Some of you may of heard of DJ Belle or even witnessed her LTEC 2022 Set earlier this new year, DJ Belle is located in the Melbourne area & has recently come off a incredible closing side stage set at LTEC, with this in mind I wouldn't be surprised if she comes out with some more exciting gig news in the future! We recently caught up with Belle for an interview read below to find out more!
Q & A w DJ Belle:
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 DJ'd a bit at uni parties when I was 18-21, but I would say the drive to start building a presence/name for myself started during the pandemic. Because we spent so much time at home, I started to listen to more music than ever and found labels like Textasy's FTP and International Chrome which have been major influences on my music style today. Once I started to build up a bank of tracks during Covid, I started to record mixes just for my own personal Soundcloud, and since most event organisers started up online mix series on SoundCloud, I sent my mixes around to certain pages that I followed. Big shout out to Synesthetic who agreed to release my first mix that I recorded for somebody other than myself, because it was truly a domino effect following this mix. I thought SoundCloud was an amazing tool during the pandemic because you could promote yourself a lot more than playing at club gigs, as all the metrics are right there on the screen. Over 2021, I enjoyed recording mixes for lots of different pages, and as dancefloors reopened towards the end of the year I found myself with gigs lined up which was a new incredible feeling.
Question 2: Would you say that LTEC Festival was your favorite Set to date atm?
A: I have mixed feelings about this. I definitely thought my cake mix was my best output and best/largest crowd I've ever played for, however the nerves leading up and during the set were crazy. I think with more time and experience those nerves will settle down a bit more, but I have definitely enjoyed recording mixes at home and playing for smaller crowds just as much as LTEC.
Question 3: What are your goals for 2022?
A: To build more connections in the industry, keep playing at gigs and recording mixes for pages. I do not have a lot of time on my hands with my job, so I am happy to just keep doing what I'm doing in the music industry in my free time. It would be great to play at another festival at some stage, but that might be more of a long term goal as I keep building my presence in the industry!
Question 4: What do you personally think is the most important thing in the community?
A: I think supporting other artists' endeavours (whether it's sharing their online mixes or attending their events) is so important. What comes around goes around, and if you offer support in the community it'll come right back to you. I think it's amazing how many connections and friendships you can make through a shared passion for music, especially during the pandemic! Music kept us all connected and some of us even formed new friendships during a time where we were mandated to stay home.
Question 5: Favorite all time tune?
A: As my music taste evolves all the time, I feel like my all time favourite tunes do as well. In saying that, the electro track that got me into my current music style is definitely a Boston artist Amadeezy's track 'Bass Boss'. This track will forever hold a special place in my heart, and Amadeezy is an amazing artist who has supported me in the past by promoting my mixes when I've reached out to him. I love all of his stuff.
Question 6: What is your style, if you could describe it in 5 Words? & why?
A: Electro, bass, rap, jungle and breaks - I get bored easily, so my mixes reflect a constant dipping between genres. A consistent trait of my mixes and sets is definitely lyrics (whether it's rap or early 2000s nostalgic lyrics) and of course lots of BASS.
Question 7: What is one piece of advice you can give to those just starting in the industry?
A: Plugs Plugs Shameless Plugsss!! When I started out I just messaged anyone/ any page on Instagram or Soundcloud that I followed and wanted to potentially record mixes for. My interest in becoming part of the music industry also started during the peak of Covid so everything was online, however I found this worked in my favour as I managed to build an online presence through recording mixes for various pages, and then when gigs started up again, event organisers started asking me to play. I think even post Covid, contributing to online mix series will remain a thing, and I truly believe they are the best way to build your presence.
Question 8: Any upcoming gigs for 2022?
A: - love project mix @online (26 February)
- goldhaus afterhours event @Colour (5 March)
- 188 Naarm event @Gaso (date TBA)
- some more TBC so watch this space haha
For those that missed Belle's Cake set you can find it here below along with her social platforms!
SOCIALS:
Instagram: @annabellegal
Soundcloud: @DJ Belle