Amelia Holt – The ‘Line Out’ Ransom Note Mix (Live from Sustain Release)

The first person she met there was Justin Strauss, who put her on a guest list when she knew nobody in the city. One of the first records she bought was a Justin Strauss remix.

The rest happened at Bossa Nova Civic Club. She went on weeknights to avoid the busy weekends, learned to DJ at its happy hours before she owned any equipment, and was in the corner of the dancefloor the night Bookworms dropped Whirlpool Productions’ “From: Disco to: Disco” at his Confused House party. That’s the night in the quote.

These days she runs the Honey Trap party and label, hosts shows on The Lot Radio and Kiosk Radio, writes the newsletter In Your Dirty Ears and looks after 13 artists through her agency, HOUSE OF ILL FAME. She plays Nightmoves, Nowadays, Public Records and Good Room at home, and has played Berlin, Lisbon, Tbilisi, Mexico City and Melbourne away. She recently joined the programming team at Sustain-Release, which is where this mix comes from.

Sustain-Release is held at a former children’s summer camp in the woods in upstate New York: “a bunch of adults taking over a summer camp and having a good time dancing to music.” Holt played the Bossa Lounge at 1 AM on 12 September, Year 12 of the festival. It’s the slow-burner stage, moody and lit by the colour theory crew, and she played it the way she plays the early part of a night at Nightmoves or Honey Trap: songs she loves, with enough in there to dance to if you’re up for it.

She has since tested the recording at a friend’s brunch, where it went down well. Her own instruction is to listen while doing “all the wrong things”.

Where are you right now, and how did you end up there?

Currently in NYC, recovering from the weekend. It was so fun! I’ve been in NYC for 12 years, going on 13, and it’s the best. I honestly don’t think anything else is like it.

I ended up here because I was pursuing fashion until I realized it wasn’t for me. Plus, finding a job in fashion seemed nearly impossible for someone who had just graduated from university with a Marketing degree.

Anyway, long story short, I found myself at the steps of Red Bull Studios and Gallery, where I landed my first job. That’s where I met all the cool NYC DJs, like Justin Strauss, Eli Escobar, Lloyd, the Bunker crew, and many more. It opened up a whole new portal into music and a world I hadn’t been exposed to as much back in Texas.

What’s your first memory of music doing something to you?

Back before the pandemic, I would often go out with my friend Dylan to Bossa Nova Civic. That was our spot. We loved going on weeknights to avoid the busy weekends. We always dreamed of playing there, and to this day, I still have a lot of respect for that space and how much it helped me grow. Of course, we ended up throwing many fun parties there, too. Happy hours and all that jazz, it was all training for the future.

Anyway, where was I going with this?

There was this really cool party called Confused House that Bookworms would throw, mixing house music, jazz, and all sorts of off-kilter music I had never heard in my life. I remember him dropping “From: Disco to: Disco” by Whirlpool Productions and getting goosebumps. I was losing my shit in the corner of that little dance floor. Everyone was smiling, fog was oozing from the walls, and people were just loving life.

It unlocked something in me. It connected me to certain sounds I already liked but, at that point, didn’t quite know how to piece together.

Walk us through a typical day when you’re not thinking about music at all.

That’s impossible!

Wake up, green juice, coffee, take a dump, then either the gym or Pilates. I’m also getting back into rollerblading, at least while the weather is still nice. I answer a few emails and get into the day.

I run a small boutique agency called HOUSE OF ILL FAME, where I represent a nice mix of characters. I’m a proud mother of 13 artists!

But honestly, music is life, and somehow everything always connects back to it. I’ve tried not to think about music, but I don’t think that has worked. It’s just part of who I am.

What job did you think you’d end up doing when you were younger?

I wanted to be a fashion designer. But seeing the stress and absolute lunacy these people go through, I thought to myself, you know what? I dodged a bullet!

Talk us through this mix – what headspace were you in when you made it?

So this is actually a recording from the Sustain-Release Year 12 festival here in New York, on September 12th, 2026, at 1 AM, at the Bossa Lounge. It’s the stage where the more downtempo, atmospheric, chuggy, and progressively deep dance eventually happen.

For those who don’t know, Sustain-Release takes place upstate in New York. The setting is a forest, and the festival itself is held at a former summer children’s camp. So picture that: a bunch of adults taking over a summer camp and having a good time dancing to music.

Anyway, back to the Bossa Lounge. It’s a slow-burner kind of space, beautifully decorated with light installations and an overall moody ambience. The color theory crew did a beautiful lighting installation, proper lounge design.

I was mostly inspired by the places I often play, like Nightmoves, and my own party, Honey Trap. I tend to approach the beginning or earlier part of the night by playing mostly songs I love and creating a certain flow. Something that feels inviting and engaging enough for people to chill, but also gives them a little something to dance to if they’re feeling up for it.

Where should someone be when they listen to this? And what should they definitely not be doing?

I think this recording works in multiple different scenarios. I actually just listened to the whole thing during a friend’s brunch that he was hosting, and it was received well. Good background music 😉

As for what people definitely shouldn’t be doing? I think they should be doing all the wrong things while listening to this mix. I’m curious to hear how everyone experiences it and where it takes them.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had, and did it teach you anything useful?

I worked as a barista at a coffee shop for a hot second. I couldn’t make a cappuccino, let alone any of the fancy espresso drinks, no matter how hard I tried. And having people waiting in line definitely didn’t help me learn any faster. I quickly learned that I needed a better job, or at least something where I could actually put my skills to use.

Thankfully, a lot of interesting people came through that shop, and I ended up meeting someone who led me to my next job, working for a record collector. I still do this job, although it comes and goes. It’s lighthearted and fun, and I get to listen to music all day. It’s the best!

Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met in the last year who has nothing to do with music?

Would it be horrible to say no one :-O !!

What record do you own that you love but have absolutely no idea what to do with?

Love might be a big word for this but I do like it and feel it will one day come out to play. Steven Brown – Me And You And The Licorice Stick. Maybe I need to play it out, layer it up for a listening session. Idk, I bought it in Japan and thought it was freaky, weird.

I guess the right time will come.

What was the first record that made you feel something you couldn’t quite explain?

Robert Palmer – Riptide, specifically “I Didn’t Mean To Turn You On”, jam! I guess it has a bit of a sexual awakening, Robert’s hot.

First record you ever bought with your own money versus the last one you bought – what does that say about you?

I don’t remember my exact first record purchase, but one of the first was a/jus/ted feat. Miss Bee – Stay Up Here. Yes, a Justin Strauss remix. Sorry, not sorry. I’m inspired by him. He’s the best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1ZHjKVC_ZM&t=63s

The last record I bought (and am waiting to arrive) is by Picasso – Abstract Grooves Vol. 4. I guess I haven’t strayed too far from God yet.

If this mix was a meal, what would we be eating?

I think it would be a healthy meal, mostly liquid-based: coconut water, coffee, and green juice (spinach, celery, ginger, orange, lemon, apple, more coconut water, and a pinch of salt and pepper).

The holy trinity.

What animal would this mix be, and would it be a predator or prey?

A baby bald eagle waiting to be fed.

Monday morning: are you genuinely excited about your week, or just pretending?

I don’t work on Mondays 😛 I am most definitely pretending.

Are you being paid what you’re worth?

No. I’d like to follow in Linda Evangelista’s footsteps: “We don’t wake up for less than $10,000 a day.”

You’ve just had a blazing row with your best mate. Do you wait for them to apologise, or do you crack first?

I wait for them to recognize their mistakes, give them the good old silent treatment to create tension and push for the apology.

Stranded on a desert island with one person – who are you choosing, and how long before things get weird?

Alexander Skarsgård. I think we will be ok, nothing will be weird, we will be coupled up. Life would be great.

Your doctor tells you to exercise more. What are you realistically going to do?

Ask for them to pay for my gym membership to the Equinox.

If you had a working time machine right now, where (or when) would you go, and what are you hoping to find there?

80s baby, New York. The good old Mudd Club – I kinda want to hang with the freaks and make some art.

What’s coming up that you’re actually excited about?

Forthcoming Honey Trap edits by Pleaser and a sexy new release by Scissor Kick (ZDBT & Frankie Teardrop).

What’s something you wish more people understood about what you do?

I love movies, especially thrillers and horror. This is definitely where I spend most of my time outside of music: watching movies and putting my Criterion Channel subscription to good use. I have a massive crush on James Spader in the 1989 version.

What question were you hoping we’d ask that we didn’t?

Hmmmm, I’m an open book; you can ask me anything. Let me know. 😉

Follow Amelia Holt.

Find here playing records somewhere soon.