Interview: @Bones (Max Membrey)

Our next selector is another DJ smashing the Naarm scene at the moment, making a current name for himself Bones has pulled bookings at places such as Circus Bar & Hyper Hype just to name a few & we could probably catch him playing soon @ some more places. Bones told us recently that he enjoys watching his friends such as Sam Alfred & Bella Claxton for example dominate the floor instead of actually playing.

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We recently caught up with this legend & got to speak about all things music & how his pathway started to how it is going now!

Q & A:

Question 1: When did the drive to start mixing and being involved in Dance music be a big thing for you in your life?

A: I was heavy into melbourne bounce since the early high school days so in that sense i’ve been listening to dance music for a while. once i moved to melbourne and started going out i started exploring more avenues like tech house and industrial techno and that’s what i started mixing pretty much. i first learnt to spin when i lived at a student accomodation when one of my mates had decks and i thought it was so cool. he taught me to start with and then over the first lockdown i locked in and learnt pretty quickly

Question 2: How much do you think a crowd has control over your choice of track selection?

A: I find it really depends on what time your playing, who you’re supporting and what event it is too. perfect example is hyper hype. everyone’s there to listen to techno so even when i was opening for it, it was ramped up at the start. big thanks to one of my best mates bella for that.

Question 3: Who has given you the drive to get where you are today?

A: Just seeing my mates do well really. got some incredibly talented friends like sam, bella, stum, ricky nord, willem, oots, mistr dean, just to name a few, who are going bananas right now so watching them do well gets me inspired to play a bit more. but i almost have more fun watching them then playing to be honest. always think it’d be cool to play to crowds with energy like that but at the same time i’m content watching them do their thing which is also just as fun.

Question 4: What is the key to mixing in your opinion?

A: Track selection. if you have good track selection for the right environment and how everyone’s feeling then you’re on the money. that’s the main thing i try focus on when playing really.

Question 5: Favorite set to date or favorite venue?

A: Would have to be my first ever set at dr daytime down in Geelong. was a beautiful summers day and so many of my mates made the trip to Geelong for the opener and it was decently full early. was so much fun. in terms of favourite set i’ve seen i think it might be xclub at their preston warehouse gig, roza terenzi at smalltown or schacke at react. so many options to choose from regarding sets i’ve seen but those are two that come to the top of my head for this year at least that were unbelievable.

Question 6: Favorite track?

A: This is such a hard question. in terms of electronic music i reckon it’s this old deleted 2x2a song called i want u more. only version of it still available is a repost on soundcloud. only has 600 plays but hell i reckon i’ve been the majority of them since i found the repost years ago. a problem i have is i find my new fav song and just play it til i can’t stand it as well as i love changing up my sound so it’s hard for me to have an all time favourite.

Question 7: Who inspires you?

A: At the moment biggest inspirations are probably alt8, chlar, baugrupee90 and salute. as well as pretty much any old hard groove tracks. been super into the first 3 lately for their massive tracks and just to get pumped up. and then of course all my friends too.

Question 8: What is one piece of advice you can give to those just starting in the industry?

A: Make good connections. ends up a lot of the time the people you connect with are in good places and can help you start playing gigs etc. have some mixes recorded so people can get a feel for what you enjoy playing too as well as be open to any feedback someone gives you.

Question 9: Name your style in 5 words?

A: Hard hitting fast energetic groove

Question 10: How'd you get the name Bones?

A: Was at a kick ons with people i’d just met for the first time and that’s the name i was given bc i’m skinny as hell funny enough. and now it’s stuck and i’m rockin with it.

Question 11: What is your dream?

A: In terms of the music industry i don’t really have many dreams honestly. i’m pretty happy where i am to play the occasional gigs if they come up and then go support my mates playing every other weekend. maybe start producing my own tracks but i dont have a lot of spare time with full time workload and fulltime study.

Question 12: What was the biggest challenge for you over the COVID stage?

A: I haven't had any challenges at all really. been pre smooth sailing. i only really felt comfortable playing after covid since i was learning during lockdown.

Below is a recent mix Bones was featured on RummiKlub

SOCIALS:

Instagram: @maxmembrey

Facebook: @Max Membrey

Soundcloud: @bones