Amy D’s 10 loud-n-proud tracks to make you disco dance all night

With Pride Month upon us, the Mixmag Asia crew were looking long and hard for someone who could make us the right Guest List that had empowering and uplifting tracks that represented the LGBTQ+ community.

And who better to curate it than Amy Douglas — a singer, songwriter, and musician who has made a name for herself in the dance music world.

Amy's versatility shines through in the various genres she has dabbled in, from rock'n'roll to disco and house music — and it’s the latter where her voice has dominated.

Contrasting sweet tones and a raw edge, Amy’s voice fits perfectly into the diva tradition of house music. Her collaborations with Horse Meat Disco, Luke Solomon, Soul Clap and Tim Wagner have earned her a loyal fan base, whilst her recent work on the collaboration project Hard Feelings with Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard has also been well received.

Amy's contribution to the music industry goes beyond her vocal abilities. She has also proven her songwriting skills, having co-written and produced the contemporary classic “Never Saw It Coming” in 2018. Her talent was also recognized by Róisín Murphy, who enlisted Amy to write her anthemic disco-heartbreaker “Something More.”

Riding off her latest single 'Freak At Night', which just dropped on New York disco imprint Razor-n-Tape, Mixmag Asia has invited Amy Douglas to join The Guest List to share her top 10 tracks that represent the LGBTQ+ community and the spirit of Pride Month. Her selections range from classic disco anthems to contemporary dancefloor bangers, and each track has a special meaning to Amy and reflects the diversity, resilience, and vibrancy of the LGBTQ+ community.

So, sit back, turn up the volume and let Amy's curation take you on a journey of celebration, empowerment and joy.

I would be remiss of course if I did not include my debut on Razor-N-Tape, and it’s all the more special to me because I wrote it with J Kriv, co-head of the label. That’s his awesomeness on bass and that is Derrick McKenzie of Jamiroquai on drums. Could you really ask for more than that??? Whuuut? Pffft!

There is absolutely no list I ever make of songs to make you get up and wanna dance all night long which does not include this song, my favourite dance track of all time. Pure elation.

No disrespect to anybody from my own backyard, or any other part of the universe who is a modern dance band doing retro boogie of any merit, but as far as I am concerned, THESE dudes from Miami are the ones to beat. And for what it’s worth, they have multiple party starters, but this is the one that I love to spin when I play out, the most.

I recently got into these guys, who have QUITE the catalog, and quite a long career! I think they’re actually back on the road right now, they are from Zambia who are a “Zamrock” band, and I love how deliciously quirky and funky this is at the same time. QUUNKY!!

It’s not that part one is not beautiful and there are those who play the entire 11-minute odyssey from start to finish, but my tendency is to continue the party with part two alone. It’s very hard to argue with the majesty of Todd Terje.

There is something about this jam that not only makes me smile, and not only makes me dance, but also makes me feel like I’m running away from the bad guys in a massive cocaine sting gone wrong, in Miami in 1980, and I’m gonna wind up in the hotel with Scarface and the chainsaw. Italo disco at its finest, and what a guitar part!!!

Here is another jam that I put on every single list and I never leave my house without whether I’m taking a walk in the park or I’m going to go spin a sit at Jupiter Disco. Whenever Donna and Giorgio experimented with the future, it was always a good thing, and if only for the incredible synth-laden ending, and robot post-disco minimalism is…my JAM!!

I’m so fortunate to be on a label that is really heralding the future of dance music while keeping everything Boogie nasty and I want to celebrate my labelmates as such and who could be better labelmates than the incredible Midnight Magic?? Tiffany Roth is sublime and this song is an instant classic. Shouts to Andrew Raposo, bass God for both MM and 79.5, no less their producer wunderkind. Listen to that thing thump.

This is exactly what I want dance music to sound like right now. Post-disco with tons of electro-boogie a slight nod to vintage hip hop and a whole lot of soul.

During the pandemic lockdown, Tim Wagner (Our Starry Universe) with whom I made 'Never Saw It Coming' for DFA, and I gathered Steven Klavier and Horse Meat Disco’s Jim Stanton, spoken, word artist Cat Pap, and Mexico’s DJ phenom Paurro together for a cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s 'Two Tribes'.

Amy Douglas 'Freak At Night' is out now on Razor-N-Tape. Stream or buy here.