You bought your first set of decks at 20, with no idea how to mix just a passion to start playing. What inspired you at the time and how did your musical journey begin?

When I was 17, I was invited to my first thug rave and this is where I first discovered house music and electronic sounds. I didn’t leave the dance floor once that night.

The next day I was hassling my mates for the all the tunes they were playing and it all started from there. I became addicted to finding the next best sound and this is where the music collection began. I actually have a playlist full of these tunes called ‘The Beginning.’

By the time I was 20, I had been at my fair share of music events and decided I wanted to be behind the decks and not in front of them anymore. So I bought all the gear with absolutely NO idea, and taught myself the basics. I feel very grateful to also have had a few lessons with GABBY from SASH - I look up to her a lot.

You studied at the Point Blank music school in London, how did your time there shape your musical style?

I am getting teary just thinking about this time of my life - still the best year yet!

How narrow minded was I to think everyone in my class was there to produce house music! I was the only one - people were making hiphop, breakbeat, dubstep, rock music - you name it.

Studying amongst a bunch unique, creative, individuals from all over the world opened me up to many new sounds. I grew a deep passion for UK Garage, Liquid Drum & Bass and Minimal. I brought these sounds home with me and they are now a big part of my musical style.

2020 was a major year for reflection and slowing down. How has it affected you as a DJ and what helps you stay motivated?

I like to describe 2020 as the year I lost my mojo. I felt very lost, like my identity was stripped away from me and I am sure many people felt the same. I decided to accept the reality that gigs weren’t coming back for a while. Knowing that music events WILL be back and it will be bigger than EVER keeps me motivated. And when it’s back, so are my irregular sleep patterns and late nights so I have actually really enjoyed the down time!

What do you do for self care?

Nature is my self care medicine - I am using technology every day for work and it can make me feel off balance sometimes.  

I like to go away on the weekends up or down the coast, switch my phone off, go surfing, read a book, have an afternoon nap, eat yummy food and fall asleep at 8pm.

‍

You’ve had a bit of a pandemic pivot, since your dj career got put on hold [Covid] & you’ve picked up studying a bachelor of IT. What draws you to this field & does your knowledge of music lend itself to this in any way or is this a totally new skill for you?

Since I was a kid I was fascinated with technology and I was always the one in the family to fix the tv or setup the new speakers. In 2020 when everything stopped, I wanted to study a new skill and IT stood out for me. I knew I had a natural understanding for it and I wanted to dive in further and challenge myself. I haven’t had any cross overs with my musical knowledge and my course yet,  but I would love to combine my creativity and my tech skills together one day.

Any new projects you’re working on?

I’ve just recently added a new playlist to my SoundCloud called ‘BAR GIGS’. I play a lot of relaxed sets as well as my heavier club sets, so I wanted to be able to share these sounds with any venue in Sydney. The reason for this project was to book in more bar gigs... as these are more frequent than club gigs at the moment. I have started to send out these mixes to multiple venues in hope for some new bookings!

What’s your dream event you’re looking forward to once restrictions are lifted?

This is an easy one. Subsonic Music Festival.  It has been cancelled the past two years due to the fires and COVID. This festival is the one weekend I look forward to all year. The atmosphere, the people, the music, the swimming lake, the decor. It is my dream festival and it will forever be in my heart.

What are your hopes and predictions for Sydney’s electronic music scene going forward & what changes would you like to see post-lockdown restrictions?

I truly believe the events industry is only going to expand post-lockdown restrictions. Everyone is now aware of how easy it is for our freedom to be stripped away from us. I don’t think we will be wasting any time when we finally get the go-ahead to dance and enjoy life again freely. The change I would like to see is a stronger community - we have been taught to be fearful of each other for the past year, no hugging, no socialising, no fun. I would love to see more PLAY! More hugs, more love, more creativity, more people on the dance floor, more music festivals, more events. We need more and we want more!