WWD 075 has arrived! We welcome Kentucky’s own Amtrac into the fold. The US producer and dj has been a relentless operator in 2016, releasing top notch records on the likes of Waze & Odyssey’s Street Tracks and Kidnap Kid’s Birds That Fly as well as delivering highly sought after remixes for the likes of Mark Ronson and Fred Falke. Fresh from touring with Kidnap Kid and an appearance at Art Basel, the American stops by for a catch up and provides an exclusive 45 for your ears.
WWD: Cheers for stopping by Caleb! Tell us, what’s been on you to-do list this week?
Thanks for having me, I’m currently trying to wrap up a few collaborations I started earlier this year.
WWD: You were in Miami recently playing Art Basel alongside the likes of The Black Madonna and Floating Points for RA. How were the Art Basel vibes?
Theres something about Miami that still feels a bit like home to me, so many close friends and good times. It was really cool to officially meet The Black Madonna as well, being that she comes from Kentucky as well.
WWD: Did you catch any inspiration from the fair?
Always, I got to experience quite the eclectic mix of sounds while I was down south.
WWD: Your prowess for the remix is well documented. You’ve just reworked Mark Ronson ‘Daffodils’ with Blu Jemz. How did that session go down?
Blu Jemz is good friends with Mark and happened to snag the stems. He flew out to LA and we started messing around with the samples and things started to gel. After I played it out a couple of times I felt like it was good to go, then.. voila!
WWD: Do you try to apply the same creative techniques to constructing a remix as you would with an original cut or is it more of a special recipe?
I think it all depends, I approach making a remix a bit different though. I’ll start with just the acapella and play the keyboard for a good while to see what chord progressions would work / decide if I need to pitch the vocals at all. The Mark Ronson record had Kevin Parker from Tame Impala on it, so there was no way I was gonna pitch that vocal.
WWD: On the topic of recipes, what’s your current favourite dish to rustle up?
I’m pretty bad about preparing my own food at the moment, delivery services are king in my household. I guess occasionally I’ll whip up an arugula salad or maybe some cereal haha.
WWD: Are you a proponent of any local Kentucky specialities?
I like fried chicken but not KFC, and I like Kentucky bourbon but not Jack Daniels.
WWD: Are you working on anything of note at the moment?
I actually just got back my masters for my next EP, which is set to come out early next year. I’m really excited to put this record out.
WWD: You’re playing with Minimal Effort at New Year’s Eve. It closes out a big year. Do you have one particular memory from 2016 that will stay with you?
I had a show at Output’s roof in NYC that ended up getting rained out and moved inside, which I thought was a bummer at first. It ended up being such a special one with half the crowd wet from the rain I think it just added a very raw aesthetic to the party.
WWD: What’s been the defining dance-floor track of 2016?
Wow theres so many.. this one def did the trick for me multiple times // Luca Caza – A Thing Called J feat. S L F (Original Mix)
WWD: Who’s been your standout performer live or behind the decks?
Moderat’s live tour this year was outstanding / also note that Eli Escobar has been really doing some great things
WWD: Before we let you go, what can we expect from you in 2017?
Loads of tunes and maybe a live tour 😉
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