Welcome to this month’s winner, DJ LP from Sydney. LP (Lyndon Pike) has been around the block since 1989, starting out in a Surry Hills pub after getting into house music through late-night radio and a friend’s older brother. Over the course of a 35+ year career, he’s played pretty much everywhere – in his own words:
“from house parties to cruise liners, outdoor events to stadiums, dark sweaty clubs to fancy hotels, iconic landmarks to shitholes with nobody in attendance – it was all a part of the experience.”
These days, LP spends more time on community radio than club floors. He’s part of Sydney’s Got Music collective and still gets excited about discovering new tracks, even if he’s not hitting the dancefloor at 3am anymore.
Related
Submit your Mix of the Month DJ Competition entry
In Conversation and Mix with Dimitri AndreasHis mix is a delicious slice of chuggy, Balearic, acid-tinged goodness and it really stood out this month in terms of its originality and sense of intrigue.
How did you approach your mix from a creative and technical standpoint – what story were you aiming to tell, and how did that influence your selection, sequencing, and transitions?
I typically gather a selection of tracks based on my mood on the day I’m making the mix. I listen to each for around 10-15 seconds to determine if they have the characteristics I’m looking for (mood, texture, similar bpm in feel etc). For this hour-long mix, I wanted it to feel at home on a dark dance floor in a small room as well as feeling suitable for a late night drive or headphone commute. The mix contains elements that I’m at home with – breakbeats, ambient elements, balearic moods, dub, treated vocals, 4th world textures all with a dose of introspection. As far as aiming to tell a story, it’s that there are still plenty of people in my age bracket (50+) who continue mining the independent underground for exciting, thought provoking music instead of trading in limp and lazy nostalgia.
This mix was made using the 1st generation Traktor app on a 12 year old iPad mini, complete with cracked screen and worn edges. It was done in one take with no prior planning or even track cueing – I did it based on the instincts I think you build after 30 plus years of DJing in all sorts of environments. I mention this because I want to let anybody out there thinking about DJing or entering this competition that you can use whatever you have at your disposal to create – it’s about the love of music and your connection to it, not about having an amazing, expensive set up.
Were there any particular production or mixing techniques you used to maintain cohesion or enhance dynamics across the mix? For instance, did you favour long blends, harmonic mixing, or any custom edits to help the narrative flow?
I have typically favoured long blends when DJing (sometimes to my detriment). The payoff is when you strike gold and discover that 2 tracks played simultaneously at length can create a third, never before heard tune that exists only in that moment. I used the tractor app’s loop function as well as its limited filters to bring in a new track on a few occasions on this mix – it’s often a good way to create a deeper cut when the intro has a great beat you can introduce to beef things up, or maybe an interesting harmonic element that completely changes the dynamic.
How have your musical experiences and influences shaped your sound?
Exposure and exploration to a vast selection of artists and genres for 54 years has no doubt left an indelible mark on myself and indeed, many people I know who are always searching for that right sound for the right time, be it on a personal or public facing level. I won’t list all the musical acts and genres I’ve been shaped by, but there’s loads.
As far as experiences – I’ve been fortunate enough to witness some exceptional live bands and DJs over the years who really went that extra mile and transcended into something truly special, untouchable and life affirming. These are the creative forces that change your DNA in a way that stays with you forever. I’m sure we all have those memories, those moments. They are not to be taken lightly!
Tracklist
- Miles J Paralysis – Still waiting
- Miles J Paralysis – Still waiting (Brian not Brian & Piers Harrison ‘like a version’ disco dub no.4)
- Felix Leifur – Juledreng
- Austin Giri & Last Men on Earth – Usefool
- Mammo – Migration
- Wino-e – Twnety2
- Marble – Cut3Bbom Nation – Tribe of visions
- Beesmunt Sound System – All day
- Dreems – Here comes the new
- Project Runway – Charly
- Wino-e – 0___g
- Hearthug – No regrets
- Picasso – Dat dream
- Picasso – De NovaWwino-e – Funny ha
August entries are now open…. Find out more here.
Discover more from Decoded Magazine
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
