Conversations with Amanda Diaz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Diaz.

Amanda, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always had a love for music since I was born. Growing up in a Latino household we had music playing constantly. My mom tells me she would put on a song and I would immediately start dancing. Both my parents worked long hours to support our family, and the only time I was able to spend with my dad was when he worked. He was a food delivery driver and would ask if any of us wanted to go with him. It was during these night drives where I was introduced to house music. I remember thinking… I have never heard music like this on the radio, but I absolutely love it. The four on the four kick pattern, ethereal vocals and drop that would get your body and soul moving. One of my favorite tracks to listen to was Marshall Jefferson’s “Move Your Body”, I remember being so curious about how it made my soul move.

As I got older, I explored different types of music, specifically rap and hip hop. I loved how powerful the lyrics and heavy 808 patterns made me feel. I missed the way house music made me feel and in high school I finally asked my dad for the tracks he used to play in the car when I was a kid. This is where it all started for me… I went down a rabbit hole on Youtube and kept finding tracks my soul could feel. As I was doing this, there was a new documentary that popped up on Netflix called “Under the Electric Sky”. It was about EDC Las Vegas and people’s experiences of finally finding a community where they felt accepted for who they are. I watched this documentary and knew I had to go to a rave. Blending the music I fell in love with, with a welcoming community sounded exhilarating.

I finally decided to go to my first rave when I was 15 and I never looked back. I teared up the first few minutes at this show because I knew it was where I belonged. I loved how people were connecting with the music, dressed however they desired, and how the DJ made the crowd feel. I admired the power the DJ had to take people out of the hurry of their everyday lives and bring them to the present to fully enjoy themselves. I knew this was something I had to share with the world and I was already crate digging and didn’t even know it! I used to look for new music via Youtube for hours for myself, to share with friends and family and just to see what art producers were creating at the time.

I purchased my first controller at 16 and had a vision for how I wanted to make people feel, the music I would produce and the music videos I would create to show the vision behind a track. Originally I went by the name, Victim of Fate, because honestly that’s how I felt at the time. I wasn’t able to choose where I was born, my family, the lifestyle I lived and I knew others felt that way as well. It wasn’t until college when one of my coworkers heard my DJ name and asked, “do you really want to be known as a victim though?” That stuck with me… no I didn’t! I believe in free will and creating the life that you have always dreamed up and decided to change my DJ name to Outlier.

I thought about it and the name made perfect sense to me. I’m a Latina who can barely speak Spanish, grew up in a majority Caucasian high school, and feels emotions on a deeper level than most people do. I felt extremely misunderstood and lost for a long portion of my life. I’ve always felt like an outlier and I know other people have as well. This vision for the Outlier brand pushed me to start producing music with meaningful lyrics with portions of my story. I produced music on and off for a few years, but felt like it wasn’t going anywhere so I decided to join a music production school called Cosmic Academy. This was one of the best investments I made in my production career. They taught me how to complete tracks consistently, the business side of music production, and connected me with an amazing community for life.

After this, I asked myself how else can I invest in my success? In that moment, I decided to move to Denver to work on my DJ and music production career. Yes, we live in a day and age where your tracks can be popular from anywhere, but networking and connections are just as important. Since I have moved here I have seen exponential growth in both my DJ and music production careers. I will forever be grateful for the Denver community and the chance I took on myself to accomplish my goals for all my outliers out there.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are so many ups and downs being an artist, I think the most difficult aspect is motivating yourself to keep going. I’ll hear tracks I love by artists I admire and ask myself why doesn’t my music sound like that yet? I have to constantly remind myself it’s a marathon not a sprint. Each track you make will teach you something new and you don’t even realizing you’re improving until you listen to songs you made a few years ago and hear the progress you’ve made.

I would say as a DJ you’re looking for as many gigs as possible, especially in the beginning. It was difficult to get gigs since you’re not established and again you have to trust with each gig you will improve. It’s hard not to get down on yourself, especially in a time where there’s social media. You just have to sit down, write down your goals, and know you have the power to accomplish them all if you put in the work.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a DJ and music producer who specializes in Latin House, Bass House, Afro House, Baile Funk, and Jersey Club. I’m known for my energetic sets that electrify the dance floor. If the track doesn’t get me moving I don’t add it to my set. I want people to forget about the stress of their lives and live in the present even if it is only for a few moments. Honestly I am most proud of all the gigs I have acquired this year. Every set I go into I want the crowd to feel the energy of the music and journey I am taking them on. I also have a Baile Funk edit coming out soon that I still can’t believe I made! It’s a fun track that brings the 00s nostalgia and blends it with the Brazilian Funk vibe. My energy, song selection and empathy sets me apart from others. I don’t think people realize how much crowd and energy reading a DJ actually does. While I am mixing, I’m also asking myself how is the crowd doing? Are people vibing with the journey I am taking them on? Does the music match the venue and time I am playing? Feeling other people’s energy, finding the right track for the moment, and having the stage presence to express my passion is the Outlier trifecta for sure.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
If anyone out there is holding themselves back from living their dreams… don’t. I would say don’t let anything or anyone hold you back from doing what you were put on this planet to do. So many people live their lives for others and don’t even realize it until it’s too late. Accomplishing goals is like climbing a staircase, in order to get to the top there are little steps that will get you where you need to be. It might seem intimidating at first, but I am a strong believer that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. All it takes is a dream, hard work, and consistency to get there. Believe in yourself and everything else will fall into place.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dj_outlier/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/DJ-Outlier-100069714472699/
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/dj_outlier

Image Credits
Raul San Miguel Photography