Shucka: A.M.C & Phantom

A.M.C - Winner of best dnb DJ at the 2019 Drum and Bass Arena Awards!! The first person ever to win it in 11 years and take it from the man Andy C. Future-driven but foundation-focused, A.M.C embodies the strongest and most critical traits a drum & bass artist can have: Attention to detail, technical articulation and patience.

Dark arts lost in some quarters, the UK artist born Alex Mark Calvert understands the intricacies of long game theory and the ancient craft of hard graft. Since breaking through as a DJ in 2007, he’s diligently dented the last decade (and counting) with a fierce 24/7 focus that’s led to a prominent and influential position as one of the most respected modern DJs, producers and label owners in the game.

One of the last drum & bass DJs to graduate from the schools of dubplate culture and vinyl science, A.M.C rose through the ranks the classical way: as a DJ. Growing up studying the game’s grandmasters, he’s honed his own bewilderingly tight technical mixing skill that’s creative, energetic, rife in references, drenched in dubs and inherently in demand: From his global DJ schedule of headline bookings to high profile live streams and mixes with UKF, Radio1, 1Xtra, Drum&BassArena, US outposts Bassrush & Insomnia and more, A.M.C’s signature strong-arm selector style proceeds him and has led to multiple awards.

Picking up Best Newcomer trophies within years of making himself known, his four-deck sets are regarded and respected as some of the very best… Literally: he’s won Best DJ titles in both the Czech and Portuguese Drum & Bass Awards (beating both Andy C and Friction) and most recently he came third place behind Camo & Krooked and Andy C in the 2017 Drum&BassArena Awards, the scene’s most authoritative and longstanding outpost. Recognition doesn’t come any higher.

With releases and appearances on the genre’s most high profile and influential labels – Ram Records, Blackout, Eatbrain, Low Down Deep, Drum&BassArena, UKF – A.M.C’s voice and dominance as a producer galvanises everything else he’s achieved and contributed to the game so far. His development as an artist is just as classical as his rise as a DJ: he spent years understanding studio science, refusing to release anything until he was satisfied his music could stand up against the best.

The next part of his journey saw a new concept born into life. ‘Energy’ has defined the past two years for A.M.C as both a producer and DJ, boasting the multi-faceted skillset that’s gained him international attention, something monumentally recognised in the latter half of 2019. His ‘Energy’ LP released through his independent Titan Records platform was spearheaded through his notorious DJ sets and it shone a spotlight on his expert craftmanship inside the studio.

During the album’s completion, it also became the basis for his ground-breaking Fabric takeover nights, where he invited a range of his collaborators and counterparts to play alongside his raucous wizardry within one of the world’s seminal nightclubs. Whether it was his B2Bs with notable figures such as Mampi Swift, or his unforgettable mixing in Fabric’s room one, ‘Energy’ proved an unstoppable force.

Alongside this new affirmation and his appearance on the Let it Roll festival mainstage, A.M.C would soon lead himself to winning the coveted ‘Best DJ’ trophy at the Drum & Bass Arena Awards, as well as sitting in the third position within the ‘Best Album’ category for ‘Energy’. He was now carving out his own heritage, breaking the ‘Best DJ’ award record and sweeping in a new era for drum & bass.