ADJF Interview: Simon Murphy (by Cupe)

[Cupe]

Hi Simon, thanks for taking part in the interview.

No problem. Thanks for the opportunity.

First up, what gave you your first big break into the professional side of the industry?

Honestly it all kind of happened by accident. Considering I have been a music addict for as long as I can remember, it took me a lot longer than most to jump behind the decks. I had heaps of mates who were DJs and at that stage I was happy just being a punter and trainspotter. I had spent years doing street and club promotions, helping run events, writing event and music reviews, event photography and everything else in between, so was always very active in the Melbourne scene.

When a few things fell into place and I turned my music addiction into a full blown vinyl obessession, some of the people that I'd met along the way were kind enough to give me the opportunity to play at their events. Once I felt that I was ready to take the next step and play some gigs, I jumped at the opportunity.

Did anyone help you out along the way or were you more of a lone soldier?

My mate Alex (Alex Butler/Alex db) buying decks and us having the opportunity to teach ourselves from scratch was probably the biggest catalyst for me becoming a DJ which is something that I never intended. Alex bought the equipment and a bunch of old records and I knew the basic music and mixing theory. Neither of us had mixed at all. This gave us the chance to learn everything from the ground up rather than having someone looking over our shoulders telling us what to do. There was a lot of trial & error along with a fair few train wrecks haha. Alex and I had quite different tastes in music but were able to learn the basics and develop our own styles.

When I started buying records I immediately became a vinyl junkie and spent every Saturday morning digging through crates of records. I would spend the rest of the week playing them over and over until I knew every beat of every track. I finally bought my own decks and it was on!! I played every spare minute I had and then took the jump from the bedroom to the club with the support of people like Alex Butler, Aaron (Ozmusic - Elements), Taran & Jordz (Substance), Ben Evans (Interview), Dave Pham (F4), Matt Loki (Unstable Sounds) and a few more awesome mates. These people gave me the confidence I needed and I haven't looked back since.

What were the main influences in taking up the genre's you spin?

I probably have one of the most bizarre collections of music you will ever see. I have music from such a huge range of genres and have been collecting electronic music for well over a decade. In my massive collection I can always find something that perfectly suits my mood. Listening to such a diverse selection of music gives me inspiration as I try and incorporate the elements that stand out into the sets that I play.

I am also inspired by watching the artists and DJs that we are lucky enough to be able to catch each and every week in and around Melbourne. I still get goose bumps from amazing tunes. I still get on the dance floor as often as possible. I then try and add my own spin on all of these elements in my sets. I predominantly play techno, tech house and a touch of progressive but I find that I fuse in sounds from all across the electronic music spectrum. I'm basically a music nut who just loves playing the tunes I like, finding the perfect tune for the right time in a set and then if people like what I do then it's a bonus.

Are you happy playing out in Melburn for now?

Honestly, how could you not be happy playing in Melbourne? We have such a diverse scene that is of the highest quality. We really are spoilt for choice and to be a part of some of these amazing events is really rewarding. I still thank the promoters who put me on for letting me be involved. It is flattering that they have the confidence in me to let me be a part of what they have created. In the future I would love my DJing to reach greater heights but am still so thrilled to be where I am and look forward to bigger things in the future.

Ever looking to move to greener pastures in the future?

At this stage no. I plan to do some travelling so would love to incorporate some gigs along the way at some stage. Melbourne is my home though, and it has everything I could ask for, so no plans to move just yet.

Tell us the juicy details about your part in Space Pod at Syn Bar..

Space Pod is my mate Alex's (Alex Butler/Alex db) new project that is a weekly club night at Syn Bar starting on 4th February. It is going to be made up of a few likeminded DJs, spinning the tunes that they might not usually get to play, with the focus on having fun and keeping the punters dancing. There will be some of Melbourne's best DJs as well as some new faces. The night will move through a number of genres starting with some more mainstream house and electro before moving into some fun party tunes and then heading towards some progressive and techno later in the night. As a rotating resident, it'll be my job to play some tougher techno towards the end of the nights. I'm really looking forward to it.

What do you get upto besides DJ'ing?

I work in finance which is a far cry from the action packed Melbourne scene however I am in the lucky position that I get to listen to music most of the time whilst working. At work my day may be filled with tunes from downtempo hip hop or chill out tunes all the way through to thumping techno or wonky psy trance. It helps get me through the day but gets the occasional funny look haha. Other than that I have a great group of mates who supply endless entertainment. I also love getting away to the beach or whenever possible, heading to festivals in the bush. A few band or hip hop gigs thrown into the mix and i'm a happy camper.

And lastly I have to ask, why no supercool DJ name?

I'm not sure i'm supercool enough to have a supercool DJ name haha. In reality though, when I started to take my DJing seriously, I wanted to move away from the nickname that I'd previously been known as through the years in the scene. I wanted to make a fresh start as a DJ rather than just as the punter people already knew. Instead of coming up with a new nickname, and also to keep my work life and social life separate, I went for a hybrid between my real name and my mum's maiden name. It is kinda boring, but it achieves its purpose (although still confuses the hell out of some people who know me by my real name).

Upcoming gigs:

4th Feb - Space Pod @ Syn Bar - Rotating residency

11th Feb - Prognosis @ Loop Bar

25th Feb - Rush pres. Stoneface & Terminal @ Room

Cheers Simon!

[JonnyB]

nice on cupe, havnt fully red it yet, but will get onto it

[J0rdz]

Awesome interview! Questions are great and answered in depth

[Simon_Murphy]

Cheers for the interview guys. Appreciate the support!!!

[Cupe]

Welcome

[pulsebeat]

great interview

and welcome to the forum dude

[eggssell]

nice one chief

[Hobberz]

Thanks for the great read Cupe and Simon. Also welcome to ADJF Simon

[J0rdz]

Really love this section. Probably read this interview 3 or 4 times over.. haha