Revisiting ‘Women In Electronic Music’ & The Role Of Ableton In Shaping New Voices

Nearly 7 years ago, Wild City hosted its latest iteration of ‘Women In Electronic Music‘ (later to be prefaced as ‘Selector Pro’), a series of music production workshops between 2017 and 2019 that were designed to make music-making more accessible to women and underrepresented voices in India.

Supported by the likes of Ableton, British Council and Native Instruments, the workshops introduced participants to the foundations of digital production while pairing them with internationally respected mentors, including Eliza Rose, Rachel K Collier, Nightwave and Perera Elsewhere.

7 years on, several of the workshop alumni have emerged as recognised artists shaping the alternative music culture in the country, while some have created their own spaces to enable more underrepresented voices. Meanwhile, Ableton continues its efforts to make music-making accessible in the country by introducing India-specific pricing.

As it launches regional prices for its rent-to-own options and, after features like stem separation and splice integration in version 12.3, announces Ableton Live 12.4 with its new Learn view, we look at how access and lower barriers of entry create a positive ripple effect. Over the next few weeks, we will speak about it with some of the alumni from the ‘Women In Electronic Music’ workshops and shed light on how it has come into practice in their own trajectories.

Suyasha Sen

“I was tinkering around with audio production at the time and hadn’t quite developed my chops just yet. There is something very special about being in a room where everyone is just as enthusiastic about music, whether production or DJ-ing,” recalls Kolkata’s Suyasha Sen who, at the time she participated in Selector Pro’s Kolkata edition in 2018, was already recognised for being part of the band The Ganesh Talkies and was emerging as her solo act, Plastic Parvati. “The workshop helped me learn how to shape my live sets on Ableton more efficiently.”

Plastic Parvati has since been part of the supergroup Hotel Kali, collaborated with the likes of National Animal, and has recently launched the group Still In Therapy, which was part of the lineup at Lollapalooza 2026.

“At a time when generative AI is flattening all forms of self-expression, it is the need of the hour to create spaces for emerging musicians that facilitate and nurture their growth,” adds Suyasha. “Now, more than ever, we need initiatives like [‘Women In Electronic Music’ workshops] to help musicians expand their technical skills but also find a community in the process.”

Sijya

“I was just starting to make some loops on Ableton. So very very early in my journey. I had not even finished a track yet,” remembers Sijya Gupta of where she was in her journey when she participated in Selector Pro: Women in Electronic Music’s 2019 edition. Since then, the New Delhi creative artist released her EP ‘Young Hate‘ on Matthew Herbert’s Accidental Records and its follow-up ‘Leather & Brass‘ on One Little Independent, counting the likes of Björk as her label-mate.

“Learning from Sasha [Perera] was the most memorable experience and seeing her process intimately made me feel like I could do it. Her approach felt impulse-based rather than systematic. I loved that”, adds Sijya. With almost every major Indian festival from Lollapalooza and Magnetic Fields Festival to Echoes of Earth and MediumRare Weekender under her belt, Sijya has also performed at international stages like Tate Modern and Yes Manchester and has just been announced on the lineup for Netherlands’ Rewire Festival.

“Workshops are the most wonderful thing, giving you a quick preview of what a vocation might be,” adds Sijya, who received training in Ableton Live, using Native Instruments, DJ-ing, live sound and nightlife laws as part of the workshop, noting how it was extremely helpful that in a sea of male-dominated spaces, the workshops were womxn-only, which enabled a more welcoming and open learning environment for her. She continues, “I still use the same tools, to be honest. A few more but they still exist. Now I’m much better at them and know (somewhat) my way around.”

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Main image: Selector Pro 2019 by Dolly Devi