Guest of Honor: Tornado Wallace will shake up the Festifest Pre-Party

May 21, 2015 | by Ellis van der Does | Event, Music

About the author

Hello there! I'm ELLIS D, a Dutch illustrator and designer based in London. If you join me on a trip to 'design wonderland' you'll come across popping colors and the use of different techniques. My style is clear and often I combine existing forms in order to create new stories. If you like to see more of my work please visit: www.ellisvanderdoes.com

Tornado Wallace is the headliner at the Festifest Pre-Party tomorrow. The bearded Australian DJ/producer, who is currently based in Berlin, is very exited to be playing in Amsterdam! I had a talk with him.

When you were younger you played in a jazz band, did that influence your sound?
“I suppose it opened up my eyes to some sounds I might not have found until I was a bit older. It also turned the concept of jazz into a more graspable, alive, fun thing, instead of sad AM radio noodling by dead musicians, which was probably my naive preconception given by my youth. Ah, my youth…”

How did you find your own distinct sound?
“With each track I make I try and do a little something different; using a new instrument/effect unit, using some old ones in a new way, or wiring things up differently. Each track evolves in a certain way, for better or worse. I guess that’s how my sound could be described as distinct, because the more music I make, the more creative I have to get to keep the ideas new and exciting for me.”

Was it easy to find your place in the Melbourne electronic music scene?
“It was easy for me to keep working on music in a studio I had set up in my parents’ basement while playing the odd gig here and there, which over time increased in fees and frequency with the gradual success of my music and my Melbourne based parties. It was never too difficult but it could very well have been without the support of some very close family and friends.”

I always wanted to cover Joy Division – Love Will Tear Us Apart. I love the melodies and the progression so dearly. It’s that damn uplifting sadness which melts my heart. But I will never ever ever do this.

You recently moved to Berlin – why did you move there and how do you like it?
“A combination of wanting to be based in Europe, working on my Deutsch, and just generally wanting to shake up an increasingly comfortably awesome Melbourne lifestyle.”

How is the balance between working in the studio and touring the whole world, must be quite a different lifestyle, isn’t it?
“Working on music has been put on hold for a little bit as I’ve been very busy setting up my new life here in Berlin and playing shows. But I do have a studio organized, I just have to find the time to piece it all together. Some time off is always important for me but I’m chomping at the bit to get going again.”

What kind of mood would you like to put people in that visit your DJ sets and how does this differ from people listening to your tracks at home?
“I like to provide some good old-fashioned fun while DJing. Usually using a combination of unlikely club bangers, likely club bangers and weirdo house/leftfield disco things that shouldn’t really as work as well as they tend to. I think of my music production and my DJing separately, but if they crossover then that’s a-ok too.”

What’s the perfect day off?
“Start at midday with a gemischtes Frühstück provided by some slow and grumpy German service, followed by hours of record shopping at some place I haven’t checked out before. Then grab a quick Shawarma, meet up with some friends for a drink and head to bed all fuzzy, warm and content.”

We’re almost halfway 2015, how has the year been so far and what exciting projects are upcoming?
“In the next month or so Jose Padilla will be putting out an album on International Feel which I co-wrote and produced a few tracks for alongside Telephones, Mark Barrott and Jan Schulte. Otherwise I’m setting up a new studio, working towards completing a mini LP and some other various bits and bobs.”

Curious? See you tomorrow!