There are two breeds involved in music: the entertainer and the musician.

The entertainer knows their craft well enough to cater to their audience, surrendering to the ambiguous desires and whatnots of their punters; a sheep to minions. The musician knows their craft so well, that the canvas lying before them will form a masterpiece with the end result that the masses are educated; their souls helplessly overwhelmed and manoeuvred; the mark of an undeniable leader. The entertainer may be hot on the lips of the general populace for a period, but the musician is a craftsman, and his music, as his message, will live forever.

The parable of DJ Frenzie, whilst surrounded by symbolism and metaphors, is keenly apparent. Having conquered the east coast of Australia, a legacy remains in each city that Frenzie has lived. With his penchant for hip hop, Frenzie has enhanced this fondness with breakbeats, “Raw B Boy shit”, disco funk and old skool boogie; Frenzie is the Emperor of the bass lines and the three dimensional wall of analogue sounds. Frenzie says, “A DJ must have their own unique style. No one else can do what I do, because it has taken me 15 years to develop my sound and the way I play records.”

A child of musical parents and living in Melbourne during the 70s and 80s, Frenzie was exposed to quality music very early in his life. At a time when the bass was moving its way up a bit higher in the EQ, Frenzie was living in a period when disco and funk were quite hot and cats like James Brown, the Jungle Brothers and DJ Kool Herc were branded as demi-gods. “There was so much good music released in that period that I will still try and track down what ever I can find.”

His father’s guitar most undoubtedly would have added to Frenzie’s affection for music, but the lasting legacy of rhythmic subdivisions and phat bass frequencies from the funk oriented times of the 70s and 80s remain a prominent feature in Frenzie’s music. Frenzie himself claims “When I was 11, I used to fantasise about buying the abandoned shop around the corner from my school, and turning it into a disco. I even pictured myself DJing.” Destiny struggling to assert itself perhaps? Even Frenzie acknowledges the providence of that fantasy. “It’s bizarre to think that 20 years later I pretty much fulfilled that dream.”

Determined to carve a path for himself, the early 90s saw Frenzie move north to Brisbane armed only with 2 decks, a mixer, and an extensive record collection. “When I started DJing, it was pretty much at the birth of raves and warehouse parties in Australia, although I didn’t have much to do with that scene because my head was well and truly entrenched in the hip hop world at the time”.

Brisbanite Louie recalls the times when he was a Dome dweller.  “I remember Frenzie: hell, every Dre, Ice-T and NWA lover in Brisbane remembers Frenzie. He indulged our desperation for beats; we were sick of straight beats; we wanted to hear stuff that wasnt straight; the bent stuff. And he really knew how to send everyone a little crazy.”  Louie, now a Hip Hop DJ with residencies in the differing RnB.Hip Hop clubs of Brisbane, emphatically names Frenzie as the purveyor of his path. Something which Frenzie is flattered to hear. “I guess I was in Brisbane at the right time.” “Amen to that”, says Louie. “He saved our poor heathen souls from eternal damnation.”

Not one to stick to the path well travelled, Frenzie was also collaborating with the renowned DJ from Resin Dogs, DJ Katch, and funk and jazz band Step It Up. “I have always found inspiration in the local DJs and producers around me in Australia. It always becomes much more personal when I can identify with what some of my peers have achieved. The local DJs I admire have all come from very similar background and eras in music as me, and I know exactly what motivates them and pushes them as artists.”

One of Brisbane’s most talented and highly reputed musicians, Step It Up’s drummer Steve Francis says working with Frenzie was “so easy”. Accepted on the East Coast as holding such finely tuned rhythmic expectations, Steve was excited by the design of Step It Up with Frenzie’s input. In an area of the industry where DJs and musicians are not always fated to even want to work well together, Frenzie notes that he has never experienced any kind of barrier. “That’s because he is a musician”, Steve replies. “When Frenzie and I were together, I felt like my drums and rhythms were better. There was that extra element of rhythmic definition.”

Launching the All Souled Out event at the then vacant Empire with DJ Johnny Griffen and thus propelling the Brisbane breaks ‘scene’ into Brisbane’s limelight, Frenzie appeared quite occupied with his lot. This did not last, however, for this significantly changed with a relocation to Sydney.

Now hosting Groove Therapy on Radio 2SR each Friday, Frenzie still remains a prominent breaks feature for events like BDO, Vibes on a Summers Day and other major dance festivals, as well as residencies at Chinese Laundry and Kink. The sun continues to shine on DJ Frenzie’s domain. “I have a record that will be released over the next couple of months that been a project between myself and DJ Gian Arpino from Tonic”. But, “I have always been a firm believer that to be a successful DJ, you need to create your own empire. At various times in my career, I have hosted several radio shows, managed a night club, written for free press, promoted events, performed in bands – whatever it takes to keep my profile active. A DJ also needs to be able to adapt with the times to ensure longevity in their career and this is something that has been paramount to me.” Wise words for any musician.

So, as Frenzie overlooks his empire, does the Emperor see where the sun’s light will be cast in Australia?  “Australia has already developed in leaps and bounds that I don’t believe it will change too radically over the next few years. We are already recognised around the world as harbouring some incredible talent. There are now many local producers releasing records on a regular basis.” Meanwhile, Frenzie will “keep playing music for the love of it. I’ll keep presenting my radio show. Spend more time in the studio (hopefully away from the mobile) and perhaps promote a few more parties down the track.” Having already supported a stellar cast of monster acts like Moby, DJ Kool Herc, Crystal Method, Naughty by Nature and many more, one almost wonders if the boundary of his territory has limits, though with Frenzie’s incredible musical scope, this would be highly unlikely.

You can catch Frenzie each week in Sydney at Kink in the Broke-N-Beats room on Saturdays, then on Sunday at Coogee Beach Palace Hotel. He’s also appearing alongside DJ Vadim’s Oneself at Home on August 26th (BUY NOW).