When you discuss current music trends in clubland, whether it be from the perspective of the small seedy clubs delivering a more subversive sound or the large promotional teams bringing big dancefloors together, they will attest that the electro-house sound is rather dominant at the moment. Depending on how purist the person you asks is as well, not only is the sound crossing over the divide, but also are specific artists and labels.
One label, and its respective owners who are managing to cross this divide are M.A.N.D.Y and DJ T running the prolific label Get Physical. In speaking to Patrick (one half of M.A.N.D.Y) it’s no great surprise they have achieved this somewhat rare achievement. His humble bewilderment at the opportunity to travel to Australia on the basis of his music career is clear “I had no idea my music was even being listened to in Australia.” Just as clear as is his reasoning as to why he’s managed to get to this point. Patrick feels a sense of great hope in the fact that “good music can travel so far and reach so many people in so many parts of the world, it’s wonderful that it can still entertain and talk to so many different people.” It is clear that his fascination with music is still truly of an innocent yet informed nature.
Patrick and Philipp (the other half of M.A.N.D.Y) are aware of the sort of philosophies and drives behind a lot of modern electronic music. The minimal and techno massives trying to push boundaries, dancefloors and sometimes what can be defined as music as well as straight up house tracks based on formula progression and immediate fulfilment of the dancefloor. The duo don’t really focus on any singular drive, they work with “interesting electronic sounds, trying to do something different” while applying a “sensitivity that allows people to respond”. This ultimate lack of purism allows them to arrive at their sound that clearly appeals to different music lovers from totally different perspectives.
When DJing, Patrick takes the same attitude. He will “push the sounds to be minimal, electro, house, whatever” and admits that he will drive the set in certain directions “trying to expose different sometimes obscure stuff but always understanding what is working and what isn’t.” Patrick claims “I’m not one of these DJs who is righteous and feels that what I want to hear is what everyone else should.” It was with the convenient segue to discuss the oddity of throwing less known music at crowds who may not know that music very well, if not at all. “Good music speaks for itself, regardless. Sometimes you just have to serve it the right way. It’s nice to play a more straight-up set sometimes, but reaching a bigger audience is great because on the nights you hit it, you can really tell the crowd is going away with something new that they enjoyed.”
It’s this positive attitude and willingness towards music that explains quite obviously why M.A.N.D.Y are achieving all that they are, ready to always push things in a fresh direction and keep it relevant and entertaining.
M.A.N.D.Y tours Australia this March:
Fri Mar 25 – Melbourne, Adelphi Hotel
Sat Mar 26 – Brisbane, Empire Hotel
Sun Mar 27 – Sydney, Sounds on Sunday (SOLD OUT)
