Amata is a production duo formed by MKLY & Sides that are currently based between Berlin and Cape Town. They have contributed heavily to the global electronic music landscape, and together, they’ve found a way to trap emotion in groove.
We caught up with Amata to talk about their latest musical projects.
Electronic Groove: Hi, guys, thank you so much for joining us today. Where are you based right now? How have you handled the lockdown? Were you able to make the most of it?
Amata: Hello and thanks for the invite! At the moment Mike is based in Berlin and Levi in Cape Town. I think lockdown has been a challenging time for everyone but I think the two of us have been very fortunate to still have our jobs and if anything, it’s really helped us set our goals for the year to come, which has increased our eagerness to make music.
Electronic Groove: So, Amata is a fairly new adventure for both of you…How did it come about? Was it all on-line, or did you have some kind of relationship?
Amata: The two of us have been close friends for many years. We both shared a passion for music and use to always play on the same line-ups at clubs and festivals back home in South Africa, so the natural progression leads us to launch our label Ambious Records in 2017, and with that, we decided to form Amata to be the figure point of the imprint and the sound we are trying to push.
Electronic Groove: Could you tell us more about your musical backgrounds? Do you feel you complement each other sonically?
Amata: Mike coming from a classically trained background and Levi growing up with a dad who used to DJ in clubs during the late 70’s lead us to an interesting combination in the studio. Levi being obsessed with drum programming and creating really funky grooves, while Mike’s knowledge of music theory really enhances the melodic tone and captures the emotion of the music we write. Besides, being close friends and having a deep understanding of one another really helps us in the studio.
Electronic Groove: Your debut was on DJ Zombi’s label, Beat Boutique. That’s a claim not many can make. Did you send out your first track or did you make a few and chose the one that felt right
Amata: We initially wrote 3 tracks and shipped them out to a select few labels we were really keen on releasing with, Beat Boutique being one of them, and in a matter of hours DJ Zombi replied and was eager to have ‘Aura’ released with them.
“The natural progression leads us to launch our label Ambious Records in 2017, and with that, we decided to form Amata”
Electronic Groove: Has your sound changed since the beginning? Is there something that you feel you still need to work at?
Amata: Over the past few years we’ve really been trying to develop something unique and timeless with our sound. I think with Amata we are now really happy with the quality of music we are putting out but in saying that, the amazing thing about music is that you are forever learning, and this helps you grow as an artist at the end of the day.
Electronic Groove: We want to dig a little deeper into the creative process. Where do you find your inspiration? Do you have any particular ‘rituals’ to get in the zone?
Amata: I think we both gain inspiration for many different places but spending time in nature is definitely a big one for us. I wouldn’t say we have any rituals but clearing our mind and setting a positive intention helps get into the right headspace.
Electronic Groove: Now, studio-talk…What’s your set-up like? Do you have some kind of workflow you follow down to the ground every time being the two of you? Or do you switch it up according to the needs of each track?
Amata: Levi normally gets the project started by creating some sort of groove and body to work from, he’ll shoot that over to Mike who will then add some melodic elements. After that, we jump on to a zoom call and start putting the track together, then mix and master. We find this routine works the best for us.
Electronic Groove: Now you have a new release, this time on Hernan Cattaneo’s Sudbeat label. Could you tell us about the inspiration behind ‘Samsara’?
Amata: We are extremely excited to be releasing with Sudbeat. We have both been huge fans of the label for years, so this is truly an honor. As for the inspiration behind ‘Samsara’, we tried to tone it down a bit from the previous tracks to create some variety in our catalog. We focused on keeping the groove low-slung while having beautiful melodic elements to enhance the organic prog sound we are going for.
“We are now really happy with the quality of music
we are putting out”
Electronic Groove: With one glance at your back catalog we can tell that you guys have a knack for working with some of the most prestigious labels out there in the progressive house realm. Are you going for something along the lines of ‘quality-over-quantity’ at the moment? Do you feel it’s more beneficial to work this way in the long run?
Amata: Yes, the goal for Amata is to target the best of the best labels, ones that have helped us shape our sound but also to try to bring something unique and fresh to the progressive scene. After many years of trial and error, we’ve found the best strategy lies within not saturating yourself with many releases on smaller labels. Rather focus on putting something more meaningful that will stand the test of time.
Electronic Groove: What are your plans for the rest of the year? What can your fans expect for 2021?
Amata: We’re currently finishing up 2 remixes and have an EP in the works but we can’t give away too much on that for now. A 2021 touring schedule is also in the pipeline but we’ll have to see if the current global lockdown will play along with our plans.
Electronic Groove: Thank you so much for your time guys! It’s been a true pleasure. We wish you the best going forward!
Amata: Thank you so much for the continued support!
Amata’s ‘Samsara’ is now available via Sudbeat. Grab your copy here.
Follow Amata: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud | Spotify
