To start off can you tell us a little bit about your mix?

My intention behind this mix was to concoct a polyrhythmic sonic sludgescape. I seeked to create an experience of discovery and uncertainty for the mind+body. It's full of Psychedelic, Glitch, Drone and Techy-Bass rhythms.

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Would you be happy revealing the origins of your artist name?

Sure!

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It's what I used to call elephants when I was like 4 years old haha. For whatever reason, it's stuck with me as something meaningful since then. I actually held this alias when i first started making music in 2012/13, but changed it because i was anxty and thought it was lame.

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Feels good to be back!

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You've left your old dj persona behind to focus on amuwa, can you tell us about the sounds you associate with this new alias and the journey that brought you to this new space?

I think amuwa is just a more honest representation of who I am as an artist. With my previous alias' (apart from vortices [I'll get around to releasing more distorted tech-noise soon dw]) I would often find myself trying to please others at the expense of my own tastes and integrity in a musical sense.

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amuwa as a project is experimentation in contrasting elements of rigidity and fluidity, with a focus on hi-end textures for the brain, and how individuals can interpret movement from the low end. Music from this project is predominantly designed for sound systems, so I spend a lot of time meticulously shaping lower frequency tones to really rock a bassbin.  

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Your debut EP as amuwa was released through Eora based label Midheaven earlier this year. A really thoughtful release of dark, stripped back and spacious sounds. What were some of your influences when producing this EP?

I think one of my biggest influences, especially in sound design, was the inner city environment I grew up in and the sounds that come with that living situation. It's an interesting arrangement of background noises and obscure tones, echoes of industry and the lives of others, there's a lot to be heard and inspired by if you listen.

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In terms of style, I've always felt a very natural gravitation towards progressive and trancey elements.

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I'm also heavily influenced by my interest in settings and what kind of spaces my music might be shared in. I often ponder how individuals might feel if they were in, say for example, bushland or open fields, how will this fit with that setting and how can I make it feel more contextually appropriate in that way.

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When producing music, what's one piece of equipment you can't live without?

I actually don't really work outside of the DAW that often!

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But I recently got myself a faderfox PC4 which is just a midi controller that lets me assign loads of pots to parameters inside my DAW and VST's. I think it will soon become a staple because I work with a lot of elements that evolve over time and it's nice to add a more human touch. Goodbye carefully editing automation inside the box, you will not be missed.

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A lot of people have used this time in lockdown to start dipping their toes into the world of music production. Any tips for those just getting started or finding it hard to take the first plunge into this world?

Yes!

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Collab with your friends, ask questions and watch lots of youtube vids!

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Don't be ashamed about your skill-set at the start, it takes a lot of time to even begin to make the music you want to make.

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Keep all your projects, even the ones that suck! It's really useful to reference your progress or expand on ideas that you had when you didn't have the skills to see them through to their full potential.

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Try to learn from your mistakes, everyone has a bunch of goofy projects that will never get released because they kinda stink haha.

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Share your work with people you trust to think critically about your music, when you've spent a few days or so putting something together and you don't really know what's what anymore it's really great to have someone to give feedback.

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What have you been doing for self care this lockdown?

In all honesty, I probably haven't been doing enough self care this lockdown.

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I'm pretty under the pump with my studies and I desperately want to be on a dancefloor with my community, so things are a bit stressful for me. I do try to spend time not doing anything productive and just hangin' out with my cat in the sun, which is a huge vibe. But maybe I'll try to get a little Kombucha batch going or something, need a scoby friend in my life.

How would you like to see our music scene change and grow out of this lockdown?

Sydney has some world class talent and I would love to see this appreciated more.

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I think the covid situation has really shined light on this, there is already a massive shift away from what overseas artists are doing and a greater focus on what's happening locally. Unfortunately in Sydney what was already pretty 'meh' event infrastructure has kind of crumbled, but I'm confident in this city's resiliency and determination to make something good out of a tough situation. Although things have certainly changed for the better in terms of inclusivity on lineups since I first started going out in Sydney, I would like to see and make space for more BIPOC and Trans inclusivity in planning and organisation roles of events/ labels, I reckon we're all pretty sick of straight white guy parties for straight white guys.

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Sydney has a very diverse scene that is yet to be fully uncovered, hopefully coming out of this lockdown we can appreciate that and rebuild this culture as a staple of our city and not just a weekend pastime.