Heating Up
Bristol-born Hydrophonics cut his teeth in the world of drum n bass in Nottingham, playing at Detonate alongside the likes of Andy C, LTJ Bukem and Friction.
Now a Brisbane resident, Hydrophonics has parlayed his DJing talents into entertainment company Rescued, and is bringing out Friction next month, having already hosted Andy C earlier in the year.
Besides the weather and superior beer, what brought you to Oz?
A change of scenery and new beginnings; it's a good pace of life.
You must’ve been to some monumental drum n bass shows in the UK; what’s been your most memorable?
Playing at the Ram Records 15th birthday party at Detonate in Nottingham was pretty special; True Playaz nights at Fabric are always massive too, not to mention The End, that place was the bomb.
As a promoter, what do you see as your biggest challenges?
People that don't understand drum n bass yet! There’s a lot of mainstream music that seems to take over the clubs here and the scene is smaller, so it's harder putting on nights here than the UK.
How do you keep these guys happy and entertained when you have them in town?
Vodka Red Bulls, rum and Cokes and beers! It's a good place to show people around too; dinner overlooking Story Bridge is usually the go.
How healthy do you think the scene in Brisbane is at the moment?
The scene in Brisbane is wicked, parties are getting good numbers and the crowd is always really up for it. To take it to the next level the bigger clubs need to look at what they're missing out on and realise the potential with underground electronic music. Nights such as Detonate in the UK pack venues with this kind of music on a weekly basis, so it's only a matter of time before it really takes off here.
What do you look for in local DJ when your filling your support slots?
Tune selection is important as well as set progression. I'm not a big fan of an entire set of jump up or breakcore; I think it's important people can play to the crowd as well.
Hydrophonics supports Friction and SP:MC at Monastery Sunday June 12.
