Australia Afterthoughts

[Greg Wilson]

Got back from Australia a couple of days ago. Went over for the Red Bull Academy and a trio of DJ dates in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney. Had a great time and already planning a return next summer, when I also hope to take in Perth and Brisbane, as well as Auckland and Wellington in NZ.

The whole Red Bull thing is very impressive – so much preparation and attention to detail (not to mention funding) goes into it all. The students really know their stuff as well, and it was an absolute pleasure to be invited across to give a talk (on UK dance culture pre-House) and host an editing demo (old school style on reel-to-reel).

The club dates went brilliantly – having now played in New York, Australia and various European countries, it’s clear that the underground scene is undoubtedly global. The internet has truly revolutionised the way were all inter-connecting and even though I was on the other side of the World, I met so many people on a similar wavelength.

As a relatively new country with a multi-cultural vibe, I’ve a feeling that Australia is primed to really make its mark. Despite not having the direct connections with black culture that have had such a huge influence in the US and UK, a younger generation is now retrospectively embracing the dance music of the 70’s and 80’s, taking in new (old) influences. There’s a melting pot bubbling away, which I’m sure will result in some really interesting groove fusion.

Having spent a few weeks over there, I’m more confident than ever that we’re entering an exciting new era for dance culture. There are definite parallels with the early 80’s when the supposed death of Disco allowed dance music the necessary space to explore new hybrid forms in a more fertile underground environment. However, whilst this was mainly centred around New York, nowadays the geography is less important – the scene being globalized, rather than regionalized.

As Ian Brown once famously said (paraphrasing Rakim), ‘it’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re at’ – words that resonate more strongly today than ever.