Image by: Frankie Casillo
Up and coming British house sensation Amy Dabbs take us on a journey through time and space, pulling us back to the past, then propelling us to the future with her latest EP Girl Like Me released on Distant Horizons, one of the sub-labels of Jimmy Asquith’s London landmark Lobster Theremin.
The four track EP encapsulates the vision and virtues of true house music, reflecting elements through Amy’s musical upbringing, taking influences from Motown through to early house music, whilst simultaneously instilling whispers of 80s and 90s soul that formed the building blocks of modern-day sound. Trusting in the mantra of doing what you love, Amy makes music she believes in. Music that makes you dance and elicit an emotional response, and which doesn’t have to stay in its lane, making her sets and compositions more interesting and diverse. She leads us into a new era of musical production with the Girl Like Me EP. One of the first in a fresh wave of sound she will be putting out, Amy delivers tracks which incorporate elements from soul through to jazz, creating original house sounds with a blend of modern influences. Her tracks conjure a sense of nostalgia for the past but with a fresh take, creating a new genre of “straight up house”.
The opening track “Girl Like Me” sets the tone with a vibrant pace and rhythmic precision. Illustrating life’s ups and downs, it’s a true testament to the power of positivity and nurtures the ever-present possibility of enrichment in our lives, even through hard times. “Mellowday” is infused with a little jazz. It’s sublimely uplifting, a feel-good tune with an exquisite combination of sounds and vocals. The positive energy of the track and the title itself are inspired by her adopted rescue dog, Melody. “No More Distractions” shouts-out to the old skool. Cited by Amy as “inspirations” in her musical career, musical legends such as Larry Heard and Metro Area are paid homage to in this track with a revitalised use of the Juno 106, remembering forgotten sounds in a 90s style epic house encounter. And finally, “The Player” creates that end of the night vibe you feel, lifting you up with its soaring pads whilst grounding you with the lyrics of the spoken word. It will lyrically relate to many people; a tune to mend your wings and fly to!
London born, now Berlin based, Amy Dabbs is the daughter of an original Northern Soul DJ. She made a name for herself spinning at some of London’s hottest locations including Egg LDN, Pacha and 93 Feet East. She has played sets at Austria’s Alpfresco ski festival, Thailand’s Wonderfruit festival, and was a resident at the legendary Kilo Lounge, an all-female DJ night ‘Ladies of the Dark’ and a regular booking at the Tanjong Beach Club, Kyo, ETTF events and HQ. She has released on reputable Italian label Rebirth and New York’s i!Records and has been remixed by fellow UK producers Death on the Balcony. Amy has also played sets for the renowned Hallo Montag series in Berlin. One of her crowning achievements as a producer is Paul Woolford picking one of her tracks – soon to come out on EP – to place in his Special Request competition earlier this year.
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