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Features
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| Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! | | N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood! | | Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna | | A Catch Up with John Phantasm ahead of his upcoming set at the Tribal Village 4 Day Outdoor Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! | | 'The Maestro that is Tristan talks barn owls, Shazamming and keeping it Psychedelic ahead of his upcoming performance at the Tribal Village 4 Day Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! | | DJ talk with Psyrenzo ahead of his debut set at Tribal Village, the Steelyard this Friday 14th January 2022! | | TENZO aka Overdrive talks freely about launching his new act which will be showcased at Tribal Village, Steelyard on 14 January 2022! | | A long overdue catch up with JourneyOM ahead of his next Tribal Village party this Friday 14th January 2022 at the Steelyard, London! |
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Dallas Raft — the calm before the storm
Reported by Kelsta
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Submitted 15-12-05 15:43
Many have seen the name. Many have been a witness to his crafty elegance and majestic brilliance with vinyl. Many have thrived on his interpretation and presentation of techno over the passing years. Many have come to appreciate him and hold him in the highest of regard. But none have yet to experience the true extent of the talents encapsulated within that who we know, as Dallas Raft.
Dallas Raft’s journey through the broad scope of techno has been a long and distinguished one. From his early roots with RnB, soul, swing and hip-hop, he began to unravel a passion, which, unknowingly at the time, would help to shape his future and play a major part in the person he is today. Sharing his passion and influences with a close school friend, Dallas quickly began to explore the deeper realms of electronic music. New sounds were introduced through the swapping of tapes and the world of acid house was evidently revealed. Intrigue into this sound kept Dallas yearning for more — which lead him to attend his first rave. The aural splendour that was delivered from DJ to dance floor was one that totally consumed and over whelmed him, evoking and unlocking emotions within. The techno bug had bitten Dallas and it was from this point that he never looked back.
An ‘artist’ in the true sense of the word, Dallas began to experiment with his own interpretation of sound. His blank canvass was quickly brushed, layered and filled with a supreme set of elements, derived from not only his earlier musical influences, but also his newfound passion for techno. Luke Slater, Gaetano Parisio, Ben Sims, Shufflemaster, Marco Bailey and Jay Denham were just some of names contributing to his palette of colour. Dallas developed a rich tapestry of sounds, distinctive and balanced, yet original and truly reflective of his deeper understanding of the art form of electronic music. Discovery of his talent was imminent and it was not long before this young aspiring DJ got his first break. Richie Rich, director and owner of the Hardware Corporation — one of Melbourne’s largest event groups, provided the platform on which this life-changing event would take place. Hardware Universe, New Years Eve, 1998 was the first chance the masses had to witness Dallas Raft; an exceptionally gifted DJ that would go on to forge a firm place for himself in the techno scene of the world.
Over the years, Dallas Raft has played at some of the most respected techno nights in Melbourne, as well as playing support to some of the best DJs this world has to offer. He has created his own platform, setting the pace, raising the bar and leaving the rest and unsuspecting in his wake. He has developed and refined an ability to read and connect with a crowd, intensifying his capture on his audience with each track that he plays. He constantly pushes the boundaries of DJing with his 3 deck mixing, coupled with well timed and executed scratching — qualities of a DJ that seem all too rare in today’s current scene. Through his hard work and drive, his name has become synonymous with quality, precision, diversity and sheer brilliance and yet his notoriety as a DJ, whilst already commendable, has only really just begun.
Dallas Raft could very well be seen as a ‘dark horse’ within today’s techno scene. Having had a few solid years of exposure to a wider audience, he has of late, seemed to be in a state of ‘techno hibernation’ — only surfacing every now and again. You may have been lucky enough to catch him at parties such as Two Tribes, Hardware, Transatlantic, Chinese Laundry, MTC and Honky Tonks, or making a, extremely rare appearance with Dave Pham over 4 decks & 2 mixers, better known to some as DeBang Defunk. You could be fooled into thinking that this DJ has perhaps had his day. You could also be lead to think that his passion and drive has been all too exhausted like so many DJ’s before him. However, to make that assumption, you would have to somewhat associate this DJ with the common and the predictable, the bland and the boring — and such an association could not be further from reality. For those who have been patient, you are about to lay witness to something very special. As Newton’s law states; every action has an equal and opposite reaction… For all the time Dallas Raft has spent of late flying under the radar, the time has come for his re-emergence into the spotlight.
The last six months have challenged Dallas Raft to no end. Through personal struggle and professional workload, he had found himself focused on what he thought were the driving aspects behind his life’s direction. As unfortunate as circumstances were, it surfaced a realisation of just how oblivious he was to his own sense of feeling, bringing him to the conclusion that he had been neglecting his own journey. The outcome has unlocked a greater understanding of himself as a person and his expression of music, for Dallas Raft has always had the strong conviction that music is an emotional outlet. Listening intently to past tracks has renewed his expressions and proved to be a very healing experience.
From his refreshed interest, new influences and sounds are emerging. His opportunity to support techno gigs continues to be strong, however other related areas of sound are also providing exciting avenues for this DJ, including minimal, acid, house and Chicago house. Dallas finds ease in combining these styles into a spectrum of sound. He considers these sounds to be a refined projection of his personal taste, where composition requires a stronger emphasis on transition. He has also assured that turning the ripe old age of 30 is not the factor of pushing himself in this direction — but more so, a need to strip back the elements which are all found in an intense techno environment, and enjoy the appreciation of each on an accentuated and centred level. A number of producers currently delivering consistent results for Dallas include Mario Fabriani, Matt Dear, John Dahlback, J Kohncke, Lucient Nicolet and Alexander Koning.
Consistency is a standard for Dallas Raft, not an aspiration and his choice of music strongly reflects this. Beyond his immediate inspiration through sounds, Dallas also finds inspiration through daily experiences. Seriously committing himself to his production, Dallas find that these daily experiences play a big part in the mind set that he takes into the studio. Time spent in the studio over the last few months have seen a dramatic improvement and growth in terms of knowledge gained. The recent completion of two tracks is a strong testament to this. Realising that the development and completion of such constructions would only come to fruition if he stuck to the basics, Dallas has found his work to be simple and effective — which is a description he finds himself often applying to certain material currently being released. His musical compositions are strongly derived from elements used whilst he mixes tracks; with quirky sounds, drive, warmth, melody and a sharpness that can be closely connected with quality - all of which contribute to the final masterpiece of each production. Close friends Ian Wade, Craig McWhinney and Mike Callander have all contributed valuable assistance and advice within the walls of the studio. Due to sharing such similar interests, it is these close friends who will continue to support each other closely in their productions, even providing the possibility of a few collaborations in the near future. Dallas sees the next six months as definitive growth period whereby he will be focusing on his next stage of production, promotion and exposure. With the completion of his fourth track by Christmas, he will further understand the concepts of mastering through his continued commitment and familiarisation with the production process. A release for Dallas, as was with his discovery as a DJ, is only a matter of time.
The next six months are only the beginning in the next journey and phase of Dallas Raft’s career — for what lies ahead for him is already proving to be something rather extraordinary. Event organisation, a launch of new concepts and establishing even more consistency in the performance of fresh sounds are only a sneak-peek of what is to come. All of which will be unravelled as we come to understand and learn more about one of Australia’s best DJs. Expect to see a lot more of Dallas Raft, expect to be further astounded by his talents and expect to enjoy every minute of it. In short, expect the unexpected… and keep your eye on Dallas Raft.
Thanks to Dallas for his pics. Not to be reproduced without permission.
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Other Features By Kelsta:
Hard Kandy, Melboure - Review
Peroxide Tour @ Hard Kandy, Melbourne
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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