Ash Lauryn

Born and raised in the Detroit area, Ashleigh (Ash Lauryn) is indeed no stranger to underground dance music. Taken to her first rave in Detroit at the tender age of 13, Ashleigh's older sister, who at the time was an active member of the local rave community, made sure her younger sister was musically acquainted with the likes of local and international DJ's Terrence Parker, Juan Atkins, and Theo Parrish. Ashleigh recalls being intrigued by the excitement of the rave community, but more importantly, the music. She says she owes her sister much praise for introducing her to the world of House and Techno, and that it has truly changed her life. Some of her fondest memories in Detroit are those of her and her sister religiously attending Agave on Sundays, and hanging at other highly respected music venues in the city such as Oslo (now Whiskey Disco), and Half Past 3 (now TV Lounge). As a regular attendee of the Detroit Electronic Music festival aka Movement Detroit since 2003, Ashleigh has already invested years of passion into the underground dance music scene.

Relocating to Atlanta at the age of 22, Ashleigh admits to being out of the loop musically for a few years, but says her first visit to Atlanta's infamous, "House in the Park" in 2010 changed all of that. The one-day event, which is held Labor Day weekend, sparked her true love for dance music right back to the forefront of her life, and she hasn't looked back since. As a prevalent and active member of Atlanta's House and Techno community, she has contributed to the scene in numerous ways, including her own series of events called "ORBIT", that have showcased the likes of Kai Alcé, K-HAND, and Rick Whilite.

Fast forward to present day, Ashleigh is focused on her path as DJ, and says she merely wants to share the music she loves with the world. 2017 saw her turn in show-stopping work for DISCWOMAN, the now infamous "Black Girls Like Techno Too" session for Honey Soundsystem, a guest spot on Josey Rebelle's taste-making Rinse FM show, and most recently, a monthly slot on NTS Radio. In addition to headlining her popular event series "Expressions" alongside Stefan Ringer, she also just made her festival debut at AfroPunk Atlanta, playing alongside the likes of Tricky and Willow Smith. A journalism lover since youth, Ash runs a blog called "Underground and Black", where she discusses various topics, including her experiences being a black woman in dance music. The Detroit native is a fresh and energetic voice; a passionate ambassador of one of America's few homegrown music traditions, and her "Underground and Black" vision is shaping the fabric of contemporary club culture.