INVURT

I’m squinting hard as the early dawn light is pummelling through the vans windscreen. We’re hurtling down the highway, somewhere between Rhode Island and Brooklyn – its post-party hour and some friends and I are dropping Reid Speed back home after an all-night rave in an abandoned bank vault. The gig is all done and dusted, and we’re talking shit about breaks, d’n'b and all the things in between – the details are murky, its the start of the new millennium after all, but I can still hear the passion in her voice and I’m still feeling the vibe of the set she played, and I easily recall my predominant thought at the time – “this girls really going somewhere, can’t wait to see where she ends up…”

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“The day that you feel comfortable and happy with anything, is probably the day you give up and retire,” cites Gareth McGrillen, who, along with Paul Harding and Rob Swire constitutes a founding members of Pendulum, arguably one of the most progressive musical groups producing music today. “You always need that drive, its really essential to us – our drive has always been about 70% competitive and 30% love, and having that competitiveness as a lynch-pin of what you’re doing ensures you’re never really happy with where you are.”

Their need to constantly reinvent themselves has seen Pendulum rise from their humble origins in the drum’n’bass genre, to the heights of a gold album producing band. Having played to some of the largest crowds at some of the most prestigious festivals across the world, they are often surprised at how swiftly time has passed. (more…)

Lead singer for Lychee Martini, Nicole Shenko, seemed in a vibrant mood when we arrived at Billboard, looking quite fetching in a black and red ensemble, her hair swept at the sides. The lyrics coming through felt a little laden in cheese, however most people seemed to be lapping it up as a smooth start to the night. Martini had quite a cabaret feel, and yet the funk and cross-genre rhythms made it for a nice, if a little somber introduction to the night. All in all, Lychee were a good warm up, yet as much as they were tight, there was somwething very hotel-bar feel about them, with little movement on the stage.
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After their rousing performance here in Perth a few weeks back, Crazy Penis have certainly made their mark amongst their fans over the years. Yet emerging from the CP story are the murmurings of a new sound, as more and more people become aware of the Bionics side project that members Danielle Moore and Tim Davies have joined in recent times.

“Ben Davis is the founder of the group,” explains Danielle, talking about the project. “Myself and Tim joined him. He produced and came up with the majority of ideas for the Bionics, which helps differentiate the sound from CP. We are all very close friends and Ben used to be one of the team that ran Paper Recordings, who CP were first signed to.”

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Despite the heat, Chromeo absolutely killed it on the main stage. This duo proved that good things really do come in pairs. Covering a range of old and new tracks, with D-Thugg pumping out his vocoded lyrics via a talkbox, the pair had the crowd eating out of their hands. From Fancy Footwork, to You’re so Gangster and all their best in between, funked it up good and proper. As the set wound down, and the lads walked off stage, chants of “Chromeo! woah woah!” erupted, and they came back to with 100% for their finale, leaving a large number of people deeply satisfied. (more…)

With quick entry to the event, and a near lack of a line even at a peak entry period, Parklife started off with a bang. A huge area, multiple tents, plenty of room for everyone – this looked set to be one of the best starts to the summer festival season for quite some time. (more…)

There is nothing more confusing these days than the line between both breakbeat and electro. With an increasing amount of DJs moving between the two genres, and indeed the two genres both disseminating and sharing ideas, DJ Madox aka Stephano Miele success in recent times is a prime example of how to overcome any form of barrier which may be inherent in attempting to pander to both crowds. (more…)

Imagine you are out in the country. You’ve pitched your tent and you’re sitting back relaxing, you’ve started hitting the piss (as you do in these situations) and decide to put on a trance album. You love this music, so why not play it really loud out bush? This is your weekend after all. Suddenly, you’re surrounded by a pack of fugans (fucking ugly bogans), looking rather ominous and swearing that if you don’t turn off that ‘techno’ crap that there could be Trouble.

The problem demonstrated above, is that electronic music is all too often not seen as “real” music. It’s seen as something that you really only listen to out at clubs, or in the case of the country, at the one local club that plays it sandwiched between some dodgy RnB anthem and Loveshack. The definition of music, to some, is a very pure thing. To some of those who love bands, electronic music such as trance is nothing of the sort. But what if you aim to take that image, and rebuild it? What if you are, in fact, a musician and you want to try to get that sense of true music out using the electronic music medium?

Darren Tate is synonymous with the kind of electronic music that would have fugans up in arms. At the heart of things, he is known for his epic trance production and sets, but for this classically trained artist there does not seem to be any form of distinction between the various ways in which music is created – and he is attempting to move beyond the typical stereotypes. (more…)

Unassuming, devoid of pretension and as laid-back as anyone can be after constantly being on the move, Mallorca Lee is a guy who has been around the block more than a few times, and has the relaxed, humble attitude to prove it. As once a member of the seminal and acclaimed Ultrasonic, and having long since struck out on his own as a DJ, he has seemingly managed to find a balance that most DJs can only aspire to between his love of music, and his need to keep his feet firmly on the ground in regards to it – and he’s not afraid to bring things down a level at which others are envious.
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Everyone knows the Gold Coast – home of bleached babes, movie world and parties that just seem to go on forever. But the party capital of Australia isn’t just renowned for its plethora of tourist orientated activities, but its DJs also beginning to make its mark on the global electronic and house music scene, and the Stafford Brothers are one of the many acts that are helping to lead the charge. (more…)

For a year now, the Rise nightclub has been presenting a different face to its Saturday night lineup. Taking elements from all styles of electronic music, Rise has managed to pull of a difficult feat in Perth – producing a night with a span of different genres of music, week after week in order to please its punters. (more…)

Miguel Migs is a prime example of musical captivation. A well known name throughout the clubs of the world, the man himself exudes pure style with his ability to defy the odds and continue to release music of breakthrough quality. Never compromising, and always true to his own personal eclectic taste, Migs has the power of his convictions, and his output has always stayed true to form, and, after only a few minutes, one can tell that his friendly and enthusiastic voice compliments his artistic output. (more…)

Inland Knights are a near household name for house fans and DJs specialising in the unbroken side of electronica. With almost every house DJ of any form of reputation owning at least one of their singles, and boasting a rather more than credible production and performance past, the night was set for a completely off the hook event. (more…)

Innovator, aural mystifier and possible musical genius are all terms that can be attributed to Kieran Hebden, the man behind the Four Tet production moniker. Having been producing works of ethereal and often brain lurching scintillation for the past eight years, the name Four Tet is now synonymous with a growing echelon of electronic artists who have stepped beyond the realms of genre to embrace the wild side of production.

As electronic music continues to diversify, the ethos behind Kierans Four Tet work is simplistic for a man whose music is often anything but. “There’s just my kind of interest in pursuing and taking music forward and putting forth new ideas – I’m really interested in trying to do something different, not just trying to copy people who have come before me, but to make a statement of my own.” (more…)

Psy-trance, has never even really hit my register. I have always been a firm believer that if it was even remotely touched by the “Trance” moniker, that it was probably going to sound repetitive and probably wasn’t worth checking out – it was just that stuff that hippies listen to out in the bush.

After attending last Friday nights gig, I stand corrected, and more than a little chastened. (more…)

At a time where it is continuously becoming difficult for electronic music outfits to stand out in a crowd Freeform Five are lambasting the very notion of mediocrity, and have come charging through with a unique electro-rooted sound that almost defies description.

With a current inception whose composition could be described as an amazing case-study in chaos theory – the result of many chance meetings and “right place, right time encounters,” this four piece UK outfit comprising producer Anu Pillai and vocalists Tamara Barnett-Herrin, Cabba, and Nick Decosemo has evolved into itself, rather than been constructed. (more…)

For someone who has traveled within Perth DJ circles for longer than most, Aaron Morgan, aka Rousa, still holds a distinguished place in the ears of many as a champion of a genre which has had incredible highs, and incredible lows. From the heady days of large scale events, where it took the forefront of almost every stage, to the sometimes quiet backrooms of the Hyde Park on ROAR Tuesdays with other DJs such as Hutcho, Mental and Kevin, Hardcore has seen its fair share of DJs come and go – many lingering, many retiring, and many moving to the at times affable fields of drum n bass. Yet there is no doubt in anyone’s mind, that hardcore has played a major part in the shaping of Perths club scene – and Rousa has contributed more than his fair share of dedication to keeping the genre, not only alive, but fresh and kicking. (more…)

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.

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