We were lucky to catch up with Rose Trujillo Amandine Aman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Rose Trujillo, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Rose taught herself music production from a young age and honed the craft by going to Pyramind in San Francisco, while Amandine learned by taking online lessons. The two of us met through a music program that Rose organized back in 2019; its goal was to teach music related skills to women and nonbinary people. We continued learning together by taking online lessons, pushing our own boundaries on our projects, and always seeking advice and input from mentors and other artists.

If we could have done one thing differently to speed up the learning process, we’d say the best way to do that is to spend time with other artists who can give you direct tips and recommendations even when you are starting out. And collaborate right from the start to learn multiple workflows and find what works for you.

We’ve found that our most essential skills are curiosity and perseverance. Some tools can be hard to use, and you have to have the ability to go deep into one. Some songs can feel that way too – you might lose the thread on a track or not know where to take it. When you’re stuck, you have to persevere and not just give up. There is a ton of trial and error and learning that never stops.

Our biggest obstacle is probably time. It really does take a lot of it to hone your skills, and then to just work on your craft and individual projects. The second biggest might be our distance from one another. We used to live close by, but now the majority of our work is asynchronous, and we have frequent video calls to maintain our chemistry and vision. Another obstacle that we sometimes face is what to do with the music once it is made. The music industry is highly saturated and resistant to the unknown. This can make it hard to find the right fits in labels, groups, and platforms to share what we create with the people with whom it will resonate. The way we feel about our art, though, we would never stop making it even if it never went anywhere, but it’s certainly encouraging when you can release something and see it supported by others in this day and age.

Rose Trujillo, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Subjacent is a female duo, based in both San Francisco and Philadelphia, made up of DJs and producers Rose and Amandine. We’re a multicultural team that got into our discipline by individually pursuing music production as a mode of self-expression. We became a group after an exercise in one of Rose’s music production meetups, where everybody paired up and brainstormed on how they might collaborate with one another even though many had never met before. The two of us paired up and discovered that we had a lot in common artistically, and decided to actually produce the track we had come up with an idea for.

Our vision for what we wanted to put out into the world clicked so seamlessly, that we decided to formalize it and make it into a lasting project. Amandine, as a brand expert, created an exercise where we wrote about what was important to us as artists, and landed on a name, a concept, a style direction, and an ethos. We wanted to use our music to explore the duality found in nature and in people, which we translate into as many facets of our creative works as possible.

Our Offerings & What Sets Us Apart
As performers, we frequently DJ across the US, and we’ve had the opportunity to open for well-known artists like Christian Smith, Giorgia Angiuli, and Sebastien Leger. When we play out, the thing that sets us apart is our energy. We bring our whole hearts and souls and lay it all out for everyone to connect to. We engage with the crowd, play a lot of our own tracks, and most importantly, dance like nothing else matters. We also put care into how we show up to our shows, often sporting complimentary costumes or accessories that Rose creates to fit the mood.
When it comes to our productions, what truly sets us apart is our distinct creative identity and sound. We primarily produce techno and melodic techno tracks, blending soft melodies with powerful, rhythmic drums to create a unique sound. But we don’t just create tracks that fit a specific genre; we’re truly between techno and melodic and at times progressive music bridging the gap between soft, melodic beauty and the powerful energy of techno. We deliver tracks with vocals and melodies carrying lots of personal meaning and emotional charge.

Our Achievements & What We Want You to Know
We are most proud of the moments when our work has resonated with the artists we admire. Our first track, “Orange Sky,” received support from renowned DJs like the legendary John Digweed. We also earned 3rd place in Armada Music’s remix contest for Giorgia Angiuli and have had our tracks, like “Elward,” reimagined by incredible artists such as Just Her and Jay Hill.
We want our fans and future followers to know that we are always pushing our boundaries. We are currently working on upcoming EPs and are excited to share more of our musical journey with you. In a space that is increasingly dominated by AI and short forms, we continue to put our hearts into our productions, painstakingly finding ways to express something deeply human, and we truly hope that you can connect with moments within our music.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For us, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to channel our emotions into a medium like music. It’s a kind of magic to pour our own feelings—whether it’s joy, melancholy, or hope—into a track and have someone we’ve never met connect with it on a deep, vulnerable level.

As DJs, seeing that connection in real-time is the ultimate reward. It’s an incredible feeling to play a track in a club and see people genuinely enjoying it, especially the first time we test it out. It’s also truly fulfilling to get a message from a listener who felt a genuine connection to our work. An incredible feeling is also when our favorite artists connect to our music and play it in their own sets. That kind of validation is truly exceptional.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

In our view, the best way society can support artists and creatives is by showing up for them. It’s not easy to find the time and courage to create something and share it with the world, so every bit of support helps.
This can be as simple as:
Sharing your support directly. A message like “I love your music” or “I heard your track today and it made me feel this way” can mean the world.
– Attending shows. Showing up to a live performance provides energy and helps create a vibrant community.
– Providing financial support. While streaming is great for exposure, artists receive very little in return. The best way to offer financial support is to buy music on platforms like Bandcamp or Beatport.
– On a broader level, we believe that the platforms that distribute music should do more to support the artists who produce their content. One of the most popular ones recently demonetized small artists, and many people don’t realize the impact that has.
Additionally, when you need some design or music help on something, consider asking a person vs using tools!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ggI1hkREhDF2ij9ypcblp?si=I8u4u_jMS3OIsuX3zTLS8w
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/subjacentmusic/
• Youtube: https://www.facebook.com/subjacentmusic/
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/subjacentmusic

Image Credits

Pictures: @kennycordeiromedia, @timeconsumingticktock, @dj_pat_trix,