Greg Packer needs little by way of introductions these days. His success as a DJ and
producer has helped fly the flag for Perth in it’s claim as Australia’s capital of drum’n’bass
and make it an essential stopover for touring internationals. In fact through releases on
labels like LTJ Bukem’s and an infection blend of liquid rhythms he’s become an renown
international touring artist himself. But all that’s on hold this Saturday as he rewinds to
his jungle roots for ITM and Smirnoff ICE this Saturday at Rise. Make sure you check it
out!
Revolution has been running for a few months now, what have been some of the
highlights for you so far?
The opening night & the first time MC Xssessive mc-ed there were definitely the 2 best
nights so far for me personally as far as crowd level & response, the vibe was like they
were dancing to there favorite international superstar or something which is rare for local
dj’s / events.
The night has been focussed on mixing things up genre wise and breaking a few pre-
conceptions. How has it influenced your own style?
Being rise and watching simon play uplifting trance has made me think a bit more about
what kind of tunes I pack each week, its great because I feel these days I’m getting
value out of my records instead of playing them once or twice, so I dig back a little some
nights and pull out some trancy drum n bass for example because playing for almost 3
hours each week can allow you to play all sorts in your set as it’s long enough for a good
journey of dnb beats & flavas
The Smirnoff Ice ITM Party sees Revolution going ‘Rewind’, giving you a chance to
dig in the crates of yesteryear. What are the most noticeable differences in your sound
between then and now?
This particular night i shall be playing between the years 94 – 2000 , the start of my set
will be slower in bpm and more jungle & hardcore sounding stuff , the beats back then
were mainly about sped up hip hop breaks where as today modern drum sounds are
being used.
What are your top 5 ‘Rewind’ tunes?
inner city – united
electronic experienced – v – 10 overload
super ragga gabba – one more rave
visa (carl cox & stu allen) – let me see you move
blue pearl v’s bizarre inc – playing with knives bootleg
Do any of these stay in your crate for ‘regular’ nights?
Not these days , if was doing a breaks set then possibly but they would be too slow for
dnb.
What kind of sounds can people expect to be hearing from you on the night?
Early jungle mixed with some early happy hardcore then working up the tempo to some
mid to late 90’s dnb classics
If you were able to invite two guests to play at the ‘Ultimate Revolution’ Night, one
local and one interstate/international, who would it be and why?
Local , either Muller or Sardi as they are personally my preferred local dj’s that are very
open minded and appreciate all styles of dnb and mixing skills / track selection are spot
on . Internationally I think for revolution no one could smash up the room more than
Andy C.
What have been some other highlights of you this year (outside of Revolution)?
Two Tribes leading up for Grandmaster Flash was a good one as I got to play lots of my
fave old 80’s hip hop which was something really different for me, I did an old school
night in melbourne recently that was really good also.
How would you compare the state of the local dance scene to this time last year? In
your opinion, what have been the driving factors that have influenced this?
I’d say its almost the same for dnb, some nights do well others don’t I still say there is a
bit too much overkill here as we are a small city with a small population even if our dnb
scene is one of the best in Australia
What’s in stall for the rest of 2005 for you? Any production work or tours in the
pipeline?
Still have plently of releases due out this year on labels such as (renegade, wildstyle ,
soundtraxx , good looking , fokuz , tangent ) and have some little tours coming up over
east in canberra , melbourne & sydney later this year.
Tell me about the last time you got to sit back and enjoy a gig without having to play
(dance or non-dance).
I got invited to one of ‘general justices’ reggae / dancehall nights ( 25th yr celebration I
think ) I had a night off so went down with my brother for one drink and ended up
staying till 4.30am. I’m a big fan of reggae / dub and the dj’s & bands simply had me
glued to the dancefloor. It was great to hear that style played and see a full dancefloor
getting into it as its such slow music. I had a grin on my face for days afterwards, wicked
night !!!!!
The Smirnoff ICE ITM Party takes place at Rise Nightclub on Saturday October
15th. RSVP for free entry
id=2146”>HERE.
