Feminist Synth Lab
making electronic music and music production more accessible in Los Angeles and beyond
Workshop participants gather at Feminist Synth Lab’s last in-person workshop (co-hosted by Femme House) in January 2020.
As cities around the globe went into lockdown in March of 2020, many people got stuck in places they hadn’t planned on staying. When some electronic music gear got left behind in Los Angeles, Feminist Synth Lab put it to use.
For the past four years, Feminist Synth Lab has been hosting monthly workshops for people of marginalized identities on everything from modular synthesis to film scoring and songwriting. Co-run by Natalie Robehmed and Sabrina Ketel, the co-learning initiative is focused on making the worlds of electronic music and music production more accessible through education, community building, and more recently, the Synthesizer Lending Library.
“All of our workshops are led by and for people of marginalized gender identities. That’s very important to us,” says Natalie. “We want to make this inaccessible equipment accessible, while also openly acknowledging how cis-male dominated the music industry is, specifically electronic music.”
Making The Inaccessible More Accessible
Natalie had long been inspired by the work of Portland’s S1 Synth Library, which provides access to modular synthesizers, DJ gear, recording equipment, and other electronic musical instruments to people of all skill levels. When the pandemic hit, co-founder of S1 Felisha Ledesma got stuck in Oregon, while some of their synths belonging to a remote artists’ residency program they ran (Resource Residency) were left in Los Angeles. Felisha suggested Feminist Synth Lab use that equipment to kickstart a synthesizer lending library.
Shortly after, Natalie and Sabrina started putting calls out on social media. LA musicians donated instruments they were no longer using, and Feminist Synth Lab received hardware contributions from 4MS, Make Noise and FocusRite and software from Cycling ’74.
Today, the Synthesizer Lending Library has a wide range of gear available for check-out, including midi controllers, drum machines, microphones, sequencers, mixers, amps, interfaces, and of course, synthesizers. All equipment has a 3-week rental period. Renters pay a $1 refundable deposit for smaller gear, or $20 for more expensive equipment. Black, Indigenous, and people of color receive priority access to equipment. “The equipment reservation period opens up on Monday morning at 9 a.m. for BIPOC. On Wednesday, we open it up to everyone else.”
By providing access to this gear, Feminist Synth Lab eliminates the cost barriers that many people interested in electronic music are confronted with. “There is just so much that’s inaccessible. In addition to buying the instruments or modules and learning how to use them, then it’s also like, ‘Oh you don’t have an interface or speakers? You need that too.’ It can get really expensive so fast.”
Some of the most popular items in the library are the Moog synths, including the Mother 32, Drummer From Another Mother, and Grandmother. “It’s really cool because most of our gear has come from other LA artists who hit me up on Instagram.” Other popular synths include the Korg Volcas, which are affordable, portable modules that Natalie says are great starting points for those new to synthesis.
Pick-ups and drop-offs had previously been at Avenue 50 Studio, an art gallery in Los Angeles’ Highland Park neighborhood. The library plans to base its operations in the Feminist Center for Creative Work’s new space later this fall.
Co-founder Natalie Robehemed leads a workshop in January 2020 in Los Angeles.
Beginnings of Synth Lab
The Synthesizer Lending Library is a welcome complement to Feminist Synth Lab’s existing educational programming. Natalie, who has a background in classical music, knows how hard it can be to get started in electronic music. After graduating from college with a degree in music theory and composition, Natalie was feeling burned out. They started experiencing nightlife in New York City and shortly after, fell in love with dance music. In 2016, they started making hardware-based techno.
“I got to a point where I wanted to start DJing, and I wanted to start making stuff with analog gear. For me, doing stuff on the computer just didn’t feel fun, and I couldn’t turn off my very critical and not very creative classical music brain. So I got interested in hard synths, but it was like, ‘What the fuck are these? It’s just a bunch of knobs.’”
When Natalie went online to learn, they felt less than inspired. “So many YouTube videos are just a guy who is white talking to the camera, and it’s like, ‘What are you even saying?’ It’s one thing to be in the scene and have friends who can help you, but if you’re just starting out, how do you get going?”
After Natalie started performing and DJing, they had a range of negative experiences. “When I started playing out, the way I would be treated by sound guys was terrible. I was making music in a duo with somebody who identified as male, and that was such an eye opening experience. People would hit him up or direct questions just to him. The sound guy would want to sound check only with him. It’s something I constantly think about and get frustrated with. That’s why we’re doing something about it.”
Co-learning has always been important to Natalie. In 2017, Natalie met musicians Kora Colasuonno and Sophia Silva through the Feminist Center for Creative Work. They were each at different points in their production experience and musical lives, but they were all interested in learning alongside each other. In June of 2017, they hosted an Introduction to Synthesis workshop series. “So many people showed up and it was like, ‘Oh, there is such a demand and a real need for this.’”
Composer and producer Shruti Kumar shares her screen during a “Music Production Outside the Box” workshop in November 2020.
Educational Programming Continues Online
Workshops at Feminist Synth Lab have continued throughout the past year, albeit online. “I miss seeing everybody in person. Having the opportunity to come in and touch this gear is so important. How else are you going to find out what you like or what speaks to you?”
Despite the lack of hands-on access, Natalie acknowledges the online workshops have their own benefits. During a recent “Intro to Composing for Media” workshop, composer Drum & Lace shared her screen showing a scoring session for an episode of Good Girls she had worked on. “Screen sharing is such a dope tool. You can see inside someone’s screen and workflow, which really wouldn’t be as interesting during an in-person workshop.”
The online workshops have also provided a way to gather during an incredibly traumatic year. In May of 2020, artist Callie Ryan hosted a field recordings workshop. “She led a deep listening exercise with us, and then gave an assignment where people had to go in their apartment and record a sound, like a fridge opening or a doorknob, and send it to her. Then we all got back on Zoom, and she started editing those sounds and showing us her chain of effects to show how she makes her music. Callie is a very mindful person and to do this was a nice way to feel together during a very scary period.”
One of the questions Feminist Synth Lab has been grappling with is how to make up for the lack of in-person community. “Part of the beauty of Synth Lab is people getting to find other people interested in the same things as them.” In response, Feminist Synth Lab has hosted virtual co-mentoring workshops where participants could learn from each other, as well as listening sessions where participants could share and provide feedback to works-in-progress.
The online workshops have also expanded their community of people they’ve been able to serve. “So many of our participants are now not in LA. We actually shifted our programming times because a lot of people were hitting us up and saying, ‘Hey, I’m in Europe and I’d love to join, but that’s so late for me.’ We have people at our workshops from New Zealand, Italy, across America, and Europe.”
Looking Ahead
When asked about the long-term vision for Feminist Synth Lab, Natalie says collectivizing the organization, paying volunteers, and finding a permanent space are among some of the top priorities. “Ideally in 5 years, Feminist Synth Lab would be running itself. I wouldn’t need to be here and instead, it would be a wholly-collectivized, self-run thing that doesn’t have two people ‘in charge’ behind it.”
Word has spread about their work. Just as Natalie and Sabrina were inspired by Portland’s S1 Library, Feminist Synth Lab has provided inspiration for a new organization. After the launch of Feminist Synth Lab’s lending library, two individuals in New York reached out to Natalie to ask for advice on how they could start a similar program. Synth Library NYC launched in May of 2021.
“I feel so good about what we’ve done already, and I feel so grateful to be embraced by so many people.”
The next rental period for the Synthesizer Lending Library opens September 27 to BIPOC and September 29 for everyone else.
To learn more about Feminist Synth Lab’s workshops and to reserve gear from the library, visit FemSynthLab.com. If interested in donating gear to the Synthesizer Lending Library, contact Natalie on Instagram.
