Last month, I was invited to spin some records alongside a brilliant lineup of women DJs at a Ladies Love Vinyl event in Hackney’s Rook Records. It was there I met Madison, DJ and founder of Vinyl Bitch, who kicked off the day with an open vinyl mixing workshop, encouraging us to get hands on, and learn the art of mixing by simply having a go.
Madison (rightly) believes vinyl DJing should be accessible to everyone, not kept behind gatekeepers, and it was a joy to watch complete beginners and seasoned selectors alike learning, experimenting and connecting through a shared love of music.
In our conversation, Madison shares how she first fell in love with vinyl, what inspired her to build a community where everyone feels welcome behind the decks, and why making mistakes is all part of the magic of learning to DJ.
Tell us a little bit about yourself:
Hello world! I’m Madison aka MADDØG, I’m a vinyl DJ, event producer, and founder of Vinyl Bitch.
What sparked your interest in collecting records?
I’ve always been drawn to them as a physical format with the beautiful album colours and whatnot but my love of playing records didn’t come about until a friend of my cousin’s gave me a pair of decks then it was game over. From the moment I had a go on them I knew this was something I wanted to master.
What is it about vinyl that you love most?
The deep relationship I have with my music and ultimately others who share this love of the format. Some of my best friends here in London I’ve met through Vinyl Bitch. Its like a family! Its all about connection whether its with the music, others, or yourself.
When did you start DJing, and what got you behind the decks?
I started about 10 years ago after a breakup and that person called themself a DJ and a bit out of spite I was like “I can do that… and I can throw better parties!” I wanted to put my frustration and sadness into something and that something was DJing. I’m also 10 years sober which I don’t think is a coincidence, as I truly believe my DJ journey helped me stay clean. It gave me a creative outlet and a form of connection with the world around me that I didn’t have before.
What’s the story behind Vinyl Bitch?
Again, this began out of spite a bit haha! I moved to London from the US and was confronted with some serious male gatekeepers telling me such things as “only regulars can play here and we’re regulars.” So I basically started Vinyl Bitch as a f*ck you to that behaviour which sadly isn’t unique to London. Folks can find Vinyl Bitch every first Monday at Dalston Superstore for our Open Deck sessions then we sort of do a mish mash of programming throughout the year. This includes workshops, takeovers, club nights, and record crawls.
What advice would you give someone wanting to try vinyl DJing?
JUST DO IT! Get your hands on some wax and a pair of decks and just go for it. Make mistakes, scratch up a few records, put your hands all over some vinyl and figure out what feels good for you and your style. Everyone’s vinyl journey is different so don’t let some bloke tell you his way is the right way because it’s definitely not!
What’s the most cherished record in your collection?
I have two… Daft Punk’s Homework and Radiohead’s Kid A are in my bag at all times.
What’s your go-to crate digging spot?
I love Planet Wax in South London (Chris is the man) and Recycle Vinyl in Dalston (Rob is also the man). I recently discovered Temple of Vinyl in Brighton and the owner was super kind and picked out a bunch of juicy electro and Detroit techno for me.
Follow Madison on Instagram and look out for Vinyl Bitch open decks every first Monday at Dalston Superstore.
Support Vinylettes: buy me a coffee.
