A healthy history of being a London raver before getting into DJing is always a recipe for success, add a deep-rooted love of soundsystem culture and a mother with her own background in music and you’ve got purposeful musical influences spilling out at every turn. Enter Amaliah, a DJ and producer who has channeled her experiences of golden era Plastic People and London’s vibrant soundsystem culture into a style that advocates strong digging, multi-genre mixing, and a welcoming party atmosphere. 2019 saw Amaliah establish Borne Fruits, a ‘house party’ inspired event turned label where she made her production debut with two tracks ‘Euphorique’ and ‘Won’t Stop‘. The release signalled true future intent from a DJ who had been tearing it up on the London circuit and beyond. She’s continued to further expand the label, releasing two various artists compilations and a two track edits single with Or:la titled Y2SLAY. Now a much-loved and listened to resident on Rinse FM, we caught up with Amaliah to talk about growing up in London, the process behind her Manifold EP for Moxie’s On Loop label, the evolvement of her radio career and some of her fondest musical memories from the last few years. Her Truancy Volume, a wonderful two hours to dig into, is a masterful showing of restraint and set building, working her way through the early 2000s of golden era tech house to more current bass-leaning drum tools. By the time you reach the stunning Swayzak track around the 80-minute mark, you’ll be hooked.
Hey there! Thanks for answering some questions for us! So how have you been recently? What’s the year been like for you so far? Any particular highlights? Heya, thank you for having me too! I’ve been really good, been doing a lot of fun shows recently and preparing for my first official Asia and Australia tour which kicks off on Friday. Really excited for it and it feels like a great way to end the year. This year was a bit of a game changer for me, I was travelling a lot to so many incredible places and did some bucket list shows which I really didn’t expect to happen so soon. It’s been thrilling to say the least. Some highlights were playing Dekmantel, Nowadays in NYC and also getting to do some remixes for the first time.
So as it’s your first time getting interviewed on the site, I thought we’d go back for a minute. Can you tell us a little bit about your early formative musical years? I read that your mum worked in music management and had a pretty vast record collection. What sort of music are we talking about? My early musical years were heavily influenced by my mum. I was always with her in recording studios with various bands she managed back in the day so I was always surrounded by music. My mum, Joycelyn, was also in a band herself in the 80s called Eastbound Expressway and she loved going to raves, parties, anything involving music that you could dance to. I think I get a lot of my attitude towards music from her. And yes she had a pretty colossal record collection mainly made up of 70s/80s soul, funk and disco, along with some 90s house and techno sprinkled in there too. Going through her record collection gave me the first real kick to book my first gig.
So how did you start to get more involved with club culture? Was there a particular year or party where the idea first started to form that you wanted to get into DJing? Or was it a more gradual process? I first got involved in club culture when I was about 14 or 15 years old. We used to go to bars that turned into clubs in and around Camden and Dalston and then also to illegal raves. My first intro to electronic music was happening around the same time or just before as well. The first core memory I have though of feeling immersed and curious about DJing was when I first went to Plastic People when I was about 17 years old. Tessela was playing and I remember just being in awe of the space and resonating really hard with the music. I left the club thinking ‘wow I would love to do that someday’.
I feel like with London you’re getting influences just from everywhere. I moved to London when I was 19 and it was overwhelming at times but really made me appreciate multi-genre mixing. You’ve described your sound as ‘all over the place’ the past. Do you think growing up in London is one of the main reasons for that? I definitely think it plays a part in it. London is such a colourful melting pot of cultures and identities and I like to try celebrate that in the music I play. There’s also a huge variety of genres from my own cultural background that have shaped me into the selector I am today and for me, it’s important to share that in my music. I find it quite restrictive to stick with one genre as it doesn’t feel representative of me, my story or my environment and it’s vital to feel what a DJ is about through their music. My musical journey and interests have changed so much in the last 15 years or so since I’ve been discovering electronic music, so I want my sets to be somewhat reflective of that if the setting allows it.
Do you remember your first gig? How did it go? Hahaha my first gig was a shambles but it was very cute. I played on a Sunday afternoon at a bar in Peckham and was so alarmingly nervous but it was literally just a bar with families having lunch and not even much space to dance. I had multiple technical issues as well but what made it sweet is so many of my friends came to show support and it felt like the first step into doing something that made me really happy.
Your radio show life started on Balamii back in late 2019, followed by a monthly show on the station till 2022. What did you learn about yourself and the way you like to play music in that time? I imagine it all helped in landing the current slot on Rinse FM. My DJing definitely evolved whilst I was on Balamii and it really helped with my confidence too. The station is such a hub of London culture and it introduced me to so many different collectives, DJs and artists that left me feeling inspired each time I did a show on there. They were really open to whatever music you delivered and that helped me develop what my sound is today. It also opened doors for me as people were able to discover what I was about and with that came the gigs and eventually my slot I have now on Rinse.
So tell us a little bit about starting Borne Fruits? I read it started as a small ‘house party’ sort of event. Has it grown more than you imagined? Borne Fruits started exactly as you say, it was just a small event that wanted to encapsulate a ‘house party’ vibe and had something for everyone musically. I put on the events at the time with my friend Rav and we wanted to showcase our music and invite others to do the same. It eventually turned into the show I had on Balamii and then the rest is history! I never imagined it would be what it is today and I’m so grateful for those that have shown it support and gotten it to where it is now.
Tell us about Borne Fruits 001 and the process behind making these two tracks of yours? Was the idea to always produce something you could put out yourself too? When did you feel you were ready?Borne Fruits 001 was really just a spur of the moment thing. I had started producing maybe a few months before and then just threw those two tracks on Bandcamp without really thinking or expecting anything from it. I think in the back of my mind I knew wanted to produce someday but I didn’t think I was going to do it so soon as I was enjoying DJing so much. Then I started on Ableton and took to it really naturally and everything just fell into place.
How did you find making your Manifold EP On Moxie’s On Loop label? Have you felt progress in the way you make music since starting out. You’ve been friends for quite a while right too, so it must have felt like a nice exchange to release on her label? It was quite a long process doing this EP as I had only just started producing when Moxie asked me and I was originally meant to do a track for a compilation on On Loop instead of a full release. Neither of us felt I was ready yet to deliver something so soon for the comp so we took the time to hone in my sound and craft and then over the course of a year or so the EP manifested. I’m so thankful to Moxie for seeing something in me and for taking her time and really pushing me to deliver the best version of myself at then as the EP came out exactly how we wanted it to. It was such a pleasure working with her as we had just become friends a year or so before I started working on it so it was a lovely journey to go on together. She’s truly one of the best in the game.
Can you share any tracks or mixes created by someone else that really bring you back to a place or are somehow connected to a specific time or locale? Danielle’s set from Houghton 2023 takes me right back to being at Earthling. It was the first set I saw at the stage that day and I was locked in for about 8 hours after that in the same spot. She set it up perfectly and I remember being surrounded by so many friends and just having such a good time. The energy on the stage that day was something else.
How has your approach to DJing evolved since you first started? What’s your process for discovering new music and curating your sets? Do you have an idea of what a 10/10 set would be for you? When I first started DJing, I was very meticulous with planning and I think that mainly came from nerves. I still plan very occasionally if it’s a big show just so I have some sort of safety net in case my mind goes blank but now I’m a lot more free with my DJing. I discover new music in various ways; Bandcamp, Discogs, record shopping, promos, Youtube rabbit holes, anything I can use really. Curating a set is done more on a case by case basis; sometimes I won’t plan at all and sometimes I’ll have an idea of what way I want to go in a set. My library is a bit of a mess but I organise my folders by genre and general vibe and generally I like to keep things pretty basic so I can go with the flow on the day or night. I don’t like to over-plan now as that makes me more nervous than if I just see what happens there and then.
A 10/10 set for me would be somewhere where I feel free to go in any direction I want to. I recently had this in Amsterdam when I closed Thuishaven. The energy in the room was electric and the crowd was so willing to go wherever I took them, which felt so cathartic and comfortable. I got to showcase a lot of different genres and blend everything into one journey that had many opposing chapters but still made sense. That for me is the perfect set.
What are some of your fondest musical memories from recent years? Are there any particular festivals, parties, or experiences you would recommend to others? My favourite festival of all time is Houghton. I’ve been every year it’s been on, aside from this year as I had two shows on the same weekend. For me, it has everything a festival needs musically and setting wise and my fondest memories are at that festival. Some of the best sets I’ve ever seen have been there; I’ve made life long friends there; my boyfriend and I first got together there last year so it holds a really special place in my heart. I recommend it to anyone who asks what festivals they should go to as it’s the best in my opinion.
If you had one day to take a fellow artist on an adventure around your city, where would you go and why? Are there any specific cities you’ve always admired or wanted to experience? Oo that’s a hard one! I think I would try show them my highlights of the four corners of London, so North, East, South and West. For North, I would take them to Hampstead Heath as it’s my favourite park in London and walking through there always lifts my spirits if I’m feeling a bit down. West London would be Portobello Market as it has an abundance of amazing vintage finds and weird oddities. East London would be for the food and bars; Manteca, X’ian Biang Biang Noodles, Dalston Superstore, Mu, The Marquee Moon, Little Georgia and Brawn are some of my favourites. Then for South, I would take them to a club as some of the best are down there. Venue MOT, Phonox, Corsica Studios are all great for a night out. Then a bonus would be record shopping in Soho in Central London.
How does music fit into your daily routine? Do you regularly listen to music or search for new records? How do you focus your intentions and craft, and how distinct are your roles as a producer, DJ, label owner and music enthusiast? I have quite a strict schedule during the week and work Tuesday – Saturday on music. Tuesday – Thursday would be focused on production, finding music and anything else related and usually between 9am – 6pm. Fridays and Saturdays is for gigs and Sundays and Mondays I give myself off. I prefer to stick to a routine as that’s how I work best. I’m always listening to music. I tend to listen to electronic music most of the time but when I’m travelling, I prefer to listen to stuff outside of that realm. I like listening to indie, R&B, ambient and more left field stuff during that time. If I want to get in the mood for a gig or feel excited or want to be inspired, I’ll then listen to mixes.
I think of myself as a DJ first, producer second and then the label side goes in and around those two things. DJ comes first because I feel comfortable enough in myself as a DJ now and I enjoy listening to other peoples music, not only to appreciate it but also to see how I can interpret others creations into something I can communicate from within myself as a DJ. Producer comes second because it’s still relatively new to me and I’m still discovering more about that side of myself. The label interchanges between the two because those two things are my main source of inspiration that feeds the label. Music enthusiast I guess is the umbrella for all of it.
Can you tell us about three albums that a) define you getting into electronic music in general, b) maybe a midway album when you were fully invested in DJing and and c) a recent one from the last yer.
15 a) An album that came out slightly later in my electronic music journey was Soul Music by Special Request in 2013. This album was a gamechanger whilst I was at uni. I was in second year and I remember hearing this being played out so much when I was going to nights where it wasn’t just for the sake of going out, it was to see DJs I was discovering that really inspired me musically. ‘Body Armour’ ‘Broken Dreams’ and the ‘Hackney Parrot VIP’ were my standouts and I was completely obsessed.
15 b) Shanti Celeste’s ’Tangerine’ was an album that really took my attention when I knew DJing was all I wanted to do. Start to finish it’s flawless; so artistically identifiable and Shanti had always been someone I looked up to in terms of DJing and production. She made it seem like an actual possibility in a time where electronic music was so heavily male influenced and this was my main opponent as to why I didn’t start my journey sooner. Shanti paved a way for many people like myself and this album for me was a great inspiration to take the leap into what I’m doing today.
15 c) An album from last year I had on repeat was Pangaea’s ‘Changing Channels’. There are so many songs I played from that album in so many different settings and every single one worked. Pangaea again is a producer and DJ I really look up to and this album felt like a much needed breath of fresh air. Front to back dancefloor perfection.
What sort of other hobbies or interests do you have outside of electronic music? Are there any books, films, shows or other things you’ve seen or been reading/watching that you might want to share? Heard you’re quite interested in art? I’m an art girly at heart and love going to exhibitions in my spare time. I studied Art History at university and I’m happy this interest is still so important in my life today. I recently went to see Lauren Halsey’s exhibition ‘emajendat’ at The Serpentine which was sooo good. It’s a small free exhibition exploring topics on the African diaspora, Black and queer icons and motifs of African American culture. I’m also reading a book at the moment called ‘What Is Black Art?’ edited by Alice Correia which I would recommend too!
Could you describe the process of creating this mix? Was there a specific message or feeling you wanted to convey? The process of this mix was to encapsulate who I am as a DJ today. It touches on old and new sounds and goes through many different waves, but overall I just wanted it to be fun. There’s a mixture of unreleased music I’ve been sent; music I’ve found recently myself; set favourites, as well as music I’ve heard and discovered on nights out. There’s maybe one cheeky unreleased WIP from me in there too. I wanted to convey the message of not taking things too seriously and encourage people to dance to it as that’s what I’m all about.
Last, usual question from us, what was the last thing to put a big smile on your face and when was the last time you had a proper dance? The last thing to put a big smile on my face was seeing my lil 10 month old nephew over the weekend – he is the chubbiest, happiest, smiliest baby I have ever seen! I love him so much. The last time I had a proper dance was at the Fabric 25th birthday a few weeks ago. That was my favourite day/night out of 2024. I think I was in the club for about 20 hours hehe.
Amaliah: Soundcloud, Instagram, Bandcamp, Resident Advisor
Borne Fruits: Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Instagram
You can download Truancy Volume 338: Amaliah in 320 kbps and view the full tracklist on Patreon here. Your support helps cover all our costs and allows Truants to continue running as a non-profit and ad-free platform. Members will receive exclusive access to mixes and tracklists. We urge you to support the future of independent music journalism — a little goes a long way. If you need any IDs though, please leave us a comment on the Soundcloud link and us or Amaliah will get back to you with the track :)
