Could there be anything better than hearing one trance DJ mix?. Absolutely, and that would be hearing two trance DJs mix…. and who has recently become better known to do that? No one other than local trance duo Diggs and Morro. These two fresh young DJs in the past year have embraced Sydney’s clubs and have preceded to fill the void in the local trance scene.
Its not only Sydney clubbers that have been lucky enough to hear their melodic, uplifting trance for punters in Brisbane and Canberra have witnessed their duo performance. Diggs and Morro have certainly come a long way in the past year with their sound and I was curious to know exactly the elements of this sound that has skyrocketed the love for trance in Sydney’s clubs. I was taken on a journey as Diggs and Morro described their sound… “Melodic, uplifting trance is a genre whose focus is primarily on the melody as opposed to the bass line. One of the most notable, and most loved, characteristics of melodic, uplifting trance are the highly emotive melodies and epic buildups and breakdowns. It is music which has the power to move and transport you emotionally”. The possibilities of connecting with music seem endless through trance and are reflected through the crowd reactions Diggs and Morro experience during a set. “This style (of trance) obviously lends itself to producing an amazing crowd reaction as the emotion of the music is so closely linked to human emotion”. Diggs and Morro through their sound have with no doubt given trance a life element itself.
Diggs and Morro have been playing together since 2001, sparked by Morro’s purchase of a set of decks as a hobby to get through university. I am informed by Morro that its was not until after Diggs “set up camp at my place and bludged off my decks” they began mixing together. Once again bludging has proved far from a negative pursuit and they began the common becoming-a-DJ course by performing at house parties and 21sts.
Their professional stints began last year and it is within this last year that Diggs and Morro have gained recognition as one of Sydney’s finest duos. Their first professional ‘foray’ into the dance music industry was at the original Altitude at the Dendy, Sydney’s original trance night. Alongside Liquid M, Diggs and Morro are responsible for the formation of this monthly gig along which they look back as a crucial move in their career. “It was the continual success of this night and its successor, Halycon@Gas that got us recognised within the industry”.
The emergence of trance nights such as Halycon (formerly Altitude) has created a new favourite night out for trance lovers. The popularity of this night led me to ask the boys do they feel they have filled the void in the local trance scene? ” Definatley!”, they reply. “The lack of a night dedicated to the more melodic side of trance was one of the primary reasons why we, and many others, began to move away from trance in the first place. Halycon has managed to fill this niche market very nicely and has gathered a large number of dedicated fans. That being said, we still have a long way to go in achieving the goals that we have set for ourselves”. I’m sure many others will agree with me when I say Diggs and Morro will certainly have no trouble in their pursuit of goals. They are keen to pursue an overseas venture as well as an album and judging by their success and the hard work they’ve done so far I’m sure it won’t be long till we see the boys headline in Ibiza.
Dubbed by inthemix.com.au as ‘Sydney’s Premier Trance and Breaks night’, Halycon has certainly given the boys definite exposure within the dance music scene (locally). They’ve also gained recognition through their numerous support of international acts and producers such as Armin Van Buren, Hennes and Cold, Daniel Soto and Sample Gee. These experiences for Diggs and Morro have been ‘absolutely essential’ to the boys and have allowed them to expose their mixing talents. “Playing alongside important names of dance music allows us to be heard by a great many people who mightn’t yet have had the opportunity and also gives our name (and our night if that is where they are performing) invaluable exposure”. These opportunities have led to many memorable DJ performances for the boys, particularly playing alongside Armin Van Buren at Gas and Transmission.
It is not only the experiences that have helped shaped the duo’s career but also the defining influences that have contributed to the development of their sound. Initially they began playing a very distinctive European trance sound with influences of Tiesto, Ferry Corsten and Blank and Jones. The boys both identify the changes that have occurred in their sound. “Since then our sound has broadened and we now play anywhere from progressive through to progressive trance and into the big uplifting tunes, but still with a distinct European influence on our music”. Being based in Australia means the boys have taken on a particularly European sound. Given their experience with mixing trance, Diggs and Morro both agree that progressive (trance) has been a crucial element in the style they play today.
Morro: “The biggest influence for me would have to be progressive trance, in particular the work of people such as gabriel and dresden, leama and moor amongst many others. I particularly like the current crop of producers fusing driving bass lines with the highly emotive melodies.”
Diggs: “I would personally have to say that progressive and breaks have an influence on our sound. I like to occasionally sample the odd breaks track and we also like to play more progressive at the start of our set and build into the bigger tracks towards the end”.
So with their continual success over the past year I’m curious to find out the best thing about working as a duo. The boys tell me: “Working as a duo has been fantastic. We tend to work very well with each other and we both have very similar considerations when it comes to set progression. It does however, occasionally lead to the set taking an entirely unexpected turn and it is these unexpected changes that are one of the most rewarding aspects of working as a duo as they provide both excitement for the audience and challenges for each other”. Ahh, so there are obviously no biffs between these boys when it comes to deciding what tracks to include in their set. Their obvious ability to work successfully as a team is no doubt an inspiration to all DJs.. Diggs and Morro are both incredibly supportive of up and coming Djs and strongly encourage the development of your own night to get yourself recognised. Diggs also offers some very technical advice. “Best bit of advice we can give is provide a track marked CD when submitting a demo. Mini Disc and tape, whilst convenient to record on, are quite a pain to listen to. Also, try to do something creative on your CD to make it stand out from the crowd”. Budding DJs take note as Diggs and Morro certainly do know what they are talking about.
Future plans see the Diggs and Morro performing trance at their very best whilst exploring solo options as well. And in the VERY near future expect to see Diggs and Morro at Transmission, 6th September playing a “cutting edge set with a few classic tracks’. Will YOU be there? I certainly will, and can’t wait!
Diggs and Morro’s deepest darkest secrets…
How old are you both?
Diggs: 22
Morro:23
Favourite tracks?
Diggs: 1. Starparty – Im In Love 2. Veracocha – Carte Blanche 3. Underworld – Born Slippy
Morro: 1. Holden & Thomson – Nothing 2. Der Dritte Raum – Hale Bopp 3. Dark Suite – Dark Sweet Piano
What is each others worst habit?
Diggs: Morro dreams of intense and hectic things
Morro: Diggs has this annoying habit of hugging record boxes.
If you could be a superhero for a day who would you be and why???
Diggs: The Phantom…who could turn down wandering around in purple lycra.
Morro: The hulk…just feel like being invincible.
Diggs and Morro play Transmission’s 7th Birthday, this Saturday September 6th (click HERE for more info). The next Halcyon is Friday September 19th, theme Halcyon:Punk (click HERE for more info).
