Beats Magazine - Wednesday March 20

wednesday march 20 inside:

daniel bortz

diafrix

sonicanimation yacht club djs lowrider best of both sides + more

free

celph titled

UPCOMING

APRIL

MARCH

on tour XXYYXX [USA] Friday March 22, The Liberty Social ACTRESS [UK] Friday March 22, Brown Alley STANTON WARRIORS [UK] Friday March 22, Brown Alley DANIEL BELL [USA] Friday March 22, Brown Alley RAHAAN [USA] Saturday March 23, The Croft Institute DANIEL BORTZ [GER] Sunday March 24, Revolver Upstairs NETSKY [UK] Sunday March 24, RMH The Venue PROSUMER [GER] Thursday March 28, Mercat Basement SINDEN [UK], BRENMAR [USA] Thursday March 28, Revolver Upstairs THE DEMIGODZ [USA] Friday March 29, Prince Bandroom INNER VARNIKA: LEROSA [IRE], WBEEZA [UK], LUKE HESS [USA], XDB [GER] + MORE Friday March 29 - Sunday March 31, TBA DAVID SQUILLACE [ITA], DAN GHENACIA [FRA], DYED SOUNDOROM [FRA], SHONKY [FRA] Friday March 29, Brown Alley PACHANGA BOYS [GER] Saturday March 30, The Bottom End SILENT SERVANT [USA] Saturday March 30, Mercat Basement IAN POOLEY [GER] Sunday March 31, OneSixOne ARTY [RUS], MAT ZO [UK] Sunday March 31, Billboard GRANDMASTER FLASH [USA] Sunday March 31, The Espy BLACK SUN EMPIRE [NED] Sunday March 31, Brown Alley JAMIE XX [UK] Friday April 5, Prince Bandroom AXEL BOMAN [SCO], WBEEZA [UK] Saturday April 6, Mercat Basement IVAN SMAGGHE [FRA], SUPERPITCHER [GER], INXEC [UK] Sunday March 31, Brown Alley ELLEN ALLIEN [GER], MOVE D [GER], JIMPSTER [UK], BAREM [ARG] Friday April 12, Brown Alley OPTIMO [SCO] Friday April 19, The Bottom End IAN FRIDAY [USA] Friday April 19, Mercat Basement OTTO KNOWS [SWE] Saturday April 20, Alumbra EATS EVERYTHING [UK], DERRICK MAY [USA], BEN KLOCK [GER] Thursday April 25, Brown Alley MOVEMENT: NAS [USA], 2 CHAINZ [USA] + MORE Saturday April 27, Sidney Myer Music Bowl MOSCA [UK] Saturday April 27, Revolver Upstairs EXAMPLE [USA] Friday May 3, The Palace YACHT [USA] Friday May 3, Ding Dong Lounge YING YANG TWINS [USA] Saturday May 4, The Espy BAAUER [USA] Saturday May 4, Brown Alley ATARI TEENAGE RIOT [USA] Friday May 17, Billboard COSMIN TRG [ROM] Friday June 7, New Guernica CHRIS LIEBING [GER] Sunday June 9, Brown Alley JEFF MILLS [USA] Sunday June 9, The Bottom End ATA [GER] Friday June 21, Mercat Basement A$AP ROCKY [USA] Saturday June 29, Festival Hall EARTHCORE: ANGY KORE [ITA], PERFECT STRANGER [ISR] + MORE Friday November 29 - Sunday December 2, TBA

tour rumours Tensnake, dOP, Jimmy Edgar, Sepalcure, HNQO, Vakula, Nina Kraviz, The Revenge, 6th Borough Project, Rahaan, Oxia, Andrew Weatherall

contact Editor: Tyson Wray / tyson@beat.com.au Editorial Assistant: Nick Taras / nick@beat.com.au Production/Cover Design: Pat O’Neill / art@beat.com.au Typesetting & Design: Michael Cusack Advertising: Ronnit Sternfein - (03) 8414 9710 / ronnit@beat.com.au Adam Morgan - (03) 8414 8719 / adam@beat.com.au Taryn Stenvei - (03) 8414 9711 / taryn@beat.com.au Kris Furst - (03) 8414 9703 / kris@furstmedia.com.au Photographer: Callum Linsell Contributors: Alasdair Duncan, Andrew Hickey, Annabel Maclean, Chloe Papas, Dan Watt, Jo Campbell, Kish Lal, Lachlan Kanonuik, Leigh Salter, Miki McLay, Morgan Richards, Nick Taras, Nina Bertok, Richie Meldrum, RK, Rose Callaghan, Ryan Butler, Simon Hampson, Tamara Vogl Deadlines: Editorial: Friday 2pm Advertising: Monday 12pm Publisher: Furst Media - 3 Newton Street, Richmond - (03) 9428 3600 beat.com.au

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demigodz word s / a n d rew ‘ h a z a rd ’ h i c key

Music fans and media types love nothing more than to bestow godlike status on artists and performers. Few genres aggrandise as much as hip hop, where every MC is better than the last. At the same time, fans are quick to forget or push a performer aside, in favour of someone newer or shinier.

Even after almost two decades in the game, Apathy and Celph Titled have managed to avoid this predicament through constant touring, releasing and staying true to their fan base, while branching out if the opportunity is right. Performing alongside several rotating members over the years, they have been part of super-group the Demigodz, who are finally releasing their first group project, titled Killmatic.

“Satisfying is definitely an understatement,” says Connecticut born Chad ‘Apathy’ Bromley of the long-delayed project. “It’s a great accomplishment for our crew and of course adding these songs to our catalogue only makes for more soon-to-be classics for our fans to hear live whenever we get on stage.” His Tampa based counterpart Vic ‘Celph Titled’ Mercer chimes in about how special the release is for them, “especially after the long road it took to get the album completed.” For Killmatic, the quick-witted duo buckled down in the studio with current crew members Ryu of Styles Of Beyond, Esoteric, Motive and Blacastan. As prolific solo artists with other side-projects on the go, Mercer reveals that it took a while for the album to become a priority.

“We planned to finish this album a long ago, but getting everyone on the same page takes time and focus.” Bromley, who had two solo albums of his own, says the album’s origins date back to 2007. “So this album was more a labor of love and we kept adding pieces to it as we went along and felt inspired.” Mercer believes their approach to lyricism and production wouldn’t allow them to release anything sub-par. “We are perfectionists, so we would sit on beats for a long time, re-work them and sharpen the lyrics, until the end result was the best it could be in our eyes.” Bromley doesn’t see the overall group dynamic as being all that much different from their previous efforts. It was in the fine-tuning and musical approach where things varied. “It was a little different than, say, our first Demigodz EP in 2002 where our crew was much larger and joints were thrown together quickly on the spot because we were much more anxious to just have product out.” As seasoned vets, their approach is admittedly more “calculated.” With the classic-in-

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apathy of performing live.

“You can’t make it in this game if you don’t do live shows and tour.

A live show is an experience that someone just can’t download off a website,” Mercer says matter-of-factly. Bromley has seen the music industry model change and is constantly aware of what needs to be done to make it. “The days of dropping a 12” vinyl single a couple times a year or putting out a CD and just sitting back collecting cheques are over. You’ve got to get out there and work your ass

off.” It’s been a long road for Apathy and Celph Titled, two lifelong rap fans who have always taken a DIY approach, dating back to their origins in the mid-to-late 90s. “We didn’t really know what we were doing when we first started out and had to experiment with different styles until we found ourselves,” Bromley says reflectively through veteran eyes. “Looking back, it’s easy to cringe at some of the unpolished music but many fans hold that stuff dear to them.”

First recording under the oh-so ‘90s moniker of Apathy the Alien Tongue, he believes no matter how unrefined they sound today, his early efforts were part of a bigger picture. “Some of it is even vital to the younger artists in our scene because it helped mould and motivate them to be what they are today.” Mercer agrees, saying he can notice a bit of Demigodz in some of today’s young crop. “I can hear the influences in some of the newer MCs that make music in the same vein as ours but it’s only natural when you’ve been putting out records for 15 years.”

The respect he has gained is one he appreciates but one he knows came from years of grinding. “It’s a nice position to be in, but as you can see it takes many years of work and dues paid to get in this seat.” Those days in the trenches have led to some big career opportunities over the years, including collaborations with Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda and his Fort Minor side-project. “Those situations only came to us because we put in work and were able to show and prove,” affirms Mercer. “Our talent speaks for itself. Fort Minor was a huge boost of exposure, but it would’ve meant nothing if we didn’t continue to follow-up with quality consistent music after that project was over.” Bromley sees their more mainstream work as something that adds to their legacy rather than defining it. “I’m very proud of what we’ve built, but of course we’d like it to be larger.

I’m content with our place in the game right now and it’s a very admirable spot for us to be in.”

Demigodz play the Prince Bandroom on Friday March 29. facebook.com/celphtitled facebook.com/ApathyDGZ

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the beatnuts

off the record w i t h

the-making finally released, now seems like the perfect time for the lyrical tag team to make their return to Australia.

Last performing for Aussie audience with Mercer in 2005, Bromley is excited to be back. “I have great memories from that tour and I know our return visit will be that much more explosive.” Making his third overall visit, Mercer too greatly appreciates the response he gets from local audiences. “If I could come to Australia every single year I’d do it without question. Our audiences there are so amped to hear us live and they really get hype at the shows.” As artists who have been on the independent grind for the majority of their career, Mercer and Bromley don’t underestimate the importance

t yson

w ray

There are few things I hate more than Styrofoam. Guitars, maybe, but that’s it.

The Beanuts originally came together in 1989 and are as prominent as ever in 2013 embarking on another Australian tour. Starting off as a trio to becoming a quartet and now a duo, the remaining Beanuts, JuJu and Psycho Les show no sign of slowing down. They’ve worked on remixes for Cypress Hill, Naughty By Nature and Da Lench Mob and have a long line of hits to their name including Watch Out Now, Se Acabo and Hit Me With That. Fans don’t need the rundown on how they’ve been unstoppable with a stack of classic albums and anticipated collaborations including their most recent, LikNuts. Already having toured Australia in 2012, they return in what is expected to be an extravagant encore of sorts this Easter weekend. It’s all happening at the Espy Front Bar on Thursday March 28.

ian friday

party profile: p pa

Ian Friday is on a creative mission to spread "global soul" and his next stop is Melbourne. Since the early ‘90s, Ian Friday has been making an impact within the arts beginning with a non-profit organization called The Tea Party NYC Inc. which provided a platform for emerging and established artists including Erykah Badhu, Talib Kweli and Mos Def. As a producer, Friday is a connoisseur of both original productions and remixes. Known for his hits Life Starts Today, Theorama Del Faya and Found Myself all on Tea Party Music as well as Carib's Leap on West End Records his DJ sets are an aural delight. Catch a legend for the first time at The Mercat on Friday April 19.

arty & mat zo

Arty and Mat Zo, the pair that have given us two collaborations Mozart and Rebound have teamed up for a club tour.

Currently ranked #28 in the DJ Mag Top 100 of 2012, Arty has experienced a stellar past few years. In 2011 the release of house anthem Around The World on Anjunabeats gained him unprecedented support from heavyweights Axwell, Tiesto, Above & Beyond and Armin van Buuren. Recently releasing tracks on Axwell’s Axtone label and constant touring it is hard to believe the young Russian has had time to work on a debut album, but that’s exactly what he’s doing.

Joining him will be Mat Zo who is well known for his acid tongue on Twitter as well as his passion for breaking down the barriers of genres in EDM. Not one to fall behind, Zo has been touring along with and producing with Porter Robinson and getting his debut album ready for release too. Catch all the excitement at Billboard The Venue on Sunday March 31.

poncho presents bands on the dancefloor Where’s it at? Bimbo Deluxe So why is the north side better than the south side?

Tough question. As someone that grew up around St Kilda, my heart definitely says south. But after living and working in Fitzroy for the past three years and witnessing firsthand the abundance of creative culture, my head says the north. I’ll have to give it to the north just because there’s less wankers on this side.

What’s the best thing about the north side? Edinburgh Gardens on a warm afternoon, less pretension, more tattooed babes and there’s street art up the wazoo.

What’s the worst thing about the south side? Backpackers, traffic and a general “look at me” attitude.

So tell us about the party your throwing? Poncho are a team of Melburnians who create unique, left-of-centre music TV and put on taste-making music events. Their website has evolved into a vast music TV channel that both produces and provides a platform for forward-thinking, original video content. Regular purveyors of some of Melbourne’s biggest parties, this event will showcase nine of Melbourne’s best bands swapping their

electronic - urban - club life

instruments for turntables. Fun starts from 6.30pm with DJs on the rooftop as well as down on the dance floor. Free entry.

Who’s playing? King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, The Pretty Little’s, City Calm Down, Rat & Co, Atolls, Iowa, Hunting Grounds, Bored Nothings and DJ Slymewave (Big Scary).

What sort of shit will they be playing? Rock musicians spinning tunes to make your clothes fall off.

What night is it on? Good (bad) Friday March 29.

And it’ll be better than the party on that night over at Lucky Coq, why? Because Poncho TV are throwing the party and if anyone has seen some of the antics they get up to on their webisodes, they’ll know that there’ll be some fun and freaky stuff going on.

It’s free, yeah? Hells yeah.

What’s the one thing we’ll remember most vividly in the morning? Not sure but hopefully the girl’s name next to you.

Give us one more reason why we should come on down?

It’s day one of a four-day weekend for the vast majority of us so why wouldn’t you come down?

Supporting

50% NorthÊUÊ50% SouthÊUÊ100% Free

www.bestofbothsides.com.au

electronic - urban - club life

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- head to beat.com.au for more

party profile: p par

snaps one twenty bar

the psyde projects block party

strike

Where’s it at? Lucky Coq. So why is the south side/north side better than the south side/north side? Because there are less beards.

What’s the best thing about the south side/north side?

Because there are less beards. And MILFS. What’s the worst thing about the south side/north side?

The Yarra divide.

So tell us about the party you’re throwing? It’ll be dope.

Just like chicks who are on speed.

Who’s playing? The Psyde Projects, Mr. Moonshine, D’fro & iLLresponce.

What sort of shit will they be playing? Block rocking jams with a whole lotta twerk upside your head.

What night is it on? Friday March 29.

And it’ll be better than the party on that night over at Lucky Coq/Bimbo Deluxe, why? Cause of the gospel that will be spread.

It’s free, yeah? Yep yep.

What’s the one thing we’ll remember most vividly in the morning? The flashbacks.

Give us one more reason why we should come on down? The Psyde Projects!

sinden & brenmar

Revolver’s infamous Saturday night crew The Late Show and long standing collaborators Too Much and Scattermusic are coming together to bring two of the most talented producers to Melbourne, Sinden and Brenmar. A vital part of the new wave of UK club producers, Sinden’s collaborative and left-field approach spawned a new wave of music inspired by the jacking house of Chicago and New York mixed with influences of UK jungle and garage. In 2010 he launched Grizzly to bring the world his tastes and pioneer a sound ensuring it wasn’t going to fade away like any other old fad. The label has been a successful launchpad for Mele, Brenmar and Distal as well as hosting several releases from SBTRKT. Brenmar is a at the forefront of Sinden’s vision for this ever present sound, producing music that somehow melts together commercial R&B with Chicago and UK bass.

Purists may upturn their noses but for those who like to party this will be a night to remember. Get down to Revolver Upstairs on Thursday March 28.

enhanced australia

For the very first time on our shores, Evolution Events and Rush Productions join forces to present the highest calibre of trance and progressive music with Enhanced Australia.

With a lineup to make trance and progressive enthusiasts salivate, Enhanced Music sticks to their mantra of releasing brilliant dance music and retaining the utmost respect from tastemakers. Since its inception in 2008, label manager Will Holland has always been careful in selecting the artists which share and represent the label’s vision for musical quality, melodic sound and its forward thinking approach, whilst nurturing promising and talented future names. The lineup is made up of Daniel Kandi, Will Holland, Estiva, Beat Service, Nick Arbor, Thomas Knight, Alana Aldea, Jed, Alison Spong, Harlan Buskes, Mike Hafner, Petar Ang, Exis, Sensualise with lots of amazing local support. It’s all happening on Friday April 19 at Trak Live Lounge Bar.

circoloco

One of the most sought after party brands in the world, Circoloco is bringing the party to Australia this Easter Sunday.

This and That label head honcho and longtime Circoloco resident David Squillace is headlining with his signature sets revered by peers and fans alike. Joining him and making their Australian debut is Dan Ghenacia, well respected in the Paris underground having founded and ran Freak N’ Chic for seven years and makes up one third of the Apollonia collective. Dyed Soundorom and Shonky who make up the rest of Apollonia are joining him too on what is set to be a raver’s delight. It’s all happening on Friday March 29 at Brown Alley.

rahaan

A fixture of the Chicago house music scene, Rahaan is bringing down a slice of nostalgia to Australia. Dropping disco and funky beats to house music devotees since the ‘80s, Rahaan’s name is well cemented in the ever cherished Chicago scene. His outstanding skill behind the decks has brought him from the underground circuit out onto the international playing field. In between touring Rahaan gets busy producing soulful disco and house for Christine Eva and Atlanta based singer/songwriter Ozara Ode. It’s his ability to so swiftly move from producer, DJ to arts enthusiast that sets him a part from the crowd. Get down to The Croft Institute Melbourne on Saturday March 23.

third chapter

Drop everything and get ready for Good Friday (March 29) because Third Chapter are back with another party. You know how it goes: good people, good beats and a whole lot of good times. This time around, Inflation Night Club on King St. will help host the latest 3C event. With the main room and rooftop bar hijacked by Third Chapter and some of the finest DJs in Australia keeping the party rocking, it’s sure to get wild once again. Headlining the festivities are 2x Australian DMC World Champion B.TWO and also a live drum and DJ set from BAGSvDK. Joining the party are more heavy hitters in DJ Wasabi, Second Hand, Kodiak Kid and Swisher.

party profile: p par

melbourne techno collective’s good friday Where’s it at? Lucky Coq. So why is the south side better than the north side? They are both just as good as each other, because they are both in Victoria!

What’s the best thing about the south side? Lucky Coq. What’s the worst thing about the south side? The kebabs.

So tell us about the party your throwing? Well the party is all about techno! And the different kinds of techno that everyone knows and loves!

Who’s playing? Matt Radovich, Darius Bassiray, Peter Baker, Jay Reading, Mr Pyz, Dean Benson, Mike Buhl, Caine Sinclair and Chiara KD.

party profile: p par

What sort of shit will they be playing? Every and all kinds of techno.

What night is it on? Good Friday March 29.

And it’ll be better than the party on that night over at Bimbo Deluxe, why? That’s simple, we will be playing techno.

It’s free, yeah? Of course it’s free, that’s how we roll.

What’s the one thing we’ll remember most vividly in the morning? The techno.

Give us one more reason why we should come on down?

It’s free, the beer will be cold and you know MTC will deliver a kick ass techno party.

party profile: p par

south side hustle waving at trains & cutters records

Where’s it at? Lucky Coq. So why is the south side better than the north side? It’s always more fun when things move south of the border.

What’s the best thing about the south side? Booshank’s Grindr strike rate.

What’s the worst thing about the south side? Booshank’s Blendr strike rate.

So tell us about the party your throwing? It’s called South Side Hustle, we run every Sunday at Lucky Coq from 7pm until close. House music all night long.

Who’s playing? Special guest Jason ‘Suenomartino’ Martin plus residents Askew, Booshank. Junji Masayama and Disco Harry.

What sort of shit will they be playing? Music to make wiggly worms work their bodies.

What night is it on? Sunday!

And it’ll be better than the party on that night over at Bimbo Deluxe, why? Our naked conga line will be 200% more naked than the one at Bimbo’s.

It’s free, yeah? As. A. Bird. Yes. What’s the one thing we’ll remember most vividly in the morning? “Hey baby, we have matching disco bruises!”

Give us one more reason why we should come on down?

Come down and see Suenomartino play a rare prime-time dance floor set!

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electronic - urban - club life

Where’s it at? Lucky Coq So why is the south side better than the north side? It’s closer to Antarctica.

What’s the best thing about the south side We have gears on our bicycles.

What’s the worst thing about the south side Dan Whitford will have to travel from the north side for this event.

So tell us about the party your throwing? Featuring the DJs and producers who are focusing the world spotlight on Melbourne right now.

Who’s playing? Knightlife, Andras Fox, Nile Delta, Katie Drover, The Tortoise, James Ware and M5K. What sort of shit will they be playing? Music for line dancing.

What night is it on? Saturday March 30.

And it’ll be better than the party on that night over at Bimbo Deluxe, why? Because they tried to book our DJs for their night, but they were already playing at Lucky Coq. It’s free, yeah? Yep. What’s the one thing we’ll remember most vividly in the morning? That Knightlife dropped Jump to It by Aretha Franklin.

Give us one more reason why we should come on down? Andras Fox will be playing the late spot rather than his normal warm up duties. The kid’s got skills.

snaps bimbos

daniel bortz word s / j o c a m p b e ll

German house DJ/producer Daniel Bortz has a deft touch for striping things back to the minimal without losing the soul. After spinning house and techno for more than a decade and releasing tracks from 2007, Daniel Bortz found his way into the international spotlight in 2011 along with the resurgence of house.

Well known for his bootlegs and last year’s re-working of James Blake’s cover of Feist’s Limit To Your Love, the Augsburg native has recently put out some sublimely smooth, down-tempo numbers on Berlin-based imprint Suol and has been playing the global festival circuit.

“I do think it’s a good example of how simple I make my music,” Bortz says of the Limit To Your Love remix. “My production technique is very minimal and I always try to keep everything very clean. For me, the most important thing in making a track is to find the focal point in the production and reduce everything around it to make that focal point stand out.

“Also, when you take out the James Blake vocal, I think it clearly shows I have some roots that are grounded in dub techno... now that I think of it, I can’t really pinpoint a moment or movement that got me to where I’m at today musically as I have such a varied music taste.”

While his sound is by no means divorced from Berlin’s techno obsession, it certainly isn’t following the herd, with house still defying the mainstream in Bortz’s university hometown, situated in southwest Bavaria.

“I can’t really say that the house scene over here is that big, as Augsburg is quite small. That said, for the size of the city there really are a lot of creative people based here. Augsburg is very close to Munich, and Bavaria is very close to Italy which, in a way, gives the local scene a little bit of that Italio-disco influence,” he explains. “There’s also a very big indie influence in Augsburg... so the city is small and we are quite sheltered from the major dance music scenes in Germany, but in a way that’s good as we’ve create our own sound and scene.”

Forza Electronica is a monthly party Bortz has been running for six years, providing him with a testing ground for his techno/house innovations.

“From the start, there have been many changes with the musical direction of the night. In the beginning it was more orientated towards Detroit techno, but over the years it’s gradually changed to a more house flavoured sound as I wanted to set myself apart from the rest of the parties that were being held in Augsberg.

sonicanimation word s /j o d y m a cg rego r

lucky coq

When any snippet of news about the new Avalanches album is festival thing one last time, they vanished. hungrily devoured, Flume dominates all and a baffling number of “I went off travelling in 2006 after Big Day Out and I never came people listen to Knife Party, it’s hard to remember that there was home,” Keiller says. What began as a holiday became seven years in Canada, where he was content to live the life of a ski a time when dance music was the runt of the litter in Australia. But back in the ‘90s, there were only a bum in British Columbia. “They handful of electronic acts breaking have quite amazing mountain through – and Sonicanimation biking in the summer. I ended “I’ve met a lot of people who’ve said, were one of them. That was up just staying there and riding mostly thanks to Theophilus ‘When you guys stopped there was no one my bike a lot in the summer and for a while and then The Presets came snowboarding in the winter, all the Thistler, a song that is such an earworm, simply reading its name along and they were like the new version of while thinking that I was gonna can still get the tongue-twister continue on with writing music just Sonicanimation” chorus stuck in your head. by myself. But [that] never really happened.”

The duo responsible for that track, Rupert Keiller and Adrian Instead, Keiller began DJing for Cartwright, became a mainstay of the Big Day Out’s Boiler Room, tourists, banking on the fact that Australian skiers of a certain age put out several albums, and danced up a storm all the way into would have fond memories of Sonicanimation. “I knew that there the mid-2000s. But after releasing a best-of in 2005 and doing the were quite big Australian crowds at the ski hills – there’s several

“I think it was around 2009 when I tried to bring a deeper and slower sound to the night, which took a while for the crowd to get used to. Eventually the sound grew on everyone and now it’s very successful. From the start my vision for this event was to introduce the crowd to many different styles of music, so I’m very lucky to have an extremely open minded crowd who attend the night.”

Bortz’s remix of fellow German Console’s A Homeless Ghost is soon to be released and although Bortz has gained notoriety remixing, he’s not a proponent of the current fixation on remixing.

“I have done quite a few remixes but I’m not always a fan of them,” he says. “What I don’t like about them is when people make remixes for a track that cheapens the original to the point where they sell out.

“As long as you can keep the integrity of the track in check, I’m happy to do remixes. Also, it’s also difficult when you’re DJing to find the right version of a track when there are five different versions,” he laughs. “Sometimes I just feel like saying to some producers and labels that it really is ok to release a great track without doing any remixes for it. There are so many new tracks being released every day and the good ones will always be found regardless of a remix or not.”

While his Heal The World EP, released last year on Suol, was more down tempo than his previous work, there’s no down-turn expected in the level of his popularity, with heavy-hitters such as Laurent Garnier getting behind it. It’s likely that we’ve only just witnessed the genesis of this wizard of hi-tech, slowed-down minimalism’s career.

Daniel Bortz plays at Revolver on Sunday March 24.

facebook.com/danielbortzofficial soundcloud.com//danielbortz

really good quality ski hills all over British Columbia – and I thought I could probably DJ, go off the back of ‘DJ Blah from Sonicanimation’. That was cool for a couple of years, but then I noticed the age group of people that I was playing to, they were people that hadn’t heard of Sonicanimation. It was quite often, ‘Who are they? Who’s this band, who’s this guy?’”

So Keiller was inspired get the band back together, before they were forgotten completely. Cartwright was immediately up for it, and the third slot in the group, which they’d given to a rotating cast of DJs back in the day, was filled by Sexton Blake, who Keiller had met and worked with in Canada. A slot on last year’s Homebake lineup followed, as did work on a new album, Once More From The Bottom, which Keiller says is as eclectic as any of their earlier work. With luck, it will restore them to their rightful place in history: somewhere between Itch-E & Scratch-E and B(if)tek, among the first wave of Australian dance music to reach the popular consciousness, and laying the groundwork for the likes of Pnau, Cut Copy and The Presets.

“I don’t give that kind of thing a lot of thought, but we do get people saying that to us a lot since the last record that we did,” says Keiller. “I’ve met a lot of people who’ve said, ‘When you guys stopped there was no one for a while and then The Presets came along and they were like the new version of Sonicanimation and then someone else came along’ – but I don’t really apply that to myself… I don’t know, it’s always different from the inside. I feel like I just do what I love doing, and hope that people listen to it and want to come see us.”

Sonicanimation play The Toff In Town on Saturday March 30. facebook.com/sonicanimation00

party profile:

the count with:

zillion dollar dreamboats

Didier Cohen

gaz from yacht club djs Ten bands everyone should know about: Clowns, Velociraptor, Apes, The Yard Apes, Step Panther, Udays Tiger, San Gras, Sheriff, Sasquatch, Hollow Everdaze.

Nine food items that you need to make a kickarse dinner party: Really good tacos, beers, tequila, ground beef nachos, habanero sauce, limes, my home made guacamole, good corn chips (not Doritos).

Eight possessions that define you: Rainbow glitter drumkit, my cat B.C. (Battle Cat), my broken down piece of shit ‘79 Jaguar, Marshall Combo with Marshall changed to Arsehole, Technics SL1200s and my record collection (I swear I have records I haven’t listened to), my studio, all the weird shit in my house, there’s a lot of things I can’t explain but can’t part with, my tattoos, that seem to get stupider with every new one, funny is apparently something a aspire to look like.

Seven favourite movies/TV shows that go on your mixtape: Banshee, Aliens, Predator, Red Dwarf, The Life Aquatic, Italian Spiderman, Game Of Thrones.

Six bad habits you can’t escape: I’m shy and it makes me act like a dickhead, I sleep in too much, I’ve quit smoking about 30 times, I leave Important things to the last minute, I’m gullible, apparently I’m clumsy, I’ve never noticed, but I seem to get told every other day.

Five people who inspire you: My dad cause he’s the best mate I’ve ever had, my mate Murph because he seems to be happy with everything all the time, anyone who shreds on guitar because I can’t and have never wanted to be able to do anything more than that (Guy can), Yetis, and the dog from Harry and the Hendersons

6

for giving hell to a yeti.

Four things that turn you on: Girls that look like gypsies, cool weird guitars, cars from the ‘60/’70s, especially Camaros and Jaguars, good coffee and the feeling straight after a really big show.

Three goals for your music: To get our original material out asap, to keep touring here and overseas successfully (I don’t know what else I ever want to do!) and to be able to keep coming up with ideas for our insanely complicated mixtapes. It’s way more work than you’d imagine!

Two live gigs you’ll never forget and why: The first Meredith we played, I nearly shit my pants I was that nervous and there was a real chance my shyness would have got me and I would go catatonic, but it’s amazing what you can do when you push yourself right? It’s such a special weekend even when you aren’t playing, which I never thought I’d get to do. The second would have to be touring with Mumford and Sons. We initially thought it was weird as shit that we even got asked by them to come along, but turns out they love us and we had them all on stage dancing the whole time, and pretty much everyone that had played that day.

One day left before the apocalypse and you: Probably throw a party with the people that are important to me, play music, have some laughs. Just be happy, if it’s all gonna end all you have left is being happy and each other.

When’s the gig? Ding Dong Lounge on Saturday March 30 and Sunday March 31 with Step Panther and APES. facebook.com/yachtclubdjs

electronic - urban - club life

Where’s it at? Lucky Coq. So why is the south side better than the north side? Better Photoshop moments, higher grade cigarette butts, less public urination and better cars putting in circuits.

What’s the best thing about the south side? The customers’ medium income level.

What’s the worst thing about the south side? The pretension of money.

So tell us about the party your throwing? The Malaysian Gameshow sensation arrives in Australia for one night only.

Created and hosted by the illustrious Kangkung Belacan, it showcases aspiring career celebrities competing for the title of Zillion Dollar Dreamboat. Created in 2010 by Malaysia’s prince in waiting, Kangkung Belacan, celebrities compete and are judged on the following criteria: Photoshopped Beauty, Internetedness, Ears for Dance, Excellent Pizza Toppings and Dressed For Success. Audience judges contestants in their presentations, sound selection and pizza toppings. Winners hold the title of Zillion Dollar Dreamboat with a swag of prizes including: Eternal Pizza Dreams, 300 A+ rated re-tweets, Codsplay Costume of Choice, Superannuation Advice, and Exclusive Designed Arcade Dance Avatar.

Who’s playing? Paz, CC Disco, Dublin Aunts, Edd Fisher and Mr Moonshine.

What sort of shit will they be playing? The latest club, disco, house and dance sounds.

What night is it on? Sunday March 31.

And it’ll be better than the party on that night over at Bimbo Deluxe, why? You have the chance to be Photoshopped into an image with Edd Fisher.

It’s free, yeah? Nothing is truly free. You dance for your life.

What’s the one thing we’ll remember most vividly in the morning? The winner holding aloft their designer cosplay costume.

Give us one more reason why we should come on down?

Word is there will be a bookie by the name of “Antz” who will also be taking bets on the Zillion Dollar Dreamboat winner.

N.B ZDDB does not condone illegal gambling.

the psyde projects

block party

club guide wednesday march 20

COQ ROQ - FEAT: AGENT 86 + DJS LADY NOIR + JOYBOT + KITI + MR THOM Lucky Coq, Windsor. 8:00pm.

COSMIC PIZZA - FEAT: NH jBimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

DUBSTEP GRIME DRUM & BASS - FEAT: DJ BADDUMS + DJ CARMEX Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

HOODRAPZ - FEAT: WEDNESDAY Workshop, Melbourne. 8:00pm.

LOST & FOUND - FEAT: DJ SPIDEY + DJ RUBY FROST Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 9:00pm.

NEW GUERNICA WEDNESDAYS New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

SOUL ARMY Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

THE DINNER SET Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm.

thursday march 21

3181 THURSDAYS - FEAT: HANS DC + JAKE JUDD + NIKKI SARAFIAN Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm.

BANG N MASH Word Events Warehouse & Lounge, Melbourne. 8:00pm.

BILLBOARD THURSDAYS - FEAT: MATT DEAN + MATTY GRANT + PHIL ROSS Billboard, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. $10.

CHI BEATS Chi Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.

DO DROP IN - FEAT: DJ KITI + DJ LADY NOIR The Carlton Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

DON’T THINK I’M ALIVE THURSDAYS The Vineyard, St Kilda. 8:00pm.

FREE RANGE FUNK - FEAT: AGENT 86 + LEWIS CANCUT + WHO Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm.

FUN HOUSE - FEAT: DJS FINLO WHITE & MC KITTY KAT Co., Southbank. 10:30pm.

GOOD EVENING - FEAT: DJ PEOPLE Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

GRAD PARTY THURSDAYS - FEAT: DJ ROWIE European Bier Cafe, Melbourne Cbd. 6:00pm.

LE DISCO TECH Pretty Please, St Kilda. 9:00pm.

LOVE STORY Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:30pm.

MOOD - FEAT: NUBODY Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.

NEW GUERNICA THURSDAYS - FEAT: CONDUCTORS + JAMES KANE + NEGATIV MAGICK + NU BALANCE + POST PERCY New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

RADIONICA Workshop, Melbourne. 4:04pm.

THE RITZ THURSDAYS - FEAT: CAUC-ASIAN DJ’S + JOSHUA GILILAND + KEN WALKER + LUCILLE CROFT + CARRICK DALTON & SAM COHEN + ED WILKS + MAX KRUSE + TIM LIGHT + ZACK ROSE Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 9:00pm. $20.

TIGER FUNK LIVE - FEAT: DJ MOONSHINE Bimbos Deluxe, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

TROCADERO Match Bar & Grill, Melbourne Cbd. 7:01pm.

friday march 22

ANYTIME Workshop, Melbourne. 9:30pm.

BADABOOM FRIDAYS - FEAT: DJ ROWIE European Bier Cafe, Melbourne Cbd. 5:00pm.

CANT SAY Platform One, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. $10.

CHI FRIDAYS Chi Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

CQ FRIDAYS Cq, Melbourne. 9:00pm.

DEEP CUTS - FEAT: DJ DEEP AAGEAN Cape Lounge, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

DISCOTHEQUE - FEAT: ELANA MUSTO + GREG SARA + SCOTT T Match Bar & Grill, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

DITCH THE DESK DISCO - FEAT: DJ JOEY LIGHTBULB Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 12:00pm. $5.

DNA FRIDAYS - FEAT: DJS DUCHESZ + OOHEE + PAZ First Floor, Fitzroy. 10:00pm.

FRIDAY DEBRIEF - FEAT: DJ OBLIVEUS Big Mouth, St Kilda. 10:00pm.

GUTTER HYPE RECORDS - FEAT: ROBSPINX Cape Lounge, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. $10.

I LOVE OLD SCHOOL - FEAT: SHAGGZ & PUPPET + DJ TEY + MERV MAC Red Bennies, South Yarra. 11:00pm. $10.

JEAN PAUL + LAST BOY SCOUT + MAGIC HOUSE Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:30pm.

JUICY - FEAT: CHAIRMAIN MEOW + COBURG MARKET + MR. FOX + TIGERFUNK + WHO Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 9:30pm.

LA DANSE MACABRE - FEAT: DJ GUVNOR Rainbow Hotel, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

LATIN QUARTER Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 8:00pm.

MEET YOUR MATES FRIDAYS Libation, Fitzroy. 10:00pm.

MEZZANINE & THE BACK ROOM - FEAT: DJ MANNEQUIN + DJ XTIAN Abode, St Kilda. 11:00pm.

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS - FEAT: DJS PREQUEL & EDD FISHER Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 12:00am.

MIDNIGHT MIDNIGHT New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

PANORAMA - FEAT: DJS MATT RAD + MR GEORGE + PHATO A MANO + TOM MEAGHER Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm.

POPROCKS - FEAT: DR PHIL SMITH Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

REMEMBER ME The Motel, South Melbourne. 9:00pm.

RETRO SEXUAL One Twenty Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

REVOLVER FRIDAYS - FEAT: DJ LEWIE DAY + DJ MIKE CALLANDER + DJ ALEX THOMAS + DJ KATIE DROVER + DJ WHO Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:00pm.

SHUFFLE FRIDAY NIGHTS Bridie O’reilly’s Brunswick, Brunswick. 11:00pm.

STANTON WARRIORS Brown Alley, Melbourne. 8:00pm.

THE FOX FRIDAYS Fox Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.

UPTOWN GROOVE Order Of Melbourne, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm .

saturday 23 mar

BEAT BEAT TANUKI - FEAT: DJ MASH Horse Bazaar, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

BILLBOARD SATURDAYS - FEAT: FRAZER ADNAM SCOTT MCMAHON + JAMIE VLAHOS + MR MAGOO + ZIGGY Billboard, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $15.

CHI SATURDAYS Chi Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

FIRST FLOOR SATURDAYS - FEAT: BILLY HOYLE + DJS DUCHESZ + MZRIZK + WASABI First Floor, Fitzroy. 10:00pm.

GLITCH THIS Workshop, Melbourne. 8:00pm.

GOOD TIMES DOWNSTAIRS - FEAT: DJ ARKS + DJ JUMPS + DJ MANCHILD Cape Lounge, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

HOT STEP Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

JACKET OFF Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:30pm.

JAMBOREE SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ LORD Red Bennies, South Yarra. 10:00pm.

LAB 22 Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm.

MIDNIGHT RUN - FEAT: DJ KIERAN + DJ BENNIS + DJ DAN WATT + DJ GUPSTAR + DJ PINBALL Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. $5.

MIXED DRINKS SATURDAYS Libation, Fitzroy. 10:00pm.

MOTEL SATURDAYS The Motel, South Melbourne. 9:00pm.

NEO SACRILEGE - FEAT: DJ NERO Abode, St Kilda. 9:00pm.

NEW GUERNICA SATURDAYS New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

ONESIXFIVE - FEAT: DJ COURTNEY MILLS + DJ HOOPS + DJ OLLIE HOLMES + DJ JOSH PAOLA + DJ WILL CUMMINGS Onesixone, Prahran. 3:00am .POISON APPLE - FEAT: ZOOLANDA Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 8:00pm.

SATURDAY CONFIDENTIAL Galley Room, Melbourne Cbd. 7:12pm.

SATURDAY IS FOR DANCING - FEAT: ANDY CAN & ROC + WASAB iBig Mouth, St Kilda. 9:00pm.

SATURDAYS - FEAT: ACTION SAM + DJ ROWIE European Bier Cafe, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

SATURDAYS AT ONE TWENTY BAR One Twenty Bar, Fitzroy. 2:49pm.

SOUND EMPIRE - FEAT: DJ TATE STRAUSS + DJ JOE SOFO + DJ MATTY + DJ MISS SARAH + DJ PHIL ROSS Fusion, Southbank. 10:30pm. $25 SOUTH SIDE SHOW - FEAT: EDD FISHER + KNAVE KNIXX Red Bennies, South Yarra. 9:00pm. $15.

STAR SATURDAYS Star Bar, South Melbourne. 4:02pm.

STRUT SATURDAYS - FEAT: ANDREAS + DANNY MERX + HENRIQUE + JASON SERINI + MARK PELLEGRINI + MC JUNIOR + NICK VAN WILDER Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 9:00pm. $22.

TEMPERANCE SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ MARCUS KNIGHT + DJ XANDER JAMES Temperance Hotel, South Yarra. 9:00pm.

TEXTILE - FEAT: DJS PACMAN + JEAN PAUL + MOONSHINE + TAHLLucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm.

THE FOX SATURDAYS Fox Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm.

THE LATE SHOW - FEAT: RANSOM + REX + TOO MUCH + BOOGS +

electronic - urban - club life

BOOSHANK + JULIEN LOVE + NHJ Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm.

WHY NOT? Pretty Please, St Kilda. 4:21pm.

sunday march 24

DANGER - FEAT: GEORGE HYSTERIC & ROHAN BELL-TOWERS The Carlton Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.goo goo muck Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

GUILTY PLEASURES Pretty Please, St Kilda. 9:00pm.

MOTEL SUNDAYS The Motel, South Melbourne. 9:00pm.

NEVER CHEER BEFORE YOU KNOW WHO’S WINNING - FEAT: REPETER FONDA Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 9:00pm.

NO MORE-BANG-FOR-BUCK BURLESQUE SHOW! Red Bennies, South Yarra. 9:00pm.

PLANET ROCK - FEAT: DJ PERIL Cape Lounge, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

REVOLVER SUNDAYS - FEAT: DJ BOOGS + DJ SPACEY SPACE + DJ RADIATOR + DJ SILVERSIX + DJ T-REK Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 7:30pm.

SOUTH SIDE HUSTLE - FEAT: ASKEW + BOOSHANK + DISCO HARRY + JUNJI + MISS BUTT + PAZ + PETER BAKER Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:30pm.

SUNDAE SHAKE - FEAT: AGENT 86 + PHATO-A-MANO + TIGERFUNK Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 5:00pm.

SUNDAY SESSIONS - FEAT: FOUNKSHUI & K-FE HAVANNA Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 4:30pm.

SURRENDER - FEAT: DJ SERGEANT SLICK + DJ ADAM TRACE + DJ ADRIAN CHESSARI + DJ CHRIS OSTROM + DJ SEF Fusion, Southbank. 9:00pm.

THE SUNDAY SET - FEAT: DJS ANDYBLACK + HAGGIS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 5:00pm.

monday march 25

DUVZ ‘N’ S-TEA Espy, St Kilda. 8:30pm.

IBIMBO - FEAT: LADY NOIR & KITI Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

KOOL AID - FEAT: DJ MU-GEN Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

STIFF DRINK - FEAT: DJ MICHAEL KUCYK + DJ MICHAEL OZONE + DJ ROMAN WAFERS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

tuesday march 26

BIMBO TUESDAYS - FEAT: ADAM ASKEW Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 9:00pm.

COSMIC PIZZA Lucky Coq, Windsor. 9:00pm.

DJ JAGUAR E55, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

NEVER CHEER BEFORE YOU KNOW WHO’S WINNING - FEAT: REPETER FONDA Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm.

7

urban club guide snaps rhythm-al-ism at fusion

wednesday march 20

COMPRESSION SESSION - FEAT: CASSAWARRIOR + DD + RICKA E55, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm SOUL ENSEMBLE Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.

thursday march 21

PENNIES Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9:30pm. $6.

RHYTHM-AL-ISM - FEAT: DJ DAMION DE SILVA + DJ K-DEE + DJ SIMON SEZ Fusion, Southbank. 10:00pm. $15.

friday march 22

CHAISE FRIDAYS - FEAT: SOULCLAP + DJ CLAZ + DJ DIRX + DJ PERIL + DJ SEF Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 4:30pm. $50.

CREW LOVE - FEAT: DJ TONY SUNSHINE Sub Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. $15.dj lord Red Bennies, South Yarra. 10:00pm. $20.

FAKTORY - FEAT: DJ DAMION DE SILVA + DJ DURMY + DJ K DEE + DJ YATHS Khokolat Bar, Melbourne. 9:30pm.

GET LIT Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.

LIKE FRIDAYS - FEAT: BROZ + DIR-X + DJS DINESH + NYD + SEF + SHAGGZ + SHAUN D La Di Da, Melbourne. 8:00pm.

SWEET NOTHING FRIDAYS - FEAT: DJ MARCUS KNIGHT + DJ XANDER JAMES Temperance Hotel, South Yarra. 9:00pm

saturday march 23

CHAISE LOUNGE SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ ANDY PALA + DJ KAH LUA Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

LAUNDRY SATURDAYS Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9:30pm.

PHATURDAY - FEAT: TOM SHOWTIME + DJ AYNA Blue Bar, Prahran. 10:00pm.

SATURDAY NIGHTS - FEAT: DJ DAMION DE SILVA + DJ JAY SIN + DJ K DEE Khokolat Bar, Melbourne. 9:30pm.

THE DOJO Order Of Melbourne, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm.

sunday march 24

BE. - FEAT: DJ DAMION DE SILVA + DJ JAY J + DJ KEN WALKER Co., Southbank. 10:00pm. $15.

YUNG WARRIORS + ABE APE + JOHN JR Atherton Gardens, 2:00pm.

monday march 25 FREEDOM PASS - FEAT: PHIL ROSS + B-BOOGIE + CHRIS MAC + DOZZA Co., Southbank. 10:30pm.

HIP HOP OPEN MIC First Floor, Fitzroy. 8:00pm.

tuesday march 26 CAN I KICK IT? Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.

be. at co.

diafrix words / krissi weiss

Didier Cohen

8

Melbourne hip hop crew Diafrix have been breathing fresh life into Aussie hip hop for over a decade with two finely crafted albums out in the world so far – 2009’s Concrete Jungle and 2012’s Pocket Full Of Dreams. While local artists have injected a truly unique flavour into hip hop, the overused template has started to wear a little thin.

Diafrix have waited patiently in the wings determined to stick to their sound that’s in part born from their unique origins. Both MC Momo and MC Azmarino are African refugees and while that has had a massive effect on who they are as people and artists, it’s not all they are or all they want to say.

“Coming to this country and joining the culture with English not being our first language was hard enough let alone then trying to enter into a subculture,” Momo says. “We really didn’t know where we stood.

Sometimes when we’d go into venues people were like, ‘What the fuck do these guys think they’re doing?’ and now some of those people are our peers. People have changed and that just took time and no matter what, that just motivated us. We felt like we were the voice of our community and it was a beautiful struggle.”

Momo has dissected this tale a thousand times over and last year’s breakthrough album Pocket Full Of Dreams (featuring the killer single Running It) was proof that the group have more to talk about. “If you listen to Pocket Full Of Dreams there’s isn’t much about our origins in the lyrics; there’s like two songs about it,” he says. “Even though it’s a big part of us it’s not like that’s the only story we can tell. With Concrete Jungle, that was a big part of the story but it seemed like that was the only part people focused on. We certainly weren’t going to rewrite that first album; I’ve got a thousand stories.”

Diafrix did rewrite the second album though, just in a different way, and there is almost an album’s worth of material that has been so far been shelved from Diafrix’s live set. “We started working on the

second album and we pretty much had a whole album done but sonically it wasn’t at all where we wanted it to be,” he says. “So we

scrapped the whole thing and only took two songs and wrote a whole new album. The album has done exactly what we wanted it to do and we’re very grateful and thankful for that and also for all the people out there spreading the love. Being an independent artist for so long, you know what the hustle and bustle is about so when you get love back it really makes you feel good.”

electronic - urban - club life

Diafrix are getting ready for their most extensive tour to date and still riding a high from supporting current hip hop darlings Macklemore & Ryan Lewis. “It was effin’ amazing!” he says. “It was actually ridiculous to be honest. Macklemore is just such a humble dude, I think the whole tour was a shock for him because he didn’t know how big things had gotten here for him. Every single night at every gig he’d be like, ‘Make sure you support Diafrix’ and that was just so overwhelming for us because that was the first time that an artist that we’re supporting has ever done something like that.”

Things may seem to be on the up and up for Diafrix but Momo admits there are always nerves when venturing out on a headline tour. “This is our first more than ten day tour and it’s hard to play in regional areas where you don’t know if you’ve got a following or not and even though it’s music, it’s a business as well,” he says. “Either we’re gonna get there and there’s gonna be no one there or we’ll be drinking champagne afterwards.”

Diafrix will be at The Corner Hotel on Sunday March 31; Ferntree Gully Hotel on Friday April 5 and Pier Live Pelican Bar, Frankston, Saturday April 6. I’m A Dreamer is out now through Illusive. facebook.com/diafrix

snaps rnb superclub

lowrider

words / jody macgregor

Adelaide soul band Lowrider have a live show that’s famous for its energy and ability to win over people who might not ordinarily think that dancing to a soul band is the way they want to spend their night.

It’s given them enough of a reputation to earn them support slots for touring internationals like Alicia Keys, Lupe Fiasco and even, a bit oddly, Christina Aguilera. With their latest release, Black Stones, they wanted to do a better job of getting that live sound down in the studio. Drummer, producer and self-confessed band “control freak” Paul Bartlett convinced the rest of the band to take a different approach to recording this time. “[On] past albums, we took the approach of creating the songs for the

album,” he says during a break from rehearsing for their next tour.

“Then, once the album was done, we would look at how we were gonna take them to the stage. Whereas this time around, we jammed them a lot more and created live songs that sounded really cool in the room and then just put them down on the album. They were still pretty produced and worked on but we wanted to make sure that they had that live feel to begin with.”

That live feel they’ve captured originally came about through hard work. Before Lowrider played their first ‘real’ gig they’d performed almost 800 times, having found a sure-fire way to book paying gigs even though nobody knew who they were. “Very early on we

kind of found a loophole in the Adelaide circuit,” Bartlett explains.

“Basically, we marketed ourselves as a cover band and did one or two covers that we changed up and then jammed on originals. We were playing four or five nights a week all around Adelaide doing that. There’s not a lot of [venues] in Adelaide, so I think we almost played in all of them. So we did that and built up a following and then did our own shows after that.”

That Beatles-in-Berlin period of constant gigging was useful as more than just a way of tightening their act, according to Bartlett. “That was also a good way to figure out whether you can stand being with the same people for that long.” Helping out on that front is the fact that his brother, John, plays keys in the band. But is it necessarily better having that close connection to one member of the band?

“We’ve always had a super-close relationship and always made music together,” he says. “We’ve been in other bands together and at home it’s always been us just dicking around making music. It’s definitely a much better thing. The chemistry between us is fantastic and so enjoyable and being able to share the journey with him, it’s great.”

That journey had its start when Paul was ten and John six, and not much has changed. Back then they were jamming together and recording it, just like they are now. “Putting on stupid little concerts for Mum and Dad in the lounge room, that whole thing,” is how he describes it. “I remember we borrowed a little four-track recorder the school had, somehow talked the music teacher into lending it to us. All of a sudden it’s like, ‘Wow, we can record stuff!’ Since we were kids, man.”

Lowrider play the Corner Hotel on Friday March 22 and Pier Live Frankston, Saturday March 23. Black Stones is out now through Illusive. facebook.com/wearelowrider

chaise lounge

faktory at khokolat bar

Didier Cohen no diggity at red love

electronic - urban - club life

9

venue directory where to next?

Call 1300 304 614 (landline only)

or 03 9614 3441

Application forms available at Police Stations

www.keypass.com.au

29th Apartment 29 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 9078 8922

Love Machine Cnr Lt Chapel & Malvern Rd, Prahran, 9533 8837

303 303 High Street, Northcote

Lucky Coq 179 Chapel St, Windsor, 9525 1288

Abode 374 St.Kilda Rd, St.Kilda

The LuWOW 62-70 Johnston St, Fitzroy, 9417 5447

Albert Park Hotel Cnr Montague & Dundas Pl, Albert Park, 9690 5459

Mercat Cross Lvl 1, 456 Queen St, Melb, 9348 9998

Alia Lvl 1, 83-87 Smith St, Fitzroy, 9486 0999

Mink 2 Acland St, St Kilda, 9536 1199

Alumbra Shed 9, Central Pier, 161 Harbour Espl, Docklands, 8623 9666

Miss Libertine 34 Franklin St, Melb, 9663 6855

Back Bar 67 Green St, Windsor, 9529 7899

Misty 3-5 Hosier Ln, Melb, 9663 9202

Bar Open 317 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9415 9601

Mockingbird Bar 129 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 9534 0000

Baroq House 9-13 Drewery Ln, Melb, 8080 5680

Musicland 1359A Sydney Rd, Fawkner, 9359 0006

Bendigo Hotel 125 Johnston St, Collingwood 9417 3415

Neverland 32-48 Johnson St, South Melb, 9646 5544

Bertha Brown 562 Flinders Street, 9629 1207

New Guernica Lvl 2, Hub Arcade, 318-322 Lt Collins St, Melb, 9650 4464

Big Mouth 168 Acland St, St.Kilda, 9534 4611

Night Cat 141 Johnston St, Fitzroy, 9417 0090

Billboard 170 Russell St, Melb, 9639 4000

Night Cat 279 Flinders Ln, Melb, 9654 0444

Bimbo Deluxe 376 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9419 8600

Noise Bar 291 Albert St, Brunswick, 9380 1493

Birmingham Hotel Cnr Smith & Johnston St, Fitzroy

Northcote Social Club 301 High St, Northcote, 9489 3917

Black Cat 252 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9419 6230

Old Bar 74 Johnston St, Fitzroy, 9417 4155

Blue Bar 330 Chapel St, Prahran, 9529 6499

One Twenty Bar 120 Johnston St, Fitzroy

Blue Tile Lounge 95 Smith St, Fitzroy

Onesixone 161 High St, Prahran, 9533 8433

Boutique 134 Greville St, Prahran, 9525 2322

Order Of Melbourne level 2, 401 Swanston St, Melb, 9663 6707

Brown Alley King Street, Melb,9670 8599

Palace Hotel 893 Burke Rd, Camberwell

Brunswick Hotel 140 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, 9387 6637

Palace Theatre 20-30 Bourke St, Melb, 9650 0180

Builders Arms 211 Gertrude St, Fitzroy

Palais 111 Main Rd, Hepburn Springs, 5348 4849

Cabinet Bar 11 Rainbow Alley, Melbourne, 9654 0915

Palais Theatre Lower Esplanade, St Kilda, 9525 3240

Caravan Music Club 95 Drummond St, Oakleigh

Papa Goose 91 Flinders Ln, Melbourne, 9663 2800

Caseys Nightclub 660A Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, 9810 0030

Penny Black 420 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, 9380 8667

Caz Reitops Dirty Secrets 80 Smith St, Collingwood, 9415 8876

Pier Live Hotel 508 Nepean Hwy, Frankston, 9783 9800

CBD Club 12-14 McKillop St, Melb, 9670 3638

Pony 68-70 Lt Collins St, Melb, 9662 1026

Chaise Lounge Basement, 105 Queen St, Melb, 9670 6120

Portland Hotel Cnr Lt Collins & Russell St, Melb, 9810 0064

Chandelier Room 91 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin, 9532 2288

The Prague Hotel, 911 High St, Northcote, 9495 0000

Chelsea Heights Hotel Cnr Springvale & Wells Rd,

Pretty Please 61c Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 9534 4484

Chelsea Heights, 9773 4453

Prince Bandroom 29 Fitztory St, St Kilda, 9536 1168

Cherry Bar AC/DC Ln, Melb, 9639 8122

Prince Of Wales 29 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 9536 1168

Chi Lounge 195 Lt Bourke St, Melbourne, 9662 2688

Public Bar 238 Victoria St, North Melb, 9329 6522

Co. Lvl 3, Crown Complex, 9292 5750

Railway Hotel 280 Ferrars St, South Melb, 9690 5092

Colonial Hotel (Brown Alley) Cnr King & Lonsdale St, Melb, 9670 8599

Red Bennies 371 Chapel St, South Yarra, 9826 2689

Commercial Club Hotel 344 Nicholson St, Fitzroy, 9419 1522

Red Love Lvl 1, 401 Swanston St, Melb, 9639 3722

Cookie Lvl 1, 252 Swanston St, Melb, 9663 7660

Retreat Hotel 226 Nicholson St, Abbotsford, 9417 2693

Corner Hotel 57 Swan St, Richmond, 9427 9198

The Retreat Hotel 280 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, 9380 4090

Cornish Arms 163 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

The Reverence Hotel 28 Napier St, Footscray, 03 9687 2111

CQ 113 Queen St, Melb, 8601 2738

Revolt Elizabeth St, Kensington, 03 9376 2115

Croft Institute 21 Croft Alley, Melb, 9671 4399

Revolver Upstairs 229 Chapel St, Prahran, 9521 5985

Cruzao Arepa Bar 365 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9417 7871

Rochester Castle Hotel 202 Johnston St, Fitzroy, 9415 7555

Cushion 99 Fitzroy St, St.Kilda, 9534 7575

Rooftop Cider Bar, Cnr Swanston & Flinders St, Melbourne, 9650 3884

Damask 1/347 Burnswick St, Fitzroy, 9417 4578

Room 680 Level 1, 680 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn, 9818 0680

The Dancing Dog 42A Albert St, Footscray, Footscray, 9687 2566

Roxanne Parlour Lvl 3, 2 Coverlid Pl, Melb

The Drunken Poet 65 Peel Street, West Melbourne, 9348 9797

Royal Derby 446 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9417 2321

Der Raum 438 Church St, Richmond, 9428 0055

Roal Melbourne Hotel 629 Bourke St, 9629 2400

Ding Dong Lounge Lvl 1, 18 Market Ln, Melb, 9662 1020

Ruby’s Lounge 1648 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave, 9754 7445

Dizzy’s Jazz Club 381 Burnley St, Richmond, 9428 1233

Saint Hotel 54 Fitzroy St, St Kilda, 9593 8333

Double Happiness 21 Liverpool St, Melb, 9650 4488

Sandbelt Live Cnr South & Bignell Rd, Moorabbin, 9555 6899

E:55 55 Elizabeth St, Melb, 9620 3899

Scarlett Lounge 174 Burnley St, Richmond, 9428 0230

East Brunswick Club 280 Lygon St, East Brunswick, 9388 2777

Seven Nightclub 52 Albert Rd, South Melb, 9690 7877

Edinburgh Castle 681 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

Spensers Live 419 Spencer St, West Melb, 9329 8821

Electric Ladyland Lvl 1, 265 Chapel St, Prahran, 9521 5757

Spot 133 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, 9388 0222

Elwood Lounge 49-51 Glenhuntly Rd, Elwood, 9525 6788

Standard Hotel 293 Fitzroy St, Fitzroy, 9419 4793

Empress 714 Nicholson St, Nth Fitzroy, 9489 8605

Star Bar 160 Clarendon St, South Melb, 9810 0054

Espy 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda, 9534 0211

Station 59 59 Church St, Richmond, 9427 8797

Eurotrash 18 Corrs Ln, Melb, 9654 4411

Stolberg Beer Café 197 Plenty Rd, Preston, 9495 1444

Eve 334 City Rd, Southbank, 9696 7388

Strange Wolf 71 Collins Street (enter via Strachan Lane), Melb, 9662 4914

Evelyn 351 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9419 5500

Sub Lounge & Restaurant 168 Elizabeth St Melb, 0411 800 198

Ferntree Gully Hotel 1130 Burwood Hwy, Ferntree Gully, 9758 6544

Sugar Bar (Hotel Urban) 35 Fitztroy St, St Kilda, 8530 8888

Festival Hall 300 Dudley St, West Melbourne, 9329 9699

Temperance Hotel 426 Chapel St, South Yarra, 9827 7401

First Floor 393 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9419 6380

Thornbury Theatre 859 High St, Thornbury, 9484 9813

Forum Theatre 154 Flinders St, Melb, 9299 9800

Tiki Lounge 327 Swan St, Richmond, 9428 4336

The Fox Hotel 351 Wellington Street, Collingwood, 9416 4957

Toff In Town Lvl 2, 252 Swanston St, Melb, 9639 8770

Fusion Lvl 3, Crown Complex, Southbank, 9292 5750

Tony Starr’s Kitten Club 267 Lt Collins St, Melb, 9650 2448

The Gallery Room 1/510 Flinders St, Melbourne, 9629 1350

The Tote Hotel 67 Johnson St, Collingwood, 9419 5320

Gem Bar & Dining 289 Wellingston St, Collingwood, 9419 5170

Town Hall Hotel 33 Errol St, North Melbourne, 9328 1983

George Basement, 127 Fitzroy St, 9534 8822

Trak Lounge 445 Toorak Rd, Toorak, 9826 9000

Gertrude’s Brown Couch 30 Gertrude St, Fitzroy, 9417 6420

Tramp 20 King St, Melb

Grace Darling Hotel 114 Smith St, Collingwood, 9416 0055

Transport Hotel Federation Square, Melb, 9654 8808

Grandview Hotel Cnr Heidelberg Rd & Station St, Fairfield, 9489 8061

Trunk 275 Exhibition St, Melbourne, 9663 7994

Great Britain Hotel 447 Church St, Richmond, 9429 5066

Tyranny Of Distance 147 Union St, Windsor, 9525 1005

Grind N Groove 274 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville

Two of Hearts 149 Commercial Road, Prahran

Grumpy’s Green 125 Smith St, Collingwood, 9416 1944

Union Hotel Brunswick 109 Union St, Brunswick, 9388 2235

Gypsy Bar 334 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9419 0548

Veludo 175 Acland St, St Kilda, 9534 4456

HiFi 125 Swanston St, Melb, 1300 843 4434

Victoria Hotel 380 Victoria St, Brunswick, 9388 0830

Highlander 11a Highlander Lane, Melb, 9620 2227

Wah Wah Lounge Lvl 1, 185 Lonsdale St, Melb

Hoo Haa 105 Chapel St, Windsor, 9529 6900

Wesley Anne 250 High St, Northcote, 9482 1333

Horse Bazaar 397 Little Lonsdale St, Melb, 9670 2329

Westernport Hotel 161 Marine Pde, San Remo, 5678 5205

Iddy Biddy 47 Blessington St, St Kilda, 9534 4484

Willow Bar 222 High Street, Northcote, 9481 1222

Jett Black 177 Greville St, Prahran

Windsor Castle 89 Albert St, Windsor, 9525 0239

John Curtin Hotel 29 Lygon St, Melb, 9663 6350

Workers Club 51 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9415 8889

Khokolat Bar 43 Hardware Lane, Melbourne, 039642 1142

Workshop Lvl 1, 413 Elizabeth St, Melb, 9326 4365

La Di Da 577 Lt Bourke St, Melb, 9670 7680

Yah Yah’s 99 Smith St, Fitzroy, 9419 4920

Labour In Vain 197A Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 9417 5955

The Vine 59 Wellington St, Collingwood, 9417 2434

Lomond Hotel 225 Nicholson St, East Brunswick Longroom 162 Collins St, Melbourne, 9663 9226 Loop 23 Meyers Pl, Melb, 9654 0500 Lounge 243 Swanston St, Melb, 9663 2916 The Lounge Pit 386-388 Brunswick St, Fitzroy 9415 6142

10

electronic - urban - club life

for more venues, visit:

beat.com.au/venues