It’s Pride week, and besides giving away a bunch of our Issue 3 articles online because Issue 4 comes out next Monday (holy shit!!!), we’re trying to hype up people and things that make us proud in skateboarding. This interview definitely qualifies. If you’re a fan of Unity Skateboards, which we really, extremely are here at SKATEISM, you’re probably also a fan of Mae Ross’ skating. She’s skating up a storm out in Oakland with Cher Strauberry, Kane, and the rest of the Unity crew on the regular. But they also make music, to put it very lightly. Under the name Technopagan420, she releases wild, intense… honestly I don’t even know what to call it. She calls it “tgirl techno,” which might be a genre that only she is in. But that’s kind of perfect, considering they’ve got a sound that is completely unique. You ever heard Mario coin sounds and t.A.T.u. sampled on the same mix? I certainly have not, but I like it. And to hammer home her breadth of taste, she’s been skating around this summer listening to Lil Uzi, Justin Timberlake, and *checks notes* Beat Happening!? I didn’t know anyone under the age of 30 even knew Beat Happening ever happened, but she’s clearly done something right with her life. Anyway, I didn’t edit any of the answers because c’mon it’s an email interview about norm-breaking electronic music and this is 2019, but I’m sure you can get the gist. Which is that Mae fucking rips, and their music will break your brain in the best way possible.
Interview by Tobias Coughlin-Bogue
Photo by Smalls
How would you describe “tgirl techno” to an EDM novice like myself?
Idk it’s just my shit listen to it!
What are some of your musical influences? It seems very industrial but also…poppy AF? And rave inspired too.
BIG influences on my music is def pop/electronic/techno stuff. on the pop side i’m influenced mostly by artists like GFOTY, A.G. Cook, SOPHIE, Spinee, Cowgirl Clue. Also like Alice DJ, Aqua, Vengaboys and any speedymixes/nightcore or happy hardcore lol (prob the rave you were feelin)
but i’m also really into industrial type dark techno like Rebekah, Container, Dax J or like Kilbourne, Androgyn Network, or random thunderdome comps for more hardcore and gabber stufff. Also gotta say i’m hella inspired by everyone involved w Discwoman. Showed me so many of my amazing artists! <3 Allergy Season/Physically Sick comps are so so so sick!! Of course gotta say Club Chai! 8bulentina and Foozool are so cool. Another shout out is definitely New World Dysorder + Jasmine Infiniti!! Okay also local friends like Chi Hai, Grumpy, Tr4vi3za, Doggychow, Misspiralina, Mala Suerte, Erica Mar, Bored Lored, Girl Pusher and ahh the list goes on… Don’t get me started about music lol i could go so much deeper into each lil section..
Do you ever play shows? If so, what are they like?
yes I play shows around here in Oakland, Berkeley, SF. They vary forsure like anything. Sometimes super packed and a great time!! Other times it’s only a few people or there are complications and it can be kind of discouraging. But i always try and put on a good show !! <3 I try and play the same if it’s for 100 people or 10 people. It’s all about feeling the room and if the mood is right then it’s right and i’m happy =) I like playing renegades/diy shows the most though >:) hmu to play!!
What music is on daily rotation for you right now? What do you listen to when you skate?
hmmm right now no lie i have been listening to N*SYNC and some of JT’s early stuff lolzz also some Spice Girls and other early 2000zz pop hits!!
been rocking Deli Girls quite a lot. also wanna mention Machine Girl, Bonnie Baxter, Cel Genesis, Princess Nokia, My Chemical Romance, Warm Bodies, Bugg, Beat Happening, Rico Nasty, Grimes, Lil Uzi Vert, Bjork.
How long have you been skating?
I have been skating and doing tricks since I was 13. woww about 8.5-9 years now
Do you or did you get any hate for being a trans skater?
YES YES YES i have before lol.. dudes at the skatepark forsuree. when i moved to the bay i kinda stopped skating bc people were mean at the parks and spots and i didn’t have many friends. once Unity and all of us started getting more followers on instagram i started to experience it more over the internet because of random things like getting reposted (without asking) and now there is an influx of 30+ skater boys who want you to die or just laugh and make mean comments :/. me and cher had enough so we made a zine called IG Bully that was put out by Unity Press in 2018. Just a bunch of photos of people’s private messages to us or comments directly tagging us or in reference to us. It’s kinda gnarly but we wanted to show everyone what we were experiencing in hopes to open their eyes a little and stop some of the hate towards queer/trans skaters and non skaters alike. I think there is a few copies floating around still for sale at Unity. [Editor’s Note: There are none on the web store, but go there and buy some Unity zines anyway, ya dingus!]
How did you get linked up with Unity and Cher and all that? Did it make skating more fun for you?
actually found out about Unity because of a sticker on a pole at the back entrance to the macarthur bart station (where the shuttles are) .
I remember it was a big one. UNITY QUEER SKATEBOARDING!!!! big and bold under some beautiful naked cartoonz. I stopped dead in my tracks and about missed the train too lol. Anyways I found the instagram and kept trying to go see the shop which was like right around the corner from the station. I went in and found out that all the unity kids hang out at the DIY across the street from Eli’s on MLK. So i went there almost everyday after work hoping to meet up with people. I became friends with James and Smalls first then finally met Jeff at Unity Mart and after talking for a few hours, he painted me a skateboard with my name on it and i flipped out even more i felt like on top of the world. Jeff makes me want to be a better person. Give gifts and smiles to others. Jeff and Gabe are such a gift to the earth it is incredible. I kept going to events and print days at the shop and eventually met Cher on the stairs. “I like your glasses!!” is what i said. I can still feel the spark i got from the first time we met. I adore that girl.
They all changed my life and reinvented skateboarding for me over and over and over. And i wouldn’t be skating if I didn’t have them to skate with.
Who inspires you on the board?
OMG all of my friends i cannot pick the list is tooo long but i will try…
cher, lil tubsy, breana geering, tris, lucy, kane, helen and everyone involved w unity or any friends i skate with i love y’all!!
Do you have any new music coming out?
yes hopefully gonna be releasing a project in 2019 under technopagan w working title HEADACHE… we will see how it goes i have a few tracks saved up.
Anything I missed that you want the world to know? Any shout outs?
shouts out to invader zim. also to manga/comics/anime for entertaining me when i’m bored. shout out to my BED! i love to sleep. ok now shout out to everyone who has supported me in any way. i love you all and appreciate everything y’all have done for me. thanks to my mom!! UNITY thank youu most of all for everything and beyondd. and thank you cherylyn <3 you know how special you are to me xoxo. x)
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Follow Mae on Instagram (@technopagan420) and Soundcloud and everything else!
