Sam Holland is back on his HEART + MIND imprint with Amouré, a track that leans into the textures and energy of Afro House. Set for release on August 29, the single builds on his run of support from BBC Radio 1 tastemakers Pete Tong, Danny Howard, and Sarah Story, and adds another chapter to a discography that already includes releases on Sci+Tec, Four Thirty Two, and Knee Deep In Sound.
Amouré moves with a balance of rich piano chords, atmospheric synths, and bold basslines, anchored by percussion that feels raw yet tightly woven. The vocal work lifts the arrangement into something more spiritual, cutting through with a clarity that ties the groove to the dancefloor. It’s a track that shows Holland’s continued ability to match musicality with club-ready drive, a quality that has earned him slots across Europe and beyond, from London and Barcelona to Ibiza and Marrakech.
In the studio, Holland shaped the record with a hybrid of analog and digital tools. Repro-1 provided the backbone with its monophonic bassline sequences, while Massive and Omnisphere filled in leads and textures. RC-20 Retro Color added grit and depth to the drums, with OhmBoyz delays and Oeksound Soothe rounding out the mix with detail and polish. The combination results in a production that feels expansive while staying grounded in rhythm, true to the Afro House aesthetic that has defined much of his recent output.
U-He’s Repro-1
For Amouré, I used a combination of synths to shape the overall sound – Repro-1 for the bassline, Massive for leads, plucks and atmospheric textures, Omnisphere in the main break for the build up, Korg MonoPoly for some analog grit, and Logic’s stock piano for the main chord progressions. Each had its place, but the backbone of the record came from Repro-1.
U-He’s Repro-1 is a monophonic synth inspired by vintage analog gear, and it nails that warm, punchy, slightly unpredictable feel. It’s built for bass and sequences, with a smooth, musical filter and an easy-to-navigate layout that makes sound design feel hands-on. The modulation capabilities are deep enough to keep things interesting, but never overwhelming.
On this track, I built the main bassline using Repro-1, starting with a simple sine wave. Then I layered in a second oscillator for added depth and presence, before shaping the filter envelope and dialing in the resonance to lock in tightly with the kick. I opened the cut-off slightly to bring the lower-mid through to ensure that the bass is easily heard both in the club and on headphones for streaming. A bit of saturation from Decapitator and sidechain compression glued it into the mix perfectly, giving it that rolling, energetic feel without crowding the drums.
For anyone producing Afro House or Melodic House Music styles, Repro-1 is a go-to for creating basslines that feel alive and analog. I’ve found that small filter tweaks and envelope adjustments go a long way in keeping things dynamic. It’s also killer for percussive synth stabs too.
OhmBoyz
OhmBoyz by OhmForce is one of those delay plugins that’s full of character and unpredictability – in the best way. It’s a dual delay unit with deep modulation options, built-in distortion, filters, and a chaotic personality that makes it perfect for adding life to static sounds. Unlike cleaner delay plugins, OhmBoyz embraces grit and movement, which makes it ideal for more experimental or dynamic sections of a track.
I used OhmBoyz mainly in the build-ups to keep the energy evolving and unpredictable. It came in especially handy on synth layers and vocal chops, adding a swirling, spacey texture that filled out the mix without crowding the lead elements. I didn’t rely much on presets, instead, I used this plugin by automating increased amounts of feedback during the builds to add tension and make the drops more effective.
If you’re producing Afro House or anything with long, evolving transitions, OhmBoyz is a great way to add tension and keep things interesting. It shines when used creatively – not just as an echo, but as a texture builder.
Oeksound Soothe
Oeksound Soothe is a dynamic resonance suppressor that intelligently tames harsh frequencies in a really transparent way. It’s like having a smart EQ that knows exactly when and where to step in, without overprocessing your sound. Whether it’s boxy mids, harsh highs, or muddy low-end, Soothe adapts in real time and smooths things out while keeping the core character of the sound intact. It’s especially useful on vocals, synths, and even whole busses when you want things to feel polished but still natural.
In Amoure, I used Soothe on a few key elements to carve out space and clean up unwanted harshness -mainly on the lead synth and the drum buss. The synth had some piercing frequencies that clashed with the vocal, so I used Soothe to subtly reduce those upper mids while still letting the sound shine through. On the drum buss, I dialed it in gently to smooth out some brittle transients from the percussion.
If you’re producing Afro House or any genre with rich layers and detailed percussion, Soothe is a game changer for making everything sit together nicely. One thing I’ve learned is to use it more as a finishing touch than a fix – when used subtly across a few channels, it can really clean up a mix without sounding processed. The key is not to overdo it – let it massage the problem areas, not flatten them.
RC-20 Retro Color i
RC-20 Retro Color is a multi-effect plugin that’s become a go-to for adding texture and character to sounds. It combines six different modules – like Noise, Wobble, Distortion, Digital, Space, and Magnetic – that you can blend together to get anything from subtle warmth to full-blown lo-fi chaos. It’s super visual and intuitive, so you can quickly dial in retro vibes, tape-style warble, or crunchy digital artifacts. It’s basically a one-stop shop for making things feel less “clean” and more alive.
I used RC-20 on both the drums and synth leads in Amoure to fatten them up and add some gritty saturation – especially on the claps and hats, which needed extra bite to cut through the mix. On the synth lead, I added a touch of Wobble and Space to give it width and a slightly warped, vintage feel that brought more character to the top end.
For Afro House, RC-20 is a great way to add character without overcomplicating your chain. I’ve found it especially useful on drum busses to glue everything together and make it feel a bit more raw. One tip is to keep the Noise module super subtle – you’ll barely hear it in the mix, but it helps the track feel less sterile.
Quick Fire Tips For Making Tunes
Tip #1: Punchy drums and percussion
Start with tight, percussive grooves that drive the rhythm and create instant movement. Pay attention to picking the best sounds and letting the musical elements do the work for you before mixing.
Tip #2: Atmospheric builds with synths and authentic piano sounds
Build tension with evolving synth layers, pads, textures and risers that slowly open up and pull the listener in. Adding raw, emotive piano chords can ground the energy and give the track an emotional core that contrasts nicely with the electronic elements.
Tip #3: Think about your audience and where they’ll be listening
Consider the environment – successful tracks in this genre stream well and sound great in the club. Aim for a structure that works on both headphones and the dancefloor.
The post How It Was Made: Sam Holland – Amouré [Heart + Mind] appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.