Mic Drop Feature
L.A. Wildfire Relief: Support From Your Local Femme/Queer DJs
Read the full article on Mic Drop Music.
At the start of the new year, the Southern California area was hit with several destructive wildfires. Over 200,000 people were forced to evacuate. Homes, property, and many lives were lost. Due to a combination of lack of rain in the year and the Santa Ana winds, residents of that area were up against the forces of nature. In response to this disaster, many organizations have mobilized to provide L.A. Wildfire Relief. One of those communities who took initiative to raise money for fire relief, was Bass N Babes, a queer/femme-forward music collective based in L.A.
Wildfires Bring Mass Destruction
Wildfires can bring mass destruction — and in this case, approximately 40,000 acres of the Southern California region were affected. These fires (Palisades, Eaton, Sunset, and multiple others) affected a very large portion of Los Angeles and its surrounding counties.
Recovery has been a challenge, but we have seen many communities come together to support one another in need. More specifically, the community of femme and queer electronic music (more on that later), who have taken action and put their talents together to raise money for L.A. Wildfire Relief.
Alerts To Evacuate L.A.
Checking for updates on the wildfires each morning was not a productive way to spend my time. But I couldn’t help it — especially being active on social media. My “for you” page was full to the brim with fire news and content from people affected. There were alerts to evacuate being sent out at one point. The alerts were false alarms for my area, but I still had close friends, coworkers, and loved ones who received legitimate evacuation warnings. My anxiety was at an all time high for the whole month of January, because I knew that loved ones near me were displaced, as well as several others in the L.A. community.
Rebuild And Relief
The entire month consisted of all L.A. residents holding tight, and hanging in there, praying for rain and for the fires to be controlled. After what felt like the longest New Years Eve of my life, the fires were finally on their way to being contained, and the recovery process has begun.
The inevitable that comes with wildfires is the essential rebuilding of all that was lost. It’s a juxtaposition for sure — upset about the mass destruction, but hopeful for what can be rebuilt and started after this fresh slate. But with challenge comes growth, understanding, and unity. During these hard times, I saw our local music communities and collectives providing aid for fire relief. This was an amazing time to step up and take initiative, because this was when our people needed it most. Getting creative with raising money and necessities, there was a surge in events, shows, and live streams with the intention to support L.A. Wildfire Relief.
An Industry Led By Women
L.A.-based music collective, Bass N Babes, founded by @itsbabykush used the opportunity to give back. On January 26, Bass N Babes collaborated with CouchFam to presented a livestream on Twitch.com to fundraise for L.A. Wildfire Relief.
Bass N Babes
Bass N Babes is an independent music collective that aspires to bridge the gap between LGBTQ and bass music communities.
I spoke with founder, Abby Cooper about the collective mission, and here’s what she had to say:
“It is our goal to create queer spaces within the bass scene and uplift queer, femme, and other underrepresented DJs/producers. Our ultimate goal is to build the feminine and queer presence in the bass music scene.”
We hear ya, Abby. Bass music derives from electronic music, which contains countless influence from LGBTQ, BIPOC, and LATINX communities. The talent in this community must be shared and respected. We must appreciate collectives like, Bass N Babes and CouchFam, that have created these pathways for under-represented artists.
CouchFam
Now, please let me introduce you to CouchFam. Another pioneer collective in this industry that is founded by women, CouchFam creates an accessible space for music and artists to showcase their talent to the online community. Owning the online space for underground bass music, you can find CouchFam on Instagram, YouTube, Discord, Twitch, Tik Tok, and SoundCloud.
Couchfam Twitch: click here
DJ + Livestream = Yes!
In addition to the ever-flowing content on their social media platforms, CouchFam is known for their weekly livestreams that feature the hottest talent in bass music. Talent will come onto the stream to perform a live set for the online community.
Live-streaming and DJ-ing has been a phenomenon that has taken the internet by storm as of late. With its rapid popularity increasing since COVID-19, the live streaming world of DJ-ing is larger than ever. You can find online DJ’s live streaming on Twitch, YouTube, Instagram, and even Tik Tok.
Livestream = L.A. Wildfire Relief
If you live in L.A., you probably saw the uproar within our communities, doing what they could to assist those affected. Whether it was by raising money, donating food, making meals, providing housing… you name it. Our community really stepped up for each other.
I asked Abby Cooper, Bass N Babes founder, to provide a statement on the fundraiser. Check it out.
“The L.A. Wildfires caused so much destruction, and left much of the community feeling scared and helpless. There was a huge desire to help; as we saw the community level response from ordinary people in L.A. was momentous! Bass N Babes, as a collective of DJs, wanted to do what we could, using our strengths, to raise money for the cause. Our idea to do the Twitch stream came from a desire to do something that would have an impact while also boosting morale and bringing our community together. We were so grateful to partner with Couch Fam and utilize their Twitch platform, and bring on 12 DJs for a 12-hour stream! We streamed from two locations – in the Bay and in L.A., and brought together our community both online and in-person. Over the 12 hours, we raised a total of $843.20 for the South LA Community Foundation. Members of our community suggested this organization because they are on the ground providing mutual aid and because racial and economic justice is at the center of their work. All of the DJ sets from the stream are now up on the Bass N Babes Youtube channel.”
Here’s a list of the DJs who participated in the stream: @khariszma, @ratchaelbeats, @twogirlsonelaptop (Sugar & Spice), @bunny______g, @chrome.mami, @planet.soosi (Soosi), @_calli3fornia (Suppa), @violetxxmusic, @the.charlotte.rose, @lexlooper_1.0, @ethicaldrvgs, and @itsbabykush.
Thank You L.A.
Thankfully now, the fires are 100% contained, and the city and its people can focus on rebuilding what was lost. Recovery isn’t immediate, and our community continues to give back even after the destruction.
We are grateful for this community and the leaders who are taking the initiative to uplift women and LGBTQA artists. I want to highlight Bass N Babes, for a mission statement I can stand behind and full-heartedly support. LGBTQA, BIPOC, and Latinx representation is essential, and we need more safe spaces for this community to thrive. We will continue to keep our eye on Bass N Babes throughout the year.
(They have some really cool stuff coming up!)
I’ve included links below to their upcoming events and Instagram.
Hot Girl Bayss: Kyra Collective Takeover in San Francisco, CA (March 7, 2025)
Featuring sounds of dubstep, experimental bass, and drum and bass.
Beats N Babes: Free DJ Workshop for the femme and queer community! Every 3rd Tuesday @ Pirate Studios, Silverlake, CA.
