The Black Madonna on how her first Holy Ship! voyage changed her ‘jaded’ views: ‘I used to hate EDM’
It’s so easy to be jaded and cynical in the techno scene. But the consistent earmark of The Black Madonna is her ability to assert her strong viewpoints unapologetically and yet with humility and authenticity. “Being jaded is lame,” she recently tweeted over her recent voyages on Holy Ship! 12.0 and 13.0.
The techno maven admits to feeling disconnected from the “EDM” scene, which is something most everyone has felt at some point or another, especially as they’ve grown into different corners of electronic dance genres. However, a full week on Holy Ship! was enough to change all that, giving her a renewed sense of spirit only the energy from a newcomer crowd could give.
“I will always be most me and most comfortable in a dirty basement or warehouse,” tweeted The Black Madonna. “[B]ut I’m glad I know these people and those hugs made me feel great and these are great kids figuring out who they are in dance music just like us old ravers used to be.”
She returned to port with a newfound appreciation for the culture of EDM, which she tweets that she learned from the great Carl Cox was a wonderful “entry point for young people” starting out in the scene.
“It’s easier…to write off people because of where they’re coming from musically,” she tweeted. “I heard excellent music on this boat. I also heard EDM and it’s not my thing but I respect the diversity of listeners.”
This is what is boils down to with The Black Madonna: Yes, EDM is a frustrating umbrella term, but it’s also an exiciting gateway into discovering one’s more refined flavors later on. That is something everyone can get on board with.

Information seeker. Dog lover. PhD drop out. College professor by day, EDM photographer by night.