GameChops Artist Spotlight || Baroqueen

This month, EDM Identity will be highlighting four artists from video game music label, GameChops! The third DJ we’re highlighting is Baroqueen!

Emily Davidson is living a double life. We know her as Baroqueen, an amazing DJ who infuses hip-hop and pop with electronic music. However, she’s also an extremely talented, classically trained cellist who specializes in Baroque music. Baroqueen was exposed to the sweet spot between video game music and the electronic world through her brother DJ Cutman; however, she still didn’t get involved in the world of electronic music production for some time. Around 2013, she became roommates with Grimecraft, and her resulting exposure to his work inspired her to dive into electronic music production herself. As she grew and began mastering the art of DJing, she tried her hand at developing a fusion of her two identities. In 2014, she and DJ Cutman released OldStyle, a dynamic and unique album which consisted of baroque pieces remixed with electronic music and chiptune. Then, in 2015, she made her DJ debut on Grimecraft and Friends.

Baroqueen is a wildcard in the GameChops crew as she specializes in hip-hop, trap, and pop, though she sprinkles video game aspects to some of her tracks. Whenever she is featured on a lineup, she shifts the dynamic and brings her own style to the game which makes for a great show.

Check out Baroqueen’s Ladies First mix from The Party with Your Friends Event at PAX East:

https://soundcloud.com/baroqueen/pwyf

What was your inspiration in becoming a DJ?

As a classical cello player, I wasn’t sure what to make of DJs at first. But once I got to see my brother Dj Cutman perform live and spent some time as Grimecraft’s roommate, I got a better feel for what DJs actually do, and that was exciting to me. I always loved pop and hip hop music, so learning to DJ was a great creative outlet to play the music I loved.

What inspired you to focus on Video Game music?

I’ve been a gamer all my life and some of my strongest and most emotional gaming memories are tied to the music. It’s a really cool experience to take a track you have a connection with and show it through your own lens and sound.

https://soundcloud.com/baroqueen/malie-city

Having a specific “sound” is important in the EDM world. How would you describe your sound?

I consider my music hip-hop-inspired pop music. It’s typically simple and clean in terms of production but emotionally present.

If you could play a b2b set with any artist, who would it be and why?

Probably my brother Dj Cutman… we’ve actually never done a B2B set!

Do you have a favorite event that you’ve been able to play?

Party With Your Friends was a huge show at PAX East in Boston. It pooled a bunch of artists from the GameChops label, many of which happen to be my IRL friends. I think playing a show where you’re friends with everyone on the bill is particularly special, plus the show was sold out so the energy was great.

What about the Electronic Music scene/Video Game Music scene specifically speaks to you?

What I like about electronic music is that many artists are one-man shows, doing their own production, songwriting, mixing, and sometimes even vocals. It makes it easy get a feel for an artist’s vision through their work.

If you could pick 3 artists to listen to for the rest of your life, who would they be and why?

Terror Jr for their overall sound and vibe, emotionally-charged vocals, and minimal but creative production style. They’re a huge influence on my sound. Kanye West because he’s timeless and ever-evolving. Britney Spears because she’s the original pop princess.

Which artist was your introduction to Electronic Music?

Skrillex, and I feel like that’s a great place to start for most people since he did such major things for the genre as a whole.

What is your favorite event that you have attended?

The MAGfest DJ Battle–over 5000 people and an amazing lineup every year.

What’s in store for your fans for the rest of 2017? Any surprises or new releases coming up?

I’m focusing mostly on original music this year to refine and develop my sound. I just released the stems for my latest track, Believe in Us, and I’m excited to see what kind of remixes people come up with.

https://soundcloud.com/baroqueen/believeinus