You’ve relocated from your hometown of Sydney to Nelson, BC. How has this change of pace in your life influenced your musical journey?

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The mountains have this cozy feeling like being tucked into a blanky. And the lake here is so still compared to the Pacific Ocean - I grew up on ‘Beach St’. Living in a city is stimulating and culturally inspiring but also seems to necessitate a sense of urgency. Rushing from one appointment to the next, from gym to Uni to work, headphones blaring Dozzy or some heavy electro to soundtrack the rat race. Here in Nelson, I feel the spaciousness. Not only in the physical landscape but also in my own mind.

Musically, I still gravitate towards unusual rhythms and extra-terrestrial elements, and I like to play with tension and release. But having a forest of cedars outside my window inspires a pretty different feel than the cars of a busy street. When mixing, I’ve learnt to give each song space to breathe, not impatiently mixing it out before an integral part of the track. I listen to way more hip hop, neo soul, breaks, dubs, and jazz than broken beats, electro and (I hate to say it), even techno. But hey, there’s also been a global pandemic and my party shoes are dusty as hell, so that also hugely contributes towards a shift in taste.

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You are part of FBi’s Dance Class alumni from 2015, can you tell what you got out of this program and how you’ve grown as a DJ over the past 5 years?

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Dance Class was an incredible program to learn the tricks of the trade from the masters themselves! I was lucky enough to be in the first generation, with Andy Garvey as my mentor. She’s just such a boss b**** who juggles a million things at once with such ease. From hosting radio shows to navigating the industry, the workshops created a bed of foundational knowledge I still draw upon. I also learnt that Joyride has Size 17 feet! (I worked at a sneaker store at the time so I was truly blown away).

It was also a gentle nudge to enter the intimidating ‘boys club’ of dance music. I do believe affirmative action is still needed to encourage female-identifying music lovers to pursue their passion. And I’m not talking about giving away gigs to pretty chicks with no talent; it's about promoters actively looking at their bills to assess whether they are representing all genders and races justly. In some ways, particularly in Japan, my gender actually played in my favour to initially get gigs. There certainly aren’t many women on Tokyo techno lineups. But professionally, I was often treated like I was inherently less tech-savvy or competent than male DJs, often standing by as the boys problem-solved next to me like I’d have no valuable knowledge to contribute. These instances of mild discrimination add up to a collective attitude which can prevent women to feel like the confident and powerful artist they have the potential to grow into!

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You spent a year living in Tokyo, with incredible record stores like Technique at your fingertips and you were playing world class venues like Contact and Vent. How did your time there influence your music taste/ sound and approach to DJing?

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Record shopping in Japan is next level. There are hidden gems in every corner, of every style of music imaginable! I’d spend my Uni breaks digging at the local Disk Union, relying on intuition to sift through incomprehensible Japanese releases, white labels or anime soundtracks. Needless to say, my sound became dissonant and robotic amongst the neon signs and secret clubs tucked underneath parking lots. I also bought my first mixer and turntables there. Having your own set up to mess around with is so important to develop your ear and discover your own techniques.

On top of that, the techno community in Japan is super humble and welcoming. Getting to know some of the talented DJs there like SO, Chris SSG and Sapphire Slows was eye-opening for my explorative 23-year old self. Japanese society is so rigid and rule-abiding that the underground dance scene feels like this beautiful form of resistance. These parties have an air of freedom, connection and sobriety that I haven’t witnessed anywhere else in the world.

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What’s your favourite overseas musical experience?

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Either PVH playing post-typhoon techno anthems at Labyrinth 2017 or dancing to Steve Aoki’s ‘Pursuit of Happiness’ on a bartop at Tomorrowland 2012 (this is not a joke).

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What do you do for self care?

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The mornings are vital for my mental health. Cue: ‘Morning Matters’ by Yazmin Lacey. I don’t start functioning in a social capacity before midday, and love my routine of yoga, nature walk, and steamed vegetables. And I mas-... I mean, meditate every day!! ;)

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You are super creative, on top of your musical side you also have a background in fashion design & international studies. How do you balance your different creative pursuits and do you have any projects in the works you want to talk about?

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They all gently ebb and flow. I certainly don’t have the time or space to accommodate all the passions at once. I’ve had an unintentional prolonged break from fashion and textiles. At Uni, I focused a lot of my research around sustainability, leaving me totally disillusioned and disgusted by the fashion industry. Through traveling, I started a jewellery business which has taught me that I should never do marketing, finances or social media myself because I completely lost interest after the design/creation phase. It's been fun though.

I’ve been slowly building up a live set, featuring vocals, guitar, a sampler and homemade instruments. My current idea is to start filming videos in my studio, collaborating my live looper-based jams with other musicians and visual artists to create an improvised journey across multiple mediums. I have also recently been inspired to teach disadvantaged youth to explore their creative sides - whether that be producing the music they've written, hosting textiles workshops or combining other interests in order for these kids to express themselves fully. Maybe somewhere down the line...

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2020 has been a pretty crazy year for absolutely everyone but reflecting on it there have been some beautiful moments and silver lining’s as well. What’s something really special that’s come out of this past year for you?

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Oh, it's been turbulent alright! But it's actually been the most formative, fulfilling year. I fell in love, fell through a skylight and then, just as suddenly, got a job at a Warming Centre helping out disadvantaged and homeless folks during the cold Canadian winter. It’s completely changed my life, and pointed me in an unexpected but exciting direction.