Growing up on an appetite of hip-hop and electro and buying records from the age of ten years old, Boogs has come along way since his early music days and has taken Australia and his hometown Melbourne by storm.  His unique vibe and dancefloor sound is partied to by many a punter on every night of the weekend.

Having moved up the ITM DJ Poll national ranking from 22 in the 2004 poll to 18 in 2005, Boogs also finds himself releasing a very much anticipated mix CD.  The Technics inthemix50 CD is being released nationally on August 8th to coincide with the ITM 50 Tour which has already hit Perth and continues on to Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney in the following weeks.

How / who got you into buying vinyl?

I started collecting vinyl when I was about 10 years old.  My parents had a vinyl collection, so when I got into music, buying vinyl seemed the normal thing to do.

Are you / were you influenced by anyone and who in the scene?

When I first got into the scene I was influenced by those around me, which was Voiteck, Ransom, Jnett.  I don’t think I am influenced by anyone anymore.  I’m definitely inspired by those close to me but not influenced.

How old were you when you played your first set to a crowd, and who was in the front row?

I played my first set to a crowd in 1996 at Purveyors at the Lounge (Thanks Phil, I am extremely grateful you gave me that opportunity.)

What sort of crowds do you usually play to?  Are they well behaved, raucous, twisted etc?

Luckily I get to play every type of crowd there is in Melbourne and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Do you dabble in producing?

Not in the last couple of years, I have been so busy Djing, I haven’t had the chance to tackle it head on.

What did you listen to when you were growing up?

My earliest memories of music is getting 1981 The Hits and 1982 Out of the Blue for my birthday 2 years in a row and taping INXS songs on the radio.  When turned 11 or 12 I became obsessed with Hip Hop and besides that bits and pieces of funk… that’s all I listened to until I was 17, which is when I discovered techno and other electronic music.

Are you grown up?!

No way! I am totally still a child and hope to stay that way forever.

What do you think about burning music?

I haven’t thought about it too much but from what I have seen it has always given more exposure to artists, which has led to more people buying their vinyl. If I have a track burnt on CD that I like I will always go out and buy it on vinyl.  Overall I have got no idea of the affect burning CDs has on artists sales globally.

Who is the most interesting person you have met in the scene?

Every person that I have met in the scene that has become a close friend of mine is amazingly interesting.

What is the most random / craziest thing you have ever seen, or been a part of in a club?

I see so much crazy shit going on in clubs that I don’t think I will ever stop seeing crazy shit going on!  I think the day I stop seeing crazy shit going on in the clubs will be the day I quit DJing.

What is your favourite event / club you have played at?  Why?

Impossible to say, I have many unbelievable residencies, my favoritism goes back and forth across them all so much that there is no way I can pick just one.  Although one of the most memorable events I have played would have to be the Boiler Room at Big Day Out, playing on that system is something I can’t wait to do again.  (hint hint, Vivien) ;)

What’s on your agenda for the next 12 months?

Making the time to concentrate on my production and also to start practicing my DJing at home, which I never do because I play so many gigs I never get the time.

Do you have ‘groupies’?!

I think so, it’s not really something I think about much, and it would only get me in trouble if I did.   Also I find it a bit embarrassing

Where was the ITM cd recorded?

I recorded the CD at a friend of mine’s (Tarek) house

How long did it take?

Not as long as I thought, I pretty much nailed it on the third take.

Who is your number 1 fan?

I have no idea, but I find it quite amusing the amount of people who tell me they are my number 1 fan, because they come and see me play at Revolver all the time but then proceed to tell me they don’t have a clue where else I play.

How long will you be on the road for on the ITM50 tour? 

A few weeks, I have done Perth and I am doing Melbourne and Sydney next weekend.

Who do you travel with?

I travel by myself, which I actually enjoy because I don’t get much time on my own, but luckily I get to spend time with Illya and Ajax from Sydney who are good friend of mine.

What is your take on the ITM50 DJ Poll?  How does your high ranking make you feel?

I don’t think the ITM 50 DJ Poll has much to do with who is the better DJ, but more of a popularity contest.  I am wrapped to be ranked where I am; it’s really nice to know that people like what I do enough to take the time out to vote for me, but with that said it wouldn’t bother me if I wasn’t in it either.  I DJ because I love it and having a full dancefloor every week gives me more satisfaction then a placing in a competition ever will.

Can you tell us a little bit about the mix that you recorded from the CD?  What can we expect to hear?

I tried to make the CD as a reflection of what I am doing in a party/club environment over the last couple of years, so that anyone who has followed what I do can appreciate it as well as keeping it accessible to someone who hasn’t heard me play or maybe even ever heard this style of music.  So I have included some older tracks that have been big in my sets over the years as well as current tracks and also a few unreleased tracks from a friend of mine T-Rek.

The Technics inthemix50 CD is out now on ITM (BUY NOW) and Boogs will be playing at the inthemix50 tour in Melbourne (BUY NOW) and Sydney (BUY NOW)

Go to http://www.inthemix.com.au/50/2005/ for more info.