INTERVIEW: AMÉMÉ

AMÉMÉ creates music that works in all settings and transcends genres. His openness to a wide range of sound is what has both made him a widely loved favourite, but also someone who operates in his own parallel musical world. We had a chance to talk to him, so enjoy your reading and check out his latest releases.

Hey AMÉMÉ! How’s your April been? What’s been your highlight so far?

April has been really busy on the road with gigs in between a couple of destinations. And also with a mix of my latest release on ABRACADABRA and planning what’s next musically for me and my label One Tribe .

How have you found this last year, and the complex situation we’ve been in – do you think it has helped with your music from a creative standpoint, or has it made it tougher?

This last year was a quite interesting year as it hit home differently for everyone. Personally it was a mix of emotions and experiences. It made me realize how lucky we were to be so free to move around the world with no restrictions and full freedom. Made me appreciate more the little things.

It also challenged me as the first 6 months of 2020, I had my back against the wall with no income and plans of how to get out of the hole.

But it also reconfirmed my belief that in life, you just have to keep moving forward when things get tough and at some point things will fall into place, which is what I did. I focused on elevating my craft of DJing, spent a lot of time producing new music, doing livestreaming, expanding my network and at some point, things just started happening again .

For me, while being on the road is a time of inspiration, it also hinders my ability to produce music because of the lack of sleep and all the distractions, so at least now I had the time on my hands just to create, and that was something that I never had before .

Do you think we will all be back soon to enjoy the live performances internationally? When we can, what is the ultimate show you really want to play (location/club)?

I have always been a total optimist, so yeah I believe it will come back. Probably we will have to adapt to the new realities, and there will be some ups and downs, but it will come back.

There are two ultimate shows I would really like to perform at: Mayan Warrior at Burning Man, and Day Zero by Damian Lazarus.

Your new track ‘Your Love’ is out now on ABRACADABRA’s Human Nature (NIGHT) compilation. We absolutely love it! Where did you write it and where did the inspiration come from?

“Your Love” was originally inspired by some relationship challenges I had with a past lover, but throughout its evolution, it became a symbol of hope for me. We need more LOVE in this world. I wanted to produce a track with a groovy, percussive vibe but that could be listened to by literally everyone. I started the project in New York, recorded the vocals in Mexico City, and finished the production in Berlin.

How do your African roots influence your sound, both in your releases and your sets?

In my productions my African roots can be found in the percussive aspect of my compositions and the elements I use: drums, balafons, cowbells, African vocals.

Same in my sets, one thing is that I have always wanted to create a bridge, so I am very particular with balancing it out so that it comes out light and homogeneous so anyone can relate to it.

How would you define your sound?

My sound has the grooviness, the rhythm and the percussion of my roots, and the melodic and electronic feel of Berlin sound.

Has your sound evolved much from your first release? And if so, do you think you will continue to evolve - where do you think your music is headed?

Oh yes, my sound is always evolving.

As a person, I have been exposed to so many different styles of music since I was a child , so I have a lot of other influences in me apart from my percussive style of music.

I anticipate working one day on an album that will combine all my childhood influences with all the inspirations I have collected from touring around the world.

What is next on the horizon for you, and what are you hoping the next year will bring for AMÉMÉ?

I am hoping that by next year I will be performing on bigger stages and also I would have a full time operation for my music label One Tribe.

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