“[My fans] are in love with the music and the welcoming environment I like to foster and that’s what I live for,” Angel says. “When I get caught up in my head worrying about if the mix is good I kinda forget what’s important to people. They don’t care if the mix is perfect, they just want that escape. They just want a space where they feel safe and not judged.”

Creating a safe space for marginalized partygoers is especially important—and increasingly difficult—given the fact that Toronto’s nightlife and larger music festivals are often too exclusive, too expensive, and overwhelmingly white. As a brown disabled woman constantly navigating these scenes, Angel keeps accessibility top-of-mind, whether that’s ensuring venues have gender-neutral bathrooms and accessible entrances or playing all-age shows with affordable cover and a diverse DJ lineup.

“Anybody who’s been in these scenes who isn’t white notices that these are such white-dominated spaces. The higher up you go, the whiter it goes: on the promoter side, on the lineup side, on the audience side … If you’re not booking people who reflect who we are, why would we come to your show? There aren’t that many Chippys out there to inspire people. If I hadn’t seen her, I would’ve gone on thinking creative industries aren’t real for a person like me in this lifetime.

“I’m trying to make spaces where people who don’t see themselves typically reflected can feel reflected. The struggle has always been to make and play in spaces that are accessible for anybody that has that feeling they’re not welcome to a mainstream club or welcome to express themselves in a way they normally would.”

Though it can be tough to infiltrate the nightlife scene, Angel gets her fighting spirit from both her great-grandmother and grandmother, who survived the Sikh genocide in India. While at first glance Angel’s 7-inch platforms and alternative aesthetic seem conflicting with her Punjabi culture—a comment she receives often—she’s constantly reminded of her grandmother’s lessons, whether she’s fighting to take up space on lineups or in the depths of a mosh pit.

“She always has this fire of being undefeated and having pride in who she was. She spoke out against the corrupt government that was committing crimes against all the minority groups in India. Everyone talks about generational trauma, but there is also generational strength and that had a huge role in raising me. This aligns 100% perfectly with the alternative and punk ideology because it’s all about anti-conformity and not giving into authoritarianism. People act like [being Punjabi and alternative] is such a rare, weird, crazy thing, but to me, it’s the same ideology of being alternative—alternative to the mainstream, alternative to the standards that are being forced upon you.”

As Angel continues to diversify mainstream nightlife culture, her story is a living testament to the fantastical worlds that can be created by increased representation and accessibility. Building off the words of fellow DJ Ehsan, Angel likens raves to rituals: a space where people gather to  ditch their everyday worries, feel safe in each other’s energy, and listen to entrancing, hypnotic music.

“To me, the community and the rave scene can be enchanting and mystical, even if at the end you, unfortunately, have to come back and face what you’re dealing with … It’s so expensive to have fun in this city. If you love to dance but you’re disabled or don’t have the money for a dance class, you can go and practice your moves at the rave.

“Anything is possible, it’s a magical world.”

To keep up with Angel, follow her at @angelphroot.