THE STORY SO FAR

 

Paving the way since back in the day, Mark Ameba has carried the torch for underground electronic music since before the rave began. With punk rock rapidly disintegrating into the noise/art/industrial subculture of the mid eighties he founded We Never Sleep with Paul Dickerson , together doing over 50 live performance art/noise actions in galleries, clubs and public streets in Vancouver, Denver and San Francisco. They also broke ground by releasing the "INSOMNIA" compilation series featuring thier own work along with early releases from international electronic artists like Greater Than One, Merzbow, The Haters and many others.

His first DJ gig was in a junkyard in Denver opening for the band Einsturzende Nuebauten. The show caused such chaos and commotion that the fire department closed the street and he escaped through the wreckage with his records as the sound system caught on fire. It was several years before he would again be behind the decks. A major, life changing detour into the mad, mechanical world of performance artist Mark Pauline and his Survival Research Laboratories meant laying aside music in favor of robot's and explosives for over 5 years, building machines and operating robots in dozens of shows worldwide in cities such as Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Seattle, New York, and L.A.

In 1989 he founded the now famous, but long defunct rave store AMEBA on San Francisco's Haight Street. Originally an outlet for the psychedelic screen printed fashions of New Zealand designer Jin MacCulloch, AMEBA found itself smack in the middle of the underground dance movement as it exploded in SF in the early 90's. The first to sell mix tapes for DJ's like Jeno, Garth, Markie, Spun, Thomas and Simon, it was also hosting open decks at all hours thereby doing it's part to launch the DJ careers of a long roster of SF greats including longtime west coast favorite DJ Tracy, recording artist Astral Matrix, trance hero Christopher Lawrence, junglists Rinse and Flux, house diva Didje Kelli and many others, you know who you are!

Throughout it all, AMEBA was a barometer of the vibe, hosting chill rooms at WICKED and AREA 51, breaking in new spaces like Charter Oaks, where SFRaves was born, and Camp and Sons, the lush Mendocino retreat. Always the number to call when the moon was full, or when the prospect of too many parties demanded an informed choice.

Throughout it all Mark Ameba has found himself behind the decks, for years as the soundtrack for the chill rooms and extra spaces, and for the last several years persueing his first love of techno, house and breaks to use his depth and experience to create timeless mixes that push the boundaries of dance music and demand the most from any dance floor. The desire to make people dance and rediscover themselves is what drives him to spin anywhere from the blazing playa at BURNING MAN, to the sweatiest urban basement or the windiest California beach.

Currently based in the SF Bay Area, and on the underground party circuit, he also hosts a monthly dance retreat at Harbin Hot Springs on the last Tuesday evening of every month.

The booking agent for Mark Ameba is Scott Manning with SFbyDef.com. Or make contact directly thru the email link here.