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2022 Freshman Edition | Indiana Daily Student | idsnews.com
DJ MADDØG creates safe, fun queer spaces
ETHAN LEVY | IDS
Madison True, also known as “ DJ MADDØG,” poses for a photo Feb. 14, 2022, at The Back Door. DJ MADDØG has performed internationally in London and with stars such as Kesha. By Taylor Satoski
tsatoski@iu.edu | @taylorsatoski
Madison True started out curating playlists for her friends, fundraising events and DJ-ing on her front porch. Now known as DJ MADDØG, she aims to represent voices through her music. DJ MADDØG said she was influenced by many differ-
ent music genres growing up because she moved around a lot. This is represented in the music she plays, and she said she caters to her audience based on their musical preferences. “If I can help facilitate or create an environment where people feel free enough to laugh and smile and dance and wear what they want and
be who they want, that’s really therapeutic to me,” she said. DJ MADDØG said she grew up in a household that constantly used music as a form of entertainment. Her earliest memory of music is dancing with her sister in their living room. After she started creating playlists for fundraisers, artists would ask her to open for
their shows, and venues started asking her if she wanted her own show. DJ MADDØG has also produced mixes for drag performers. She performed with Kesha and multiple drag queens on Kesha’s Weird & Wonderful Rainbow Ride Cruise in 2019. She also performed internationally in London.
“A lot of bars cater to a specific crowd,” DJ MADDØG said. “I think their idea of a proper DJ is male and white and straight, but queer spaces treated me like an artist, didn’t treat me as my gender, and they always welcomed me.” DJ MADDØG spent six months studying music production and sound engineering at Point Blank Music School in London. She said she would love to someday own a record label, working exclusively with female, transgender, and non-binary producers. She is known to foster safe spaces for queer people to feel free to be themselves, Janae Cummings, chair of the board of directors for Bloomington PRIDE and IU-Bloomington brand marketing leader, said. “There aren’t any queer safe spaces to speak of in southern Indiana apart from what we have here in Bloomington,” Cummings said. “She helps deliver that experience weekend after weekend.” Cummings said DJ MADDØG’s sets are representative of voices in every genre and age and that the wide variety of music appeals to everyone in the audience.
DJ MADDØG has performed at Pridefest every year since 2016. Cummings said her main role is to DJ Pridefest’s large drag shows. In 2020, Pridefest moved virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cummings said it was hard for the audience to get excited for a virtual event, but having DJ MADDØG anchor both nights was the highlight of the event. “She is always our DJ of choice,” Cummings said. “We go to her first, and if she’s out of town, it’s a bummer for us.” WFHB Music Director Christine Brackenhoff has seen DJ MADDØG perform sets on the radio at WFHB, at drag shows and at multiple music venues in Bloomington. She said her musical style is unlike other DJs: it’s unique and eclectic. Brackenhoff said DJ MADDØG has an open-minded and experimental approach to music as she takes her audience on a musical journey. “That focus on musical discovery and challenging an audience is something I think is really cool about what she does,” Brackenhoff said. This article was orginally published on Feb 16, 2022.
COLUMN: The Red Hot Chili Peppers stay unambitious on ‘Unlimited Love’ By Erin Stafford
ecstaffo@iu.edu | @erincstafford
“Unlimited Love” is a facet of reflection for the Red Hot Chili Peppers as they revisit funky melodies and alternative rock after a six year hiatus. The band’s return to rock feels familiar, as they reunite with prodigal guitarist John Frusciante for the first time since the release of their “Stadium Arcadium” album in 2006. Fans will rejoice as the musician’s smooth blend of staccato licks and percussive chord progressions accompany sharp production from studio legend Rick Rubin on this newest album. Although “Unlimited
Love” is refreshingly raw and packed with strong musicianship, it also confirms that the rockers' best years are behind them. Despite an influx of carefully crafted lyrics, the Red Hot Chili Peppers fail to offer listeners anything new. The opening track is sophisticated in its lyrical commentary on Australia’s devastating bushfires in 2019 and 2020. An alluring guitar riff from Frusciante invites listeners in and covers “Black Summer” in a melancholic haze before frontman Anthony Kiedis intensifies the track with his thrashing voice. On “Here Ever After,” Kiedis returns to his original, rap-style delivery of lyrics to
tell the story of a toxic relationship. While it’s clear that Kiedis hasn’t lost his energetic spunk, it’d be a far more compelling track if he debuted a sense of maturity through his ballad-built vocals instead. The bass-driven chorus of “Aquatic Mouth Dance” is littered with references to the early days of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as the title mimics the title for track “American Ghost Dance” from the band’s second album “Freaky Styley.” Within the first half of the album, it is clear that “Unlimited Love” revisits the past and reflects on the band’s journey as a whole. This decision is purposeful, as it gives the Red Hot Chili Peppers a space to
express themselves and revive a decades-long career. With no musical evolution, however, the album is forgettable. In spite of this repetitive nature, the Red Hot Chili Peppers also exhibit a surprising amount of rare instrumentation throughout the album. On “Not The One,” Kiedis sings about feeling unworthy in romantic relationships over a gentle piano melody. As the album progresses, the Red Hot Chili Peppers remain true to themselves. The musicians refuse to shy away from their funk-infused alternative rock that serves as a touchstone for modern rock sensibilities. The band thrives with
lyrical absurdity on “Poster Child.” Juxtapositions of unusual pop culture figures perfectly match the song’s groovy rhythm as Kiedis raps, “Adam Ant and Robert Plant, the banter of a sycophant, enlisted by Ulysses Grant to record at the Record Plant.” On later track “Let ‘Em Cry,” percussionist Chad Smith’s beautiful drum pattern compliments an infectious chorus as a series of horns encourage listeners to dance. The album nears its end with “The Heavy Wing.” On this track, Frusciante graces listeners with a driving guitar riff that precedes verses in which Kiedis showcases his
baritone voice, as he sings, “Trace me now through your innocence, tell me it's part of the program I started.” On “Tangelo,” slowed down acoustics bring the album to a close with despondent lyrics that are vulnerable, but overdone on previous albums from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. While “Unlimited Love” stands as a sentimental album for longterm fans of the onceradical rock band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers fail to reinvent themselves with a repetitive feeling of nonchalance on this latest album. This article was orginally published on April 4, 2022.
THERE’S A PLACE FOR EVERYONE AT THE JACOBS SCHOOL OF MUSIC! We offer performance and learning opportunities for all students and community members. All IU students are invited to audition for the Singing Hoosiers and the Marching Hundred or sign up for an all-campus ensemble or instrumental lessons.
music.indiana.edu/degrees-programs/ensembles And, if you are looking for a terrific course, register for a class—ranging from Jazz for Listeners, Music of the Silk Road, and Music for Film, to History of Rock ‘n’ Roll!
music.indiana.edu/mgs
