Everything old is new again. It has long been true with modern music and so too is it true with video games, with a reboot of the classic ultraviolent shooter DOOM having been released in recent weeks. Hard to believe it has been 23 years since the original, which I recall playing on my beloved 486 across a coax ARCnet LAN set up in my basement until the sun came up on many occasions.
IDDQD, those of you of a particular vintage may recall, was a code that could be typed in to the 1993 version of DOOM that would enter what was called god mode, whereby the player did not take damage from enemy fire or hazards, and could play the entire game through to the end without dying once. While astounding and immensely rewarding at first, IDDQD had the effect of stripping all of the risk, and therefore all of the fun, out of the game.
Real life is like that too. While there is a little voice in everyone that tries to talk us out of trying things that we might fail at, stripping away the challenge and possibility of failure also strips away the opportunity to truly enjoy a well fought victory. As Brickman et al figured out in the 1970s, winning the lottery is likely to make you miserable, while becoming a paraplegic in many ways makes life surprisingly enjoyable. Life, like DOOM, needs to be hard to be rewarding, even if sometimes we might lose a few men in the process.
In my experience, stress and boredom exist as opposite ends of a continuum. As such, professional development is the process by which we keep the goalposts apart – ensuring there is room to carve out a life between the things we find too boring to tolerate, and the things we find too difficult to deliver on.
For those who experience stress as excitement, the world can be a very exciting place. And for those who carry the burden of self-awareness, pushing the envelope can mean running a gauntlet of self-doubt. Thankfully, we tend to overestimate the extent to which others can perceive our state of mind. We are assessed not on our thoughts, but on our words and our actions. Managing the inner dialogue may be difficult, but it is truly a personal problem.
Lighting, temperature, humidity, sound and smell. Ambiance. Mood. Vibe. Feel. Every space, every place has its own unique character and dynamic, the sum total of the sensory input of being there. To me the best nightclubs always have more than one room, so that you can leave without leaving, and come back without having left. At Altitude on Russell St here in Melbourne it was the balcony. At the Rhino in Calgary it was upstairs, or if you were upstairs, it was downstairs. At Seven in Calgary it was the patio. Places like Fabric in London and The Guv in Toronto (RIP) are entire ecosystems of diverse space and intensity, and even Calgary microclub Habitat has its own equally intimate side room with its own feel and dynamic.
The place I live now also has its own separate spaces. The balcony is just a few steps away from the DJ booth, but it is a different space and feel entirely. And when the weather and neighbourhood cooperate, it really does provide us with an amazing bit of atmosphere.
Part of becoming an adult is learning impulse control. As we mature, we learn to fully consider the consequences of our actions. Over time we realise that what might feel good right now may not actually be in our best interest in the longer term, and that by spitting the dummy we may well be cutting off our nose to spite our face. Some of us learn this more readily than others, and some of us are better at defending against moments of weakness than others – but by and large, most of the time most of us are reasonably good at thinking things through a bit before we act.
With that said, there is something cathartic about giving in to impulse. The immediate payoff of immediate action, and the thrill of the risk associated with taking action in the heat of the moment are both pretty compelling, even if not always for the right reasons. This pleasure was reinforced recently during a series of arguments I had with a small kitchen appliance. Everyone has a breaking point.
I look back fondly on the 3+ years I spent living in Calgary, Canada. While I could write volumes on the many amazing people I met during my time there, Area709 patriarch Wes Straub stands out as someone who has really had a profound impact on my life. Without getting all misty eyed, lets just say he is a pretty good guy.
I was honoured to contribute a one hour guest mix to the 100th episode of 709 Sessions, the radio show Wes mixes for Digitally Imported Radio. The mix was broadcast around the world last month. Unlike most of the rest of my podcasts, this mix has been sequenced in Ableton Live, and so contains a number of edits and layers beyond what I could be able to mix live. Those with an ear for detail will appreciate that the first few minutes of the track include synced and processed audio captured during my most recent New Years party, where I road tested the rework that starts the mix off. Enjoy!
In 1965 the Byrds released a song that, drawing heavily from the Book of Ecclesiastes, equated the changing of seasons to the changing phases and fortunes of life. It is an apt metaphor.
As children we may have dreamed of being race car drivers or royalty. In our teenage years we wanted to be rock stars. Now as adult life brings forth its many opportunities and limitations, the goalposts and intended future paths shift further still. As a good friend returning home from a gig at 5AM a few weeks ago found out from his cab driver, everyone has their own opinion on what is age-appropriate when it comes to career and life choices.
Whether you are looking to leave your mark, live your dreams or leave it all behind and start again, decisions to change direction are never easy to make. At the same time, perseverance in the face of difficulty and doubt is critical to any long term success. Sometimes you need the courage to stick it out, sometimes you need the courage to make a change, and determining which path will pan out best is rarely easy. Perhaps The Clash had it right after all.
Australian wine country is truly spectacular. A few weeks ago, we were lucky enough to spend a long weekend on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, in a little town called Willunga. Nestled in the hills of McLaren Vale about 45 minutes south of Adelaide, Willunga is within spitting distance of more than a hundred wineries, and just a few km away from a number of beautiful beaches. It is also home to a pretty good pizzeria. My kind of place.
This mix was recorded a few days after our return.
Despite the rise of social media, there really is no substitute for face to face engagement with friends and family. As mentioned in a few recent podcast episode writeups, the tyranny of distance is a recurring theme for all of us with our hearts in more than one part of the world. As we are not yet blessed with the clear calendars and fat wallets needed to see our friends and family for more than what seem to be very fleeting moments, when the stars align and friends from far away are in town, little incentive is needed to drop everything else and bring forth a celebration, however brief it may be.
This mix is exactly that. An impromptu celebration of a very brief visit of a very good friend. It was mixed live on a lovely spring evening as the backdrop to spirited conversation and a long overdue reconnection.
Spring has finally arrived here in Melbourne. In fact, with temperatures forecast to rise above 35C in the coming days you could say that we have bypassed spring entirely and headed straight into summer. With the warmer weather comes the inclination to head out to the beach, and spend less time indoors.
I recently shared lunch with my good friend Marsh in Flagstaff Gardens, a lovely inner city park. We talked through how we find it hard to spend as much time as we might like working on our music. As a part of that conversation, we talked through how finding the time to do things is really about priorities.
In both our professional lives and our personal lives, there is never enough time to tick off everything on the extended to-do list – and so prioritisation becomes about trying to leave the right things undone. We may not have time to do everything we want, but as long as we can say we did what we felt was best at the time, then we should be at peace with the things we never got around to.
There is something about catching up with old friends that puts the passage of time into perspective. Our circumstances, locations, and priorities evolve as our lives move from one stage to the next, but I would like to think that our essential character remains the same. For this reason, there is a special magic in catching up with the wow-we-have-been-friends-for-a-while crew that is both irreplaceable and priceless.
Having moved halfway around the world, I do not get the chance to see my good friends in the northern hemisphere very often. As such when we are able to get together, we try to make the most of it.
This mix was recorded in Toronto on the last day of the August long weekend. I recently learned this holiday is called Simcoe Day. Four DJs, a high end sound system, friends from three continents and sweeping views of the Toronto skyline on a warm summer night made for a very special evening indeed.
For three and a half years I lived in Calgary, Canada. Tucked into the foothills of the sunny side of the Rocky Mountains, its a city full of lovely people, and a city with a buzzing dance music scene. Returning for a visit a few weeks ago I was honoured to be given the opportunity to play a two hour set on a Saturday night at my favourite place in town. With an incredible sound system, positive bar staff and a clued up clientele, Habitat Living Sound has for years been a centrepoint of the Western Canadian progressive house scene. It was a real buzz to play a proper set there again, and even better to see so many familiar faces. The evening was rounded out by Pallares and Isis Graham, and despite the jetlag it was a sensational evening.
This mix is the live recording of that set, recorded from the booth on Saturday, August 8. Regular listeners will likely recognise a few of these tunes, with this set pulled together to showcase for my Calgary friends the sort of music that has been stuck in my head since my last trip through town. Thanks again to Cary, Isis, and Cowtown. To many happy returns!
Just seven days until I fly back to Canada for two weeks. A week in Toronto with friends and family, a weekend gig in Calgary, and then the better part of the week in the mountains. Looking forward to the break and the upcoming adventure!
A guy named Max once told me that every record I fall in love with changes my sound as a DJ. As my music collection continues to grow and expand, I continue to fall in love with records, which is why I have invested in a new Stanton ST150 turntable. Along with the latest edition of my favourite elliptical stylus and some impressive record cleaner, my return to the ST150 has a bit of a nostalgic vibe to it. It is a great turntable to mix on physically, and in a dark room it is very easy on the eyes.
This mix is equal parts modern and nostalgic. With bits of vinyl both new and old, it has plenty of introspective melodic grooves for your next intercontinental trip.
There is something uniquely interesting about preparing to embark on international travel. The combination of project planning, packing, social arrangements, and general getting-in-order-of-things prior to departure provides a structured timeframe and sense of urgency that is sometimes missing from every day life. We may be OK being late for work now and then, but no one wants to miss a flight.
This mix was recorded in the spirit (and context) of preparing for an international trip. As befits the mode of transport, this mix is fast-paced, serious and energetic. It is as equally suitable for flying high above the clouds as it is for wistful contemplation at the beginning or end of your next adventure.
My good friend Kevin once explained that one of the secrets to success is having smart friends. Along similar lines, the secret to good podcasts is having friends with excellent taste in music. This mix contains more than a few gems that have found their way to me via the collections of others. From suggestions made during social get-togethers and mixes exchanged through to emailed promo links and folders left on my desktop, I am blessed with a pipeline full of amazing music.
It gives me no small amount of pleasure to explore these many suggested musical directions – so please keep them coming. At three hours long, this mix is the bounty of my most recent tune hunting expedition. Enjoy.
It has been said that just as art is used to decorate space, music is used to decorate time. Having just moved into a new place in Richmond six weeks ago, I am surrounded by a number of undecorated walls, with frames leaning up against the walls in proposed locations. We have yet to get up the courage to take hammer and nail to wall, but I suspect the time is coming soon.
Thankfully we have not been as delayed in setting up our sound system. As such, Episode 030 of MFSA is the first mix recorded in the new place. Recorded at a time of year when those here in the southern hemisphere are feeling the chill of autumn while those in the northern hemisphere are yet to fully feel the warmth of the summer, it has a bit of a cool weather theme happening. (DA in Dubai and J+S in India, you may need to sit in front of an air conditioner!)
Everything old is new again. It has long been true with modern music and so too is it true with video games, with a reboot of the classic ultraviolent shooter DOOM having been released in recent weeks. Hard to believe it has been 23 years since the original, which I recall playing on my beloved 486 across a coax ARCnet LAN set up in my basement until the sun came up on many occasions.
Despite the rise of social media, there really is no substitute for face to face engagement with friends and family. As mentioned in a few recent podcast episode writeups, the tyranny of distance is a recurring theme for all of us with our hearts in more than one part of the world. As we are not yet blessed with the clear calendars and fat wallets needed to see our friends and family for more than what seem to be very fleeting moments, when the stars align and friends from far away are in town, little incentive is needed to drop everything else and bring forth a celebration, however brief it may be.
Spring has finally arrived here in Melbourne. In fact, with temperatures forecast to rise above 35C in the coming days you could say that we have bypassed spring entirely and headed straight into summer. With the warmer weather comes the inclination to head out to the beach, and spend less time indoors.
For three and a half years I lived in Calgary, Canada. Tucked into the foothills of the sunny side of the Rocky Mountains, its a city full of lovely people, and a city with a buzzing dance music scene. Returning for a visit a few weeks ago I was honoured to be given the opportunity to play a two hour set on a Saturday night at my favourite place in town. With an incredible sound system, positive bar staff and a clued up clientele, Habitat Living Sound has for years been a centrepoint of the Western Canadian progressive house scene. It was a real buzz to play a proper set there again, and even better to see so many familiar faces. The evening was rounded out by Pallares and Isis Graham, and despite the jetlag it was a sensational evening.
There is something uniquely interesting about preparing to embark on international travel. The combination of project planning, packing, social arrangements, and general getting-in-order-of-things prior to departure provides a structured timeframe and sense of urgency that is sometimes missing from every day life. We may be OK being late for work now and then, but no one wants to miss a flight.
My good friend Kevin once explained that one of the secrets to success is having smart friends. Along similar lines, the secret to good podcasts is having friends with excellent taste in music. This mix contains more than a few gems that have found their way to me via the collections of others. From suggestions made during social get-togethers and mixes exchanged through to emailed promo links and folders left on my desktop, I am blessed with a pipeline full of amazing music.