This series manifests the spaces women have created for themselves around the globe to work, create, and develop their ideas. It pays homage to Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own,” the book that taught us to find a room, enter it, close the door, and become.
ZOHARA, singer and composer of electronic music
The Macro
My room is on the fourth floor of an old building, at the centre of Tel Aviv. It sits on a busy street, surrounded by the magic of old buildings that have been declared “preserved.” I have been living in this room for about five years while juggling between here and London, and on most days, it serves only as my bedroom. I decided to rent a studio a while back, not far from my flat. I wanted to create a reality for myself in which I could “go to work,” rather than work from home in my pyjamas. But then came Covid-19, which changed things quite a bit.
The Micro
I bought this microphone at a recording equipment flea market some friends of mine organised a few years ago. It has a very warm, authentic sound. Recently, it fell down, acquiring the look of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, but luckily it sounds pretty much the same. It is a Rode NTK Cardioid Condenser that I use for most of my recordings.
The Challenge
Being financially independent from a young age, it was a huge challenge to create a situation in which I not only had my own studio, but I also had the time to work in it. I always feel like there is a guardian angel watching over me that helps make this happen. It’s as if my life is divided between before and after I found myself a studio. Having my own space to create allowed me to become the person I am today. It allowed me to live a very passionate life.
The Pandemic
When the pandemic started, just a few days before lockdown, I hurriedly transferred all my equipment from my actual studio to my bedroom. When working from my flat, I am reminded of the old days, when I had just started producing my music and all of my work was done from my bedroom. There are many advantages to it, which I forgot about, though I miss my piano dearly.
The Acoustics
Even though the room is not meant to be used as a studio for creating electronic music, it resonates surprisingly well and is dry enough to allow me to work on my tracks, using electronic beats, synths, and vocals. When I’m craving a more analytical type of listening, I use my headphones to get a whole different set of acoustics.
The View
When I look outside my studio window, I can see the huge rooftop connected to my flat. We used to organise massive parties on that roof until the landlord got angry. Nowadays, I’m inspired by the grimy look of it as well as the amateur graffiti painted on it.
I dedicate this article to all of the women out there who suffer from depression and anxiety— unheard, unable to express their creativity.
ZOHARA, May 2020
