With prospects of increasing both profile and wallet size by moving east, Perth’s Joby continually makes the decision that livin’ on the west coast is not worth giving up.  As Geisha’s ‘night to end all nights’ creeps ever closer (It’s this Saturday!!!!), ITM hunted out Joby Vaughn from the recluse of his sanctum. 

See, in order to come to grips with what this guy’s doing, you gotta realize where this cat’s come from.  In 1993, Joby was living in London, chillin’ out, when, don’t ask me how, all of a sudden Joby’s in Lamia, Greece, in front of 500 people and he’s next up on the decks.  Never touched them before in his life.  I don’t even wanna know what happened then.  I have to run to the apothecary before my blood sugar runs haywire.

Living stateside, United Kingdom stateside that is, laid down the fundamentals for what would become his current focus in music.  “I would say that I definitely picked up my sound in London.  When I got back to Perth in ‘95, everyone was really into the UK house at the time.  I brought back a lot more garage-y and vocal based house, which no one was really doing at the time.  Now it’s nothing special, but at the time it was.”

Although rooted primarily in what one would call underground and deep house, Joby has found ways in which a base style can open up to a range of styles.  Like a pyramid scheme.  In reverse.  “Sounds come from all different styles.  I just have to go with what ‘gets me’.  For example, I don’t have any time for the current electro-house craze on the east coast, but there are definitely tracks that are really good.  The music I like and play just evolves by itself.”  Not concerned with what it is or by whom.  “This is my life.  I find the greatest pleasure from sourcing as many songs as I can, regardless of style.”

Joby’s been somewhat of a stalwart here in the Perth scene.  Joby was station manager for Liquid FM, (RIP!), he helped start Ambar and was resident the first 2 years.  Joby’s a contributing member to the ARIA chart and casts votes every week to the weekly top forty dance chart.  Also, holding down his residencies as well.

“You know,” Joby explains why he wants to stay in Perth forever.  “I’m just not concerned with going international or moving to the east coast, even though I feel I have more than enough competence and experience to make it.  I’m just so happy in Perth.  Since I’m on the ARIA charts, I have lots of contact with Sydney and know that I could be making way more money over there and increasing my profile.  But it would just be so detrimental to my current projects.  Perth’s been so good to me.  I just look at what I did with Liquid FM and Ambar and I can’t leave.”

Slotting right in with Joby’s affair with Perth is his liaison with Geisha Bar.  Not once has he ever felt pressured to play in a particular focus.  Geisha has always accepted him for what he does and trusted his instincts with musical choice.  So in preparation for Saturday, Joby gives a bit of insight onto what to expect.  “It’s gonna be a combo of driving, funky, tech-house, very much Chicago style.  The last 3 or 4 months or so, I’ve been feeling the pressure from the dance floor to bring out the big tunes.  It’s a battle to keep the intensity driving!”

Big news by way of Joby.  Production has been labored over and tracks are being made and bundled and by the end of the year, should be ready for release.  It’s just time to decide how.  Shop to labels?  Release oneself?  Not sure.  Coming up in April, Joby’s got a showcase in Melbourne with a number of events lined up.

Until then, make sure you hit up Geisha to catch Joby’s dynamics and creativity that he’s amassed from playing at that venue for the last 10 years.  I can’t wait.

Check out Joby this Saturday, March 18th, at the Smirnoff Ice inthemix Party at Geisha Nightclub. There’s still time to RSVP now by clicking HERE.