Selections: Kitty Amor
In this series, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their collections. This week, Kitty Amor spotlights deep, soulful sounds from Afro house to jazz
Kitty Amor has become one of the UK’s premier Afro house DJs — but who is the woman behind the music and what’s her journey been like? These questions are answered in a new documentary, available to watch now via the Defected YouTube channel. Through interviews with Kitty and many of her close friends, family and musical allies, the 20-minute film follows her rise over the past decade: from cutting her teeth at mid-week student nights while at university in Nottingham, through her first time warming up for now long-time DJ partner Sef Kombo, to the way her current globetrotting influences her productions.
Who’s Kitty Amor: A story about identity and expression goes beyond the music too, delving into the difficulties she’s faced opening up about her sexuality in light of her Christian upbringing. It’s an interesting watch and sets up Kitty Amor as a DJ who’s only going to get bigger as she continues to build sonic connections between the UK and Africa.
She’s also just launched her own Defected imprint, Mahaba, with its inaugural release, Amor's own 'Solitude', set for release on 17th November.
Her Selections very much reflect the international nature of her sound and her increasingly busy tour schedule, spotlighting deep, soulful sounds from Afro house to jazz. Dive in below.
“This track has dominated a lot of my sets this year. It is the perfect fusion between electronic music and jazz. Highly emotive keys with one of the strongest synth lines I have heard in a long time. Seeing how this one track can turn over a dancefloor has won me over all year.”
“This track will always remind me of how 2023 started for me. Playing this at Tomorrowland Tulum was a highlight, as people were following my musical journey from the beginning of the set, and when I played this they were sold and became instant fans. The production arrangement of this track is next level.”
“Many would say this is a Kitty Amor signature. This track was one of the main songs that called me into pursuing a career in music and ensuring that my identity stays alive through me building myself as an artist. This track is unapologetically African, and to this day it still gives me the same goosebumps.”
“Another soundtrack for my flights, but I’d normally play this homebound. Jazz and soul are the fundamentals of my musical palette, and the vocals of Astronne alongside the piano chords are top tier. Normally my track for when I am deep in thought after a set.”
“A man full of soul. I am a huge fan of Sun-El Musician, and I feel like this track defines how clever and how wide his use of soundscapes is. This track reminds me of lockdown and was one of a few tracks that carried me through a challenging time.”
“True journey music that kept me anticipating where it was going to take me on first listen. The breakdown of this track showed the art of creating engaging sound elements and surpassing people’s expectations of electronic music. This track reminds me of the Ibiza season of 2022, and I have had some good times on the island with this song.”
“If this doesn’t sound like the sun itself, I don’t know any other way to describe it. It’s very rare that I will get on a plane when touring and not listen to this track. The beauty of the horns and bass feels like a heartwarming hug.”
“‘Have Another One’ was the first album I stumbled across in 2008, and was left mesmerised as to what this sound was and where it came from. The lyrics of this track are an affirmation and prayer in one, and I could literally listen to this and feel good and ready to take on the world.”
“Juls is the only producer in the UK that has evoked every bit of nostalgia for me and brought me right to being five years old listening to the classic Afrobeat records my dad would play. This track strongly defines what being Ghanaian and Nigerian sounds like.”
“Lastly, this track has been my go-to daily listen when on the road. Rona Ray absolutely killed this track, and China’s talent as a musician is out of this world. There is nothing this man cannot do, from deep house to Afro house, and here with what I’d define as jazz. This track is special to me.”
