What got you started as a DJ?

Simon: What made me start? I was about 16 when my older sister took me out to my first dance experience in Melbourne and within 5 minutes I was completely taken by the fact that this one person had so much control. Everyone was facing this guy and was so tuned into what this guy was doing.

And then becoming enraptured with the music as well I started going out and buying records, and I didn't really think I was going to be a DJ, just that a lot of my friends, we started going out at the same time and we all loved the music so much that we al started buying records and it just happened!!

Who were your early motivators?

SC: Music wise? I started off always being influenced by the American sounds. I loved the early underground resistance stuff, Ritchie Hawtin, I loved the American Detroit stuff, such as Derrick May and Transmat stuff.

I was also into hiphop in the 80's when I was growing up so the hiphouse stuff that came out in the late 80's was a big influence to me like the stuff out of Chicago and the hiphouse stuff still reflects in what I play today, like hiphop influenced vocals and stuff like that.

Are you working on anything currently?

SC: Because we've got the Wetmusik label, were constantly working on new stuff but mixed CD wise I'm not gonna do anything for another yeah maybe or 6 months cause I don't want to flood the market with Simon Coyle mixed CD's. Cause I've done two in the last three and a half years to four years and they have been received really well so were mainly going to work on production at the moment. …we've got a lot of releases coming up on the Wetmusik label…for Bush Records…for Advanced, Ade Fenton's label…umm so the main focus at the moment is just boosting the Wetmusik label profile…its getting bigger and bigger.

Also with…umm tours and events, and the whole company structure that we have in Australia…Wetmusik's quite a big brand these days..so that keeps us very busy apart from DJ-ing and production.

Coming from Melbourne, what's the scene like?

SC: It's a great scene, you can get every style of music there. Techno was the main sound in Melbourne up till the late 1999…it was always really big. In the last we've definitely experienced a dramatic drop in the popularity of techno but on saying that there is still a very healthy scene there. It just means that instead of going to a 3,000 person event your just going to a 1,000 person event…umm but breaks is really big at the moment, hiphop and RnB is taking off, there's also a big progressive scene and also a big trance scene. All styles of music is big, drum & bass is also big…all styles..whatever u want. They're all well represented.

Is there a lot of competition between the DJ's in Melbourne?

SC: Yeah of course, certainly there is a lot of competition but the beauty about it is that once you're accomplished it's a lot easier...you just have to keep doing what you're doing and adapting with the new stuff that comes thru and you're already at the top so its ok… I'd hate to be a new DJ trying to breakthrough now cause there is just so much competition and ..umm its crazy. Its almost impossible to breakthrough…you really need to stand out and be doing something totally different and have a lot of elements going for you to breakthrough. So don't forget there is a lot of competition but as I say the Wetmusik brand and myself, were pretty established in Australia and we're always busy.

Since you're so established in Australia, what makes you stand out from the rest?

SC: Well I guess what I've done since I've been playing out there for over a decade now is that I've built a supporter base that is always changing, that has new people come thru. They get to hear me play and in that respect it's a lot easier for me cause I get to hit them at the right time when its rocking in a party that kind of thing. But it comes down to doing our own thing…we have our own sound and we've developed our own style of DJ-ing and its more of the individualism …so its just a mater of standing out from the crowd and doing our own thing

How does it feel to be a part of the Wetmusik stable?

SC: It's very satisfying to see that we've built up this brand which really is a passion. So I'm quite proud and it gives you a really good feeling, whenever we do a party and there are about 1,500 to 2,000 people infront of you and devoted fans who are watching your every move. So it is definitely very satisfactory to play your own events and see your CD's and records selling.

One of the best feelings comes when u play a new record for Wetmusik for the first time and you get a really good crowd reaction…that to me is a very nice feeling. The feeling that the crowd gives is sort of addictive.

Any words of advice for those new DJ's starting out?

SC: As I've said before, you just have to do something that's is different u have to stand out because that is how the way the music industry runs. You have to be marketable, you have to pull the crowd. And remember at the end of the day u are there to make people dance and to give them a good time that is what a DJ's job is, so its all in having fun.

A lot of DJ's become too cool and sometimes they just play too deep or too bizarre stuff, which the crowd doesn't want to hear. So that is something they have to work out.

You've been in KL for half a day, how do you like it here so far?

It's great. I came and spent sometime here in March…I was in Penang. I love it, I love shopping here, I love the weather and the people..and I really love this city. Its great!!

-for more info on Simon Coyle go to www.wetmusik.com

-matt /Dec 02

-with thanks to Simon Coyle

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