Australia is a breeding ground for talented young producers of world class quality. Canberra native Vance Musgrove is just one of many leading this pack, a new breed of talented musicians paving the way for the music of the future.

He has had a big year, with high profile, saught after releases on international labels, DJing around the country and that pesky degree to study for! Get the inside scoop on what is pushing his buttons, here, as always on Freshdisko.

Bing: What sort of music is pushing your buttons at the minute?

Vance: A lot of different stuff actually. I’m tending to move away from what would now be called “progressive house” because there’s a ton of very average records with that sound which all end up sounding the same in the end. I tend to get bored very easily so I’m currently hunting around for interesting records which sound different and are pushing new ideas, and invariably I’ve found myself buying techier records because it seems to me that’s where more of the innovation lies.
Aussie music too has always stood out as being fresh and taking things in a slightly different direction so I’ve been lapping up whatever aussie stuff I can lay my hands on lately.

B: I read a few months back that you lost a bunch of songs you had written when your computer crashed. Have you made up that lost ground or are they gone forever?

V: About 4 or 5 song ideas have been lost to the ether unfortunately. Most were little more than 2 minute loops but I’d still spent a lot of time on them and it hasn’t been easy trying to recreate what I had to start with. One tune in particular was about 90 percent finished and I thought I’d lost the whole thing, but I’ve since found a really early version of it which needs a lot of work to bring back up to that standard.
All those tunes will eventually be done, but I’ve gotten sidetracked onto other new stuff since then so it will take me a while to get back to them.

B: We were first introduced to your sound in 02 with your Vapour release Squelch, will you be working with the label again in the future? You have caused quite a buzz this year with Lids Off/Elemental and your Raincry remix, what is in store for 2004?

V: I don’t have anything slated for release on Vapour at the moment, but something may happen in the future. The release of Elemental was really great in opening doors for me, and the Raincry mix is being received really well, and I’m definitely looking to build on the opportunities those records have given me. A lot of stuff is in the pipeline, including a few collaborations with other talented Canberra artists like Nash T (a.k.a. Bluephaze) and Ross McGrath, as well as remixes and some new original material.

B: What are your three absolute favourite tracks at the minute?

V: 1) The Operators – Fuhrball: Phil K, Habersham & Dave Preston busting out an absolutely storming futuristic breaks masterpiece. Funky-as-hell next-level brilliance.

2) Carsten Fietz – Boxmusic EP: Fantastic 4-tracker of lovely atmospheric tech-house, with the emphasis on tech… Lush!!

3) Joshua Collins – Token Ring EP: The A-side is the exact definition of how to make a deep record work on a dancefloor… deep but BIG!

B: Who are your favourite producers and what is the magic x factor that makes them stand out?

V: Aussie producers are definitely the ones making the most interesting music for my money at the moment. The usual suspects like Phil K, Luke Chable, Ivan Gough, Nubreed and Infusion are rocking it. What makes them stand out is that they’re all bringing new ideas to the table… new sounds, new arrangements, new ideas make their work stand out and take it to the next level. They all know what funk is and how to milk it for all it’s worth, and I think the world is starting to take more and more notice of the fact that we’re doing something new and exciting down here.

B:How do you separate yourself from other DJ’s on the same bill as you?

V: Sometimes very ineffectively! :) I tend to concentrate on a deeper sound than a lot of DJs in Canberra, so it’s not really been that difficult to distinguish myself generally. I key all my records as well, so...

B: Tell us about your first ever gig. Do you remember what you played, what the scene was like back then, how many people were there and whether you nailed it?

V: My first gig was a baptism of fire. It was a very last-minute opening set when Anthony Pappa visited Canberra in early 2000. I honestly can’t remember if I played well or not, but I do remember forgetting my headphones and taking the needle off the wrong record at some point. The Canberra scene was very healthy at that stage, the seminal Canberra prog night “Positive” (co-run by Jono Fernandez) was at the height of its popularity, and the more underground side of prog had a healthy following. Things have changed a lot since then, but at that time the scene was fantastic.

B: And your most memorable performance so far?

V: Well how could you go past supporting Sasha for a memorable performance. It was the biggest party I’ve played to date, the best vibe and the biggest spectacle. It was definitely a learning experience!

B: With Australia enjoying a huge abundance of local DJ talent, how did you break through as a DJ, how difficult was it and what advice would you give others trying to follow in your footsteps?

V: I was a little lucky in getting my break. I was good mates with Jono Fernandez’s brother going through school, and I got into dance in the first place from listening to tapes that he’d nicked off Jono. Once I’d caught the bug, it was obviously simple to get my first demo to Jono, and things went from there. Nowadays its harder – the scene is far less underground than it was back then, and making yourself stand out is way harder. You’d think the internet would make the process easier, but every bedroom banger has cottoned on and has 1001 mixes online. It’s easier now to make yourself visible in the scene, but the buck stops with the music and that’s still the most important element of DJing. If you wanna break through, do something a little different and make people take notice.

B: What inspires you?

V: Too many things to list really. Other music is definitely an inspiration, I was classically trained in piano from the age of 4 and classical music has always been a great inspiration for me. It’s strange where u can get ideas from though. The big Canberra Bushfire in January this year came really close to us, and in the week or so after that I wrote quite a lot of stuff, most of which is gone now though thanks to the hard drive crash unfortunately.

B: Which movie would you recommend everyone watch at least once?

V: Again there are too many to list here. I’ve always loved The Fifth Element, everything about it oozes cool – the story, the look, the soundtrack are all brilliant.

Vance will be appearing at the Dance Music Society New Years Eve bash at the Uni alongside industry heavy weights, Infusion. For more info check the Club Guide.