Pamcy’s Got the Sauce on New EP
Photo courtesy of the artist
Dance has always been a deeply spiritual experience for me; and even in a club packed with people, intensely private. Manila-based electronic music producer and DJ Pamcy taps right into house music’s ability to create space for that same sort of joyful, introverted revelry — perfect for both bedroom-dancing and the dance floor.
Pamcy brings her colorful, DIY approach to house music to her latest EP “Sauce Aisle” which dropped in March on Nagano, Japan-based label Jun Records. Described as “three exotic deep house tracks as some magical yummy condiments,” the tracks are aptly titled “Fish Sauce”, “Oyster Sauce” and “Sweet Soy Sauce” and were inspired by her time living in Singapore. The EP release was also accompanied by a digital zine, written by Pamcy and illustrated by Jun Records’ own Jun Kamoda, that describes her favorite uses for each sauce and gives a rundown on her fave local artists and venues.
We caught up with Pamcy on her inspirations, the parallels between music and food, the future of local music culture and more.
How has it been making music and collaborating during the pandemic? What inspires you?
Pamcy: During the pandemic, I was able to shift more of my time and energy on creating music. I miss doing gigs and playing music for people IRL but I enjoy staying indoors just as much. As an introvert, I don't feel as drained as I used to be and I've been able to find more time for my other hobbies outside of music, where I get most of my ideas from. I've been reading more, watching movies, and trying out new recipes.
How do you connect with an audience without IRL gigs? How has this been affecting the local creative community?
P: Nothing compares to playing music IRL and I miss the warmth and energy from live events. But all of us had to adjust and make do with what we have, and I'm grateful for local platforms that host online events like Club Indoors, Club Matryoshka and Manila Community Radio. A lot of local DJs and musicians still get to broadcast mixes and play online gigs because of these platforms. I think the major shifts caused by this pandemic have redirected music culture in an interesting way. Samantha Nicole (one of my all-time favorite DJs) wrote an article in Mixmag Asia entitled Filipino electronic music continues to flourish despite zero nightlife and I think this accurately sums up what's been going on in spite of all these venues closing down.
I feel like food has been a theme throughout your releases (shoutout Mangga At Bagoong, my fave combo) and of course, with this Sauce Aisle zine and EP. Any particular reason? I feel like both dance music and food can cross a lot of cultures and bring ppl together but that's just my take lol
P: I recently watched Pretend It's a City and Fran Lebowitz said she thinks that musicians and cooks are responsible for the most pleasure in human life. I smiled immediately when she said that, I agree with her and I just think that music and food are universal sources of happiness. I also love the parallels between cooking and music. Both art forms have to deal with a lot of measurements and proportions - ingredients have to be measured for food; and for music, we have to count the bars to form an arrangement & follow the metronome. I've always thought of my production style and workflow as a recipe that I made up myself. I'm not an expert food enthusiast and I'm definitely not an exceptional cook but food just makes me happy. And I also agree with food and dance music crossing cultures and bringing people together! Food and music are ways of connecting with people that are universally appreciated by everyone.
I had read an interview where you said that when you started releasing electronic music you became hyperaware of being a woman because so many beatmakers tend to be men and then suddenly people are pointing out like, you're not just a beatmaker but a female beatmaker — I hella relate because I feel like creating the space is important but also wish that we could also just be humans respected on the basis of our work. Do you see this changing in the electronic/beats scene? Like more women producers and artists?
It still makes me feel sick every time I see compilations and lineups with 100% cis het men to this day. I'm also frustrated that the only time people feel obliged to include women is during women's month. It's sad and tiring to have to work thrice as hard and see my fellow women do just as much yet we still don't get everything that we deserve. But I also feel lucky to have started out as a musician during this time where lots of female musicians from different parts of the world are making massive waves, and that's what inspires me and keeps me going. I don't feel as alone as I used to anymore, seeing how much talent is out there, and I look forward to a future where the next generation of female musicians won't have to go through the alienation our generation went through. Last year, my cousin mentioned to me that one of her daughter's favorite online school activities is making simple beats through a software. Hearing that made me feel so happy and relieved that girls have access to these things. Maybe the future I'm hoping for isn't too far away.
Check out Pamcy’s latest mixes via her Soundcloud and purchase “Sauce Aisle” via Jun Records here.
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