Today we’d like to introduce you to Ann-Marie Teasley.
Hi Ann-Marie, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Music has always been my calling. I saw some kids playing the violin on TV when I was four years old and I begged my parents every day for a violin until they bought me one. I trained in Suzuki classes as a child and ended up playing violin in a youth orchestra when I was in high school. Ironically most of the orchestra kids were listening to heavy metal like Metallica and Marilyn Manson. Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and RUN DMC were my favorite bands growing up.
As I approached graduation, I finally went to my first rave. I had always wondered about raves and heard about them, I just had no idea how to get in
Or where they were located, I knew nothing. I finally met a girl named Meg and she took me to my first one and it was the most amazing time of my life but the one thing that stayed in my mind long after I left was the music.
I kept thinking about that music and I needed to hear it again. I had no idea who the DJs were or what I was even listening to, but I contacted my friend Megan and I asked her was there more.
So from that point, I think I officially became a raver. I started going to electronic dance music events around Detroit almost 6 nights a week.
I recieved a musical education in dance music that way for a couple of decades before I became a DJ / Producer/ vocalist.
My sister , who I took to her first raves actually became a DJ first and she invited/encouraged me to join. I said no for a few years, and finally ended up with gear somehow. I had a friend in Miami, who was also a DJ so he invited me to play at my first gig in Miami Florida.
After that first gig, I was hooked, and I left Miami to move back to Detroit so I could build a life of techno where my roots were. After a couple of years of playing underground parties in Detroit and in New York, I started to produce my own music. I was already a musician. I already knew how to read music so it really wasn’t an unfamiliar thing to me, But it was hours and hours of work!!
I eventually was granted a residency downtown Detroit at Spkrbox and I named it Realms of Techno, which is also the name of my record label, which is turning two years old in February 2027.
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?
When I started getting bigger offers out of town, it went to my head and I thought I was a rockstar. I am a Pisces and we can be quite delusional. I didn’t realize that I needed to be more cognizant and responsible. I would over drink and it started to affect my well-being and my sets. I was also bartending to pay for my home and record label while DJing so it became very messy. I decided to choose music , quit bartending and change my relationship with alcohol. It’s still something I struggle with, but it has improved tremendously..
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in energy and I like to keep the energy high when I DJ. I’m known for my high energy DJ sets and my residency and Record Label Realms of Techno which champions Black and Queer artists.
I’m most proud of all of my productions. Especially the collaborations and submissions on my label.
What sets me apart from others is my DJ style as opposed to my productions.
Promoters request high energy sets from me but ironically, my productions are more on the deeper, classic side of techno. It all ends up working out because the record labels that I work with prefer classic techno as opposed to harder stuff.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
To be honest, I would like to see my industry integrate a bit more. Techno is extremely segregated and not just between races, but also between men and women. There were major changes and fights against this around 2020 and a lot of changes were made. Then a lot of new people joined the industry not understanding the importance of these things, and we have started to regress. I’d like to the see the industry expand and include more women that look like me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://realmsoftechno.bandcamp.com/music
- Instagram: @i.am.amx
- Soundcloud: https://SoundCloud.com/AMX
- Other: Tik Tok @i.am.amx
