where most tracks aren’t put on any physical medium before or after the release? Especially with so many up-and-coming DJs starting out through online platforms like TikTok, and finding growth and success there too.
J: With technology, the equipment will always evolve. We’re blessed to be in this generation where there are features that makes it easier for us to DJ, and for people who are keen to get into DJing, it’s still technical, but made simpler for new DJs to learn. I have a lot of respect for the old school DJs because back then, everything was way more complicated & technical, but it’s the same now for anyone who wants to get into it, it will be overwhelming, but practice is really important and learning how to fully utilise the features in your sets.
With the rise of TikTok and Instagram, there are many new opportunities for DJs to push themselves out there, and many ways to utilise DJing into these platforms. I started out by curating sounds with the DJ deck for other creators to use because I had no experience with music production, but now I am more focused on creating my own sounds for others. There’ll be many different types of DJs in this generation, but at the end of the day, they’re still DJs! Nothing separates you from your job just cause you do it online or offline.
Following that, do you think this affects the idea of having a certain exclusive ‘sound’? What are your thoughts on DJs pursuing the idea of having a ‘unique’ style? Is the idea of having your own style separate from all the other DJs out there even as important in modern DJing today?
AA: We are all unique, so as DJs we must continue to embrace that individuality — it is what sets us apart from others. I believe that it will always be important to express ourselves authentically because personal fulfilment is how we inspire others and add value to the world.
Where do you think the local DJ scene is headed a year from now — or five years from now?
AL: I think the local DJ scene is really exciting right now. Techno is definitely starting to peak in Malaysia, and it’s awesome to see more people getting into it. I can see that trend growing over the next year or even five. With more underground parties and festivals popping up, the vibe is shifting, and it feels like there’s a lot of room for creativity.
