Cruz Patterson in January and with a national tour taking place in October this year, we can expect HUGE things to come from this local powerhouse. Ekko and Sidetrack are making some of the best drum and bass to come out of Perth.
They have plenty of tunes I could have chosen to put in the playlist, this just happens to be their most recent release, it also happens to feature my sister Reija Lee on vocals and it also happens to be pure vibes and an amazing song. Obviously there was going to be some Pendulum in this playlist. I mean they reinvented drum and bass imho and are a big part of why I make electronic music at all. I could have chosen literally any track from them, but this is one that I still find myself listening to frequently, 8 years after its release… it still makes me move as much as the first time I heard it.
One of the bands we played along side a lot was Karnivool. The sound they pulled on stage, the riffs, the polyrhythms…the amazing songs. They are, in my opinion, one of the greatest heavy bands to come out of Australia in the last 15 years.
Again I could have chosen literally ANY song by them, but this one goes so hard. Anyone who knows me, knows my great friend, and often partner in crime Phetsta. We grew as producers together, have toured the world together, had some amazing shows together Shape nightclub days anyone..? He is an amazing producer of such a wide variety of music and I have learned so much from him. This is one of my many favourites from his extensive back catalogue. Starting Line is one of my favourite songs, not just by a WA artist, but of any artist in the world no brotherly bias here i promise!
Both Reija and Kito are making some truly next level music in their own separate projects right now that you should all watch out for. You all need to get amongst Loston right. First off, I think a very belated congratulations is in order for the release of A Dark Machine. Hi, and firstly thank you. Yeah I am really happy with the reception of the single.
I don't really read things like YouTube or Soundcloud comments, but I have had a lot of messages from people letting me know how much they're enjoying the track, which I really appreciate. To this day I am still humbled by the support and response I get from people listening to my music. I feel really lucky that people have followed me through all the musical twist and turns that I've thrown out there over the years, and that they've been open minded enough to accept that an artist needs to grow and evolved through a career.
Well she is my sister, so it comes pretty naturally for us. I think because we are siblings it makes the writing process very open, and very honest.
We can be brutal with each other without the fear of someone getting offended which I think results in a better outcome. However I am lucky Reija has a super strong work ethic and is always willing to keep pushing on with a song until we both agree that it's working. The writing and recording of A Dark Machine is a great example actually. Reija broke her arm quite severely the day before we were due to work on it in the studio and start recording demo vocals, but even then she showed up, arm in a sling, and on some seriously strong painkillers to get to work.
With every breath she took she was in pretty bad pain, but she got it done. In the end the vocals we recorded that day, which were just supposed to be working demo takes, ended up being the final takes you hear on the song, which I find quite amazing. She totally nailed that performance and so much of the emotional power of the song comes from her vocals. It follows on from collaborations with Savoi and The Ragga Twins. Is it to make your singles more approachable for those that dislike the heaviness of D'n'B?
When I'm writing I try not think in terms of genre, nor am I thinking about whether people will like it, or if it's going to be accessible or radio friendly or whatever, all I'm concerned with is trying to write the best song possible, if that means having a vocal on the song then that's what happens.
All I can do is try and write music I vibe on and throw it out into the universe, the rest isn't any of my business. You split your time between the UK and Perth, correct? Were there any immediately noticeable differences between the two scenes when you moved over to the UK?
I don't think Europe is as culturally and musically monopolised as Australia, but that's to be expected when you have 50 countries with million people in less space than our one country! Culturally speaking there is more opportunity for genuine underground scenes to live and flourish over there.
In Australia I often feel like a bit of an outsider in the musical landscape, which can be tough if I'm honest, but on the flipside of that, I feel immensely lucky that I've been able to forge a successful career in Australia making music that is still quite niche here. Did you feel like this move was a necessary one to further your career?
Yes, I do feel it was a necessary move, both personally and professionally. I needed to go and live amongst the scene and the people involved with the music that I make.
I also think everyone should live in a country other than their birthplace at least once during their life. It opened my eyes to a lot, and helped me raise my own personal bench marks. Living in London is hard, which is a great thing. It's the kind of city that when you wake up you think, 'If I don't get up and work my arse off and produce something amazing, this city will eat me alive and I won't be able to eat or pay rent', so that's what you do.
I don't think I would ever have pushed myself that hard had I not left. Our standard of living is so amazing in Australia, that I don't feel pushed enough here.
On an Australian scale though, Perth definitely seems to be the hot-spot for the heavy, drum'n'bass and dubstep side of electronic. How important has the city been in establishing yourself as a musician? Perth for whatever reason I'm yet to work it out has always been a great city for electronic music, and more specifically bass heavy electronic music. Growing up in Perth has been a huge influence on my musical life, and probably a large factor of me even making bass music at all.
It was just the music being played and I obviously resonated with it very strongly. What I think is interesting about Perth and its music leanings is the ongoing vibrancy and sustentation of the bass and electronic music scene. There is always new up and coming generations of artists, promoters and most importantly fans of the sound that keep things going here.
In other cities you see genres move in and out of fashion, and that definitely happens in Perth too, but I think it's amazing and a testament to people in Perth that we so frequently fill venues for a diverse range of underground music.
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