There aren’t many female-identifying producers making Drum & Bass these days. Reid Speed, Flava D, and Koven have always held it down for the scene and now Ghost In Real Life (G.I.R.L) has picked up the torch. Her latest track “YCTMWTD (You Can’t Tell Me What To Do)” is out today, March 22.
Ghost In Real Life has a long history with music production. As a child, she learned to play multiple instruments and played acoustic sets in coffee shops around LA before attending Berklee College of Music. During the pandemic, she started her journey from bedroom producer to live performer, taking over festival stages and nightclub dancefloors.
She quickly gained a following through live streams and has since performed at Bass Canyon, Lost Lands, DNBNL, and gone on tour with Riot Ten. Her releases have primarily been bass music, until the end of 2023 when she shifted towards Drum & Bass. She has previously released tracks on renowned labels like Subsidia, Rude Service, NIGHTMODE, Monta, Bassrush, and Deadbeats.
The music industry is male-dominated; “YCTMWTD” is Ghost In Real Life’s way of striking back. No matter what genre she creates, Ghost In Real Life’s music is influenced by pop punk. The opening bassline of “YCTMWTD” is reminiscent of “Bro Hymn” by punk icons Pennywise. The build-up before the drop is filled with frenetic energy before being released in a flurry of hi-hats and a shout of “You Can’t Tell Me What to Do!” The second drop goes more dubstep with drum fills and a downtempo vibe. This track is sure to get the dancefloor skanking and head banging at the same time.
When asked what her experience has been like as a woman in the industry, she replied:
“Being in the music industry as a woman means not having access to the same resources and knowledge as men, not being taken as seriously, always living under the double standard, and always being excluded from male producer friend groups/collectives. I don’t think people understand the level of repercussions these things have on other women creatives and I think it’s important that we bring them to light and keep fighting. I’m really grateful that the D&B scene has been so accepting of me since I truly love the music and I hope to see more women accepted more often in other areas of the music industry.”
We’re looking forward to more Drum & Bass offerings from Ghost In Real Life soon. If you want to catch a set IRL, she will be playing in support of Chase & Status at New York’s famous Avant Gardner on March 29. To stay up to date with everything she has going on, use the links below. Be sure to check out the rest of the tracks that dropped this week by following Moon Lvnding’s New Music Friday Heat playlist on Spotify.
