She is fun, funky, accessible, and loud. Add to that the fact that she is one of the best DJs Australia has to offer and you have one hell of a cool chick. Like her music, Amber is bursting with energy and has become a favourite with clubbers everywhere. Amidst weeks of airports and hotels Amber found time to have a coffee and a chat with ITM’s JustJewels and here is what she had to say…
ITM: So tell us about your new CD, your first solo mix “Intoxicating Rhythm.”
Amber: It is my fourth release and as you said it was my first solo album and making it was a lot of fun. I love every song on the album and because there were no restrictions it is really a reflection of me. I even helped with the cover. I had heaps of ideas and I could really express myself on every level with this album. It has been good producing with Venom because Nik knows what I am like as a DJ and therefore what I like on a CD. Venom is on its way to being the biggest independent label in Australia. Nik wants to bring other Australian DJ’s on board and have them all work closely together to create a product that is all about a passionate love for music. Venom is a big supporter of the little guy and is hoping to give heaps of talented local artists the start that they need.
ITM: How has your promotional tour been going?
Amber: It has been great. There has been so much support from everyone. It started on 13th August with the official launch being at Sublime @ Home on 20th August and is set to run until 6th November. So far I have covered Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns and Albury and I still have Newcastle, Hobart, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra to go. I decided to space it out more so I can perform better. I have had the best time. People from the crowd have given me candy with my name on it and I wear it proudly when I perform now. Thanks to everyone who has come to any of my gigs!
ITM: What has been the most memorable night of your career as a DJ?
Amber: Definitely my CD launch at Sublime on 20th August this year. It was the first time that I had released a solo album and like any first, you can’t do it for the first time ever again. There was a lot of hype surrounding the night and I felt that it exceeded all expectations. The crowd there was fantastic and the atmosphere was electric. It was a wicked night.
ITM: I can definitely vouch for that. I was there that night and my friends and I had an absolute blast dancing around to your bangin’ beats.
Amber: Oh great! That’s always good to know. The crowds have been awesome during the entire promotional tour. They completely blew me away. Every venue has been packed out to its full capacity and the crowds have given me their full respect. I did a gig in Bathurst a few weeks ago. It was only a tiny little place that could hold about 200 people but the night was a complete sell-out and I spoke to a group of 30 people who had travelled from Orange for 6 hours just to be there. It was just so special. I love it.
ITM: Do you have any horror stories from gigs?
Amber: At Big Clubber 4 at the Greenwood Hotel some crazy guy bumped the decks making them short circuit. It took 5 guys half an hour to get the sound back on. It was pretty funny though. The crowd started clapping and singing Advance Australia Fair. We always take sound for granted but if it hadn’t have came back on it would have been an absolute nightmare.
ITM: What was your first ever gig
Amber: It was a 9am til 11am recovery set at Biscuit Bar in Queensland. It was a dark and dingy little room and I could almost touch the roof! I was only 19 so it was still really exciting for me. My first gig in Sydney was at Thursday Delights @ Ice Box in 2000. I played there on its last night as well. It was a pretty sentimental place for me.
ITM: Obviously you are very popular all over Australia. You have been voted #11 in the Technics inthemix50 DJ Poll making you the second most popular female DJ in the entire country. Do you think there is a reason for that?
Amber: Ummm, it has to be that everyone knows how much I love what I do. I am always dancing around behind the decks. I always give 150% because I love to DJ. I feed off the energy the crowd gives me so when they are going off so am I. I also give out t-shirts, caps, sampler CDs and posters and I chat to whoever wants to talk to me at the end of my set. I want to the people in the crowd to feel as though they are a part of the night, which they are. So often you see a DJ play a set and then just leave. It’s a bit disappointing really. Seriously, the day I stop loving mixing is the day I will give it up.
ITM: That’s the spirit. As a top female DJ you often go back to back with other top male DJs. Do you feel as though you get a better reaction when you do that? Everyone loves a good battle of the sexes!
Amber: Oh definitely. Having a female and a male play back to back is like having yin and yang. Exact opposites infuse and work well together providing something for everyone. Guys and chicks play every differently and it’s really good to watch. They definitely have different energy. At the last Fantasia, one of my all time favourite raves, I played back to back with Nik Fish and Pee Wee and I thought I was really going off but when I looked at the guys I actually looked quite graceful in comparison to them (laughs).
ITM: You and DJ Vixen play well together too.
Amber: Oh definitely. Female vs female always gets a good reaction.
ITM: So do you have a favourite DJ?
Amber: There are heaps of DJs that I like but the ones that make me get on the floor and dance would have to be Nik Fish, Vixen, Jumping Jack and Archie.
ITM: Do you get any inspiration from international DJs?
Amber: Not really. I admire my friends and family and everyone who I work with on a regular basis. The local scene here is awesome and that is what inspires me. I also think that the punters prefer going off to songs that they know and love rather than a whole bunch of songs from international DJs that they have never heard before. I know what the crowd wants because I was part of the crowd when I was younger. I loved raving.
ITM: You have recently launched your website http://www.ambersavage.dj from which everyone can download your new CD. Tell us about that.
Amber: It displays all sorts of information including dates of up and coming gigs. It is updated regularly and a gallery is being created so people can submit photos fro my gigs. There is a competition running at the moment where by signing up to my mailing list you go in the draw to win an iPod.
ITM: Is it true that despite breaking into the scene in 2000, you only bought your first set of turntables in 2002?
Amber: (Laughs) Yes that’s true. I didn’t really need them until then. Vixen lived at home and drove her parents nuts with her turntable so she decided to bring them to my house where we spent hours mixing together. Eventually we moved in together and the first CD we released, Downunderground XXX, was actually recorded in our lounge room.
ITM: There is hope for everyone! So what is on the cards for the next few months?
Amber: I still have to finish the ‘Intoxicating Rhythm’ tour which has been heaps of fun so far. I am working on another CD which is due to be released in late February. I am working on my own track which will not be released anywhere except on that CD. I have had 4 years of piano lessons and can read music so that definitely helps. I played the recorder when I was six too, but I don’t know if that really counts (laughs). I am also hoping to secure a few residencies for the coming year.
Amber Savage’s latest mix CD, ‘Intoxicating Rhythm’, is out now through Venom/Inertia. If you’re in Sydney you can catch Amber at inthemix’s Smirnoff ICE Member Party this Friday, October 8th, and all for FREE. Simply RSVP to have your name on the guestlist HERE.
