Introduce yourself? Pronouns? Where do you currently reside?
Hi! My name is Michael (He/Him),I am a musician, student and DJ currently living in Perth (Boorloo), Western Australia
Where is your favorite secret place to swim?
In my hometown of Perth we are spoiled for choice with some of the most beautiful beaches in the world so this is a hard one. My favorite spot at the moment is a little stretch of sand between Cottesloe and Swanbourne.
3 adjectives that start with the same letter to describe your inner child?
Whimsical, wonderous and wacky
What movie would you choose to soundtrack?
Fallen Angels by Wong Kar-wai. I’d also love to write an alternate soundtrack to an old Australian drama series called the Secret Life of Us. Sorry bending the rules a bit here.
What was the first gig you played and how did it go?
The first show I ever played was a dubstep gig here in Perth. I remember the promoter told me I was the ‘opener’ which seemed fair enough. However, 30 minutes into my set I noticed one of the bar staff casually mopping the empty dance floor. It turns out the venue wasn’t even open to the public yet. The set itself actually ran quite smoothly I thought.
Listen to the moment at 22:22 min mark in your PI mix… describe how it makes you feel?
It makes me feel happy and reminiscent of simpler times where dance music didn’t always amount to a ‘moment’ for social media. The basics are done well. Smokey, low hanging, understated rhythms with a deep bassline. Everything I am looking for in dance music at this moment 🙂
If you had to play one sub-genre for the rest of your life what would it be and why?
I can’t believe you did this to me! Probably tech-house because of its versatility and diversity within the genre. Assuming you mean in clubs btw lol
Best trip of your life so far (Psychedelic or Travel)
Last year I hiked down a mountain in the south of France with two of my closest friends after performing live at a festival in Saint Etienne. It was just outside ski season so we were basically alone out there. About an hour into the hike we became totally consumed by clouds and could barely see each other. In the distance you could hear small cracks and creaks as the snow moved down the mountain. It was a very humbling experience being at the mercy of nature like that. Once we reached the bottom I remember being overwhelmed by a sense of total awe and happiness. Nature huh
Hometown hero… who is your favorite producer/dj that lives in your city.
This is really tough. It’s either Lia T or Rok Riley without a doubt. Their approach to playing music is very singular, everytime I see them play they set the tone in such an intentional and unique way.
Advice to someone making their first track?
Enjoy the process and don’t worry too much about ‘best practice’ use the tools you have available in a way that makes sense to you.
Let’s play a pi pi pi game… I give you a situation & you give me a track
Sand dunes on a tab of MDMA
b2b with your best friend in 50 years
Supplement overdose 9am two cups of coffee
What is your favorite party/collective where you reside and why?
There is a party called ‘Club Medd’ that happens sporadically. They run a very open music policy that is nurtured by the curator Guilhelm. Honestly one of the best dancefloor energies I’ve felt in Perth. It’s very open but doesn’t feel overly contrived or forced. The production is basic but suddenly none of that matters when you enter the space because of how good the crowd is.
What would be your spirit animal?
The capybara, quite chill with many other species and very low key
What would you like to see in the future for the dance community?
Local scenes that invest in their local community more than they do outside talent. I can’t speak for other cities but that is something I’d love to see within my own.
less fetishization of dance music, rare records and a more inclusive language/ethos for newcomers. More transparency and knowledge sharing, less tracklist gatekeeping and less accumulation of cultural capital for people that engage in that. CCLs latest RA video on searching for music through Discogs feels like a step in the right direction.