Interview with DJ Ember

Ember is a regular in the Sydney club scene with a versatile style that gets people up and dancing. He travels cross country regularly to entertain crowds at the hottest party spots, and has just been nominated for an inthemix 50 People’s Choice Award. We spoke to him ahead of his Queen’s Birthday long weekend set about the Australian electronic scene, the DJ lifestyle and more...

What tracks are you listening to on repeat this weekend?

A$AP Rocky - ‘L$D,’ the whole At.Long.Last album, and some Kendrick Lamar / Schoolboy Q, I’ve had Oxymoron back on repeat again all week.

What can we expect from your set on the Queen's Birthday Long Weekend at Sunday Long Day?

Looking forward to changing it up a bit. It’s my first time playing at The Collaroy, so I’m pretty excited. Keen to play a bit more Sunday friendly and get some house on in there, but we’ll see how things go on the day.

How has the Australian electronic scene changed since you started DJing?

It’s definitely become a lot faster. With the introduction of so much technology it’s made it a lot easier for a broader range of people to get involved. It used to be a lot less affordable to start off as a DJ or musician. Music was expensive to buy and took a lot more time and effort to collect. Now, a song can be sent around the world at the click of a button. It’s added a whole new level of diversity to the scene, and given people with ideas the ability to create and explore a lot more easily, it’s great.

Whose set are you hoping to catch at The Collaroy Sunday Long Day?

KLP! Super talented, knows her music, and I haven’t had a chance to catch a set of hers in ages.

What's the most annoying thing someone has said or done to you on the decks?

That’s a long list. Drinks spilling on equipment or people pulling out power cords are always some of the first things that come to mind. That or people who spend less time enjoying themselves and more time hounding you for music you don’t have on hand would be right up there. But it all comes with the territory.

What's your secret for enduring the DJ lifestyle?

Sleeping when you can. Especially when you’re travelling a lot. I still can’t sleep on planes but it’s one thing I need to learn this year. That, and having your ear to the ground with music, basically.

What are you looking forward to coming up in 2015?

Working on a couple of new projects and a few tours happening over the second half of the year, which are all coming together super fast, but it’s all still under wraps. Other than that; taking each weekend as it comes and enjoying a few beers over the long weekend.

Published on theAUReview.