In light of our women’s issue, In The Middle interviewed Heidi van den Amstel, better known as Heidi, to celebrate her success and prosperity in a male-dominated industry.
If one thing can be said for Heidi, it’s that she’s come a long way from her home of Windsor, Canada. Meeting the guys at German record label Get Physical and going on to host a weekly UK Radio 1 show, Heidi’s success has quickly become international. Her popularity in Britain has undoubtedly been catapulted by her involvement on the radio; she’s gone from working in a record store to hosting stages at Parklife and the Warehouse Project. Her influence has also inspired many upcoming female artists in a resurgence of female producers and DJs, much to Heidi’s approval. Speaking to the internationally recognised DJ herself, she spoke to me about her roots, the seven year influence of British radio and, of course, her opinion on the ever growing female influence on underground house and techno music.
“The sisterhood in this business is powerful and it’s only getting stronger”
Born and raised in Canada, Heidi owes a lot to the 90’s house and techno coming out of Detroit, just a stone’s throw away. Living so close to Route 94 and the birthplace of House music, van den Amstel had the opportunity to meet some of the scenes heavyweights from an early age. “I was always going over to Detroit to see bands and to go record shopping, and then in the mid 90’s I met Richie Hawtin”. Introducing her to mid-90s techno, Hawtin’s was an influence that proved pivotal for the DJ. Growing up as a Rock n’ Indie kid, it had always been Heidi’s aspiration to work in a record store – an opportunity she seized when she moved to London in 2001. After consideration, she set up her own record store, Phonica Records in 2004, off the back of working at Koobla. This shop can still be found in central London today. Like anyone who is successful in the music industry, Heidi was consistently opportunistic throughout the early stages of her career, making her an icon for other DJs and producers wanting to break into the scene today.
Despite BBC Radio 1’s unquestionabe impact on Heidi’s career, the UK underground house and techno scene hadn’t always welcomed the Canadian’s DJing presence. “At the time the UK wasn’t really interested in me, mainly because I’m not a producer and I don’t make music. I had to establish myself properly as a DJ before they took notice, which I admire”. Due to the competitiveness of the UK underground dance scene, Heidi had to venture out into Europe, meeting the guys at Get Physical. She went on to tour with M.A.N.D.Y and Booka Shade, which truly gave Heidi the experience she needed in the field. This was back when Traktor didn’t exist, when all mixing was to be done on vinyl and there was never the option of pressing the trusty ‘sync’ button on your controller. Despite initial difficulties, Heidi’s skills quickly improved and her DJ career took off in Britain. Her persistence to improve musically is widely appreciated amongst the many fans she’s accumulated over the radio for the past 7 years and has been the reason why she has achieved so much success over the course of her career.
“Being part of Radio 1 allowed me to push underground dance music to a much larger audience, it’s something I absolutely love doing, and has given me the opportunity to see young talented DJs musically progress, like watching children grow up, which is a wonderful feeling”.
Having played to a national audience for a number of years, the Canadian has utilised the radio as a means of developing her career. Continually surrounded by DJs with similar musical interests, Heidi has been able to develop her technical ability at the same time as discovering new music. The radio has given her the opportunity to play at a variety of events throughout the UK, especially in Manchester where her Jackathon parties have been hugely popular. Throughout the interview Heidi was continually appreciative of of the opportunity British dance music has given her, describing the past 5 years as “one wild ride”.
“We are all friends, there’s no bitchy vibe, just lots of love and support. The way women should be with each other”
Along with Mary Anne Hobbs and Annie Mac, Radio 1 has fashioned one of Britain’s most popular female house and techno DJs, purely based on her mixing expertise. Heidi has broken through the once patriarchal underground music scene to reach the forefront of British dance radio. She acknowledges the impact of the female predecessors that influenced her prior to committing to DJing as a full time job in 2007, “there were quite a few women before me. Miss Kitten, Ellen Allien, Magda, Lottie, Lisa Lashes, Ann Savage, Sister Bliss, Dj Heather, etc. They opened some doors for me. I actually came on the scene a bit later.” The rise of young female artists and DJs is an important progression for house and techno, and one that should be promoted throughout the industry. Heidi outlines the importance of female support, “I wouldn’t be where I am today without some very key women in my life” – agent Patci and close friend Catheryne Littlejohns have helped her get to where she is today. “They have been on this insane ride with me for the past 10 years. It’s not an easy job. It’s the hardest and most rewarding thing I’ve done in my life to date”.
[James Bate]