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Amelie Lens

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Amelie Lens
Lens in 2022
Lens in 2022
Background information
Born (1990-05-31) 31 May 1990 (age 34)
Vilvoorde, Flanders, Belgium
GenresTechno
Occupation(s)Disc jockey, record producer
Years active2014–present
LabelsLenske, Second State
SpouseSam Deliaert
Websiteamelielens.com

Amelie Lens (Flemish: [aːmeːˈli ˈlɛns], French: [ameli lɑ̃s]; born 31 May 1990) is a Belgian electronic music DJ, record producer, and owner of the record label Lenske.

Early life

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Amelie Lens was born in Vilvoorde, Belgium. When she was five years old, her mother died and Lens was raised by her grandmother from that point on.[1] She went to art school in Antwerp.[1] From an early age, she had a diverse interest in music, citing Nine Inch Nails, Underworld, Boys Noize and Ellen Allien as early influences.[2]

Lens became absorbed in electronic music at 15, after attending the 2005 Dour Festival in Belgium, an experience she describes as "life-changing". She says: "As soon as I got home, I started reading about the history of electronic music and discovered so many new artists and labels. It was like a whole new world opened for me; I made playlists in iTunes, putting tracks in an order that I liked, kind of like a podcast but not mixed.[2]

Shortly after the festival, Lens was discovered by a modeling agency and subsequently began working full-time as a model, living in London, Paris and Milan.[3] She has walked the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier and campaigned for H&M.[3]

Career

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During her career as a model, Lens was working free-time as a DJ under the name Renée, her late mother's name,[3] earning herself a residency at the Labyrinth Club in Hasselt, Belgium in 2013.[1] She played mostly bass-heavy minimal techno. She gave up her work in the fashion industry in 2014, focusing fully on her musical career. At this time, she also began using her real name.[2][4]

In 2015, she launched an oatmeal company called "Baerbar" together with her boyfriend Sam Deliaert, who is also a DJ with the stage name Farrago. However, the company was later shut down again. In 2016, her first track "Exhale" was released on Italian imprint Lyase Recordings.[1] Soon after a trio of releases on Pan-Pot's Second State and a collab EP with Regal on Involve Records followed.[2] In 2018, she launched her own label called Lenske.[5] As a resident at Hasselt's Labyrinth Club, Lens started curating her own nights under the name EXHALE. Lens has expanded the EXHALE parties further afield, with regular showcases at the London's Fabric club and at Creamfields, OFFSonar, Dour and Extrema festivals.

Musical sound and equipment

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She often plays live using a Pioneer RMX 1000. Lens says she uses the effects box "to add layers to the mix. It has a built-in sampler and personalised effects that can entirely reform the track that is playing. Like everything, its use is situational. Sometimes I hardly touch it, but when I play a peak-time set it truly shines. I specifically look for and buy tracks that will work well with the device. Very stripped-down or minimalistic percussion locked grooves."[6] While producing, Amelie uses Ableton Live DAW, as well as the Elektron Analog Four synth and sequencer.[6]

Though previously involved in the techno scene, her recent sets are known for their mixture of classic acid and tribal house influences along with more commercial European trance sounds.[6]

Discography

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  • 2016: Exhale[7]
  • 2016: Let it Go (Second State)
  • 2017: Contradiction (Second State) [8]
  • 2017: Stay With Me (Second State)
  • 2017: Nel (Elevate)
  • 2018: Amelie Lens & Farrago - Weight Of The Land (Arts)
  • 2018: Regal / Amelie Lens - INVOLVE 020 (Involve)
  • 2018: Basiel' (Lenske)
  • 2019: Teach Me (Amelie Lens Remixes) (Drumcode)
  • 2019: Hypnotized (Second State)
  • 2019: Look What Your Love Has Done To Me Remixed (Perc Trax)
  • 2019: Litte Robot (Lenske)
  • 2019: Fabric Presents Amelie Lens CD-mix compilation (Fabric)
  • 2020: Various - The Future (Lenske)
  • 2020: Higher (Lenske)[9]
  • 2021: Amelie Lens & AIROD - Raver's Heart (Lenske)
  • 2022: In My Mind (Lenske)
  • 2023: Feel It (EXHALE)
  • 2023: Radiance (EXHALE)
  • 2023: You and Me (EXHALE)
  • 2024: Breathe (EXHALE)
  • 2024: Underneath The Strobelights (EXHALE)

Awards and nominations

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DJ Awards

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Year Nominee / Work Category Result Ref.
2018 Amelie Lens Best Techno Artist Nominated
2019 Best Techno DJ Nominated

DJ Mag's top 100 DJs

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Year Position Notes Ref.
2020 59 New Entry [10]
2021 44 Up 15
2022 37 Up 7
2023 30 Up 7

DJ Mag's Alternative top 100 DJs powered by Beatport

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Year Position Notes Ref.
2018 23 New Entry [11]
2019 19 Up 4 [12]
2020 5 Up 14 [13]
2021 6 Down 1 [14]

International Dance Music Awards

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Year Nominee / Work Category Result Ref.
2019 Amelie Lens Best Techno Artist (Female) Nominated [15]
2020 Nominated [16]

Red Bull Elektropedia Awards

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Year Nominee / Work Category Result Ref.
2016 Amelie Lens Breakthrough 1
Amelie Lens – Exhale Best Song 2
2017 Amelie Lens Best DJ 1

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Austin, Alice (August 10, 2020). "Artist of the Month: Amelie Lens". Beatportal. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "Amelie Lens: Antwerp's Unstoppable Queen Of Techno". Clash, 23 March 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018
  3. ^ a b c Donskaia, Angela (April 7, 2015). "Career Stories: Model and DJ Amélie Lens". chapterfriday.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  4. ^ "Amelie Lens". Dour Festival. 15 July 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018
  5. ^ Amelie Lens launches her own label, ‘Lenske. electronicgroove.com. Accessed on May 16, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "A modern techno star brings the heat". Resident Advisor (podcast interview), 18 June 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018
  7. ^ Brown, Charlotte. "Amelie Lens to Launch New Label Lenske". Mixmag, 28 March 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018
  8. ^ "Interview: Amelie Lens". Deep House Amsterdam. Retrieved 25 August 2018
  9. ^ "Amelie Lens announces 'Higher', a new EP on her Lenske imprint".
  10. ^ "Poll 2023: Amelie Lens". Dj mag. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Alternative Top 100 DJs 2018, powered by Beatport". DJ Mag. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  12. ^ "Alternative Top 100 DJs 2019, powered by Beatport". DJ Mag. 30 October 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Alternative Top 100 DJs 2020, powered by Beatport". DJ Mag. 8 November 2020. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  14. ^ "CHARLOTTE DE WITTE WINS DJ MAG ALTERNATIVE TOP 100 DJS 2021, POWERED BY BEATPORTt". DJ Mag. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  15. ^ "WMC: International Dance Music Awards (IDMA) 2019 Winners". Co-fr.facebook.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  16. ^ "Avicii posthumously wins Best Album award at International Dance Music Awards". Dj Mag. 9 April 2020. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
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