Interview – Boogs + Illya
From humble beginning several years ago, In The Mix has now spread itself across the Australian continent with force. Each year ITM holds a regular “voted by the people” Top 50 list of DJs. It is from this list that they have chosen two of Oz’s finest to represent them on their very first outing into the recording realm, with the release in early August of the very first ITM 50 mix CD. The temptation to place previously released, big name DJ’s on their initial lineup must have been somewhat difficult to withstand, but by choosing Sydneys DJ Illya and Melbournes DJ Boogs to headline the album, the ITM crew have stayed true to their innovative nature.
“They wanted a fresher sound,” Illya enthuses. “Most of the people that are in the top ten (on the ITM polls) have done CDs and tours and all that sort of thing, and are pretty well known, so they wanted to do something new. Myself and Boog’s haven’t done a release yet so they wanted to exploit that and give something fresh instead of the same old faces.”
Illya has the sound of someone who has worked hard, and is reaping the gains, and as he describes his experience, it is hard not warm to his enthusiasm. Once known for his ability to cut up through genres, recently he has moved more to the deeper side of things, pumping Sydneys punters with the smooth basslines of deep house.
“I’ve been into dance music, or electronic music since I was about 14 years old. I used to go to raves when I was young and didn’t really get into the mixing side of things until I was about 20, I was working in clubs and thing, I used to work in a club called Underground cafe where I’d see DJs like Derrick Carter and Mark Farina and shit, and they inspired me to follow in that direction … so when I started working there I got into the deep house, and a lot of the Chicago stuff – mainly US kind of stuff.”
With the recent onslaught of breaks and dnb in recent years here in Australia, Illya is pragmatic and enthusiastic for his chosen genre.
“I kind of tend to agree that [the house scene] doesn’t have the interest that it used to have, but there are still the loyal followers – its good music man, so it’s pretty accessible to everyone. The house scene – has always sort of stayed steady in Sydney. I’ve been able to get away with playing a bit of deeper stuff, saying that though, I also tend to chuck in some familiar stuff that people know – in big clubs anyway.”
From the hallowed halls of his many residencies in Sydney, including the seminal Home nightclub in Sydney, Illya has ridden the highs of his home town scene, yet although he has supported an amazing repertoire of international DJs, he still has yet to crack the crowds outside of his more familiar stomping grounds. “I’ve never played in Melbourne or Perth,” he remarks, talking of his upcoming tour with Boogs, “so I’m really looking forward to that – it’s a bit scary, but definitely exciting. Boogie is a really nice guy, and I hear he’s a extremely good DJ so I’m really keen to hear him play.”
One of Melbournes best kept DJing secrets, Boogs himself comes from a more broken beat background, churning out pumping electroesque break-beats at his residencies. “I kind of fell into DJing,” he says. “I started collecting records when I was about ten, and was obsessed with HipHop for most of my teenage years … in ‘95 my best friend Voiteck (well known Melbourne DJ and producer) convinced me to buy some turntables because I had so many records – then in ‘96, DJ Ransom offered me a gig at his club, Purveyors, because he thought I had the records to suit the night – it just all took off from there.”
Boogs is no stranger to touring, having both played overseas and interstate – however he and Illya possess a common thread of appreciation at having been chosen for the ITM CD release. “I feel quite lucky, because I’ve never given a demo to anyone to get gigs,” a situation shared by Illya, whom has not, until this release, put out a mix CD to the general public.
“With this CD, I wanted to capture what I do in a party/club environment in a way that the people who have followed what I do over the past few years can appreciate as well,” Boogs remarks, “as well as make it accessible to someone who hasn’t heard the type of music [I play] before.”
From DJing, to the touring and mix CD release arena, there is no stopping the boys from the East. Both are, in time honoured tradition, moving towards the production field. Illya has included in his mix two of his own tracks, produced in conjunction with friends Toby Neil and Julian Jason, under an undecided moniker (though Chimp may be a possibility) and Boogs is also hot on the production track.
“I’m slowly moving into the production realm, because I’ve been too busy DJing the last few years, I haven’t had time to tackle it head on. It’s just a natural progression for DJ’s – your constantly mixing, buying and hearing new music – you can’t help but want to get your ideas out.”
Both DJs are now looking forward to both the release of the ITM mix CD, and the ensuing tour – and the enthusiasm both display for the project is
“I’m really excited about this trip” Illya laughs, repeating his mantra. “From the number of times I’ve said that in this interview I’m sure you can hear that, but I really, really am.”
Tags: boogs, illya, inthemix, melbourne, sydney