Pamcy’s ‘Sayaw’ EP is a love letter to late-night gigs we temporarily lost

We fell in love with Pamela Fernandez a.k.a. Pamcy three years ago. With her self-proclaimed DIY house stylings, she’s one of the female music producers making her mark in a male-dominated scene. The tracks she produces are unapologetically fun and bouncy—we wouldn’t have it any other way.

And at a time where the world needs a serotonin boost, she comes through with an EP drop that can induce an impromptu dance party in our bedrooms.

“Sayaw” is her latest project capturing a dynamic audio experience from start to finish. Within her textured samples and warped melodies, she creates an audio gallery transcending physical spaces. It’s an attempt to break what conventional dance music is supposed to be at a time where we barely hear it at all. “I made this EP a year ago, back when I was regularly DJing in clubs and bars around the city. I wanted to encapsulate good memories and positive emotions that came with dance music,” explains Pamcy.

“I hope that it reminds them to keep on moving, dancing, and fighting to stay alive even if everything seems bleak.”

We got a chance to sit down with this electronic producer and pick her brain about her EP’s process, how she made an optimistic release during a pandemic and what it means to hone her craft during uncertain times.

This EP is one of your funkiest ones yet. How does it feel to release something upbeat when everyone seems to be down?
Recent events in the Philippines and other parts of the world have been horrifying and upsetting. I can only hope that this EP will uplift and revitalize people to continue hoping and striving for a better world, in spite of terrible and inhumane conditions we are all in right now.

If this EP is playing in a packed room a year from now, how do you imagine the crowd would respond?
I imagine them grooving steadily to the music.

What were you listening to while creating this drop?
Eastside Avenue by KETTAMA, Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat) by Digable Planets, and IF U WANT IT by Park Hye Jin were on heavy rotation when I made the EP.

Any personal faves from this EP?
My favorite track is “Sayaw.” When I made this track, I encountered a music production accident that turned out well. I accidentally opened a plugin that distorted one of the vocal samples and it made the track sound better.

How is this EP different from the previous releases you’ve done so far?
This was the first time I made a conscious effort to work on a more dance-centric release. Previously, I didn’t think my music was made for dancing. I was pleasantly surprised to see people dancing to my tracks at my first few gigs. During my first year as a beatmaker, I made music at home without an audience, so prior to performing at events, I had no idea that I’d get this kind of reaction to my music.

What is it like to keep honing your craft during these uncertain times?
It’s been difficult to digest and process everything terrifying that’s been happening out there, and I’ve just been taking it one step at a time. Making music has been cathartic and has helped me channel my frustrations in a positive way.

If you’re doing another release, would it be similar to this one or would you like to be gutsy and do something you haven’t done?
Whenever I work on projects, I try to find a balance between staying true to my signature sound and switching things up a little bit. I always make it a point to think of additional methods or explore new sounds.

For “Sayaw,” I went through a couple of unused sound packs that I had for the longest time and I sampled them for the first time in this EP. And for the next project which is currently in the works, I think it sounds more percussive than my previous releases. I’ve been experimenting on drum patterns that I haven’t done before.

To anyone who listens to this, what is the vibe that you hope to give off?
I hope that it reminds them to keep on moving, dancing, and fighting to stay alive even if everything seems bleak.

Read more:
Pamcy’s “Sinigang na Hipon” is the rainy day treat we need
Let Pamcy’s 5-track EP ‘Deep Sea Pearls’ take you to a daydream
Pamcy is bringing a new flavor to the house music scene

Album art by Ellyza Cua
Cover art by Rogin Losa