Logic1000

As life changes go, matrescence ranks up there with the most seismic. Much romanticised, the process comes with a catalogue of irrevocable physical, psychological and emotional developments, many of which feel entirely unexpected. For Samantha Poulter, chief amongst these was an intense creative hunger, the likes of which she’d never experienced previously.

“I felt so much love and inspiration entering into motherhood that I just needed to create something really powerful, ” explains the Berlin-based DJ and producer better known to fans as Logic1000. “And with a lot less free time, you really make sure you make the most of any moment you get.”

That vitality and renewed sense of purpose is captured on Mother, the 37-year-old’s long-awaited debut for Because Music. Preceded by the single ‘Grown On Me’, the 12-track set is a laser-focused “love letter to house music”, written in collaboration with her husband and long-time creative partner Thom McAlister (Cop Envy, Big Ever). Finding Poulter further fine-tuning her inventive, multi-genre approach, it’s a crucial contribution not just to the world of dance but to the canon of art inspired by parenthood. As Poulter herself puts it, a little awed, “I never thought I would be capable of something so powerful.”

It’s an appraisal rooted in more than mere self-deprecation: despite racking up tens of millions of streams and enjoying vocal support from DJ Python, Ben UFO, Four Tet and Caribou – as well as remix requests from the likes of Orbital, Flume and Fever Ray – a career in music was simply never part of the plan for Poulter.

Growing up in the Sydney suburbs of Yarrawarrah and Botany Bay, she was always an avid pop and R&B fan but struggled with the formality of music education, and abandoned piano lessons early on. Instead, music performed a purely social function in Poulter’s life. From rehearsing Destiny’s Child’s dance routines with girlfriends in her teens, to analysing the intricacies of Hessle Audio’s output at informal listening parties in her 20s, melody became a vehicle for human connection. It’s this communal spirit that Poulter channels in her output as Logic1000.

A comparatively late bloomer, Poulter was 29 and still living in Sydney when she first began producing. She recalls, “I wasn’t feeling as inspired by the new music coming out at the time, so I wanted to make songs that filled that gap.” Utilising McAlister’s technical knowledge, Poulter initially took on a directorial role, describing the sounds, rhythms and textures she wanted to hear, taking inspiration from UK bass, techno and house, and using vocabulary gleaned from years of discussing music with friends.

Their very first collaboration was ‘Perfume’, which set a soulful 90s vocal sample to a taut groove and was eventually released in 2020 as part of a split 12” with ‘Blossom’. By that point based in Melbourne, Poulter had already been making music for some years, sharing songs to Soundcloud while working a range of jobs, from floristry to peer support within the mental health sector. With her demos as Logic1000 steadily gaining traction online, local label SUMAC put out her eponymous debut EP in 2018 to widespread acclaim.

Taken from it, the Deborah Cox-sampling ‘DJ Logic Please Forgive Me’ would prove Poulter’s breakthrough. Initially championed by DJ Anthony Naples, the track was picked up by Four Tet, who dropped it during his 2019 Coachella set. As Poulter’s profile skyrocketed, she and McAlister relocated to London, where she undertook remixes for artists including Christine and the Queens, Låpsley and Don Toliver, and started work on their second and third EPs.

Spanning deep house, UK funky, garage and techno, You’ve Got the Whole Night to Go was released on her own imprint Therapy in 2021, swiftly followed by In The Sweetness Of You, after Poulter had relocated to Berlin and given birth to her daughter, Genie. At a time when most new mothers would be taking time out of the public eye to acclimatise to parenthood, Poulter’s career was exploding post-lockdown, creating a unique set of pressures.

“The very first show I ever played was very low key, to like five people, but then all of a sudden I was DJing in front of thousands,” she recalls. “It was just too much for me. I should have taken more time out after having Genie, and got really confident with my DJing, rather than travelling the world with a three-month-old.”

Having been diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression in her mid-20s, Poulter had long been managing her mental health successfully. But by ploughing forward to the point of burnout, she realised she was ignoring many of her key triggers. “I need good sleep, I need to eat well and I can’t be isolated for too long,” Poulter explains. “These are the little coping techniques that I’ve learned along the way to help me stay sane.”

For her own wellbeing, Poulter retreated from DJing, and focused her energies on finishing the album that she and McAlister had started writing on tour. “Thom and I have a deep, deep appreciation of house music,” she says of the album’s sonic focus. “There was so much excitement for us within that because stylistically there were so many different sub genres we could explore.”

Mother is a record that communicates that curiosity, providing a record of Poulter’s personal and artistic growth as she learned to lean into her intuition. Underpinned by bubbling subs, album opener ‘From Within’ nods to UK bass, while the Osunlade-sampling ‘Heartbeat’ takes its cues from Chicago house. Elsewhere, ‘Promises’ is a rousing, deep house heater featuring the soulful vocal stylings of Rochelle Jordan, and the more minimalist ‘Every Lil’ explores Latin influences with a little help from Venezuelan singer/producer MJ Nebrada (Channel Tres, Nick León).

As per 2021’s wildly-successful Yuné Pinku collaboration ‘What You Like’, Mother sees Poulter showcasing a keen pop sensibility, furnishing listeners with unshakeable hooks, be that via anthems-in-waiting like ‘Can’t Let Go’ and ‘Self To Blame’ feat. Kayla Blackmon or the emotive warmth of ‘Grown On Me’. Listening back to the record now, she feels intensely proud of hers and McAlister’s achievement.

“I think that’s part of the joy of being a duo: taking pride doesn’t feel so self-indulgent because it was a collaborative effort. And I find it healing to listen to [the album] because it conjures all these emotions and times in my life over the past year or two where I felt so out of my depth in a lot of ways, but I’m looking back on them now as a confident mother, with an album to my name. It feels like a new chapter for me.”

A key part of that chapter will be Poulter’s return to DJing, which she now has the confidence to do on her own terms. From October 2023, she’ll be hosting monthly day raves at OHM in Berlin under the banner ‘Logic1000 presents Therapy’. “These parties are for everyone,” she emphasises. “But it’s so important for parents and sober people to have the opportunity to enjoy themselves in a safe, welcoming environment, and in sociable hours.”

Poulter is also launching a podcast with DJ Heléna Star aimed at mothers navigating the music industry, with guests including Jamz Supernova. Discussing the premise, Poulter explains, “When I was entering pregnancy and motherhood, there weren’t many other artists in this industry that were visible as parents. So we wanted to create a resource for parents navigating work and family life, because I definitely found that balance really difficult at the start.”

With Mother, Poulter has created a time capsule of that period. Open-hearted and irresistibly melodic, this is house music that speaks directly to what it is to be human.