Overview
Imogen Richmond is more than part of the next wave of young techno artists, she might just be leading the pack. Richmond, who is known onstage by a stylized version of her first name, IMOGEN, is barely old enough to legally enter a club in the United States, yet the UK-born and -based DJ and producer has already earned a residency at fabric in London.
In the time since she first appeared in the scene, she’s also garnered the support of Sunil Sharpe and Mumdance and has released music on both of the esteemed artist’s labels— Earwiggle and Shared Meanings, respectively. IMOGEN also has performances at venues like Säule in Berghain, Mutabor in Moscow, and Herrensauna in Berlin under her belt, and hosts a monthly radio show on NTS Radio, a worldwide radio station based in Hackney, London.
When she was just 19, IMOGEN was profiled by MixMag, where she gave writer David Pollack a glimpse into her inspirations. In addition to citing Bjarki and Paula Temple’s conceptual sensibilities, Richmond also notes that she grew up listening to the likes of Stanton Warriors and The Prodigy due to her mother’s taste, and raving in warehouses in Hackney before she was old enough to legally dance elsewhere.
With a sound that is gritty and almost esoteric, it’s no wonder her rise to techno acclaim has been nothing short of meteoric. Though not everyone can expect to have an authentic, boots-on-the-ground introduction to dance music like Richmond did, other young techno hopefuls have a lot to learn from her.
