BEARCAT is a multifaceted artist who would pose a challenge to anyone trying to fit her in a box, but she is also a highly educated individual who keeps politics at the heart of everything she does. From her expatriation to the US to the kind of art she makes, her approach is rooted in a wish to be part of a community which confronts its history and moves forward together. It is this particular aspect to her practice which has meant she has already made a tremendous impact way beyond the electronic scene and further afield, successfully placing herself in front of punk and pop audiences.
Known for her eclectic DJ sets that seamlessly fuse jungle, drum and bass, electronic, punk, and pop, BEARCAT is as much a storyteller as she is a musician. Her performances for icons like Madonna and Kelela, at prestigious venues like MoMA, and contributions to fashion and runway soundtracks have positioned her as a unique force in the creative world.
Whether she’s speaking at Ivy League universities, playing underground parties, or producing tracks steeped in cultural and political nuance, BEARCAT’s work consistently challenges norms and uplifts marginalized voices. Her vision is bold, her execution fearless, and her impact undeniable. Through her art, BEARCAT invites us to rethink what it means to resist, create, and connect.
In this interview, we touch upon her musical education, the differences between the US and the UK, her plethora of premium collaborations across the musical spectrum, and the importance for her to be vocal about her politics.
Hey! How are you doing, how have you been handling the change of season this year?
Honestly, right now myself and my peers are all doing our best to cope with the realities of the political climate and not go completely insane. Things have always been in shambles but new veils are being lifted, which honestly needs to be known because you must know and study your enemy but yea the change in season doesn’t help either lol. But there really isn’t any time for self pity, it’s always time to do the work and organise.
You are originally from the UK but you relocated to the US a while back now. What made you move and how do you compare the way of living in both places for an artist like yourself? Did you find the way communities formed and stayed connected is similar?
I could give you an essay for this answer in depth but for now I will just say, I am originally from South London but I always knew I would end up in New York. I’ve always been drawn to it from a young age, although my initial impression that I once had as a child has changed dramatically.
You grow up and learn the history and the horrors and how those systems of oppression are still very much in place but have just been transformed. Black and brown people suffer the most globally but the history here specifically in America is still quite recent. Resistance is documented as early as post civil war, and what is considered to be the “modern” civil rights movement started in the 1950’s. We still have living, breathing people from that time with us on the planet right now. There are black institutions here and to some degree a level of Black power which in my lived experience I have not witnessed anywhere else.
That’s not at all to say things are better here, obviously not at all, it’s just one operates above ground and in your face the other works covertly. I say all that to say it was a culture shock to come to the states and meet white people who are not only fully aware of their history of oppression but white people actively being vocal and doing something about it.. I don’t need white people to affirm me or confirm what is true but I do need them to own the facts and their privilege and use it to undo the evils of their ancestors and be having conversations with living family members.
Being that my work is anti colonial and anti racist, I believe I would not have been able to thrive or even be acknowledged with it back home. For example I know I would not be invited into academic spaces to talk for example.
I do acknowledge however that things are progressing over there and there is a general global rise in consciousness within the last year, but I didn’t have that community when I lived in London. Being artistic and queer growing up in the U.K I was predominantly around white gay men, which is fine but that is not my community even though we are in community together.
How does it feel coming back here to play for OK Williams’s residency at Colour Factory and how do the parties compare? Do you prepare for them in the same way?
I am very very excited, I love London, I just can’t thrive there. I love and admire OK Williams a lot and how she holds it down HEAVILY back home!! It’s not an easy task as a genre crossing black femme DJ without compromising but she’s done it, the impossible. She asked if I could lean in on my jungle/dnb selects and nothing makes more sense for this little homecoming. I play absolutely everything so I am pretty open when a promoter has a little direction for the set, but there will always be a few unexpected surprises.
You’ve been involved with a number of artists beyond the electronic music realm by opening for the likes of the band Show Me The Body, Kelela, and even Madonna. How do these opportunities come about and how do you approach these performances compared to more traditional club shows?
There is no scheme or A&R behind these collaborations, I’m still very much a DIY artist. It really boils down to these artists being tapped into what I am doing and extending themselves to include me in what they’re doing.
The difference between these very specific collaborations and a traditional club night boils down to my approach. When I work with other artist, every single song is thought about and meticulously curated for the performace. It goes beyond just me and what I want to do, I extend myself in this way to make sure I am reaching their audience, which might not necessarily be mine. One of the keys of being able to do this collaborative work is to be selfless and not operate from your ego, you kinda just give yourself to the bigger picture and what makes sense overall but when it’s just me and my solo performace, my ego is definitely on display.
What do you think electronic music, punk and pop have in common?
Good songs. I don’t stick to one genre because it would be impossible for me. I love good music as a whole, songs that reach me that I use to reach others.
After performing in very prestigious museums like the MoMA, or scoring the runway for Chromat, as well as being spotted at the fashion week, it’s clear that you have strong interests in fashion and art, as well as music. How do you think each of these interests inform your artistry?
I am an artist first and foremost, DJing is what I’ve shared with the world the most but I have a lot up my sleeve beyond this format which I am excited to share.
Is there any kind of artistic field that you have not ventured into yet that you would like to explore in the future?
My ultimate artistic goal is marrying visuals with my sound, not only my own story telling but the stories of people who otherwise would be overlooked and ignored.
Would you say there have been any moments, sets, performances, that have been key to the development of your career, artistry, and yourself as a person? Either in the way that they changed something by simply happening, or by being specifically memorable.
Honestly, just existing in the realm is an honour and a privilege and not to give such an a typical answer but every set means something, whether that means me reaching a new height in skill or a new lesson learned beyond the decks it all means something to me. But it’s really when I started to get booked in museums and educational institutions, it hit me that me and my artistic message was being recognized.
In terms of your productions, your releases are diverse and often involve a narrative with specific themes. Do you often translate this storytelling to your DJ sets? Is it something you do systematically, or do you dive into it for special sets?
Yea, production wise I know I am all over the place, I blame that on my diverse taste. I feel like I can play and create any genre and make it my own even creating new genres in the process. My album (which is in the works and a LONG time coming) will represent this and put it all into one place which I think at this point is important to give this to my audience, although it’s probably the main factor as to why they fuck with me in the first place and know to expect this level of mashup from me because of my eclectic DJ sets.
Earlier this year, your recording of your set at Dweller was released on a one-off show for a Ragga NYC radio takeover on Refuge Worldwide. When speaking about it, you described it as including ‘the oldest and rawest sounds from Jamaica, which planted the seeds for jungle and drum and bass’. How did you get your musical education? What is the first musical memory you remember having?
I never went to school for music, those kinds of opportunities were not really available to me. I like to say I went to the school of Youtube and my style of learning things that require a level of access is inherently punk and D.I.Y.
I will say with that RAGGA mix specifically it’s naturally quite obvious to me where these sounds and rhythms derive from. I don’t know if that’s because I have Jamaican blood flowing through me or what but I am definitely frustrated with the level of erasure and columbusing that thrives within all industries, not just the music. Seeing originators be snuffed and ignored while people who are in no way culturally connected to the land winning awards is one of the reasons I like to bring these sounds to the forefront as a reminder. The genre ‘Ragga” is not actually recognized in music categories or really outside of Jamaican culture, it gets caught up in the reggae genre when it’s actually a completely different sound. It’s a way more harsh and brutal sound, it’s (for the most part when it’s not being overtly sexual ) resistance translated into sound. I feel like one of the contributing factors of its oversight is its lyrical nature, which is violent and sometimes homophobic. Obviously there is no room for that in the world, but as you learn colonial history and the horrors and physical violations people endured you start to link the dots as to how third world people arrive at these conclusions and ideas.
I am in no way making an excuse for this violence, but as a Jamaican queer woman I have a level of compassion for the nuances. The scene has come a very long way, for example we had Buju Banton publicly apologizing for perpetuating such rhetoric in the past and removing “Boom Bye Bye” from his music catalog.
As well as being vocal on social media about your politics and your views, you have spoken publicly about anti-racist rhetoric, feminism, spirituality and queer politics by participating in panels at universities such as Cornell. How important is it for you to speak about those topics in those kinds of settings?
It’s absolutely everything, there is no reason for me to be there otherwise if I am not bringing these things to the forefront. I grew up in an environment with everything against me in a world that hates women but especially black women. I have achieved unimaginable things coming from that place that my younger self would not be able to compute. I think it’s important to be specifically transparent with my experiences in these places not only because I couldn’t previously imagine myself in the room but its actually because of these experiences and resilience that I am even there in the first place, for me it becomes full circle. Additionally, as someone who never had access to higher education, especially not on an ivy league level, I think it’s so important that the students in the room understand me and their privilege.
You have obviously been busy traveling and performing a number of different shows. Apart from playing out, has there been anything you have been working on and focusing on in your down time? A new release, or a new project?
I started in punk bands doing vocals, with a history of performance art. Live music and performance is a huge part of my artistry that’s been dormant while my DJ career took off. I used to be a MUA before DJing took off, working mostly on fashion editorials, I was also an only child who would watch a lot of music videos and movies on repeat, I would also listen to my discman a lot of visualize what I would image the song to look like. Strong visual components will not only satisfy me artistically but will complete and communicate the level of storytelling I am trying to achieve. There are a few reasons behind me not executing this yet and I will admit that my self esteem and mental health is definitely muddled in there but for the most part it boils down time, energy, money and me being a fully independent, self funded artist who lives alone in NYC with no mummy daddy money to fall back on. I don’t say that with resentment, I mention it because the majority of people with careers similar to mine generally have that option of support, and good for them, if I ever had children I would love to be in a position to support their endeavors. That support is often the difference between a person being able to do this or not. Additionally I don’t have a manager and just recently acquired a professional booking agent. I do all of this myself and by the time I’m ready to focus on the execution of my project, it’s time for me to get back on the road and show up for my DJ gigs, which for the most part involves travel and factors that take away from my focus.
I am shifting this narrative with a more collaborative approach, I am now in the studio with other producers which is new for me. I previously felt like I had something to prove, that I could do absolutely everything myself, I think being a woman who produces music puts you in the headspace. There is so much gaslighting that you almost want to do it all as a fuck you but its not at all conducive to operate from this place almost especially as a woman in the industry, it left me feeling alone and overwhelmed. So being more vulnerable and collaborative is helping me path the way, and applying for grants to give me the financial time and freedom to lock in. As a self taught artist I can overlook some of the resources available to me because I wasn’t fostered in a “professional’ learning environment. With all that being said, I am VERY excited to share my ideas with the world, I am also very scared but the fact that I am scared lets me know it needs to be done, and will.
You can catch BEARCAT at The Colour Factory on the 16th November for OK Williams presents UK HUN – buy tickets here.