Sweet Release
Amarah shoes her sould side on her first Tapes drop ‘i follow i’
Amarah Ray Jones:
The 'i follow i' Interview – Dub, Redemption, and the darkStylus Sound
[OPERATOR LOG // DarkArc_qw] Location: DarkArc Studio, Florence. Subject: Amarah Ray Jones on the transition from the kinetic aggression of We Gasoline to the spiritual clarity of the new release, i follow i.
The latest transmission from Amarah Ray Jones on The Datura Tapes, titled i follow i, is more than a single; it is a spiritual prayer for redemption. It reveals a significant change of tack for the artist and the label, pivoting from the "gnarly road poems" of her earlier work toward a stripped-back, soulful frequency.
From We Gasoline to i follow i: A Shift in Frequency
“We had quite the gnarly road poem in the first tune, Yeh Catch On T’Me,” says Amarah, speaking with Mujiki, Creative Director at The Tapes. “It was full of wicked mischief. Then we and darkStylus got very caught up in the next song, We Gasoline. That was even heavier, a big mix—darkStylus were still adding tracks to that thing. With this release, I started to feel I didn’t want the coin of my first two tunes to show the same face, you know?”
Sitting in the shadows of the DarkArc studio in central Florence, the conversation turns to how this new sound—softer, yet more resonant—came together with such sudden intensity.
The “Bedside Drawer” Memo: Finding the Soul of the Track
The origins of i follow i aren't found in a studio session, but in a private moment of reflection from a decade ago.
“I already had the words from way back," Amarah explains. "A while back I wrote a poem, a kinda ‘memo to self’ to not let certain paths overtake me. As a woman, in any walk of life, you need to put up a lot of fight to get yours. That fight is good, but if you live in that constant aggression, all time, it’ll cut you off from family, friends, even your own true self. I felt it useful to hold to it, in mi bedside drawer at home. Just in case I wander too far."
This vulnerability dictated the sonic landscape of the track. "That’s why the track is so soft and sweet. In contrast to We Gasoline, which is a heavy track, you feel? Felt like I was going back to my first silly songs with just me, a hairbrush, and a phone in front of my bedroom mirror."
darkStylus and the Art of the Archival Vocal
The production team, darkStylus, known for their dense, layered "sound engine" approach, found themselves stripping back their instincts to match Amarah’s raw demo.
“Man, we love that track,” says Dom from the darkStylus in-house team. “Amarah’s such a nails person on the first two tracks with us. i follow i was so gentle and moving, real soulful, it just took off real easy. We had an old bass line that we really liked, but we could never do anything that went with it. Then we hear i follow i coming out of some old phone mp3, and that was it."
The archival nature of the recording added a haunting layer to the final mix. “Shame even to have to re-do the vocal in a way," Dom continues, "but listen to some of the echoes and delays in the track—you’ll hear a teen Amarah singing her soul out from a decade plus ago.”
Collaborative Currents: Fashion, Design, and Sound Systems
As The Datura Tapes gains momentum as both an "outfit and an idea," the world around the music is expanding.
“Good timing too, for sure,” Amarah notes. “Releases are happening fast now and The Tapes is getting more notice. We’ve got our collaborations with fashion and design—working with Rei at FugaceFugace—which look so awesome. Plus, the guys at Overproof Sound Systems are remixing their own version of i follow i."
Despite the growing noise and international interest, the core of the work remains personal. “Times girl, exciting times—and I still got my little teen poem to keep me straight.”
FugaceFugace is now our in-house design, branding and streetwear studio, they’ve relished working with all the artists, The Press and soon other clients.
Design & Displacement: The FugaceFugace Collaboration
Beyond the frequency of the sound, the visual identity of this era is being forged in a creative interchange with the avant-garde design house FugaceFugace. Led by the visionary Rei, FugaceFugace has taken the creative lead on the cover art for i follow i, translating Amarah’s "bedroom memo" into a haunting, high-contrast visual language.
This partnership marks a burgeoning era of collaboration at The Datura Press, where literature, sound, and fashion bleed into one another. Keep your eyes on the static—Rei is currently developing a limited-run of archival Datura Tapes merch, featuring tactical silhouettes and wearable frequency data that reflect the "Dub Noir" aesthetic of the DarkArc catalogue. This is more than a release; it is the beginning of a total sensory takeover.
“Amarah is such an incredible muse for us. We feel like we’ve met this era’s Grace Jones, she is a mighty presence, a poetic genius, a terrifying truth teller. But also a pussycat in person, real sweetheart. We love her so much.”
Rei Zarhane, creative director at FugaceFugace