Honey Redmond (known professionally as Honey Dijon) is an American DJ, producer, and electronic musician. She was born in Chicago and is based in New York City and Berlin.[1]
She has performed at clubs, festivals, art fairs, galleries and fashion events internationally.[2]
Biography
Honey Dijon grew up in the 1970s on the south side of Chicago, in what she has described as a "very middle-class, loving African-American family” that was very musical.[3][4] She began clubbing during her mid-teens with her parents' acceptance as long as her academics did not suffer.[5] In the 1990s, she began to perform as a DJ.[6] Around 2000, she also became active as a producer.[5]
During her time in Chicago she met and was mentored by DJs and producers such as Derrick Carter, Mark Farina and Greenskeepers.[5] In the late 1990s, Honey Dijon moved to New York, where she was introduced to Maxi Records and Danny Tenaglia.[7][8] After first being exposed to techno in Chicago's house scene, she performed on New York City's underground club circuit and played sets at fashion shows.[9]
In 2017, Dijon released her debut album, titled The Best of Both Worlds.[8]
Dijon has collaborated with Louis Vuitton and Dior for several years, providing soundtracks for their runway presentations.[10]
Dijon was described as a "popular house-music DJ" by the New York Times in 2013.[4] In 2018, Resident Advisor stated that she had popularized "a rambunctious DJ style that leans heavily on golden-era disco, techno and house", while Dijon herself acknowledged that "a lot of people still associate me with swingy Chicago and classic house and disco, but I can rock dirty rhythmic techno as well."[6]
Activism and public image
Redmond is transgender. She has been a vocal advocate for trans rights and awareness, speaking from her experience as a black trans woman DJ in dance music.[10] In 2016, she was interviewed by the British television channel Channel 4 on the issue of trans visibility.[11] At a 2017 event hosted by the MoMA PS1 museum in New York City, she led a roundtable discussion "focused on those who have, like her, found safety and creative expression within the New York club scene."[12]
