So you thought that Boxing Day was all about being left with the coffee cream roses and watching a James Bond film? Well think again because Contagious have got one Christmas cracking Boxing Day extravaganza going down at the Syndicate and Contagious sure as hell have one double bubble going down:

There aren’t many DJ’s that can say they’ve achieved so much in such a short space of time as this girl: having been tearing up dance floors all over the UK and beyond; claiming her stakes in the music production world, being claimed as one of dance music’s future hero’s and she even finds time for a bit of Karaoke on the side! It’s Amber D!!!

Amber, Contagious look like they’ve really done it this time with the line-up that they’ve got on with the major Hard Dance players such as Andy Whitby and Andy Farley playing that night. What are you most looking forward to about playing alongside them?

Well, the are both great guys, and all our names begin with A. Which must mean something…. I am really looking forward to playing this gig as Ive not played for Contagious before, but I just know I am gonna love it!

You’re not only going to be playing Hard Dance in the main room, but everybody is going to be treated to you playing a world exclusive House set! What are you most looking forward to about that?

Yeah, I cant wait to get stuck into my electro / house stuff… I have big plans for 2007 in that field, but don’t get worried, I wouldn’t loose my Hard Dance roots! Its just something that I would like to do as well as the Hard Dance, as I am renowned for playing all sorts of music in my sets, it makes sense that I should fulfill my dream to play specific genres when I want to also.

Its two brands that you are actually going to be involved with that night and they are of course Contagious who have certainly been making an impact this year plus also Funk Deluxe. What good stuff have you been hearing about them?

I know a lot about both…. They are always very hands on in the clubbing world, and I am forever seeing their names crop up on the internet, Don’t Stay In.com and of course from Vince the main man!! Lol

Its gonna be great to be part of that for the night.

As the Contagious bash is being held over the festive period, there is no doubt that, that is going to add to a great atmosphere, but what type of atmosphere will you be looking to build that night?

Its just gotta be party party party…. Nothing to serious at all. Its all about shaking your ass on this night baby!!!! You aint gonna LEAVE the dancefloor!

Music has always been a really big part of your life and as a child you trained as a classical pianist; even though you outgrew it at age 15/16 do you ever look back and think that gave you a great musical discipline which you use today?

Yeah definitely. Its been the one thing that has taught me, amongst the obvious musical qualities, the patience it takes and the determination you need to get to where you want to be. I can still get engrossed for 4 hours at a time on the decks, or in the studio even longer.

It only took you a couple of weeks to pick up the basics of DJing, but once you first started out did it immediately strike you that, that’s what you wanted to be doing?

Yeah, it was like a calling you could say! Lol I think in life, everyone has something that they are good at. I think mine is being good at entertaining people with my music, energy and lust for life!

You used to work as a receptionist in a vets surgery before music was your full time thing. Did the two of them cross over at all, or was it a straight swap?

Well when I finished that job, it was in a very difficult part of my life. My mum, uncle and grandma all died within a few months of each other, and I was left the oldest in the family to pick up all the pieces and start again and look out for my younger brother. All at 17. It was a very difficult time, and for a while things were really bad…. But then gradually I started to get my life back together, I moved to a new city all on my own, made some friends, and those friends were the ones who went clubbing to Sundissential, and Insomniacz, and that’s how I got into it really.

You took part and of course won the “fluffy DJ” competition; another participant in that contest was Andy Whitby. When you and Mr Whitby are in the same line-up together, does he still get reminded of that?

Yeah I remember that! Well as I remember he got really far too, so I think even back then people saw our potential!

Your first real go at slamming the slabs of vinyl in public came at the Asylum club in Newcastle. How would you describe that?

Yeah that was years back…. Probably 5 years ago now (wow doesn’t time fly….). It was my platform to getting other gigs in the Stoke On Trent area, then I got my residency at the infamous Golden, where I stayed resident for a couple of years before its unfortunate closure. Still miss that place… Best goddam sound system around for its time.

In 2004 you were selected by Mixmag as their future hero but what other awards would fill you with pride to win?

Ooooh I actually won the Mixmag Future Hero title two years running, a feat that has yet to be beaten!!! I am very proud of that, and want to say a big thank you again to all the people that voted.. It’s a great feeling when you know the awards come from votes from the public, and not within the Industry. It makes it more real.

Some of your productions to date include “Ear Damage” and “Kiss and tell”, after you’ve just completed a production do you normally road test them in your set and if so what type of reaction are you looking for off the crowd?

Its definatley important to road test stuff… Ive not got it too wrong yet, I don’t think but I do worry sometimes that something I like, may not be what other people want to hear. But I never try to second guess myself either. You have to trust in your own judgement. And that’s what people want to hear anyway isn’t it? Your particular sound and individual stamp on things? I think so.

When DJ’s make tracks in a studio they normally work very closely alongside an engineer. Before you commence a production, how do you collaborate with the studio engineer so that you are both “dancing to the same beat” as it were?

It can be quite difficult sometimes, especially if the person coming in to the studio doesn’t know a lot of technical lingo. I do my best with that which I can, having done a BTEC National Diploma in music technology its not too difficult for me and the engineer to understand each other. But then again all engineers are different. Some you bond to straight away, some run away with their own ideas and you have to shout at them and make them listen to you (Digital Kid!....lol) and sometimes you are not compatible at all. Its very similar to being friends with someone. We all have different friends with different qualities, and then again there are people that we just cant connect with at all. Through no fault on either party, just the way it is.

You have mixed some really big selling compilation CD’s like Tidy Euphoria and Hard Dance Republic. What kind of buzz did that give you when you first saw those on the shelves of HMV displaying the words “mixed by Amber D?”

Oh my lord… you couldn’t imagine. I went into HMV and saw my CD staring back at me and I just felt so proud… and I knew my mum would be really proud of me too… which makes it all so worth while.

Some DJ’s like to arrive early at a gig to gauge what kind of mood that the crowd are in and to soak up the vibe in general; do you ever find your self doing that?

Yeah wherever I can. I think its important to mingle and get the general cencus of the night. I usually stay for a boogie after my set too, unless I have to shoot off to another gig.

Even if it’s not that long, your set has always got to keep people entertained, excited and on their toes, so each track in your set is like a building block. So when you are thinking about putting on the next track are you going by instinct or experience?

The way I describe it is as if you are playing a game of chess… you always need to think a few moves ahead. I like to know my tunes inside out, and I know the keys of most of the tracks I play (most important in my tech-trance sets) from the classical training, just by instinct. I cant really explain it, its like its built in or something. Or I think about the vocals in the tracks, and try and match them up so that the vocals “answer back” each other in the mix. I hate it when vocals clash and end up over the top of each other… no need! But mainly you need to keep it fresh, keep it interesting, keep the energy UP. Its funny when people think its just about matching beats together… that’s just the beginning honey….

When you take over from somebody else who has got a completely different style to yours, do you try and bridge it with the first couple of tracks, or let that difference stand out?

As I have most styles of hard dance with me, I can bridge just about anything without any problems… but I will stop and start if asked of me by a promoter (say if he is introuducing me on the mic or something)

For a while now your DJ talents have been signed to Tidy management (a division of Most Wanted) who are one of the largest, most respected and most professional DJ agencies. How have you enjoyed working with them so far?

They have always been amazing to me. I am so happy and feel so lucky to be working with such great people. They have seen me grow up over the last few years, so its like being part of a family now.

And, finally come the Contagious Boxing Day Extravaganza, what tunes of yours are really going to be rocking the place so that everybody will be glad they passed up that offer of one last Sherry with Auntie Beryl and came to Contagious instead?

Well I have a new remix I have finished of Don’t Cross the Line, so that will be getting an airing, along side a lot more new stuff that im sure you will love!

www.amberd.co.uk

Catch Amber this boxing day along with the Contagious Crew at Superclub Syndicate in Bristol

Contagious Boxing Day Bash

© Greg Lynn 2006

Feature by Greg Lynn
Tel: 07891654122
Email: greglynn0210@yahoo.co.uk

The right to be named as the author of this work has been asserted by Greg Lynn in accordance with the Designs, Copyright and Patents act 1988

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