Darkswoon is an electronic shoegaze band out of Portland, Oregon, the primary musical outlet of Jana Cushman. The band performs live as a duo, an energetic show that has Cushman on guitar, effects and vocals and Christian Terrett on electronics. In Cushman’s own words, “Darkswoon builds sonic landscapes from the foundation of loops and beats, layered with intricate effected guitar, harmonized looping vocals, and synths to create a transcendent texture of music.” The band’s second release, a 4 song EP entitled Silhouettes has turned quite a few heads for its flawless execution of the best parts of a teenage ripped-jean rebellion, and capturing the energy of that one enigmatic band from the old days that you just can’t forget. We caught up with Cushman to find out more about her songwriting process and what drives such a compelling sound. Isn’t it true that the best music so often goes unheard? Let it not be true for Darkswoon! Read on and be sure to watch the video that was produced for her song ‘Necromancer’, filmed in and around the lovely graveyards of Portland, Oregon. Femmecult: How did you get into making music? Did it start at a young age, and/or was it born of interest in other forms of art? Darkswoon: I use music to work through problems in my life and this is how I started writing music, as a way of therapy or my own version of praying. Putting an issue out into the universe and harvesting creative energy is the most effective coping mechanism I’ve been able to develop. That is how I started writing music, not so intentionally but more so in order to survive being young and fucked up. I grew up playing guitar and had a very musical family....

Year One is an impressive debut EP from the burgeoning electronic duo out of Portland, Oregon. The album is dark, with expressive melodics– an introspective collection of songs that showcases the emotion of Cushman’s gritty voice.

Femmecult features DJ Dweomer mix featuring women in electronic music. The show originally aired on Portland’s XRAY.FM radio station for the Zodiak Klub show.

Femmecult interviews Portland, Oregon based event promoter Coco Madrid. In the audio podcast Q&A she gives insights on the history of the underground music scene in Portland, how it’s evolved, and her experiences helping promote events.

Cynthia Valenti aka The Perfect Cyn has been holding it down as a house, techno and electro DJ for over a decade. Well known all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond for her sleek style behind the decks, she’s been building a collection of loyal dancefloor junkies who appreciate her breadth of musical knowledge. She tells us how it all began with Ham radios, Front 242 and punk rock among other things…

Portland based electronic music artist, NeveroddoreveN (Heather Tucker) is early in her career as a solo artist but already turning quite a few heads with her original work and live show. Her work can be classified as dark wave and synth pop, drawing inspiration from notable industrial and postpunk synth bands of the 80s among others. She is a talented and expressive vocalist and her live performances are known to feature live video projections and dancers as well. Femmecult got a chance to pick her brain on her creative process and that gnawing feeling one gets when creativity becomes stagnant. Femmecult: Where are you from? NeveroddoreveN: I was born in a tiny town in Texas near the border of Louisiana. But I grew up in Houston, TX from the age of 2. Femmecult: What is your musical background? How did you get started? NeveroddoreveN: I am not formally trained. I’ve had no schooling in music. I was mostly a vocalist up until about 2 years ago. After being in a handful of bands from the age of about 22 I decided to go it alone. I find that working with others can be a lot like being in a relationship. You like someone more than they like you or vice versa. I was either looking for a way out of whatever band or completely heartbroken when whatever project didn’t work out. Not that I’m against collaborating now but it’s so much easier to answer to yourself with artistic endeavors. Also, I’ve never been less stage shy than when it was just me…..representing what I want to make…..from start to finish. Believing in it more. Standing by it, you know? Femmecult: Please comment on your musical style. NeveroddoreveN: Downtempo dark synth? Electronic droneloop sample? I...