AMZEL sat down with us to dig into her history in the scene, her experience DJing in San Diego, what’s to come this year, and more.
Southern California has long been a hotbed for artists in the electronic music scene who have shown off their dynamic abilities in the studio or behind the decks, and AMZEL is doing just that. This San Diegan has transitioned from her initial house and techno focus to layering in other unique styles to create magical moments on dancefloors at clubs, warehouse events, and more.
AMZEL hasn’t just defined her DJing skills by utilizing CDJs, as unlike many other contemporaries, she’s found a passion for spinning vinyl. This has allowed her to explore other sonic realms, ranging from jazz to new wave, while adding deeper cuts from her growing vinyl collection. That said, AMZEL stuns when she performs digital-driven sets as well, which she’s put on display in recent months at venues throughout San Diego and during her Particle FM residency.
Having recently taken the stage in support of ADIEL at INCOGNITO, Veluda, and Obsidian’s underground event in San Diego to deliver a dose of techno, electro, and more, it was fitting that we caught up with this blossoming talent. AMZEL sat down with us to dig into her history, her thoughts on the scenes in San Diego and Los Angeles, and plenty more. Listen to her guest mix and read on for the full conversation!
Stream EDMID Guest Mix 414 || AMZEL on SoundCloud:
Hi Anna, thanks so much for chatting with us today. While many artists have found a niche in one or two specific genres, you’ve touched on everything from techno to jungle. Do you feel that your dynamism has helped you grow as a DJ and better control dancefloors?
I always found it hard to put myself in a genre box. When I first started out DJing, I mostly explored house and techno since that was what I was mainly listening to at the time, and that was a great way to find my mixing style and the tempos that I like to explore. I found that I wanted more freedom and the ability to sample different breaks, melodies, and genres. As I found myself digging for deeper and older tracks, the songs that struck me were in a range of genres and allowed me to challenge myself with mixing, which made it a bit more challenging. Seeing reactions on the dancefloor when you play a little bit of everything is rewarding, as there may be a part of the set that anyone in the crowd can connect with.
As an artist who plates on CDJs and vinyl, can you share your preparation process between the two? Do you find yourself flowing easier behind the decks with more tracks on your USB than lugging along a crate of records?
My vinyl style is a bit different. I tend to play more of a listening/casual style set with records that don’t go too heavy into beatmatching. I listen to a lot of different music, and vinyl has allowed me to bring my other styles with jazz, ambient, new wave, electronica, and more to my sets and gives me the opportunity to slow down a bit. I find myself flowing more with digital tracks for dancefloor mixing, but this year, I’m hoping to really hone in on my vinyl mixing so I can throw some of my dance vinyl collection in future sets. I have some insane finds over the years, and I’ve been dying to get in there!
You’ve played at many different venues over the years. Has there been one spot, underground or otherwise, that has stuck out as special?
For San Diego, Kava Lounge (RIP) was the first venue I ever played outside of warehouses, and it allowed me to explore my sound using a solid sound system and gear. The crowd was open to new and harder genres. I’m very thankful for all the times I got to spin there and it helped me grow as a DJ. A few of my friends and I a while back ran some shows at a warehouse in Barrio Logan called 3192, which were my first warehouse sets, and I’ll never forget them. Pure DIY raves that fostered an amazing community of people.
Beyond your usual gigs, you’re also a resident on Particle FM with your Desiderata series. Can you share a bit about what this series represents to you as an artist?
I have always loved internet radio and listened to a lot of NTS, Dublab, Worldwide FM, and Intergalactic FM, which really shaped my taste in music over the years. I loved the more personal and casual aspect of it; it was almost like you were hanging in someone’s living room, and they were mixing for you.
I wanted a medium that could allow me to explore any and all genres, and I was ecstatic to hear that there was an internet radio coming from SD. The founder, Christian (Atrevido), and the whole Particle FM roster consist of such amazing, creative, and inspiring individuals who are like-minded in the way that we want to support and advocate for our community and help San Diego grow as a whole. It really is special!
You spend time between Los Angeles and San Diego. While these two scenes share many similarities, there are plenty of differences. Can you share some positives and negatives you’ve encountered in SoCal over the years?
San Diego is my hometown and it has definitely grown in regards to the overall electronic music scene. It’s taken a bit for genres like techno, UKG, jungle, and more to be more widely accepted in an overly commercial, genre-saturated city. It’s booming now more than ever as far as the range of lineups and genres. In the majority of clubs and lineups, representation of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ folks is lacking in the DJ and music world and is prevalent in San Diego. A lot of the shows here tend to be male-dominated, which can be disheartening. In my eight years of playing shows in SD, I am only now starting to see a bit more diverse lineups
LA has a strong rave scene that has been non-stop over the years, with a wider range of lineups and curated shows focusing on underrepresented and diverse artists. I love how open-minded people are on the dancefloor, and there is never a shortage of parties. This also means that LA can be over-saturated and can make it harder to stand out and find your exact crowd, party or collective. I’m hoping to play more in LA this year!
What’s been the biggest struggle you’ve faced in your career so far? Have you been able to overcome it?
I am my own hardest critic. I tend to overanalyze any imperfections in my sets, which causes me to be nervous and insecure at times. I think many musicians, artists or performers can relate to a level of ‘imposter syndrome’. Over the past few years, I have focused on having fun behind the decks and connecting more with the dancefloor versus being too much in my own head. I tend to actually mess up more when I’m nervous and stressed, but having more fun with it and remembering why I even do this in the first place has really allowed me to trust myself and open up. Keeping more of a positive and confident mindset has helped me more than anything else in my career so far.
Just for fun, what are three things besides your headphones and USB that you carry with you to shows, no matter where they are?
EARPLUGS! Ear safety is so important, and I have been focusing on protecting my hearing over the past years. I try to always have harm reduction supplies if I can access them, as I’m a firm believer in harm reduction in the live music industry, and you could save someone’s life being prepared. Also, snacks and water, of course!
Finally, what are some goals you hope to achieve in 2024?
My biggest goals for the year so far are to produce more and to hopefully land a residency this year. I am focusing on making more tracks and finding my style and flow. I have always wanted to land a residency as it is such a great way to explore more tracks, allows for more stability and consistency in bookings, and allows DJs to curate a long-term night focusing on their sound.
