Hit the Decks! It’s AMPRS&ND

San Francisco artist AMPRS&ND has been a DJ since 2008.

“I was at a friend’s house after a rave and I decided to give it a try and I wasn’t half bad,” she says. “I started experimenting with production in 2010, but I got serious about making music in 2011 after I had a moment at Swedish House Mafia’s EDC gig. My friend took me to VIP and it was the first time I saw such a large crowd from above. It’s hard to comprehend without seeing it from that perspective. Something about seeing so many people sharing a moment in unison made me want to dedicate my life to bringing people together through music.”

If they has to characterize her own sound, she called it heavy tech house or bass house.

“I feel like it doesn’t really fit into a subgenre,” says AMPRS&ND. “I used to make electro house under an old name, and those influences have always stuck with me over the years. I like making house with a dark edge – big, heavy percussion with a groovy bassline.”

The latest release of AMPRS&ND is Out after 2.

“Lenny (BLK&WHT) originally worked with Dances on the vocals for both tracks,” she says. “After he and I talked at a show about working on something, he sent these over. I loved the vocals and his initial ideas, and I was so excited about the offer. “I really like the contrast of the lyrics on the two tracks. “Out Past 2″ is a straight-up party tune that a lot of us can relate to – you just go to a show, and you’re having so much fun that you party until the early hours with your crew. Freak Freq is almost like poetry… the lyrics are subtly suggestive, and Dances’ wordplay is really fun and unique.”

As for gear: “I’m one of the few people I know who uses Logic, and I don’t want to switch,” she says. “Well, maybe a little bit, but I don’t want to be held back by the learning curve. I only use software synths, mostly Serum. I have a 49-key keyboard, and I much prefer using that to writing things rather than drawing or using an on-screen keyboard.”

“As for DJ gear, I recently upgraded from CDJ900s (with the black and white screen) to the Pioneer Opus Quad. It’s so cool to have four decks in one machine, and I like having a visual interface that’s more like what you’d find in a standard club setup. (Plus, it matches my living room.)”

AMPRS&ND has a lot planned for the coming months.

“I have a few remixes planned for the end of the year, including a few for our label, Gold Bloc Records. I’m looking forward to a full September playing Applecross Festival in central California and How Weird Street Faire in San Francisco,” she says.

The post Hit the Decks! It’s AMPRS&ND first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.