Philly DJ and producer G I N A reclaims her name and space with new EP ‘GINA Spaced Out’

Philadelphia-based DJ and producer G I N A has been a vital part of the underground music scene for over a decade. Known for her bold blend of acid, electro, and EBM, G I N A’s sets fuse hard beats with intuitive pacing, delivering both intensity and emotion on the dance floor. More than just a fixture behind the decks, she’s helped shape the scene itself — booking parties at venues like The Dolphin and The Barbary and championing lineups that center femme, queer, and marginalized artists.

Now, with the release of her debut EP GINA SPACED OUT, she turns that same energy inward. Tired of name misspellings and misgenderings, she uses the project to reintroduce herself on her terms. She stylizes her name as G I N A — all caps, spaces between each letter — a maximalist typesetting for maximalist productions that fuse bouncy techno and EBM into groovy, dancefloor-ready hits.

On a recent afternoon in Fishtown, I sat down with G I N A to talk about the making of the EP, navigating the music industry as a trans woman, and what it means to disconnect — not to give up, but to protect your joy.

Released on May 23 via Life of Lux Recordings, GINA SPACED OUT is more than just an EP; it’s a statement. The title reflects both her sonic evolution and personal journey. “I used to go by Wassup Gina, and at the time, I was playing a lot more disco house and happier things,” she says. “Then I started playing darker genres — goth and techno — and I didn’t resonate with that name anymore. So I changed it to Gina, but I didn’t want to leave it at that. I thought it would be cool to space [the letters] out.”

That decision became symbolic, even if it was often misunderstood. “For a while, people just wrote ‘Gina’ on flyers. I was too afraid to say anything — I didn’t want to be a pain. But now, when people ask my DJ name, I tell them: It’s Gina, but spaced out.”

That idea — of being “spaced out” — became a guiding theme. “To me, a human brain isn’t designed to comprehend everything going on in the world,” she explains. “While I still want to be aware of geopolitics and domestic policy issues, going on social media or watching the news every day is so terrible for you. I dream of being SPACED OUT, instead of just getting more depressed.”

Musically, the EP channels that tension between escape and engagement. The title track, “GINA SPACED OUT,” opens with a ferocious blend of oscillating synths and gritty drums. It’s an intense dancefloor anthem that leans into her love of techno and EBM.

“Spaced Out, the title track, is me exploring harder, faster techno than I have on any of my previous releases,” she told me. “Pretty much everything before this was a lot slower, and then the EP I just went full throttle. That one is just what I envisioned myself being spaced out — just like floating in space.”

The EP also includes “APHRODITE,” a sultry, stripped-back track that channels themes of femininity, self-liberation, and cultural identity. Named after the Greek goddess of love and beauty, the song draws on G I N A’s own Greek heritage, blending playful, bouncy rhythms with a subtle edge of darkness. She hints at a remix in the works featuring vocals in both English and Greek.

The energy ramps back up with “USER ERROR,” a glitchy follow-up to her 2020 single “Computer Problems.” “It’s actually a sample of Ice King from Adventure Time,” she laughs. “There’s an episode where they get a computer virus, and at one point he goes, ‘Computer problems!’ When I wrote the first song, my computer actually had a virus. It would crash on me. That first EP took me forever to finish because of how many technical difficulties I had. This new song [User Error], I play the sample in reverse — it’s me embracing my own mistakes. I’m not perfect; I’m my own error.”

The EP closes with a bonus track, “NOTHINGS GONNA HURT U BB,” a reimagining of Donna Missal’s cover of “Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You Baby” by Cigarettes After Sex, featured in Promising Young Woman – a film that left a lasting impact on G I N A during COVID lockdown.

 “There’s a scene with that song, and I thought, ‘Oh, this song is so beautiful, but the movie’s so fucked up,’” she recalls. “I kept listening to it and eventually found the original version she covered. So mine is a remix of a cover.”

She adds, “I wanted to speed it up and give it that hyper, chipmunk-vocal, ‘TikTok techno’ vibe — kind of like Hyperpop. It’s different from what I usually do, but I was kind of into that sound at the time. I made it a bonus track, so you can only get it if you buy the EP.”

The result is a four-track EP that’s hard, hooky, and full of feeling. But GINA SPACED OUT also arrives with heavier emotional context. This year marks a decade since G I N A began medically transitioning. In a recent Instagram post reflecting on the milestone, she wrote:

“Exactly 10 years ago today, I made the most important life-changing decision. I began medically transitioning and aligning my body and hormones to how I felt in my mind & soul. While I don’t regret my decision by any means, the current state of the world makes me hate being trans… The fact that I have less rights now than when I started in 2015 is sooo insane and fucking depressing.”

She continues: “Everyday I live in fear that I’m gonna get physically assaulted/end up in a men’s prison / chased out of women’s bathrooms / harassed by TSA cuz my passport says M now or tons of other horrible scenarios my anxiety comes up with… Everyone should be free to live their truth and be themselves.”

That blend of hope and heaviness pulses through every corner of G I N A’s work — from her presence behind the decks to the emotional charge of this EP. Over the years, she’s become a pillar of Philly nightlife, not only through her dynamic DJ sets but also as a key force behind the scenes. In addition to regular appearances at parties like Rhythm of the Night, Shadowplay, and Fvtvre Favorite, as well as sets on The Lot Radio and Boiler Room, G I N A has helped shape the local underground by booking parties at venues like The Dolphin and The Barbary.

“I’ve been able to use any sense of power that’s given me to give back – to bring up younger, queer, marginalized people of color and female DJs who might get overlooked for some straight white man who’s been DJing forever and doesn’t want to give up their spot.”

But that path hasn’t been without its struggles. G I N A is candid about the challenges she’s faced as a trans woman in the scene. “I’ve definitely felt tokenized a lot,” she admits. “And I’ve also felt like I’ve had to work so much harder because I was trans to get to where I’m at. Then people say, ‘Oh, it’s because she’s trans. She got that gig because they wanted a queer person.’ And I’m like, come to a show and find out for yourself if I’m serious or not.”

That’s what makes GINA SPACED OUT feel so vital. It’s not just a personal artistic statement — it’s a declaration of presence and possibility. It’s about claiming space in a scene, in an industry, and in a world that often resists both.

GINA SPACED OUT is streaming now on all major platforms. Physical copies are available via Life of Lux Recordings and select local retailers.  You can also catch G I N A every 1st Friday at The Dolphin for Rhythm Of The Night, every 2nd Friday at The Barbary for Shadowplay, and every 3rd Friday at B. West Club for Darker Disco.