Interview: @Mistr Dean

I'd like to introduce our next artist by showcasing off his Sound Gallery vinyl set it was seriously incredible & the tracks selected were even better.

Mistr Dean is a rapid riser by taking the current Naarm scene by storm, after just releasing a 2 track EP, Dean has also signed with Abode which hopefully gives him a lot more opportunities to release further tracks in the future! I was lucky enough to warm up the floor for Dean on my Cicada debut & I remember Dean asking to use my headphones because he forgot his & from that day I fell in love with his music taste and track selection Dean is not one to sleep on!

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We got a closer insight with Dean conducting an interview to find out more about further track releases and upcoming bookings!

Q & A: @Mistr Dean

Question 1: When did the drive to start mixing and being involved in Dance music be a big

thing for you in your life for you?

A: I’ve been into dance music from a very young age. I have memories of listening to

jamiroquai and other disco artists with my family which opened the gate to other

kinds of electronic music as I started growing up. I started mixing in my late years of

high school in a similar way to most people in the scene. After seeing some of my

friends playing gigs, I thought it would be a bit of fun to give it a try and bought

myself a DDJ-200 controller which I took with me everywhere. I’d always be playing

at pres with my friends and different house parties after that and it just kept going

from there.

Question 2: What has been the most successful thing in your opinion during your journey?

A: I’ve been very lucky to have friends around me that have helped me with my

productions from the start. Just them being able to lend an ear to whatever I’m

working on has been a big help for me and I definitely wouldn’t be making what I

have been without them. That’s probably been the most successful thing in my

journey so far as my music certainly wouldn’t have reached the audience that it has

without their help.

Question 3: Favorite Gig or Fav Venue you have played at recently?

A: I’ve really enjoyed playing at different doofs around Melbourne. They are great fun

because you get a range of different people ready to dance to whatever you’re

playing. I feel like I can really play whatever I want and get a good reaction no matter

what.

Question 4: Do you have any forthcoming Tracks/eps on the way?

A: I have a few upcoming releases planned for the near future. I have two tracks on two

different labels for upcoming VAs. One on Unmatched Energy which is a new

Melbourne/Naarm based label and their upcoming VA will showcase music from

local Melbourne/Naarm artists along with some international names as well. The

other track will feature on a VA for selfness which is a crew based in

Mulubinba/Newcastle which will feature tracks from artists all over Australia. I also

have three projects in the works, two in collaboration with other artists and one by

myself which I’m super excited about.

Question 5: Who inspires you?

A: My biggest inspiration are my friends around my in the industry. Seeing them all

doing well and succeeding pushes me to try and be better and to try earning some

big gigs in the future. That’s what pushes me the most in terms of making music and

playing but in terms of the sound I play and make I think my current inspirations

would be Julian Muller, Vixen, Caiva, Aisha and Rene Wise. Although playing slightly

differing sounds, I think very highly of all these producers, and they all inspire me to

make the music that I am.

Question 6: All time go to track?

A: My all time go to track is Craig Plague by Keepsakes. I play it in almost all of my gigs

because I think it is just that good. I remember when me and my friends found it back

when we were in school and we all just had it on repeat for a long time. It’s just one

of those all time tracks for me and there will never be a time that I see myself against

playing it.

Question 7: What is one piece of advice you can give to those people just starting in the industry?

A: My one piece of advice would be to listen to those around you that you trust and be

open for feedback on anything. There is always ways to improve, whether it be

mixing or production or whatever it may be, having people around you that can lend

an ear and help you in your early journey is crucial. Just being open to improving and

then acting on the feedback you receive is really important I think in order to improve

and move further into the industry.

Question 8: Name your style in 5 words!?

A: High energy intense rave techno

Question 9: What has been the biggest drive after the covid outbreak in your eyes?

A: I think the covid outbreak actually started my drive for production as it gave me a lot

more free time to experiment with my own music. I only started producing at the start

of covid as ableton were giving out a 6 month free trial of their suite so I decided to

give it a try and I’m glad I did as I’ve since had a lot of fun on the program. After

everything started opening up again, I think making sure I’m balancing the time I

spend on music along with work and uni has been a challenge but the thought of

playing to people and spreading my music around has given me some drive to work

through it and not neglect my music.

Below is Dean's 2 song EP from earlier this year!

You can also find him below on his socials!

SOCIALS:

Instagram: @mistr_dean

Facebook: @Mistr Dean