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No-one could be more relieved than Perth-born/UK-based DJ and producer ShockOne (Karl Thomas) is right now. No-one could be more delighted and surprised either, given that his debut album Universus not only came together after three long years in the making, but also managed to spawn two chart-topping singles with Crucify Me and Chaos Theory. Even more remarkably, the album hasn’t even officially dropped yet.“In retrospect, really, the reason it took me three years to finish it is because when I started the album I didn’t really consider myself to be a good enough producer to attempt something like this,” Thomas says candidly. “I wouldn’t settle for anything less than what would make me totally proud of myself. If I was going to release something, I wanted it to have some kind of significant impact on the world. Altogether, I wrote something like 50 songs and I could have easily put out an album a year ago, but I didn’t feel that every single one of those tracks was something I would be completely proud of. I guess I just wanted to take my time and do the best job I could.”And that he did. While Universus is set to be released on April 28, a number of the album tracks have already hijacked the drum and bas and dubstep charts around the world. The first single off the record, Crucify Me, hit number one on Beatport’s D&B Chart, number one on Drum & Bass Arena, and number one for both the drum and bass and dubstep mixes on their respective Trackitdown charts simultaneously (the first song to ever do so). Additionally, Relapse’s remix reached the second spot on the Beatport charts, its video gaining over one million views on YouTube, while Chaos Theory ranked number one on iTunes Dance Chart, with close to half a million views on YouTube. Destined for big things is ShockOne’s next single, Lazerbeam – a track already getting love from Zane Lowe on BBC Radio One as well as here at home on triple j. “I couldn’t bring myself to listen to it for about a month after I finished it,” Thomas laughs now. “At the best of times I am not very good at listening to my own music; I am my own worst critic to the point of being completely dysfunctional. In my entire career, I’ve never had a moment where I’d written a song and gone, ‘Yep, this

is it, I’ve got a number one on my hands’. Working on this album, one day I’d be like, ‘This could be alright’, then the next day I’d be like, ‘This is completely shit, I’m gonna start again’. I guess I had a weird moment where I just thought, ‘Okay, it’s been a while, I guess I’ll listen back to it...’ And it sounded different as I sat there listening to it with a friend and with a completely fresh mind and ears. At one point I actually thought, ‘Oh my god, this sounds pretty good’...

There were even some moments where the hairs on the back of my neck stood up! It’s unbelievable that I still have an affection for it three years later. It’s unexpected. It’s refreshing.”Thomas’s initial reaction once Universus was done and dusted was that he never wanted to undertake such a process again. Once the “final nail was in the coffin”, he was over the entire ordeal. But that kind of thinking didn’t last for very long. “When I first finished it, all I knew was that I didn’t want to do this

again for a long, long time!” he laughs. “A lot of the time while I worked on it, I felt like it would just never end. I finished writing it back in January so at this stage I’m already thinking about what I want to do next and how to follow it up... I’ve got this big thing out of the way so now I’m really excited about thinking how I can push it even further next time. There is no way I’m going to rest on my laurels and, to tell you the truth. I’m already sketching new stuff.”At times, Thomas claims making an album was a scary process simply due to the people’s short attention spans. It could have been a nightmare, as the producer puts it, but instead it luckily turned out to be a dream come true.“The electronic scene moves too fast that you just can’t predict where dance is going or where it’s going to be in six months, let alone a whole year. All the time, you see new genres pop up, completely explode, and then just disappear – and then nobody wants to even touch it because it’s just not cool anymore. I did consider that, obviously, you have to, but I realised pretty much straight away that with my music it’s not about trends. I write songs, regardless of their genre. If it’s a good song, it doesn’t matter whether it’s dubstep or drum and bass – as long as it stands the test of time, that’s all that matters. That was the angle with which I approached this album. I had to have a good bunch of songs to work with, first and foremost, the rest would all fall into place.”

shockone words / pepper scott

ShockOne’s Universus is released on Sunday April 28 through OneLove and Viper Recordings. He launches it at The Liberty Social on Thursday April 25. He’ll also appear at Groovin’ The Moo in Bendigo on Saturday May 4.

PLUMP DJS [UK]Thursday April 25, RMH The VenueEATS EVERYTHING [UK], DERRICK MAY [USA], BEN KLOCK [GER]Thursday April 25, Brown AlleyMOSCA [UK]Saturday April 27, Revolver UpstairsEXAMPLE [USA]Friday May 3, The PalaceMAX COOPER [UK]Friday May 3, RMH The VenueYACHT [USA]Friday May 3, Ding Dong LoungeNINA KRAVIZ [RUS]Friday May 3, Brown AlleyYING YANG TWINS [USA]Saturday May 4, The EspyWILKINSON [UK]Saturday May 4, The Liberty SocialBAAUER [USA]Saturday May 4, Brown AlleyRYAN ELLIOT [USA]Friday May 10, Brown AlleyVAKULA [UKR]Friday May 10, Mercat BasementRROSE [USA]Saturday May 11, The Liberty SocialRADIOSLAVE [UK]Friday May 17, Brown AlleyDELTA HEAVY [UK]Sunday May 19, RMH The VenueOCTO OCTA [USA], MAGIC TOUCH [USA], BOBBY BROWSER [USA]Friday May 24, Mercat Basement Saturday May 25, ShebeenKARL HYDE [UK]Saturday May 25, Melbourne Recital CentreROBERT BABICZ [GER], MARC ROMBOY [GER]Friday May 31, Brown AlleyELITE FORCE [UK]Friday May 31, RMH The VenueKUTSKI [UK]Friday May 31, Roxanne ParlourCHRIS FORTIER [USA]Friday May 31, New GuernicaFLATBUSH ZOMBIES [USA]Saturday June 1, The Toff In TownCOSMIN TRG [ROM]Friday June 7, New GuernicaCHRIS LIEBING [GER], JIMMY EDGAR [USA]Sunday June 9, Brown AlleyJEFF MILLS [USA] Sunday June 9, The Bottom EndSEPALCURE [USA], DJ RASHAD [USA] + MORESunday June 9, TBAATA [GER]Friday June 21, Mercat BasementA$AP ROCKY [USA]Saturday June 29, Festival HallALEX KIDD [UK]Friday July 12, BillboardCHVRCHES [UK]Monday August 5, Corner HotelEARTHCORE: ANGY KORE [ITA], PERFECT STRANGER [ISR] + MORE Friday November 29 - Sunday December 2, TBABRUNO MARS [USA], MIGUEL [USA]Tuesday March 4 & Wednesday March 5, Rod Laver Arena

contactEditor:Tyson Wray / tyson@beat.com.auEditorial Assistant: Nick Taras / nick@beat.com.auProduction/Cover Design: Pat O’Neill / art@beat.com.au Typesetting & Design: Michael CusackAdvertising:Adam Morgan - (03) 8414 8719 / adam@beat.com.auTaryn Stenvei - (03) 8414 9711 / taryn@beat.com.au Kris Furst - (03) 8414 9703 / kris@furstmedia.com.auPhotographer: Callum LinsellContributors: 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 VoglDeadlines: Editorial: Friday 2pmAdvertising: Monday 12pmPublisher:Furst Media - 3 Newton Street, Richmond - (03) 9428 3600 - beat.com.au

chris fortierChris Fortier is renowned for pushing the boundaries of underground house music like no one else quite has. Proof of his fervour can be found on his now classic triple CD compilation Balance and his recent solo productions including his debut album As Long As The Moment Exits. With his arrival, he brings the Text Book Music 006 launch party for If You’re Lost I’ll Be Your Shadow. Text Book Music 006 was created without compromise. Every remix was carefully selected, and many involved have a personal connection. The launch party will see a celebration of existence, friendship, and the music that inspires it all. Head down to New Guernica on Friday May 31 to join the party.

off the recordw i t h t y s o n w r a yThe real beauty of electronic music is that you can go to gigs and over the course of eight years you’ll go from feeling like the youngest dude in the room to the oldest.

miguelGrammy-award winning R&B star Miguel will be traversing the moonshine jungle with Bruno Mars when he tours early next year. Miguel built a boat of hip hop beats and creamy vocals and successfully set sail on the mainstream in 2010 when he released his first single All I Want Is You. His debut album of the same name followed. While known for his powerful live performances, his sophomore album Kaleidoscope Dream was released to critical acclaim and includes his Grammy-award winning single and third US #1 Adorn, along with the intoxicating How Many Drinks, and The Thrill. This year he was nominated for a total of five Grammy awards. Catch Miguel opening for Bruno Mars on The Moonshine Jungle Tour. The pair will be appearing at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday March 4 and Wednesday March 5, 2014.

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t o u r r u m o u r sJam City, Tensnake, dOP, HNQO, Vakula, The Revenge, 6th Borough Project, Oxia, Andrew Weatherall

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shockonePerth’s ShockOne, one of the hottest names in bass, has remixed for the likes of Brookes Brothers, Netsky, Bcee, Chicane, Cutline, Mutya Buena, Agent X and more. Now, ShockOne is back in storming form, with his killer debut album, Universus. The album opens up with Chaos Theory, the latest in ShockOne’s array of chart topping singles he has unleashed. Having already ranked #1 on iTunes Australia’s dance charts and millions of hits on YouTube, Chaos Theory’s screaming bass-lines and hard hitting beats have already cemented ShockOne’s place as one of Australia’s premiere bass producers. We have five copies of Universus to give away.

Head to beat.com.au/freeshit to win.

vakulaVakula, known to some as Mikhaylo Vityk or Vedomir is returning to Melbourne. His own much sought after Leleka and Shevchenko imprints sees a steady stream of releases which sees him dominate fields from house to ambient, edits and back again. From humble beginnings in the Ukraine, Mikhaylo has forged an enviable career, responsible for a cult following from house enthusiasts and record collectors alike. It’s all happening at The Mercat on Friday May 10.

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kiddfectious Kiddfectious is returning to Melbourne joined by the man behind the brand, Alex Kidd as well as Yoji. The Kiddfectious team have developed a diverse and innovative record label, staged club events at some of the finest venues, released highly acclaimed albums and compilations, and put together world tours. Alex Kidd is known for his constant morphing of style and inspiration which renders each set an elaborate and imaginative onslaught of beats, samples and technical wizardry. Those who have seen and heard Yoji have been stunned by his performance, his unique and often obscure but always-powerful track selection, along with his faultless and charismatic mixing ability. Catch all the fun at Billboard The Venue on Friday July 12.

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wilkinsonHorizons Touring and Hypnosis Recordings are bringing Melbourne a huge night of drum and bass with Ram Records’ Wilkinson. Things all really began at age 14 for Mark Wilkinson when he discovered his love for dance music. Since then he has fine-tuned his production and had releases on Hospital Records, Ram Records as well as Mercury and Island Records. 2012 saw Wilkinson up the levels once more, releasing the mighty Automatic in the summer, followed by the hit record Need To Know feat. Iman which topped the iTunes Electronic Chart, was championed by the likes of Zane Lowe, Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw, was Sara Cox’s daytime Record Of The Week and spent four weeks on the Radio 1 playlist. Head down to The Liberty Social on Saturday May 4.

movementIn a disappointing move for hip hop fans, the inaugural Movement Festival has been cancelled. Movement was to feature Nas, Bliss N Eso, Iggy Azealia, Joey Bada$$ and more. For all tickets booked online or by phone, the credit card used in the booking will automatically be refunded. Please allow up to five days to receive your refund. If the original credit card you used for the purchase has been cancelled or no longer valid please contact place of purchase. If you purchased your ticket from an outlet, refunds can be provided at the point of purchase.

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kutskiHard dance and Hardstyle’s newest superstar Kutski, without doubt the most exciting cross over talent to emerge from the UK in the past decade. With his infamous technical ability and incredible musical versatility, Kutski’s incredible diversity and huge demand has seen him play at every major festival worth their salt worldwide including Defqon 1, Creamfields, Dominator, Tommorowland, Dance Valley, Global Gathering, Electrocity, Run To The Sun. He is a true pioneer of hardstyle who is constantly working towards pushing the boundaries, especially with the inception of his brand Keeping the Rave Alive. Catch Kutski at Roxanne Parlour on Friday May 31.

slynkSlynk’s reputation stems from his inventory of unreleased and unsigned party style ghetto funk bootlegs, remixes and edits. His work is highly sought after by DJs around the world while his forward momentum knows no boundaries, releasing more tracks with Jalapeno Records Goodgroove, Manmade, Breakbeat Paradise, Roca Records, Bombstrikes and Discocakes. Becks & Chapel Street’s mecca of good times, BlueBar330, are going extra large as they present the first in a series of gigantic parties, upsizing their weekly dose of booty shakin’ party music by bringing to you Australia’s biggest ghetto funk export, the funky breakbeat prodigy Slynk. It goes down at BlueBar330 on Saturday May 18.

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allday22-year-old hip hop artist Allday has received a massive response to his EP Loners Are Cool, taking out #18 on the Album Chart, #3 on the Urban Chart, and #3 for Australian Releases whilst also snaring #1 on the iTunes hip hop chart. Still buzzing from scoring #91 in the triple j Hottest 100 for ‘o Good and playing Big Day Out, Push Over and St Kilda Festival, Allday has just begun a national tour. He visits the Workers Club on Friday April 26.

the culture of soundsystemSoundsystem – the traditional medium for dub and reggae music – began in Jamaica over 50 years ago and has now become a worldwide movement. Australia is no exception. For the first time ever, two of Australia’s premier heavyweights will string up their speaker stacks to play in one arena. Melbourne’s own Heartical HiFi Outernational meets Adelaide’s Earthshaker playing in the roots and culture tradition. Heartical HiFi Outernational meets Earthshaker Mega System on Saturday May 4 at The Night Owl.

supafestSupafest 4, which was set to be headlined by 50 Cent, has been ‘postponed’ until November. The festival, which was meant to take place this Thursday April 25 (the same date as Movement, which was cancelled last week) released a statement through their website alerting fans of the postponement. Stay tuned to Beats for more information and rescheduled dates.

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symbolicSunbow Music are presenting the second instalment of their Element series parties: Water. Featuring Israeli prog king Symbolic along with his side project DJ Osho, Water will be an ocean adventure like no other. Sunbow will turn Brown Alley into an underwater spectacular, so pack your floaties, snorkel gear and don’t forget to bring a towel. It goes down on Friday May 10.

maximum wolfFrom the grimy alleyways of Melbourne comes Maximum Wolf. A futuristic beast that uses light and sound to evoke a surreal, industrial landscape of epic proportions. Combining abrasive synths with grinding undertones and nerve-racking beats, Maximum Wolf will take you on a dark and mysterious electro odyssey out into the ethereal unknown. His experimental brand of corrosive, future techno includes live instrumentation through synthesizers and electric guitar. Maximum Wolf is on an endless quest to take the genre into new territories by combining elements of minimal house, techno and electro and is accompanied by a dizzying and chaotic light display that is set to get your body moving. He launches his debut self titled album on Friday May 3 at the Mercat Basement, alongside analogue synth fiend; Solaires and the washed out sounds of Blossoms.

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Didier Cohen

s o u n d e m p i r e

Many say that Derrick May can be a difficult person to interview. After many aborted attempts – during which he thought the same – Beats finally caught up with the Detroit techno legend for an extended chat and it turns out he is funny, fascinating, extremely passionate about his music and is finally considering going back into the studio. Good news is worth waiting for.Derrick May could be said to be the Bob Dylan of electronic music. He is an innovator, beloved by many, sometimes temperamental but always interesting. And for the last, god knows how many years, he’s been on a seemingly never-ending tour around the world, showcasing his brand of Hi-Tech Soul to the adoring audiences who can’t pass up the offer if he’s in town. He’s also been busy with other things too.“I released a Transmat compilation album in Japan,” he explains over the phone from his home in Detroit, approximately 28 hours later than the scheduled time. “It’s really a huge project; we haven’t done much in the last two years. Then there’s the Jimmy Edgar project, of course [the We Love Detroit compilation released earlier this year], and the touring and there’s been a lot of speculation that I’ve been back in the studio recently. This was partially true. I was

in the studio but I wasn’t making music I was helping someone else finish their music – Circo Loco. He asked me in, believe it or not, to do some vocals. I really enjoyed it.”Despite having a back catalogue of classic, game-changing tunes, including the seminal Strings Of Life and Nude Photo, May has been taking an extended sabbatical from production for what seems like an age. When quizzed in the past around this subject, he has been reticent and dismissive, but it seems this recent recording experience has possibly reignited the emotions he expressed so exceptionally in those early tunes.“I’m going to be doing a show,” he answers, when questioned as to the likelihood of returning to production. “It’s going to be here in Detroit, it’s going to be an exclusive performance by myself and Carl Craig. We’re working on it right now, the idea, and we’re going to be playing keyboards and performing live. This is not a pre-recorded computer set, so I have to go back in the studio to do that – there is no way around it. So yes I guess you can say I’m going back in the studio.”With any luck, this will lead onto more things and perhaps some new material. He has no shortage of unreleased snippets to

derrick may words / andrew nelson

source from. May and friend Kevin Saunderson learnt their musical trade from the slightly older Juan Atkins, back in their hometown of Detroit. The story of the birth of techno has been well documented, but May said that at the time the bug hit him he was pretty prolific and had around 300 pieces of music on cassette all stored in a washing basket. It now seems there is, excitingly enough, potential that some of these could be dusted down and used as the basis for a fresh release.“I put an unreleased song on the Japanese compilation called Hand Over Hand. The reason I did it is because it’s one the dearest songs to me. It may not be the greatest song but it’s a piece of music I did many years ago that means a lot to me and I plan to do a few more of those as well at some point. I’ve got hundreds of songs and I guess I’ll just give them up here and there.”But there is a downside to these rumblings of action, as May explains. “If I was going to do it – go back in the studio full time and really devote myself to it – then I actually would stop playing records, completely. Because in my mind, you can’t play records and then go and make them. It fucks with the creative process. You end up being subconsciously influenced by what you just heard. I never understand these guys who go into the studio and then the next day they’re playing a party. I don’t get it. I don’t like to believe I make music just for the dance floor. If I did I’d be disappointed with myself, I like to believe I make romantic stories, or dark stories. But making something just for the dance floor seems quite contrary.”Let’s just hope that he completes his tour down under before making that commitment we’ve all been waiting for.

Derrick May plays at Brown Alley on Thursday April 25 alongside Ben Klock, Eats Everything and more.

In Australia, Sonny Fodera is already well-known for his smooth brand of deep house, but this year the local DJ/producer is about to go worldwide, starting with a move to Europe and cementing it with his (very aptly-named) debut full-length, Moving Forward. Signed to Chicago’s renowned house label Cajual Records and listing the imprint’s head honcho Cajmere as a close buddy, Fodera is well and truly on his way to making a solid mark on the international stage. “I’m in Chicago at the moment but I’ve been in the process of moving my stuff over to Europe,” he announces. “It’s been pretty hectic, to say the least, there’s so much going on right now. On top of all of that, I’m going to be touring all over for the next two months because my album has just come out. The response has been so great and I think it’s definitely taken me up a level. My main priority right now is to try and get as much original stuff out there as possible, more than I used to make, anyway. I’m keen to do a lot more collaborations with vocalists and I’m hoping to focus on creating actual songs as opposed to just club tracks. I think with this album I am on my way to achieving that.”Some big names on the international circuit seem to agree with Fedora’s observation, including Miguel Campbell (whom the young producer refers to as his “amigo”) and Mark Farina (whom Fodera has previously supported). Even the global media have been quick

to acknowledge Fodera’s world-class efforts, with Mixmag recently shining the spotlight on the producer and DJ Mag (Spain) giving him some coverage in celebration of the new album, too. “Yeah, it’s been pretty crazy,” he laughs. “The year has definitely started off well. I’ve been going flat-out with doing interviews and I’ve had a lot of online [publications] asking me to do stuff for them too, like mixes for radio and podcasts and things like that. I’m more than happy to do it because I’m so happy with how the album has turned out and the artists that I was able to work with – Cajmere, Dajae, Gene Farris, Amber Jolene... I’m really grateful for the experience because they’ve helped me showcase a lot of different sides to my musical abilities, but the thing that struck me the most was how easily and quickly and easily the whole thing came together. The tracks span across two years but most of them were done in the last three months, so they’re still quite fresh. The only reason some of the tracks are older is because I really loved them and I wasn’t able to stop going back to them, so I included them.”Composed literally from all corners of the world – from Orange County, USA, to Birmingham, UK, to Adelaide – Fodera says his globe-trotting ways and involvements with overseas artists have proven to be enormously inspirational when it comes to his musical efforts. The proof lies in Moving Forward, a record that certainly

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shows off different sides to Fedora, but manages to remain a consistency throughout. “You’re The One, which I did with Cajmere, was done in my hotel room in Orange County. It was my second collaboration with Cajmere and when I sent it out to him he was really into it right away. I did Make Me Feel with Deep City Soul – that was recorded in Birmingham, UK. That was such a fun track to make, it all happened in one session. Same with My Heart Is Singing, which was done with Dajae about two years ago while I was still living in Birmingham. When I sent it to Cajmere, he thought that Dajae would be perfect on it and I was so excited because I’ve been a big fan of her vocals for a while. Turn Down was made in Adelaide when I did a Beatdown Music Warehouse party and Gene was doing an Australian tour and we managed to get together.” Despite all the international interest (not to mention the permanent European relocation this year), Fedora insists he will never lose touch with his Australian roots, and in fact, plans to return home for a tour in either late 2013 or early next year. “The plan is to keep coming back once a year for a few months,” he states. “I’m always going to keep in touch with what’s going on at home. The main reason that I decided to move at all was because of my music. I’ve been overseas before and it’s just a fact that there is a lot more going on internationally in terms of house music – you’ve just got to do it if you’re serious about what you do. Australia has a really great house scene too, but you can’t compare a crowd of 300 to a crowd of 2,000 at a single show. You’ll have several house parties happening in just one European city, where as you’ll get just one house night in one of the Australian cities. I’m just at a stage where I have to move forward.”

Sonny Fodera’s Moving Forward is out now through Cajual.

In Australia, we know him best for his infectious singles and chart-topping remixes for the likes of Snoop Dogg and U2, but in America, Melbourne DJ/producer Dirty South (Dragan Roganovic) is in the process of transforming his image, having just released his debut album Speed Of Life.Featuring collaborations with Joe Gill, Rudy and Ruben Haze (a very different, ‘indie’ side project Roganovic and Rudy have set up), the album is a journey through the mind and musical tastes of Dirty South the producer, inspired mostly by a life on the road and those he’s crossed paths with during his decade-long career in dance. “I love it!” he unabashedly says of Speed Of Life. “Seriously, it’s taken me so long to do this and just the sheer fact that it’s finally out is enough to make me happy. Most of all, though, I love it because my mantra has always been to make music for myself, music that I would listen to and that personally satisfies me, and this album has ticked the boxes, so to speak. I criticise myself a lot anyway, even before people get to hear the rough copy, so when I say I’m

happy with the result, I really mean it. Things always got in the way, though, I was always busy touring and doing live shows. At one point, it seemed like it was never going to happen...”This served as a catalyst and a big kick-in-the-bum for Roganovic to finally make his plans concrete. Sick and tired of ‘talking

the talk’, the producer took an interesting approach in setting his goal in motion – not to mention an extremely risky one...“I basically had to trick myself into doing it,” he laughs. “It was a matter of sort of putting myself into a trap. I’ve been making singles and remixes my whole career and it was a bit disappointing that I hadn’t got

to do what I’d always wanted to do – which was an album. Not having enough time to do it was one thing, but on top of that I was genuinely just scared and anxious about the thought of doing it, so at first I started telling myself over and over that I was going to do an album... Then I started saying it in media interviews. Then I started tweeting it and announcing it on social media. Basically, I put myself in a spot where I had made all these announcements to

the public and they would be able to hold me to it. I literally forced myself to do it, really.”It wasn’t just about “tricking” himself into committing to a full-length record, it also came down to good time-management and careful planning. The rest, according to Roganovic, was up to the universe.“It’s been one of those things, definitely – you put it out there to the universe and the universe gives it back to you in the form of inspiration. I could have had all the time of the world and I could have planned it perfectly, but if I hadn’t been able to come up with some really good tracks, it would’ve been for nothing. I was still touring while I was doing this album, but I made time for it. I had like 30 dates in the US at one stage where I stayed in places like L.A., Chicago, Philadelphia and New York and you can’t help but be influenced by those places. Everything around me – from conversations between people on the street, from hearing tracks on the radio, from watching movies, from the scenery outside the plane or car – everything seemed like inspiration.” Rather than relying on a whole cast of guest appearances to help carry the tracks, Roganovic went the opposite direction, choosing to work with only two other artists, confident in himself that his songs could stand up just fine pretty much on their own. Featuring Joe Gill as well as Roganiovic’s close friend Rudy, Speed Of Life is Dirty South through-and-through.“I produced the album all by myself,” he states. “The only ‘outside’ people were the two vocalists. I worked with Rudy quite a bit on the album because I’m used to it by now, I’ve worked with him forever. We’ve actually got a side-project coming out very soon [Ruben Haze] which is more based in acoustic, live instruments. I also worked with a guy from L.A. called Joe Gill who is also amazing. I guess working with friends makes it much more fun, it makes it more organic and much, much easier than it could be. You always struggle with a ‘favourite track’ when you’re talking about your own tracks, but on this album it would be the song Speed Of Life. It’s the title track but it pretty much sums up what the whole album is about.”

Dirty South’s Speed of Life is out now through Ministry Of Sound.

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“It’s been one of those things, defi nitely – you put it out there to the universe and the universe gives it back to you in the form of

inspiration.”

electronic - urban - club life6

club guide wednesday april 24 ANZAC DAY EVE - FEAT: BELLA JABARA + JAMES SOUTHWELL + LIL RSSCO Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 4:30pm. ANZAC DAY EVE First Floor, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. COQ ROQ - FEAT: AGENT 86 + DJS LADY NOIR + JOYBOT + KITI + MR THOM Lucky Coq, Windsor. 7:00pm. COSMIC PIZZA - FEAT: NHJ Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm DADA LIFE Billboard, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. DUBSTEP GRIME DRUM & BASS - FEAT: DJ BADDUMS + DJ CARMEX Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. HALFWAYS Workshop, Melbourne. 8:00pm. HOODRAPZ - FEAT: WEDNESDAY Workshop, Melbourne. 7:00pm. LOST & FOUND - FEAT: DJ SPIDEY + DJ RUBY FROST Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 8:00pm. MO’ SOUL - FEAT: DJ VINCE PEACH & MISS GOLDIE Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. NEW GUERNICA WEDNESDAYS New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. PARTY PARTY - FEAT: DJ LP + DJ DAZZY D + DJ MING MING + DJ PITTY + DJ SLENDER + DJ YUSUF Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 10:00pm. $25. SOUL ARMY Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. THE DINNER SET Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:00pm.

thursday april 25 3181 THURSDAYS - FEAT: HANS DC + JAKE JUDD + NIKKI SARAFIAN + HEY SAM + JESSE YOUNG + JOHN DOE + SEAN RAULT Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 5:00pm. BANG N MASH Word Events Warehouse & Lounge, Melbourne. 8:00pm. BILLBOARD THURSDAYS - FEAT: MATT DEAN + MATTY GRANT + PHIL ROSS Billboard, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $10. CHI BEATS Chi Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. DJ KRONIC + MS BUTT Espy, St Kilda. 9:00pm. DO DROP IN - FEAT: DJ KITI + DJ LADY NOIR The Carlton Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. DON’T THINK I’M ALIVE THURSDAYS The Vineyard, St Kilda. 7:00pm. FREE RANGE FUNK - FEAT: AGENT 86 + LEWIS CANCUT + WHO LUCKY COQ, WINDSOR. 6:00PM. GOOD EVENING - FEAT: DJ PEOPLE Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. GRAD PARTY THURSDAYS - FEAT: DJ ROWIE European Bier Cafe, Melbourne Cbd. 5:00pm. LE DISCO TECH Pretty Please, St Kilda. 8:00pm. LOVE STORY Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:30pm. MEZZANINE & THE BACK ROOM - FEAT: DJ MANNEQUIN + DJ SYTO Abode, St Kilda. 9:00pm. MIDNIGHT EXPRESS - FEAT: DJS PREQUEL & EDD FISHER Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. MOOD - FEAT: NUBODY Loop, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. NEW GUERNICA THURSDAYS - FEAT: CONDUCTORS + JAMES KANE + NEGATIV MAGICK + NU BALANCE + POST PERCY New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. RADIONICA Workshop, Melbourne. 8:00pm. THE RITZ THURSDAYS - FEAT: NARI & MILANI + CARRICK DALTON & SAM COHEN + CAUC-ASIAN DJ’S + ED WILKS + JOSHUA GILILAND + KEN WALKER + LUCILLE CROFT + MAX KRUSE + TIM LIGHT + ZACK ROSE Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 8:00pm. $20. TIGER FUNK LIVE - FEAT: DJ MOONSHINE Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. TROCADERO Match Bar & Grill, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

friday april 26 ANYTIME Workshop, Melbourne. 8:30pm. BADABOOM FRIDAYS - FEAT: DJ ROWIE European Bier Cafe, Melbourne Cbd. 4:00pm. CANT SAY Platform One, Melbourne Cbd. 7:30pm. $10. CHI FRIDAYS Chi Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

CQ FRIDAYS Cq, Melbourne. 8:00pm. CRUCIAL SOCIAL ACADEMY - FEAT: DJ A13 + DJ JELLYFISH WORK-SHOP, MELBOURNE. 8:00PM. discotheque - feat: elana musto + greg sara + scott t MATCH BAR & GRILL, MELBOURNE CBD. 7:00PM. FRIDAY NIGHT COMMERCIAL HOUSE DJS - FEAT: HIJACK + LIVN-BEYNG + MAGIC HOUSE Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 8:30pm. I LOVE OLD SCHOOL - FEAT: SHAGGZ & PUPPET + DJ TEY + MERV MAC Red Bennies, South Yarra. 10:00pm. $10. JUICY - FEAT: CHAIRMAIN MEOW + COBURG MARKET + MR. FOX + TIGERFUNK + WHO Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. MEET YOUR MATES FRIDAYS Libation, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. MIDNIGHT MIDNIGHT New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. MR VEGAS Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 8:00pm. PANORAMA - FEAT: DJS MATT RAD + MR GEORGE + PHATO A MANO + TOM MEAGHER Lucky Coq, Windsor. 8:00pm. POPROCKS - FEAT: DR PHIL SMITH Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. REMEMBER ME The Motel, South Melbourne. 8:00pm. RETRO SEXUAL One Twenty Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. REVOLVER FRIDAYS (ANTARCTICA REMIX LAUNCH) - FEAT: DJ LEWIE DAY + DJ MIKE CALLANDER + DJ ALEX THOMAS + DJ KATIE DROVER + DJ WHO Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:00pm. SATURDAY MORNING - FEAT: DJ SUNSHINE + DJ BUTTERS + DJ HEY SAM Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:00am. SHUFFLE FRIDAY NIGHTS Bridie O’reilly’s Brunswick, Brunswick. 10:00pm. SVELT + BISCOTTI + MANGELWURZEL 303, Northcote. 8:30pm. $10. THE FOX FRIDAYS Fox Hotel, Collingwood. 7:00pm. UPTOWN GROOVE Order Of Melbourne, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. WEEKENDER! Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. SHUFFLE FRIDAY NIGHTS Bridie O’reilly’s Brunswick, Brunswick. 11:00pm. THE FOX FRIDAYS Fox Hotel, Collingwood. 8:00pm. UPTOWN GROOVE Order Of Melbourne, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. saturday april 27 VENICE MUSIC - FEAT: DJ ALI E Some Velvet Morning, Clifton Hill. 8:00pm. BILLBOARD SATURDAYS - FEAT: FRAZER ADNAM SCOTT MCMA-HON + JAMIE VLAHOS + MR MAGOO + ZIGGY Billboard, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. $15. CHI SATURDAYS Chi Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. CLUB FICTION - FEAT: KITTY ROCK & THE BAD LADIES Red Bennies, South Yarra. 2:00am. DJ PLAZMA Idgaff Bar & Venue, Abbotsford. 8:00pm. FIRST FLOOR SATURDAYS - FEAT: BILLY HOYLE + DJS DUCHESZ + MZRIZK + WASABI First Floor, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. GLITCH THIS - FEAT: SATURDAY Workshop, Melbourne. 7:00pm. HOT STEP Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 7:00pm. LAB 22 Palace Theatre, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. MIXED DRINKS SATURDAYS Libation, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. MOTEL SATURDAYS The Motel, South Melbourne. 8:00pm. NEO SACRILEGE - FEAT: DJ NERO Abode, St Kilda. 8:00pm. NEW GUERNICA SATURDAYS New Guernica, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. ONESIXFIVE - FEAT: DJ COURTNEY MILLS + DJ HOOPS + DJ OLLIE HOLMES + DJ JOSH PAOLA + DJ WILL CUMMINGS Onesixone, Prahran. 3:00am. POISON APPLE Prince Bandroom, St Kilda. 8:00pm. SATURDAY CONFIDENTIAL Galley Room, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm.

SATURDAYS - FEAT: ACTION SAM + DJ ROWIE European Bier Cafe, Melbourne Cbd. 7:00pm. SATURDAYS @ LEVEL 2 - FEAT: DJ BOOGS + DJ CHESTWIG + DJ LUKE MCD + DJ MIKE HUNT + DJ ROWIE + DJ SPECIAL K Level 2 The Club, Northcote. 9:00pm. SATURDAYS AT ONE TWENTY BAR One Twenty Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. SOUND EMPIRE - FEAT: DJ TATE STRAUSS + DJ JOE SOFO + DJ MATTY + DJ MISS SARAH + DJ PHIL ROSS Fusion, Southbank. 9:30pm. $25. SOUTH SIDE SHOW - FEAT: EDD FISHER + KNAVE KNIXX Red Bennies, South Yarra. 8:00pm. $15. STAR SATURDAYS Star Bar, South Melbourne. 8:00pm. STRUT SATURDAYS - FEAT: COLLECTIVE + ANDREAS + DANNY MERX + HENRIQUE + JASON SERINI + MARK PELLEGRINI + MC JUNIOR + NICK VAN WILDER Trak Lounge Bar, Toorak. 8:00pm. $22. SUNDAY NIGHTS - FEAT: DJ DAMION DE SILVA + DJ JAY J + DJ KEN WALKER + DJ LIGHTING Co., Southbank. 8:30pm. TEMPERANCE SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ MARCUS KNIGHT + DJ XANDER JAMES Temperance Hotel, South Yarra. 8:00pm. TEXTILE - FEAT: DJS PACMAN + JEAN PAUL + MOONSHINE + TAHl Lucky Coq, Windsor. 6:00pm. THE FOX SATURDAYS Fox Hotel, Collingwood. 7:00pm. THE HOUSE DEFROST - FEAT: DJ ANDEE FROST Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 11:00pm. TOO MUCH 4TH BIRTHDAY - FEAT: MOSCA + DAVID BASS + NAISE + SAME O + WOZ Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:00pm. WHAT’S DOING? - FEAT: DJ CITIZEN.COM Workshop, Melbourne. 8:00pm. WHY NOT? - FEAT: SATURDAY Pretty Please, St Kilda. 8:00pm.

sunday april 28 COSMIC TONIC Veludo Bar & Restaurant, St Kilda. 9:30pm. DANGER - FEAT: GEORGE HYSTERIC & ROHAN BELL-TOWERS The Carlton Hotel, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. GUILTY PLEASURES Pretty Please, St Kilda. 8:00pm. MOTEL SUNDAYS The Motel, South Melbourne. 8:00pm. NO MORE-BANG-FOR-BUCK BURLESQUE SHOW! Red Bennies, South Yarra. 8:00pm. REVOLVER SUNDAYS - FEAT: DJ BOOGS + DJ SPACEY SPACE + DJ RADIATOR + DJ SILVERSIX + DJ T-REK Revolver Upstairs, Prahran. 6:30pm. SOUTH SIDE HUSTLE - FEAT: ASKEW + BOOSHANK + DISCO HARRY + JUNJI + MISS BUTT + PAZ + PETER BAKER Lucky Coq, Windsor. 8:30pm. SUNDAE SHAKE - FEAT: AGENT 86 + PHATO-A-MANO + TIGERFUNK Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 4:00pm. SUNDAY SESSIONS - FEAT: DAN BOWDENA ND MAYFIELD + FOUNKSHUI 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. 8:00pm. THE SUNDAY SET - FEAT: DJS ANDYBLACK + HAGGIS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 4:00pm. monday april 29 IBIMBO - FEAT: LADY NOIR & KITI Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 6:00pm. KOOL AID - FEAT: DJ MU-GEN Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. STIFF DRINK - FEAT: DJ MICHAEL KUCYK + DJ MICHAEL OZONE + DJ ROMAN WAFERS Toff In Town, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. TWERKERS CLUB - FEAT: DJ FLETCH Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:00pm.

tuesday april 30 BIMBO TUESDAYS - FEAT: ADAM ASKEW Bimbo Deluxe, Fitzroy. 8:00pm. COSMIC PIZZA Lucky Coq, Windsor. 8:00pm. dj jaguar E55, MELBOURNE CBD. 8:00PM. never cheer before you know who’s winning - feat: repeter fonda REVOLVER UPSTAIRS, PRAHRAN. 7:00PM.

Didier Cohen

l e v e l t w o

snaps b i m b o s

Chaotic turntablist and general party starter DJ Kronic answers a few questions in his usual, cheeky fashion. The Adelaide native has toured the world, riding high on his deck (often literally) and when not jetting across various oceans, usually criss-crossing the country bringing his contagious festival vibe to the largest and smallest of club venues. He’s moving beyond the scope of DJing and taking things up a notch – steady streams of new music, intense live shows and wicked collaborations.

Tell me exactly what your day has held, whether it’s something exciting or entirely mundane?After recovering from excessive amount of excess at my last gig, I’ve been hunting for warm food and new music.

I know you’ve been in the studio, so what’s been going on in there?Alongside the lads Chardy, Uberjakd and Krunk, I’ve been working on a lot of new records. The first of these collaborations, S.W.A.T. Team (Chardy and I), is out now, the rest should see the light of day soon enough.

Do you set aside specific studio time in a year or is it a constant thing?It’s definitely a constant thing. Pretty much every moment I’m not DJing, I’m working on new music.

When you’re tackling a remix, what inspires you? Do you hear a song and immediately start also hearing your own flavour

dj kronic words / kr iss i weiss

on top of it? Do you simply like the song and then have to figure out what you want to do with it? Do you sometimes pick songs that have commercial success because you know that’s necessary in your game?I rarely do remixes, so when I take on something, it means I have an idea for how it needs to sound. I’ve never remixed - or turned down - anything for strategic purposes - it’s just what I’m feeling at the moment, for better or worse.

The party can’t last forever, when will you get tired of it? Or can it last forever?Who cares? I love what I do and I don’t intend on stopping. I’m not trying to be the Rolling Stones of DJing, but that wouldn’t be the worst thing either, would it?

How was your time overseas? Tell me the single most interesting thing that happened.I did a handstand on top of a million dollar car in Beverly Hills, to the shock and horror of the tourists gathered around.

With song titles like Looking For Some Girls and Watup Bitch - let’s be serious for a second. Do you stumble across these titles in your mind and have a good old serious laugh?I did indeed! These songs were really the start of my production, so it was important to keep it all kinda tongue-in-cheek. I’m glad both tracks got a great response from DJs, but the music I’ve been working on has taken a more aggressive approach.

This year - how long are you home for? What else is planned?I’m never really home, I tour every week of the year. I’ll be splitting my time between the US as much as I can and I’ll be making my way over to Europe in October. In between, there’s a lot of music planned for the second half of the year - consider yourself warned.

DJ Kronic will play at The Espy on Thursday April 25.

facebook.com/djkronicfanpage

soundcloud.com/dj_kronic

7electronic - urban - club life

b e . a t c o .

r h y t h m - a l - i s m a t f u s i o n

faktory

snaps

urban club guide wednesday april 24 COMPRESSION SESSION - FEAT: CASSAWARRIOR + DD + RICKA E55, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. SOUL ENSEMBLE Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

thursday april 25 BE EASY - FEAT: DJ ARKS + DJ THANKS Workshop, Melbourne. 8:00pm. PENNIES - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. $6. RHYTHM-AL-ISM - FEAT: DJ DAMION DE SILVA + DJ K-DEE + DJ SIMON SEZ Fusion, Southbank. 10:00pm. $15. RY (EP LAUNCH) + MIKEY HUNDRED + SHADOW KITSUNE Workers Club, Fitzroy. 7:30pm. $8.

friday april 26 CHAISE FRIDAYS - FEAT: SOULCLAP + DJ CLAZ + DJ DIRX + DJ PERIL + DJ SEF Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 4:30pm. CREW LOVE - FEAT: DJ TONY SUNSHINE Sub Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm. $15. FAKTORY - FEAT: DJ DAMION DE SILVA + DJ DURMY + DJ K DEE + DJ YATHS Khokolat Bar, Melbourne. 8:30pm. GET LIT - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm. LIKE FRIDAYS - FEAT: BROZ + DIR-X + DJS DINESH + NYD + SEF + SHAGGZ + SHAUN D La Di Da, Melbourne. 7:00pm. SWEET NOTHING FRIDAYS - FEAT: DJ MARCUS KNIGHT + DJ XANDER JAMES Temperance Hotel, South Yarra. 8:00pm.

saturday april 27 BLADES + B.O.S + ELOQUOR + MORGANICS + PROPH + SPEECH THERAPY Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 9:00pm. $12. CHAISE LOUNGE SATURDAYS - FEAT: DJ ANDY PALA + DJ KAH LUA Chaise Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 8:00pm. LAUNDRY SATURDAYS - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Laundry Bar, Fitzroy. 8:30pm. 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. 8:30pm. THE DOJO - FEAT: VARIOUS DJS Order Of Melbourne, Melbourne Cbd. 10:00pm.

sunday april 28 BE. - FEAT: DJ DAMION DE SILVA + DJ JAY J + DJ KEN WALKER Co., Southbank. 10:00pm. $15.

monday april 29 FREEDOM PASS - FEAT: PHIL ROSS + B-BOOGIE + CHRIS MAC + DOZZA Co., Southbank. 9:30pm. THAT’S A RAP First Floor, Fitzroy. 6:00pm.

tuesday april 30 CAN I KICK Lounge, Melbourne Cbd. 9:00pm.

k h o k o l a t k o a t e d

redlove

snaps

r n b s u p e r c l u b

electronic - urban - club life8