It’s been a long time since we’ve chatted to our good friend Chris Fraser. And since we left him last, so much has changed in the world; some of it tedious, some of it inconceivable. Bush gets re-elected, Brad and Jen split up and now the devastating tsunami disaster which has changed the lives of thousands and captured the attention of the world. Following the aftermath of the Indian Ocean Earthquake, many communities banded together, contributing to aid relief through either time or money. Evidently, the Canberra dance community is of no exception with Beat-Off and Academy both putting on events donating proceeds to charities assisting victims of the tsunami. ITM’s palu catches up with Chris Fraser for a good ol yarn as he gets prepared to play at both these events.
Palu: Hey Chris, haven’t heard from you in a long time – What have you been up to? How was 2004 for you?
Chris: 2004 was easily the most incredible year career wise. We unleashed this beast of a venue called Academy on Canberra, it’s consumed my every waking moment since, but its been the wildest and most satisfying ride ever. From that side of things 2004 was quite memorable to say the least. I didn’t get to spend anywhere near as much time in the studio as I would have liked, but hopefully I can make up for that this year.
Palu: What are your plans for 2005? Is it off to a good start?
Chris: NYE was actually one of the best ever, so yeah it got off to a brilliant start. I’m more energised and enthusiastic about events, DJing and producing than ever, which is a big call after 2000 years in the game! Apparently 5 is a much luckier number than 4 in many ways, so let’s hope so anyway. Unfortunately, the year didn’t start out so well for a great many in our part of the world, so I’m glad that we’re getting the opportunity to do our little bit to help out.
Palu: How did you feel when you heard or saw images of the devastation from the Indian Ocean tsunami?
Chris: Like everyone else, I think I was completely flattened. I’ve never been to that part of the world, but we definitely have a natural affinity with it by virtue of our own cultural connections and proximity, so I think we all felt things strongly, and this has been reflected in the huge response on a national level.
Palu: As a mostly well off country, how important do you think it is for us as a nation and also us as individuals to be conscious and active in providing aid when something terrible like this happens?
Chris: 2004 ended on a major bummer with the re-election of both Howard and Bush, so it’s been incredibly reassuring to see what a huge response to this tragedy there’s been on the home front. Thank god, apparently we’re not only concerned about our home loan interest rates and locking up those pesky asylum seekers! The fact that Australians have responded so overwhelmingly to this crisis should go some way to redressing the damage our government’s done to our international standing in the last few years. This is the type of society we really are at our core, a giving & compassionate one, and it’s good to see that’s still there despite the way a lot of us vote.
Palu: More often then not, the Canberra dance scene is portrayed as being quite self indulgent and unmindful. However having lived in Canberra for quite a while, I’ve taken notice to the fact that the Canberra dance community can be very compassionate and active when it calls. Take for instance the Bushfire benefit held a few years ago, Oxfam gigs and now the various Tsunami relief events taking place over the next few weeks. Would you tend to agree that the Canberra dance community does infact have a heart?
Chris: I think the entire dance scene in general is seen as pretty self indulgent, not just the Canberra one! But yeah, we’ve got a good track-record of supporting worthy causes, so I don’t think there’s much doubt that beneath that rampantly hedonistic drug-fuelled exterior beats a heart of gold.
Palu: In your opinion, how effective is using music as a vehicle for political or social awareness?
Chris: Sometimes it seems like it’s the last remaining bastion of political and social awareness!
Palu: Can you tell us a little bit about Beat Relief?
Chris: Beat Relief is the result of Academy joining forces with some of our main media partners to come up with a response to the terrible situation some of our nearest neighbours are facing. We’re in a unique position as one of the more high profile venues in town, with a strong voice in marketing terms and great relationships with key media, so it just seemed obvious that we should try and do our bit. The response from everyone we’ve approached has been bloody excellent, to the DJs, printers, radio, publications, absolutely no hesitation, “yep, we’re in”. So, that’s made the whole thing relatively easy. We made the choice to go for an all local lineup, as often getting interstaters involved can suck some cash out of the fundraising revenue for the night, and, we’ve got bloody strong talent so let’s put em all to work!
Palu: What sort of music or artists are you getting into these days?
Chris: There’s a ridiculous amount of good stuff around at the moment, tunes haven’t been in short supply at all. I’m still a bit of a genre slut, I’ll pick things out from any style if it tickles my fancy. I know everyone says it, but I’ve been focused on good rocking house and electro/rock/crossover influenced stuff for a while, but I think they’re still the areas where the most interesting stuff’s happening. I love anything Sharam Jey does, LuCont, Neville, Hatiras, and locally all the Infusion stuff and Ivan Gough & Grant Smilie are doing more brilliant work down south too.
Palu: Any big plans for Academy this year? Any ITM exclusive info on touring acts you can leak out?
Chris: I think the envelope’s really going to get pushed this year, more diverse live acts, some different special event concepts, and more of the big names coming through. I’m pretty excited about Grandmaster Flash, and there are a couple of great live shows we’re working on too.
Palu: Haven’t heard you play in a long time. What can crowds expect from your set at Beat-Off all night this Saturday?
Chris: I really look forward to the opportunity of playing a different room and will be doing more of it this year, Academy’s been my constant home for a while, so a bit of variety is a good thing every now and then. I really don’t know what I’ll drop, but playing a venue like Toast definitely gives you a chance to spread your wings and play less conservatively than you might have to in a big room…more genre-hopping, ‘what-does-this-button-do?’ kind of monkey business is one way to put it!
‘Come lend a hand’ by Beat-Off will take place on the 22nd of January at Toast and will feature Archie, Danielsan (Koolism), Chris Fraser, Typhonic, Bury, Labtek, Rookie-One, Exit, 4-4-2, Alistair and Miss Universe. The cover charge is 5 dollars with proceeds going to charity
Beat Relief at Academy will take place 28th of January with an impressive lineup that includes Danielsan (Koolism), Shunji, Ashley Feraude, Jeff Drake, Mikah Freeman, Anjay, Milkbar Nick, Chris Fraser, Matt Chavasse, Nash T, Matt Dubya, Blake, Dave Norgate, Typhonic, Rob Lewis and Enerv8. The minimum donation at the door is 5 dollars.
djbricksta says...
yeah chris!
djbricksta says...
yeah chris!