DJ Dusk was a TOP 10 finalist in EMI's She Can DJ competition after being selected as one of the best female DJ's in Australia & NZ by the major label. Since winning the UK's DJ MAG International Pick n Mix competition, Dusk has seen a long list of accolades, bookings, killer sets and production credits fall underneath her name including initiating her own take on boosting the female DJ scene in an event called "Tribe back in '04", a collaboration of female DJs, MCs and artists performing to a backdrop of breaks, drum n bass and hip hop. Continuing to champion female DJs, Dusk helped initiate the all-female house, breaks & electro night Booty Beats at pioneering house club Savvy Bar, also being invited to join the Adelaide Breaks Collective as official promotion representative and resident DJ. Later that year, she picked up 2 nominations at the South Australian Dance Music Awards as a Breaks DJ, and for her specialist radio show with Fresh FM. Dusk is know for her ability to transcend the genres of house, techno, and breakbeats.
Internationally, Dusk spent a few years bringing her sound to France, Germany, the UK, Beijing, New Zealand, Phnom Penh, Kuala Lumpur, and Kota Kinabalu, and in 2011 alone, she hit the international circuit once more with performances in Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Germany, Greek Islands, Thailand, and Hong Kong, finally headlining the Cairo Nights event in the Egyptian capital. Based in Thailand in late 2011, Dusk was resident DJ in some of Koh Samui's most prominent venues including Solo Bar and Fusion.
More recently the Aussie DJ has been working on original productions within the Techno genre. Tours across South East Asia have seen Dusk move into playing deep house , tech house and techno sets across the underground party scenes in Phuket and Koh Phangan. Experimenting across genres and defying categories, Dusk continues to work on writing original works, and to travel the world performing with a unique interpretation and blending of the genres.
What is your Koh Phangan story? What projects did you make here on Phangan?
I came to Koh Phangan in April to play a DJ set at Jungle Experience
What do you feel you can bring to the Phangan scene?
As an Australian and a female DJ, I can bring my own interpretation of music to Koh Phangan. On the island I played a set of deeper tunes and built it up a bit with some more banging tech house tunes later on, I was really happy with the response I received from the crowd and from some of the staff at Jungle Experience. It’s always great to hear that people are enjoying the music, and knowing that you have played a role in their great party experience.
What are projects are you currently involved with / what are your next projects?
I’m currently looking to spend more time writing and producing my own music. Progressing with guitar and familiarising myself with higher level production software, I feel like now is the time for me to get serious about pursuing artistic endeavours that have been on the cards for many years. I have a lot of ideas about the style of music I hope to create and this is likely to blend soulful vocals (another area I hope to develop), acoustic string instruments, and techno-based electronic drums and synths. I am in the process of writing a series of songs with my guitar that I hope will translate onto an electronic format. I began producing Drum N Bass many years ago, but my most recent production projects have leaned more towards Techno. I have been involved with so many genres over the years I expect my next work to have elements of many styles, including breakbeat. I don’t like to be pigeon-holed or forced into one category when it comes to music.
Do you have future plans on Phangan?
I loved my time on Phangan I hope very much that somebody invites me again to come and perform on the island. I’ve spent quite a bit of time on Samui and Phuket, but Phangan definitely has its’ own vibe going on. Would love to come back soon and explore it much more. Any clubs or event organisers interested in having me play please get in touch! I’d like to perhaps stay a week or 3 next time, really soak up the culture of the island and get to know its locals. I was lucky enough to meet some of the other expat DJ’s on the island, and would like to meet many others. I know a lot of producers and hardcore music lovers are based there, which means there are opportunities for different collaborations and artistic endeavours.
Do you find Koh Phangan to be a good place for your project/s?
I find that Phangan is the perfect place for what I am doing musically, underground music lovers fill the island. In Australia, the music scene has become increasingly commercialised over the past few years, it is harder to find venues now that showcase underground DJs and genres such as Techno. I find that Phangan specifically has a thriving underground music scene, Techno and underground house styles are the majority of what is played at events which is a complete breath of fresh air for me. It is so satisfying as a DJ to play exactly the style of music that I love, to have artistic licence to go off on whatever tangent I feel like, as this is not as common in Australia. I think the large presence of European and American DJ’s on the Thai islands is the reason for this, and no DJ should ever take for granted the experience of playing music that they love to a deeply gracious audience. After more than a decade of performing around the world as a DJ this is still very humbling. The laid back vibe of many of the people I met is another aspect that tells me I would fit in pretty well in Phangan.
Where is your favourite place here?
Unfortunately I was only in Phangan for 2 nights, so I only know Jungle Experience! But I loved it.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
USA? UK? Europe? Thailand? I have no idea… I don’t like to plan too far in advance, but I know for sure that my life will probably be spent traveling. I hope that I will be more focussed on writing original music.
What is your life philosophy?
Life is happening now. I think it’s easy to get caught up in planning for the future, or saving for a holiday, particularly in Western societies. Working too much in hope that you can reap the benefits later is a common lifestyle. But I believe it’s important to recognise that life is happening right at this moment, and so we need to find joy and satisfaction today, in our everyday lives. Carpe Diem.
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