Le Bain

Beyond the Dance Floor with Megatronic

Meet musician and activist Megane Quashie, a.k.a. Megatronic. Born and raised in London, now based in Dubai, she aims to celebrate the diversity of females within the Middle East with her organization Female First Sessions, while running an international career as a DJ, singer and performer. We sat down with her, before she DJs Le Bain, on Thursday, September 19th.

Tell us about your first memories as a child.

Wow, that’s seem so long ago now. My earliest memory will be the volume of noise in my family home, I come from a big family and there was always something going on. If it wasn’t my mum singing in the kitchen or my brother practicing how to DJ or my older sister listening to house music or my dad trying to do business on the phone. Needless to say, I grew up in an amazing lively home.

Are you based in London, the United Arab Emirates or Brooklyn? Do you feel at home in any of those countries? 

As of today, I’m currently based in Dubai but I’m lucky enough with my job that I get to travel all over and experience different cultures. I’m originally from London and I will always be a Londoner. However, my heart definitely feels like my home is in many places and absolutely have a soft spot for NYC. 

What's your own definition of "home ?

I guess home to me is a place that is vibrant and full of positive energy; a place that allowed my creative side to breath and grow. 

"More importantly than just playing records; I strive to create vibes and connections."

I read “Megatronic is not just DJ”. Is being a DJ not enough? 

I don’t think this quote necessarily reflects that DJing is not enough, instead it’s that I feel that there’s more depth to me as a DJ. More importantly than just playing records, I strive to create vibes and connections for you and your audience. Sometimes those connections go beyond the dance floor. 

I believe you’ve been part of an electro-pop band Black Cherry. Is it still happening? 

Yes, I was part of Black Cherry for nearly 10 years. Unfortunately, one member of the band, Rob Moore, passed away in September 2009 and it was hard to continue without his presence. 

What did you learn from that experience with a band?

So much. My biggest lesson was patience and perseverance. We pretty much played every shit venue in London for the first 5-6 years. The struggle was real, but we kept on writing tracks, meeting labels and trying to elevate ourselves to the next level and we did eventually. It wasn’t long before the time of Instagram and YouTube, so it was super hard to get noticed. Once we got an agent, everything changed. I think I learned a lot about myself and the level of dedication that’s needed to make something work.




Darker Than Wax feat. Megatronic (The Lot Radio)

You’re the founder of 'Female First Sessions', whose purpose is to celebrate the diversity of females within the Middle East. How challenging is that?

Like starting anything from scratch, I think the hardest challenge is to keep things interesting and relevant so your audience can grow. The concept behind the FFs has a large message but with a small window of time to deliver it. Our work is important to the ever-changing face of the global community. We’re working towards a more progressive considerate world that treats women across all cultures with equal respect in the workplace and society. FFs platform has given many women in the Middle East another platform to showcase their skills, business and also to meet and learn from each other. 

How rewarding has it been so far?

Our efforts have had many rewarding moments but personally I think our biggest to date is when we put on activations coinciding with International Women’s month over the span of a week. The event series ended with a 2 day festival with panels and talks  featuring female entrepreneurs, artists, music performers, DJs, and spoken word performers. In that week alone, we showcased over 60 different women across several different industries. We will continue to push our message of prosperity and quality for women forward.

Describe the power of music.

This is a super loaded question, music has the magical ability to manifest within people until they lose control of their body. Music is truly indescribable because, as it’s proven, it has power to transform the human race. It creates emotions, unites people in mass, it forgives, forgets, inspires love, gives you hope. Music is a never-ending source created by us every day.

What do you look for when you leave your home and go out at night?  

I don’t think I ever leave home with an assumption of what the night is going to turn out like. I definitely leave the house with the intention to have the best time and to make sure that my night ends with laughter, love or a good jam on a dance floor. 

On Friday, July 19th, Le Bain presents Darker Than Wax
feat. Megatronic, The Duchess & Marco Weibel
The Standard, High Line | 10pm 


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