A longtime ambassador for house music, Moore speaks with a genuine passion when asked why he’s drawn to the genre, “What initially drew me to house music was the freedom to be want you want to be, not having to really get caught up in any peer pressure about the clothes that you wear, how much money you make, or what you look like, it’s more a vibe thing. Whereas or other scenes, like hip-hop it’s about the bling bling, or how rock is about how tough you are, I’ve found club and house music to be the most inclusive scene. It’s a place where you can get together with every kind of socio-economic background or sexual orientation.”

With the art of DJing proving to be Moore’s number 1 passion since he started in the music business, over the last few years he’s also made the decision to branch out into production, having released music with fellow Subliminal labelmates Richard F and Jose Nunez, “The market shaped that career move really. I come from the old-school where DJs were DJs and producers were producers, but it became a hype driven industry just like everything else, where whoever makes the most noise gets the most gigs! By default promoters don’t really care if you can play like god or not, if nobody knows your name it doesn’t matter. It all comes down to dollars and cents unfortunately.” Adding with a laugh, “I’ve been DJing and A&Ring for years, so I think producing will complete my trinity you know? Make me a complete person!”

With the impact of America’s draconian legislation towards dance music and nightclubs forcing many of the big players in New York to reevaluate their positions in the industry, Moore is still standing strong and has no plans to change his location, “There’s just an energy that New York has. It’s very in-your-face, it’s very definitive, everyone knows what they want to do and how they’re going to do it… that’s what I get out of New York. I wouldn’t say the scene is massive, but it’s very active. There’s a lot of small pockets where great things are going on right now. A lot of the big clubs are reinventing themselves and a lot of the older club are closing, but then there’s new ones opening. It’s in a transition at the moment, but there’s a lot of activity so it’s still fun.”

Heading up the A&R for a label like Subliminal would no doubt be a demanding job. Having also worked in A&R at Kult Records, Moore is now accustomed to the strains associated with the record industry, “It’s a high paced, high demand job. Erick’s a perfectionist and he’s got his hands in a lot of things, which consequently means we all have to wear a lot of hats when it comes to running things. It’s high energy and very noisy, I mean there’s only a few of us in the office but we worked together really well as a team and come together as a collective.” Going on to detail, “For me personally both sides help me to be a full person in the music business. From the administrative side to the creative side [DJing], I get to work both sides of my brain.”

With a style of house that’s been described as eclectic, Moore’s sound will undoubtedly go down with local audiences, “I’ve always been on the edge, but without even knowing it. I’ve always been on a European vibe, just for the fact that the productions that come out of there were a bit more playful and experiment. I’m a progressive minded guy and I just like to keep pushing envelope, to give people what’s unexpected when they least expect it!” And having been brought well up to speed by his Subliminal labelmates on what to expect on his maiden voyage down under, Moore is looking forward to the trip, “Everyone that I know, not only in the Subliminal camp but worldwide, they all say the Australian scene, the culture, and the climate, is the best. So I’m very much looking forward to it!”

You can catch Melvin Moore, along with Alex Alicea (of Who Da Funk) touring Australia in May at the following venues:

Sat May 8 – Family, Brisbane
Fri May 14 – Wax @ Nepean Hotel, Melbourne
Sat May 15 – Together @ Home, Sydney
Sun May 16 – Heaven, Adelaide

For more info check out ITM Whatson.