To have an Australian edition
of world renowned DJ Mag
presents a great opportunity
and medium for the local EDM
scene. So personally, I’d like
to see anything that’ll help the
scene grow. Commercial
dance music and anything to
do with that side of the
spectrum is already overly
publicised in Australia. So I
think DJ Mag Australia should
Jay
showcase reviews of more
Please
underground music events
The Shazam experience
and club nights Australiawide. Especially regular
weekly or monthly underground nights, as they hold the ticket to creating a
quality EDM scene in Australia.
So often I’ve seen underground DJs and promoters start off really promising
weekly or monthly projects, only to then watch the events come to an end after
3 of 4 episodes because they haven’t had enough publicity in the public sphere.
Or via any well-known medium, really. This is where I think DJ Mag can make a
difference. Too often in Australia, local commercial club nights outlast local
underground movement events because these mainstream nights are
organised by big budget nightclub owners. This makes it very hard for smaller
budget underground music promoters to compete with them to help educate
local party goers. Reviews of local dance music radio shows would also be a
nice unique inclusion for DJ Mag Australia. I’d really like to see interviews with
rising Australian DJs, producers, live acts and promoters. Also, charts by local
DJs which are making waves in the local dance music scene. Promotions and
competitions that will help build hype and promote events in Australia that cater
for all non-mainstream genres of EDM is also something positive that I think
local party goers would like; and would be great for the magazine to showcase.
There have been many DJ/producers raising the flag for Australia over the years,
but none have been more consistent in holding up the flag than Dirty South.
He’s been in the DJ Mag Top 100 for more years than any other Australian DJ or
producer and even holds a well respected Grammy nomination to his name.
When you add that to the fact he’s been voted in the Top 50 Australian DJs for
more years in a row than any other Australian DJ. He was also voted no.1
Australian producer on several occasions. So it’s fair to say that no other
Australian export is more recognised and respected, not only in the local dance
music scene but also in the global sphere.
I like to give props to DJ/producers, not only for what they’ve achieved in terms
of accolades, but also for their talents and skills as an artist and putting style of
music aside, as everyone has different tastes. Anyone who truly understands
DJing and has seen Dirty South perform behind the decks, will admit, he is one
of the few artists in Australia that is technically gifted to a world class level! DJing
is not about how high you can put your hands up in the air to get a crowd going.
Real DJs can do things with CDJs and a mixer that can bring people to the dance
floor even though the style of music the DJ is playing isn’t their personal
favourite. Just because they are in awe of the DJ’s mixing skills. Dirty South has
that gift! Lastly, Dirty South has recently set up his own record label, Phazing.
It’s set to be another flag raiser for Australia and even though it’s a relatively
new label, it already features releases by heavyweights, such as John Dahlback,
Thomas Gold and of course, Dirty South himself. So it’s easy to understand why
dance music industry pundits are already talking up Phazing as one of the next
big labels to compete amongst the big guns, such Armada Music, Spinnin’
Records, Ultra, Toolroom Records, etc.
It has to be said that Will Sparks has burst onto the scene and made a big name
for himself this year and because of his very young age, I expect him to continue
to grow and move on to even bigger and better things in 2014.
However, my personal hot pick to achieve something really special in 2014 is
Flight Facilities. For me, they’re Australia’s answer to one of the hottest acts in
dance music worldwide at the moment, Disclosure! I’ve been so happy to see
Disclosure tear up the UK and iTunes charts over the last year with tracks from
their absolutely sublime debut album ‘Settle’. It just goes to show the dance
music enthusiast masses are turning towards that new fresher, deeper, slightly
Nu Disco sound. With their young age, Flight Facilities have been pioneers of
that ‘nu skool’ sound in recent times. And after the global success that
Disclosure have had, I expect big things of Flight Facilities in 2014!
036 djmag.com.au
A solid focus on rising DJ talent, similar to JJJ’s unearthed - giving a
platform to the legitimate DJ talent that has sometimes spent years in a
bedroom perfecting the craft. This is opposed to the raft of CDJ’s & Zoo
models who think it’s a cool idea to be a DJ vs actually having the skill
much less artistic flair.
Most respected (by peers- not market) Binary Finary
Msg
S67
Unfortunately it’s more a
matter of do I care? Not really,
due to a total lack recognition
in the market for pioneering
sounds or blazing your own
trail. EDM has become big
business which means the
next ‘big thing’ will be the one
who produces the most
commercially dominant tune
as determined by Beatport
downloads, ITunes; etc.
Dollars drive marketability
which in turn creates the ‘next
big thing’, Melbourne Sound
anyone?
I would like to see more of a feature on all kinds of F