It’s rare we come across talents that leave as much a mark on us as I AM BAM.
First coming to our attention thanks to some brilliant releases on the likes of Monika Kruse’s Terminal M and Coyu’s equally excellent Suara, he’s a man who looks set to be on course to a good thing. Based out of Berlin, his latest work sees him perk up on The AudioBloc, an emerging UK label – based out of Sheffield (home of course, to Warp Records) – that itself is doing some sterling work when it comes to all things techno. This latest release is a heavyweight one too, with no less than eight tracks and a slew of awesome remixes from a bunch of British artists closely aligned with the label. We touched base with I AM BAM via email recently for a quick interview….
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How are you, how has your 2021 been so far?
I’m well, thanks for asking. So far 2021 has been great with plenty of new stuff and upcoming releases for the future, which I can’t say too much about, I need to keep them a secret.
Introduce yourself, give us some background on how you go to where you are?
Well, my background started within classical, then rock ‘n’ roll and now I produce and DJ techno all over the globe. I started almost five years ago in my small bedroom, with my laptop, and now I’m here, talking with you.
What have you missed most in the last year having not played any gigs?
To be honest, it feels over a year that I haven’t been gigging. Since I consider myself a people person, I miss that a lot. I miss seeing new faces each weekend, the travels and the food experiences that come with it. I miss all of it, but I’m sure it will all be back soon.
Tell us about your new one for The AudioBloc – what inspired or influenced it?
I wanted to produce some techno tool tracks for the dancefloor, and I was pleased with the outcome. I also have two other tracks on the EP called “Now” and “Pressure”. Pressure has a little bit of UK 90’s drum and bass feel to it. It also has some great remixes from some great UK artists, you should check the full EP out.
I AM BAM’s No Edge EP (incl. Melody’s Enemy, SMYTH (UK), Rhys Maxwell, Inafekt, KUSP (UK) Remixes) is out 25th March via The Audiobloc. Buy/listen to the release here.
What gear do you use in the studio and how does that shape your sound
I work best and quicker when my setup is simple. I don’t use any gear and I avoid the sample packs. I like to have my sound, produced through Ableton utilising their plugins. Nothing fancy.
Is it hard writing music without the feedback of clubs?
I have a vivid imagination, so when I produce I try to imagine myself in the club and what the crowd reaction could be like. So for me, not really.
Dance music has got politically and socially aware more so in the last 12 months than any time I can remember, especially the BLM movement. In terms of dance music, was it all perforative or have things changed do you think?
I think everything has become more political, not just dance music. But for me, I’m not a real politics person, So I try not to mix the two, that is politics and music. I just keep my head on my music. But when I look up, I can see things are changing for the better.
Do you think when we do get back to the dance floor after COVID anything will be different?
I am positive that COVID will not have a long term impact on the dancefloor. Every day, I see people are craving to rave, that’s all we need.
What else have you got coming up?
I have an album coming up on my label IBAM Recordings in April, followed by many releases with many remixes for really interesting artists, which I respect a lot.
What are you looking forward to when we get back to normal?
I’m looking forward to getting to see all my friends around the world which I’ve missed a lot. To get back on tour with that energy and feeling that only the dancefloor can create.
Thank you.
