Chippy Nonstop takes her moniker from her teen nickname (her friends called her “Chippy” because of her love of eating potato chips) combined with her relentless hustling nature. And there’s a reason the name has stuck. For over a decade now, the DJ, songwriter, producer, rapper, singer, promoter, writer, community organiser, even graphic designer has existed in her own unique and thrilling realm: one spontaneously built from scratch, manifesting in a bright, maximalist, high-energy amalgamation of all the sounds of queer rave culture that she’s existed in and helped create through the years (acid, hardcore techno, electroclash, as just some examples).
“When I was young, I moved so much that I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere,” she explains, “And so I really connected to music that just sounded like it could be from anywhere.” It’s a sentiment that makes a lot of sense if you’ve ever come across any of Chippy’s work; having grown up across the UAE, Zambia, Canada and the US, with parents of Indian descent, all while finding music online, her sound is one that is borderless in terms of genre and style. It’s telling that she's been tapped by Major Lazer; has DJ’d around the world (including spots at SXSW, Panorama Bar); has played revered sets on Boiler Room, Mixmag’s Lab and HÖR Berlin; featured in Vogue, VICE, Fader, DJ Mag and more; has put together mixes for Resident Advisor, BBC 6Music, and a coveted Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 in 2023.
Chippy founded Intersessions, a series of community-focused, artist-run seminars aimed at addressing the imbalances (gender, sexuality, race) that still exist at all levels of the music industry, and also runs Pep Rally, a raucous night which centres both fun and fluidity. Accordingly, Chippy Nonstop has become a global name in pushing the industry to think more about disparities, inclusivity and accessibility while also ensuring everyone is having a good time.
She wants people to feel free, without boundaries; for music to offer a space where her audience can get lost. “I think with not belonging anywhere, you find the music where you don’t need to ‘belong’,” she says, “My biggest inspiration is that no matter where you’re from, or your roots are from, you can connect to the audience and introduce them to new sounds by mixing everything together, easing them in. I want to inspire them to create their own world and space, to live through their imagination that the world is boundless.”
Evidently, Chippy Nonstop has been leading by example and doing the damn thing. For over a decade now, she has been trailblazing through the boundless spaces where she belongs; and with plans to expand Intersessions and Pep Rally, along with new music and collaborations lined up, plus murmurings of a label, you know she’s just getting started.