Ireen Amnes
DJ | Producer | Promoter
Ireen Amnes is a Berlin-based producer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, DJ and founder of the arts collective ‘Under My Feet.’ (UMF.) The series has remained a solid part of Ireen’s checkered journey in music and has showcased a range of live artists, performers and DJs from the underbelly of electronic music communities across London and Berlin.
Having moved from Rome to London before settling in Berlin last year, Ireen has spent years crafting her sound and the Under My Feet. platform. Back in 2015, Ireen graduated from Creative Musicianship at BIMM and began curating intimate UMF. events in London and pushing a plethora of experimental, industrial and UK broken beat anomalies at every party. Challenging her audience while remaining unafraid to take risks is quintessential to Ireen’s approach to music and UMF. - and it continues to serve her well whether she’s playing in Tresor or holed up in her home studio. Alongside UMF.’s ongoing ‘Live On Tape’ series which features the best live sets recorded at each event, the collective is set to launch the UMF. label which will see contributions by both emerging and more established artists within the noise and experimental scene.
With extensive knowledge in the mechanics of live and electronic music, Ireen holds exemplary confidence with hardware and musical instruments which has allowed her to explore every aspect of production. Releases on Instruments of Discipline, Hotflush, Kombinat, and Tales Collective are just some of the labels which have helped to put her on the map, alongside bookings at Warehouse Elementenstraat, Bossa Nova Civic Club, FOLD, BASIS, Volnost in Seoul & many more. She was scheduled to make her Säule debut in April before the pandemic obliterated the club’s schedule.
Given her undying curiosity and desire to create, Ireen has spent a large part of lockdown in her studio and recently put out a sample pack ‘Noises From My Studio’ which is available to purchase here. Her upcoming ambient album on Sonic Groove is due out on 15th June and over on the airwaves, Ireen continues to programme UMF.'s Threads Radio show, play HÖR Berlin's sanitised space (tune in tonight at 7pm CET) and has just added a forthcoming Rinse FM residency to her agenda. For those looking to learn music production or build on existing skills, Ireen has started to teach one-to-one Ableton Live lessons online for producers of all stages - DM her via links at the end of our chat for more info.
Like Ireen’s sonic aesthetic, a gritty live performance in a basement where the mood is noisy and intense is just a fraction of what UMF. is about as a whole experience. The below image captures a moment from a previous event which Ireen recalls below…
Photo: Gabriella Gasparini
Where was this photo taken and why did you pick it? What was the music vibe at the time?
This photos was taken by Gabriella Gasparini at the last UNDER MY FEET. show back in February at The Glove That Fits.
That for me was one of the most intense and engaging shows we have ever hosted with outstanding live performances by Puce Mary, JFK and Eros Catheter at the sound of power electronics and drone.
What are you listening to at the moment if you’re working from home?
Since the closure of venues I have fully abandoned anything that could be club related music. What I have consistently been listening to is stoner, shoegaze, doom and experimental music. To mention some artists: Throbbing Gristle, SLEEP, Slowdive, Amenra, Weedruid, Roly Porter.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious, do you have a go-to track or style of music that significantly lifts your spirits?
Modern classical and ambient. My go-to EP is Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement - Ambient Black Magic.
How do you intend on celebrating once we’re out the other side?
Haven't thought that far yet.
Any tips on how to look after your mind and body during this slightly stressful time?
Beside stating the obvious which is eating well and exercising, I think a major tip is to let out emotions and speak about them with your close ones or a therapist. We cannot avoid the fact that we all have had a drastic life change and instability, for this, even more, I truly believe it is important being honest and open about how we feel.
What has also been really helping me is putting my frustration into learning new skills and revisiting old ones, giving myself daily tasks but also allowing some days to be lazy, which I am only just learning is ok to do so (sometimes).
Listen to Ireen’s Slam Radio mix here and follow her below: