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!
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