Biography
Emma Burgess-Olson, recording under the alias Umfang, crafts unrefined, abstract techno solely on analog gear, capturing every performance live with almost no subsequent editing. Drawing from the earliest Detroit techno and acid house traditions, this self-taught artist shapes visceral, freely moving pieces that remain sparse and lo-fi while staying kinetic and approachable for listeners. Born in the Bronx, she spent her formative years in Kansas before relocating to Brooklyn in 2010. She launched a monthly residency titled Technofeminism at Brooklyn’s Bossa Nova Civic Club in 2013, then co-established the Discwoman collective the next year. Functioning as both an advocacy platform and a booking agency for female-identifying DJs and electronic musicians, Discwoman has organized events across more than a dozen cities and received broad recognition from dance-music publications. Umfang’s debut appeared in 2015 as the cassette OK on the Canadian imprint 1080p; the same label followed with the 12-inch EP Riffs the year after. Additional tracks surfaced on digital and cassette compilations from Videogamemusic, Allergy Season, and Phinery Tapes. In 2017 the Ninja Tune subsidiary Technicolour issued her full-length album Symbolic Use of Light.
Albums