HorsegiirL Isn't for Everyone — and That's Okay

HorsegiirL walks, trots, lopes, and, of course, gallops. You can expect to see this and more when the German-based producer spins at all-ages rave, Andrew Music Club, at Lot 11 Skatepark and its 21-and-over afterparty at the Ground on Sunday, September 3.

What attendees can expect to hear HorsegiirL throw down is much more in the style of hardcore techno anthems, old-timey electronica, and pulsating synths, all tuned to a mare-spinning 130-plus bpm. In fact, you can hear it straight from HorsegiirL's mouth that she will be bringing "a wild blend of electronic music and immaculate vibes."

To the unassuming eye, HorsegiirL — who also goes by Stella — appears to be a person playing '90s rave music with a horse mask over her head — as if Tina Belcher went through a raving phase. And maybe that is correct.

Little is known about HorsegiirL. Her press biography says she lives on Sunshine Farms and later became "the global barn-pop sensation, once discovered by Whitney Horston at a harvest fest, sings songs about heartbreak and the rural life that go right under your skin."

It is easy to pigeonhole HorsegiirL into the realm of a Borat persona or the monstrous costume-wearing band Gwar, but all that is offset by her music being a series of mesmerizing bangers and oddly uplifting lyrics.
Her opus, "My Barn My Rules," coproduced with MCR-T, surpassed ten million listens on Spotify, while her Boiler Room set boasts more than one million views. ("Her set is INSANITY, not a single boring part to it, I'm in love with HorsegiirL now," proclaimed one person in the comments.) She may be the only artist in music history to have features in Mixmag, the Harvard Crimson, and the equestrian publication Horse & Hound.

"When you truly enjoy the creation process, that joyful energy is infectious," she tells New Times over email. "Life is short, and adulting difficult enough. We all need to be in this childlike mental space sometimes to let go and just have an unpretentiously good old time. Maybe my music provides that, I don't know."

"Long mane, big hoof, shiny coat, what's new?" she sings on "My Barn My Rules." "Riding, riding, riding around/On my little white pony/That's how we get down," HorsegiirL says with jubilation on "My Little White Pony" against a backdrop of bone-crushing bass. The rhythm and lyrics are infectious and mystical, lulling the listener to a bustling rave out on the farm.

"I work best when I have time to really create for a couple of days, not rushed between touring," says HorsegiirL on producing a track. "So a lot of my ideas come to me on Sunshine Farms, but the city life is also incredibly inspiring for a country girl like me."

Despite HorsegiirL's quick ascent in the dance music scene, it hasn't been without controversy. In July, BBC Radio 1 DJ Arielle Free was suspended for a week after interrupting DJ Charlie Hedges' set live during Hedgee Anthems Ibiza show as she played "My Barn My Rules." Free lambasted Hedges for playing the track, stating she "expected better" of Hedges. Hedges reacted by taking Free's mic off the air. The moment made the waves on the internet, sparking discussions as to whether or not HorsegiirL's music is an affront to more "serious" electronic music — but through all of it, HorsegiirL remained unfazed.
"I think everyone is entitled to their personal taste and opinion. I am not making music for everyone, and that's absolutely okay. I wasn't hurt by what Arielle had to say about my track. She wasn't saying anything hateful, simply stating her — maybe in that moment unasked for — opinion."

Instead of focusing on her critics, HorsegiirL is currently working on "lots of new music," and fans can expect merch in the future.

Listeners can take away whatever they want with HorsegiirL. If you want to rage to barn-house, be her guest. If you want to write a thesis paper on the symbolism of a horse-turned-DJ and its effects on the military-industrial complex, go for the gusto. The best part of HorsegiirL is the inspiration to be yourself and go grab the world by the hooves.

"If you do something, you should do it properly and put your heart into it," she adds. "I relate to [Cormac McCarthy, who wrote All the Pretty Horses] and gravitate toward passionate people who stand for something. Human or horse, life's too short to live it half-hearted."

Andrew Music Club. With HorsegiirL, Boys Noize, Fjaak, Radar, and others. 4 p.m. Sunday, September 3, at Lot 11 Skatepark, 301-349 NW Second Ave., Miami. Tickets cost $24.72 to $35.02 via dice.fm.

Extra Credit. With HorsegiirL and Fjaak. 11 p.m. Sunday, September 3, at the Ground, 34 NE 11th St., Miami; thegroundmiami.com. Tickets cost $19.06 via dice.fm.