Get to know Amy Becker

"The worst thing someone can ask me is what I play out," sighs Amy Becker. Considering the 23-year-old's dexterous capabilities behind the decks, converging culture-spanning styles and genres from reggaeton to drill to dembow rhythms and grime, it's not a surprising complaint. According to Becker, to be stringently defined is to be denied complete artistic freedom.

As a seasoned DJ and regular radio presenter for South London's Radar Radio, Becker has spent the past six years working tirelessly to build her career and reputation, and has become an increasingly respected DJ.

Whether on stage or on air, being in a booth comes as second nature for the Finchley-born selector. “Song selection is just as important as technical ability,” she explains. “My priority is to take risks and push boundaries. That’s the great thing about not being a producer. I’m not defined by a single sound.”

She was discovered after sending in one of her mixes to BBC 1Xtra in 2012, Becker held a fortnightly Daily Dose residency on Mistajam’s show for 13 consecutive months – the longest out of anyone given the illustrious slot. Her time there cemented her passion for radio, and she cites the residency as one of the most significant milestones in her career.

Today, Becker has not only translated her passion to the airwaves with slots on NTS, Rinse FM and Boiler Room, but her progressive Dalston club night Acrylic is currently prepping for a UK winter tour, collaborating with the likes of Swing Ting, Elijah & Skilliam and UNiiQU3.

If that wasn’t enough, Becker has also found time to drop one of this year’s most forward-thinking compilation EPs, ‘RMX’, which collates tweaked interpretations of four original tracks with inclusions from Logos and Scratcha DVA and lyrical turns from emerging grime trio YGG shelling bars over a classic Sir Spyro instrumental.

When we ask how she manages it all, she lets out a hearty laugh. “Self-motivation and patience are definitely the hardest parts of being a DJ,” she concedes. But this DJ is refusing to buckle under the looming pressures of her growing critical acclaim. What with her attention to detail with record releases, a burgeoning Acrylic tour schedule and her radio omnipresence, it seems Becker’s drive to succeed is currently in full throttle. “I think people underestimate how difficult it is to survive in this industry,” she says. “I spend a lot of time on my own creating tasks for myself, but I have to work on my patience and accept that I probably won’t reap the rewards for a while. But I have the motivation to wake up every day and get shit done.” As far as rewards go, Becker deserves a medal for sheer grit and determination.