Can you tell us a bit about the mix we are about to hear?

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Welcome to the rave is an emotive blend of heavy techno, trance, drum and bass, and rnb created in Pisces szn, served in Aries.

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You have one of my favourite DJ names, can you tell us the meaning behind it and why you chose it?

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黑芝麻（Hēi zhī ma）directly translates to black sesame in Mandarin Chinese. Not only is it my favourite dessert, but an excellent herb in Chinese Medicine. I chose the name as it just felt fitting to me – the imagery and taste of glossy, 黑芝麻糊 (Hēi zhī ma hú) emulates the feel of the oozing, submerging, entrancement of emotive hardcore and experimental soundscapes. Something I hope to serve and better with practice.

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Your music moves between ambient and industrial / hard techno and to me always feels like it has a lot of emotional charge. What draws you towards these sounds and how much does your state of mind influence the soundscapes you create?

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My relationship with sound has always been emotive. My state of mind influences what I create in that I often collect music and words as a way of processing or make sense of something. In my production, soundscapes, and mixes, I try to create a journey through the process/experience. Either lulling the listener into listening to something harder and faster than expected or focusing on a topic/insight or sharing context through field recordings/sounds. At the end of my works, I like to offer a resolve – often through playfulness or an insight as way of closure – even if I haven’t resolved something fully within myself, I try want to offer that to the listener.

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Creating safe spaces and fostering a welcoming and inclusive scene is really apparent in your interaction with dance music. Do you think there has been much growth in awareness and people’s approach to partying in the years since you started DJing?

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I am a little hesitant to answer questions like this, as I believe that djs/producers too often are given a platform to share their moral perspective even though most artists aren’t that deep. Unless an artist intentionally works in space creating, platforming those artist perspectives can be dangerous.

There are collectives that I am so grateful for such as Cool Room, Dutty, Vessel Collective - just to name a few – that focus on space creating and fostering a welcome, inclusive space. Their work focuses on creating spaces that platform, preference, and celebrate marginalised positionalities. In doing so, they form more inclusive and accessible relations with dance music.

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What could we be doing better to promote positive change within our community?

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This is also a very big question! Outside of djing – I undertake anti-racism work through production, activism/volunteering, and work in consumer vulnerability. I believe that intersectional aspects (race, class, gender) of diversity, access and opportunity must be enacted to have genuine positive change. For dance music, making sure that you listen to, purchase and book artists from marginalised communities all the time, is a start. Also, if cis white dudes could stop using femme and/or ethnic names for their aliases, I would be very grateful.

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What do you do for self-care?

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For self-care – I go to therapy even if I feel good, intentionally rest, go dancing, listen to music, spend time with family and friends, cook delicious food, meditate, spend time in nature (especially when living in a city environment), find abundance, beauty, and play in the every day.

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What are you most excited for this year?

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So much, the last two years have felt so heavy, and I still feel its weight now. I am looking forward to lots of dances, camping and hikes, hopefully visiting friends in Europe this year, loving on all my friends and family, and just continuing to nourish and grow the skills I am working on now.

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Any projects, things you’re working on you want to shout out to?

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I have a collaborative EP coming out on Pure Space later this year. I’ve been so fortunate to work with poc sound and visual artists based in Ngunnawal, Eora, and Naarm. I am so excited to share more details soon.