CMD aka Cyan (Corina MacDonald) is an electronic music maker and radio host based out of Montreal, Quebec. She’s been producing Modular_Systems on CKUT 90.3 FM for over a decade now, all of which are diligently archived on her website going back to 2004. With several releases out on labels such as Fur Trade and Basic Sounds and a live performance at the 2015 edition of MUTEK, she’s been building a reputation for quality output. We got a chance to pick her brain a bit about what got her into making music and her processes. She has done a DJ mix exclusively for Femmecult which you will find below the interview. Thanks for reading! Femmecult: How did you get into making music, and at what age did you become interested in electronic music specifically? CMD: I never studied music formally, except for some sporadic guitar lessons as a teenager. I think my interest in making electronic music came out of a trajectory related to radio, sound editing and DJing. I started getting seriously into electronic music in my early twenties, after spending some time in Scotland and then relocating to Montreal from Calgary. Moving around and being exposed to different music scenes was really exciting and motivated me to get more involved. Femmecult: Did you have an underground collective or group of friends, or support networks that first influenced you to pursue this field of interest? CMD: Shortly after moving to Montreal I started volunteering at CKUT, and many of the first friends I made here were DJs and producers, so music has been the common factor in much of my social life. I’ve founded a couple of different collectives over the years with friends as a way to collaborate and organize events that...

Patti Schmidt, curator for MUTEK electronic music festival, talks about the politics surrounding raising the visibility of women in electronic music.

This year’s MUTEK Montreal shaped up to be an entertaining time. In addition to stellar acts, top notch sound, and beautiful performance spaces, there were also a ton of interesting workshops and Q&As happening that made for a quite immersive experience.

Femmecult previews the female performers of the 2015 Montreal edition of Mutek. Performers include Steffi, Dasha Rush, Karen Gwyer, CMD and NIX.