This Saturday night 633 Ann launches from what was the Mustang Bar. Headed north for the celebrations is Melbourne hip hop duo, Diafrix. MC Azmarino gives us the freshness.

The summer so far for Diafrix; what’s been happening?
It’s been an awesome summer so far. We have been touring and playing at some great festivals that we haven't played before, like Rainbow Serpent, Homebake, Queenscliff and ‘bout to play at Bleach Festival; we’re looking forward to that.

You guys are headed to Queensland three times in February; when are you guys relocating permanently to the Sunshine State?
Maybe not appropriate after what happened over the weekend, but I would love to live in Brissie one day, but they have to step up their coffee game before I do. 

You’ll be in Brisbane to headline the launch of 633 Ann — anything extra special planned?
We are bringing Melbourne chief rocker DJ Kayz with us; we’re looking forward to this gig. We will turn it up to proper.

Are you guys still in shock that you’ll be supporting Macklemore & Ryan Lewis next month when they tour? 
Yes! We were very stoked to have scored the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis support... I mean they are great artists and I was really happy that they picked us for their east coast run ‘cause I’m sure lots of hip hop acts put their hands up for it. I also hope will get the chance to meet them and have a chat ‘bout Air Jordans.

Overseas tours; you’ve travelled before; are you looking at further international shows this year?
I will definitely be heading to Africa this coming winter because I can't stand the cold Melbourne weather anymore!

This time next year; if everything goes according to plan, where do you want to be positioned?
I hope that we would be at a better place and position than where we are  today — don't matter if it’s a big change or small, as long as it’s positive.

Away from the stage, what do you guys enjoy?
Momo likes to ride motor bike and I enjoy a good BBQ.

Diafrix, with support from Deux, Roman and Cutloose play the 633 Ann launch party Saturday February 2.

Scene Magazine celebrates 20 years on the streets in 2013. Each week this year, in this column, we're looking back at what we, and you, were doing.

Issue 45: September 14, 1994. The last of the initial A4 gloss format before a switch to the dreaded newsprint! But more on that next week. First it's worth looking at just the five preceding issues as so much was happening in our pond, and at such a pace.

Covers: were as diverse as Vision 4/5 & Lollie (#45) juxtaposed with Prince (#41).

Editorially: we were featuring Central Station Records’ Top 10 every week. CSR was a powerhouse operating above Hungry Jacks (Queen St Mall) and run by the perennial Harry Katsanevas (Family/ Fluffy) with assistance from Edwin (The Beat/ Sexing The Cherry).

Scene Magazine's present-day support of gay news is not a new-found thing: Bent Vent was a wrap of the gay/ music scene, written by gay-scene identity and promoter Gavin Waller (RIP) and the vivacious Dixie Lloyd.

Personnel: Neil Richards had become our first editor. A consumate professional, very well respected throughout the music industry (then and now), and certainly not prone to the all-too-common sniffy and tortured tastemaking that afflicts so many in that role. Ten years later, Neil edited the Melbourne edition from our offices in Johnson Street, Collingwood.

Jenni Juckel (DJ Jen-E) was writing the weekly Dance Directions and full page features on all things electronic, while holding down her five-night residency at The Beat.

And in a little-known nugget from the annals, emerging Brisbane musician Tyrone Noonan (George and in his own right), was Scene Magazine's advertising man — albeit not for very long!

Advertisers: Kimberley Davis (Annalise Hartman character in Neighbours) was appearing at Club LQ. Quite what she was doing is anyone's guess, but I'm sure it made sense at the time. The 3rd Brisbane Blues Festival (by promoter Rob Hudson — another hard-wired perennial industry pro) feat. Mick Hadley (RIP) & The Shakers and Lil Fi and The Delta Rhythm Kings. You could catch Hunters and Collectors + Dave Graney at The Roxy for $16 and D:Ream @ Festival Hall (RIP) for $26.

And things for Scene Mag (and D:Ream) were certainly getting better!

When it comes to Australian urban legends, it doesn't get a whole lot bigger and badder than N'fa Jones.

The frontman from the 1200 Techniques outfit still has a place in the hearts and minds of his fans from all over the world, and even in 2013, is showing no signs of letting up.

“Music is just something I grew into,” he says. “When I was a kid, people were playing the recorder and stuff at school. That was all good but I had a different set of ideas. Then my brother brought home some hip hop records and we got into Bob Marley and cool stuff like that.”

At that time, the lads were listening to a lot of the original old school music from the ‘80s and early ‘90s. Artists like LL Cool J, Public Enemy and Run-DMC — they were the groups that gave N'fa his motivation to really explore the urban nature of street music, and ultimately what gave him the energy to do 1200 Techniques.

“I just liked the whole vibe and the culture and I sort of connected with it and started writing rhymes,” he says.

Yet fast forward almost a decade and he’s still enjoying his craft as well as the opportunity to spread his musical message.

“It's been a really great 12 months for me actually,” he explains. “I've done a bunch of gigs around the place and have quite a few lined up as well. ‘Wayooy’ [featuring Roots Manuva] came out and that did really well. And I've been working on a few other things and been really enjoying the direction of the way things have been unfolding.”

His plan in 2013 is to continue to release original music while continuing to evolve artistically. “We all develop and grow,” he explains with some authority. “I listen to our earlier music and you can still really hear connections to the stuff we did back then; it's kind of interesting really. My voice has changed a little which is quite bizarre but it's still hip hop music infused with the electronic sounds.”

N’fa Jones joins Drapht on The Uni-verse Tour with shows at The Spotted Cow, T’ba, Mar 6, The Red Room, UQ, Mar 7, Wharf Tavern, Mooloolaba, Mar 8, Parkwood Tavern Mar 9 and Great Northern Mar 10.

Timothy Conigrave’s memoir, ‘Holding The Man’, is a bonfire in Australian contemporary literature, urgently dredging remembrance for a lost love; not just of Timothy and his partner John Caleo, but for all lovers who have been affected by the tragedy of HIV.

La Boite Theatre has been generous enough to bring the theatrical adaption of the love story between Timothy and John back to Brisbane, intimately exploring the vulnerability, happiness and tenderness found in any relationship.
Jai Higgs, a recent WAPA graduate (2012), is currently in rehearsal for the upcoming production where he is balancing more than ten different roles.

“The hardest part is the costume changes, to be honest,” Jai says of his, quite frankly, superhuman feat of bringing so many different characters to life. “Occasionally I have two line breaks to change into a new character.”
Some characters are no more than a flash in the pan during the production; brief, bold and created to press stereotypes, bridge gaps or pose questions.

“Playing the Door Bitch is ridiculous, because it’s so outrageous. I like that I can be stereotypical because sometimes stereotypes are okay and sometimes they are required. But creating over ten characters with unique voices, personalities and not playing on stereotypes can be difficult to give them all depth.”

Thankfully Jai has all of the help he can get in director David Berthold, who “really encourages us to be bold and to play. I have never felt like the new kid on the block, I felt encouraged throughout the entire process.”

Being a fresh graduate from drama school  brings a fresh enthusiasm for Jai. This being his first interview, he proves himself adorable and incredibly well spoken. He moved back to Brisbane for the play, auditioning for the opportunity due to a love of the production’s content, message, and the La Boite Theatre Company as a whole.

“This play is so important to anyone who has had a lover, to the entire gay community, to anyone who has ever had to accept something hard without it being sugar-coated. I love that it is such a touching voice for the community.”

Currently rehearsing the end of Act II before previews in early February, and ultimately opening night on February 16, Jai feels confident that the cast will deliver a polished, touching and venerable tribute to the late Timothy Conigrave and his lover John.  
As the interview with Jai concludes, his excitement never wanes: for the production, the interview, the script or the process of rehearsing the contemporary Australian classic.

“My family never get to see me perform, I have been in Western Australia for so long. I feel like this is my unveiling of sorts, and I am so happy that it’s for this production. I can promise anyone that comes to see the play that they will be moved. It’s impossible not to be, it’s a piece of theatre that will stick with you for the rest of your life.”

As Jai hangs up the phone, it’s incredibly clear just how poignant Timothy’s work is, and how all of his messages still resonate with audiences today. Perhaps after seeing this production, you will appreciate every opportunity to hold your man, or woman, and never let go while you still have the chance. Which is probably the greatest message Timothy’s memoir can deliver — that of love and gratitude while the great world gives you permission.

‘Holding the Man’ opens February 16 for a limited season at La Boite.

PHOTO: DYLAN EVANS

Metro Arts is seeking performance-makers who are brave and curious, and who are leading the way with asking ‘what next?’ If you have a new work that needs incubating, an idea or a concept that needs to grow, apply now to be supported across the various  program streams encourages Kieran Swann, the Programming Manager (Performance) at Metro Arts.

Q: How did this all come about?  
For 2013, Metro Arts is excited to engage with whole new communities of artists and audiences. That’s why the decision to make two calls for applications each year came about — and why we’re now looking for new projects to bring to life in the second half of 2013.

Q: What are Metro Arts looking for in new works and in new performance-makers?
We’re looking for new ideas, artists experimenting and pushing themselves to explore within their practice. That can mean artists at all stages of their careers, and across all types of performance.

Q: Is there anything to be avoided if you are a budding young  performance-maker?
We want to encourage young artists to always be curious, be brave, open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. Be interested in collaborating with new partners, don’t be afraid to grow their practice and engage with their audience. Avoid being afraid to do all that. 

Q: What makes a work compelling?  
A well-investigated idea, with a well-considered execution, makes a work compelling. It understands and responds to its context and what it is trying to say. It has currency, and it engages its audience. It communicates. 

Q: Who have been involved in the past? Has anyone gone on to a glorified career?
Metro Arts has a very long history, and we’ve worked with many artists at different stages of their careers. Our artists have gone on to renowned work all around the country — and all around the world. It’s probably harder to find someone who hasn’t been in our building at some point.

Q: Why are the Arts so important and why should they be supported?
Because we want to live in a vibrant city! The arts fill a city with events, with activity, with a whole range of different voices articulating how they see the world.

Q: What is the talent like in Brisbane in regards to creatives?
Works made in Brisbane are travelling around Australia and the world. Our artists really are of international quality now — and you don’t have to travel outside the city to see them.

Q: Anything else readers should know?
Come and have a chat with us. Actually, come and SEE what we’re doing. 2013 is full of opportunities to check out what’s going on at Metro Arts. You could be part of it.

Applications close 5pm, February 22. Check out metroarts.com.au for all the details.

St Jerome’s Laneway Festival is a day filled with fun tunes and cool people. And now there is a whole new element — art! Curated by DWDC designs, Laneway now sees a showcase of Brisbane artists, designers, VJs,  signwriters, comic book artists, poets, sculptors, makers & stilt walkers taking over the laneway of Alexandria St at this year’s festival.

Q: Theme Team 13, what are you doing for Laneway?
Curating the themes for site, VIP and green rooms at Laneway.

Q: How did this all come about?
DWDC Designs were asked to theme the Brisbane Laneway site and we jumped at the opportunity to work with a bunch of talented friends and associates to vibe the Ekka site. We have created interactive Green Room/ VIP for years for different festivals including Sounds of Spring, Livid and Big Day Out.
Q: How are you planning to execute the art/ theme?
Collaborating with artists, designers and makers  to create a street party with great music, art, atmosphere and stilt walkers. This is the year of the big balloon, Brisbane Comics, upcycled furniture with a stencilled twist, fresh flowers and text.

Q: Who is involved?
The theme team are Brisbane artists, designers, VJs, signwriters, comic book artists, poets, sculptors, makers and stilt walkers taking over the laneway of Alexandria St. Rob Corless, Barek and Frank + Mimi are some of the featured artists and will have  a range of their work scaled over the site.

Q: What do art and music mean to you?
Culture. It is an exciting time to be living in the zeitgeist of the Brisbane music and art scene. There is a history of healthy collaborations that saw festivals like Livid begin the movement that keeps us all entertained and employed.  

Q: Have you done anything similar before?
Our business has a broad range focussing on Architecture, Art, Education & Permaculture — so every job takes us in different directions. We teach, design, make and install and work with all ages. Recently we have worked with Education Queensland and State Library on living walls, edible sculptures and interactive food systems.

Q: What do you want people to say when they see what you’ve created?
I would like people to walk away having experienced a moment of wonderment. If they are lucky, they will have keepsakes from free art Friday, been switched onto Brisbane comics/ streetart, or never look at a balloon in the same way again.  

Q: What are your skills and how are you utilising them at Laneway?
Nico is an architect and designer, so is great with spaces and is a killer installer. Ky has an eye for fine craftsmanship and loves to create theme teams to share resources, skills and ideas with an ethical overview. After Laneway, the furniture gets recycled to local primary schools, or to not-for-profit organisations that need resources.

Q: If you could collaborate and make art with any musician — who would it be and why?
Pussy Riot who were arrested on charges of hooliganism and have two of their members currently living in prison camps in Russia. Why? Because we are so lucky to  live in a time and place to be able to think and express what we believe.

For more information on the theme team.
brisbane.lanewayfestival.com.au/show-day/art/ or dwdc.com.au

Australian hip hop tends to take no prisoners. It’s pretty raw and gritty a lot of the time, as is the case with Cheap Sober, who has recently released his second album, ‘Gone Unnoticed’. But the NSW emcee isn’t necessarily about keeping the status quo.

“I wanted to add something original to the scene,” describes the lad from Illawarra. “I wanted to bring my own sound to what I was doing to be honest.”

First getting involved with music as a youngster by listening to the golden era of hip hop — artists he names are Mobb Deep and Wu-Tang Clan — Cheap Sober describes the inspiration he received and why as a result, he wanted to pursue music more seriously.

“There was this youth centre near where I lived and they had all sorts of different types of musical equipment, and they encouraged the kids to learn how to use it. I was pretty curious and recorded something when I was about 16 years old, and I really quite enjoyed it. From there, I bought some gear for myself and decided to take things a little more seriously.”

With his apprenticeship completed, Cheap Sober is now promoting the release of ‘Gone Unnoticed’.

“It did take quite a while to get through it,” he explains. “There were a few things that came up in my life that sort of held me back from doing music for a while too. So I'd say it took me from around 2010 to 2012 to produce and complete the album.”
That said, an album that evolves over a period like that, is bound to have depth and diversity.

“For sure,” agrees Cheap. “I think there is balance on the album. It took me probably twice as long to finish as I thought it might. I also ended up doing about twice as many tracks in the studio versus what actually ended up on the LP. I had to pick and choose the ones I liked most to really get the result I wanted.”

All in all, Sober considers making music something of an emotional outlet.

“If I want to get something off my mind or have something to do or have something to say, music is where I'm at. It has helped me deal with anger and frustration, get things out of my mind, and it has also made me feel better about myself. To see and hear people listening to your music saying that they're feeling it and all that — or even that it helped them through something — that's really positive.”

The production of ‘Gone Unnoticed’ was taken care of by a number of his compatriots, both locals and from overseas. Likewise, the sound is diverse and unique.

“I've got this group of contacts that I've picked up from all over the place and I've kind of leaned on that for the album. To be honest, I wasn't too fussed where the producers were from or what they'd done before — as long as they brought the fire for this release!”

Yet not to be outdone, Sober is also back in the studio working on another EP, just to tempt the appetite of his fans.

“I just want to keep the buzz happening,” he says. “After that, I will have a break for six months and then start thinking about the next album. It's probably not something I'm taking as seriously as the album, so it was a little more fun to do, but I am still serious about it and looking forward to that release as well.”

Finally on the tour, he is ready to promote the album and suggests that it's going to be a much more lively than it was in the past.

“Tracks like ‘Puzzles’ are going to be a bit deeper, and there are some others I've re-done a bit too. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's responses to that. I've also got a great set of support acts that are coming to help out so it's going to be a high-energy show for sure.”

‘Gone Unnoticed’ Is Out Now. Stay Tuned For Details Of Cheap Sober’s Brisbane Show. Facebook.Com/Cheapsober

UK indie dance gods Friendly Fires have been receiving rapturous praise for their entry in the popular 'Late Night Tales' series. Of course, it's not the first mix they've ever compiled.

A mixtape was always an indie boy's delight," guitarist Edd Gibson laughs, "if you were trying to impress a girl. Instead of talking or actually interacting with her, you could just make a mixtape from afar... I was so painfully shy that I wouldn't actually be able to ask afterwards whether it had gone down well. Sometimes, they would volunteer that they enjoyed it. Other times it was just never spoken of, which was really quite scary."

It's a scary process Gibson won't have to go through again. Now, upon meeting a girl, he can simply hand her a copy of 'Late Night Tales 30' and claim he made it for her. "Exactly!" he laughs. "That's all I want. And hopefully other people can just rip it off and pass it off as their own, and with any luck we'll put some awkward teenagers together."

More than just impressing gullible girls and awkward teens, however, the compilation — a gloriously eclectic selection, prone to taking left turns from proto house to art pop to anthemic porn disco — has been given the nod by the critics, even landing a spot in MixMag's list of the Top 10 compilations of 2012.

"Ooh, really?" Edd asks, genuinely surprised. “I had no idea about that. That sounds pretty good. I'm flattered. It's odd, actually, because it didn't feel like we were putting a mix together, as such. We were just choosing our favourite songs, and that was difficult when there were three of us trying to put an hour's worth of music together. We were all being quite selfish and just trying to include songs that we personally enjoyed. It took a lot of pushing and pulling... [but] it never descended into physical violence."

Despite having to incorporate three visions into one mix — and despite the legal hassles involved in clearing their chosen tunes — the end result is something that Edd is happy to call his own.

"I really like putting the compilation on [at home], actually," he admits. "It's rare that I would listen to something we've made, but I suppose in many ways we haven't really done anything, we've just been given this easy task of picking other people's music and putting it together. So it's a pleasure to listen to it again and again.

"You know, it's so hard to pick 20 of your favourite songs of all time, so you just have to pick what's exciting you at the moment. 'Late Night Tales' is quite a weird brief. We just thought of it as what you might like to listen to when you come back home after a heavy night, something that is a little more warming for the soul. I mean, there are thousands and thousands of compilations that we could have made, but this is the one that happened to fall into place."

'late Night Tales 30' Is Available Now.

An entrenched figure of the West Coast electronic underground, this is Mr Rogers first time in Australia.

“I’ve noticed there are almost two electronic scenes happening out here — I guess it’s kind of happening everywhere these days. It’s becoming more and more polarised I think, but I definitely think the underground festival circuit is my favourite place.”
Originally starting out as a psy-trance DJ, Mr Rogers branched out into the world of production, and he’s never looked back.

“Once I started producing, it’s all I really wanted to do I guess,” he explains. “It was kinda a strange style that I was working with, so it was hard to find other music that would really fit into my sets.”
The next step was cultivating an entire set from his own original productions. Now Mr Rogers is known for only playing his own material.

“The psy-trance that I did play when I was a psy-trance DJ was the fun, weird, wacky stuff, kinda mischievous, like quirky things,” he says by way of explaining the evolution of his very original psychedelic, funky glitch-ridden breakbeat style. “I do like to get up there and play 100 percent of my own stuff, for sure. It feels good.”

Now he’s ready to showcase the Mr Rogers style to the patrons of Earth Frequency. “I just really want everyone around me to be having a good time. I feel like that’s kinda the reason why everyone goes out in the first place, to have fun.”
With fun at the top of his agenda, Mr Rogers has no time for his own ego.

“I think maybe being a DJ or a producer has an 'ego' attached to it sometimes. And to me it seems like maybe some people just are afraid to do something fun; they would rather make sure that they're being cool. I don't mean to trash-talk any fellow DJs or anything, I just think there's a lot of ego attached with being a DJ.”

Mr Rogers Brings His Groove To The Earth Frequency Festival February 15-18. Earthfrequency.Com.Au

With the third volume of his popular ‘The Art Of’ compilation already released, legendary Dutch electronic DJ Marco V is happy with the results.

"I've done a lot of mix compilations in the past, but on this one I really wanted to show the people a reflection of my DJ set — the energetic stuff that I always play in the clubs," he says.
With remixes of artists like Fedde le Grand, Digitalism and Punk Ninja — to name just a few — it’s definitely a diverse collection of tunes.

"There are a few older tracks, and a lot of new stuff on it, but still, it’s a lot of music I play in almost every set, so it gives a good reflection of what you can expect when you see a Marco V DJ set.”
With modern technology saturating the DJ landscape these days, showing diversity and building a brand is important for a DJ’s survival.

"A mix compilation is a big help,"  agrees Marco. "I think it’s important, because people like to link a DJ to a track, a concept or to a label, also label nights. It’s really the thing of the moment right now so yeah, I think it’s really important to have a link to a few things."

Social media is important to him as well.

"The thing that I like about social media is that it’s so direct, you're so connected now with people that like your music. Before you had to go through management and everything — you're so connected now with people that like your music. It’s so easy, but I don't like to spit out a lot of information. I'm in the studio, you know.”

Marco is a big fan of his Australian supporters too. "In general, the crowds in Australia are one of the best in the world,” he says. "They're passionate about the music. When I play my own tracks, you already get a good crowd reaction because they know them. That’s great as a DJ, because you don't have to play the 'same old same old' stuff. It’s not always about the big tunes in Australia, it's an educated crowd.”

It's probably just as well that we're musically educated, with more music than ever before being mashed together.

"I don't know if there is a tech-trance scene at the moment, or a trance scene. At the moment the whole music scene is so blended — what's called house is so trancy at the moment. Even the trance productions are more house influenced.”
But that ever-diversifying nature of music is something that suits Marco.

"It’s something that I always liked. If you've been longer in the scene, you like more diverse stuff. It's also a reflection of my mix CDs and my DJing; it’s about every style of music. That’s what I like.”
Clearly at ease with what he's achieved, Marco will remain busy throughout 2013.

"I got a couple of new tracks, some vocal tracks, some collaborations. I get a lot of inspiration when I'm DJing. My DJ sets are my biggest inspiration for producing music.”

And that's why his ‘...Art Of’ releases are doing well, because essentially, it’s him doing what he loves most. "It’s fantastic as a DJ, when you play one of your own tracks and people go nuts — it’s what you work for in the studio.”

With the third volume of his popular ‘The Art Of’ compilation already released, legendary Dutch electronic DJ Marco V is happy with the results.

"I've done a lot of mix compilations in the past, but on this one I really wanted to show the people a reflection of my DJ set — the energetic stuff that I always play in the clubs," he says.
With remixes of artists like Fedde le Grand, Digitalism and Punk Ninja — to name just a few — it’s definitely a diverse collection of tunes.

"There are a few older tracks, and a lot of new stuff on it, but still, it’s a lot of music I play in almost every set, so it gives a good reflection of what you can expect when you see a Marco V DJ set.”
With modern technology saturating the DJ landscape these days, showing diversity and building a brand is important for a DJ’s survival.

"A mix compilation is a big help,"  agrees Marco. "I think it’s important, because people like to link a DJ to a track, a concept or to a label, also label nights. It’s really the thing of the moment right now so yeah, I think it’s really important to have a link to a few things."

Social media is important to him as well.

"The thing that I like about social media is that it’s so direct, you're so connected now with people that like your music. Before you had to go through management and everything — you're so connected now with people that like your music. It’s so easy, but I don't like to spit out a lot of information. I'm in the studio, you know.”

Marco is a big fan of his Australian supporters too. "In general, the crowds in Australia are one of the best in the world,” he says. "They're passionate about the music. When I play my own tracks, you already get a good crowd reaction because they know them. That’s great as a DJ, because you don't have to play the 'same old same old' stuff. It’s not always about the big tunes in Australia, it's an educated crowd.”

It's probably just as well that we're musically educated, with more music than ever before being mashed together.

"I don't know if there is a tech-trance scene at the moment, or a trance scene. At the moment the whole music scene is so blended — what's called house is so trancy at the moment. Even the trance productions are more house influenced.”
But that ever-diversifying nature of music is something that suits Marco.

"It’s something that I always liked. If you've been longer in the scene, you like more diverse stuff. It's also a reflection of my mix CDs and my DJing; it’s about every style of music. That’s what I like.”
Clearly at ease with what he's achieved, Marco will remain busy throughout 2013.

"I got a couple of new tracks, some vocal tracks, some collaborations. I get a lot of inspiration when I'm DJing. My DJ sets are my biggest inspiration for producing music.”

And that's why his ‘...Art Of’ releases are doing well, because essentially, it’s him doing what he loves most. "It’s fantastic as a DJ, when you play one of your own tracks and people go nuts — it’s what you work for in the studio.”

With the third volume of his popular ‘The Art Of’ compilation already released, legendary Dutch electronic DJ Marco V is happy with the results.

"I've done a lot of mix compilations in the past, but on this one I really wanted to show the people a reflection of my DJ set — the energetic stuff that I always play in the clubs," he says.
With remixes of artists like Fedde le Grand, Digitalism and Punk Ninja — to name just a few — it’s definitely a diverse collection of tunes.

"There are a few older tracks, and a lot of new stuff on it, but still, it’s a lot of music I play in almost every set, so it gives a good reflection of what you can expect when you see a Marco V DJ set.”
With modern technology saturating the DJ landscape these days, showing diversity and building a brand is important for a DJ’s survival.

"A mix compilation is a big help,"  agrees Marco. "I think it’s important, because people like to link a DJ to a track, a concept or to a label, also label nights. It’s really the thing of the moment right now so yeah, I think it’s really important to have a link to a few things."

Social media is important to him as well.

"The thing that I like about social media is that it’s so direct, you're so connected now with people that like your music. Before you had to go through management and everything — you're so connected now with people that like your music. It’s so easy, but I don't like to spit out a lot of information. I'm in the studio, you know.”

Marco is a big fan of his Australian supporters too. "In general, the crowds in Australia are one of the best in the world,” he says. "They're passionate about the music. When I play my own tracks, you already get a good crowd reaction because they know them. That’s great as a DJ, because you don't have to play the 'same old same old' stuff. It’s not always about the big tunes in Australia, it's an educated crowd.”

It's probably just as well that we're musically educated, with more music than ever before being mashed together.

"I don't know if there is a tech-trance scene at the moment, or a trance scene. At the moment the whole music scene is so blended — what's called house is so trancy at the moment. Even the trance productions are more house influenced.”
But that ever-diversifying nature of music is something that suits Marco.

"It’s something that I always liked. If you've been longer in the scene, you like more diverse stuff. It's also a reflection of my mix CDs and my DJing; it’s about every style of music. That’s what I like.”
Clearly at ease with what he's achieved, Marco will remain busy throughout 2013.

"I got a couple of new tracks, some vocal tracks, some collaborations. I get a lot of inspiration when I'm DJing. My DJ sets are my biggest inspiration for producing music.”
And that's why his ‘...Art Of’ releases are doing well, because essentially, it’s him doing what he loves most. "It’s fantastic as a DJ, when you play one of your own tracks and people go nuts — it’s what you work for in the studio.”

‘Marco V Presents T.A.O VOL 3’ is out now.