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Something interesting happened to Australian dance music in 2007: the Gold Coast made a grand stampede onto the national stage thanks to the lofty entry of The Stafford Brothers into the top 5 DJs for the inthemix50 poll. All of a sudden, the Gold Coast had grabbed the country’s attention, with many questioning what could lie beneath the apparent tacky glitz and glamour of a Queensland town whose taste for the sun and surf remains notorious. While people will still question the substance of the Gold Coast, as per usual you’ve got to look beyond the beaten track to find the gem beneath the tinsel. The kiwi-born Stafford Brothers are just a start, for there are many others like them who are gradually rising to the challenge of becoming the next generation of Queensland hard-hitting DJs; and among this elite group emerges Norwegian born, Gold Coast braved DJ Audun
Audun’s story starts in his birth country of Norway, where he admits “music was a big part of my life. I grew up playing the piano, and was always collecting music. I played piano for three or four years, As a teen I listened to punk music and hiphop. Norway has a healthy club scene,” Audun notes of his first hometown, “but it is limited, I was first introduced to electronic dance music in my home town though.” Audun also reflects that on his parents dropping him off to a Public Enemy concert when he was in grade 6. “The piano is not something that I practise anymore,” Audun maintains. “It’s been replaced by the turntables.”
Coming to Australia to study in Brisbane at age eighteen, Audun’s parents encouraged and supported his dream to leave a small mild town for a bigger city on the other side of the world. “I had only intended to stay in Brisbane for one year – but now I’m really close to Australia.” After some time studying at UQ and living in The Valley, Audun got a job as a glassie at The Port Offic*, a Brisbane venue once known far and wide for its underground music policy. Here, Audun got to meet with such characters as Kieron C and Matt Kitshon. “They helped teaching me to beatmix and also passed on pointers”. When his gradual exodus eventually took him to a job working at (the original) Berlin Bar and then a residency at Byron Bay’s LaLa Land whilst also attending Bond University, Audun heartened his resolve to move to Queensland’s notorious strip of beach, babes and sunshine.
However, it was while first in Brisbane living in a house with six other Norwegians that Audun stumbled onto the decks. “I started to play with Shetiel,” Audun notes, “We started out together in Brisbane and would play at our friend’s parties. Before long, once we had really mastered the equipment, we were playing a lot.” Remarking upon his previous experience on piano, Audun notes “it made it easier for me to pick up turntables. It gave me an ear for music – a bit more of an analytical approach to music. But,” he annunciates in his careful speech, keeping his intentions modest “I don’t analyse it any further to why I like it or don’t like it. It’s more my approach to listening to music.” Indeed – developing his DJ ears, “I never thought I’d be performing music. I more or less stumbled onto the decks but it sparked my interest enough to stick with it. I never really pictured I’d be playing before ten thousand people at Summafieldayze.”
Eventually taking on tutoring duties at Bond University in addition to the string of marketing degrees to his name, Audun has taken this business savvy and coupled it with his savoir-faire for the music industry to emerge as a creative director in modern alternative culture.Whether as the tutor in the classroom or the musical educator from behind the turntables, Audun knows how to make use of his powers to act as a conduit. Whether discussing basic marketing strategies with undergraduates, analysing the latest statistic from the club with the staff or applying the latest non-commercial slice of vinyl to the speakers, Audun knows how to establish that connection. “I’m successful in both [teaching and DJing]. Both are similar and about education,” Audun claims. “It’s about trying to present people with new ideas in a way that they understand it and find it exciting. Basically, it’s about controlling a room. And yes, it’s a buzz. That feeling you get when someone understands something you are trying to pass on is really rewarding.”
Living on the beautiful Gold Coast, with its pristine beaches, incredible weather and transient population on vacation, he knows the Gold Coast as home to a variety of flashy people with lifestyles to suit. Glitz, hedonism and extravagance are traits the Gold Coast revel in. “People have a perception that the Gold Coast is a holiday spot lacking in culture,” he states. “People think that, but in the few years I have been here, people have been demanding better quality – they’re more traveled now. A DJ once doing what they liked is gone. People are expecting more from us now – and on the Gold Coast, good stuff is coming out. I feel like I am a representative of the Gold Coast,” he declares loyally, “I’m consistently doing a good job and being asked to perform ‘elsewhere’,” he grins acknowledging his recent gigs in Brisbane’s Future Music Festival, and clubs in Sydney and Melbourne. However, for now, the Gold Coast appears to be the place to be for Audun at this stage.
Now the musical director of Elsewhere on Friday nights, Audun feels he has a quest. “I make people realise they can have a good time without the music being from the Top 40. Sometimes, it’s worth digging deeper; worth going beyond what’s on the radio. There is a lot of great music out there,” he claims. “I want to educate people on new sounds and never lose sight of entertaining. There’s a fine line – to see how far you can pull the rubber band before it snaps.” And are there any plans for producing? “I have been involved in production,” Audun points out. “But I’m just trying to focus on DJing. I think it’s natural to progress to production, I’m very interested in it. But I’m focussing on Elsewhere and DJing for the moment.” An example of his can be seen now in ITM-FM – a traditional vinyl mix that’s simple in its setup. “I don’t do anything fancy,” Audun claims. “I thought I would capture a Friday night at Elsewhere with all the intensity levels we go through during the night. I’ve included tracks that have been heard played in Elsewhere over the last 6 months. It’s definitely a mix that Elsewhere regulars would associate with.”
And thus Audun continues on his lofty mission. With an established technique and excellent understanding in connecting with a crowd, not to mention a secure business savvy thrown in there with plenty of European charm, DJ Audun is leading the way as a creative envoy. While conquering the obstacles of a vacationing populace and a lifestyle heavily focused on sun and surf, Audun has successfully put the spotlight Gold Coast nightlife. Indeed, a solid foundation for an exciting future has been laid.
You can catch DJ Audun at Elsewhere on Friday nights.
coxdigweed says...
well done man , he definately is doing great things for the gold coast scene ...please keep pushing that quality sound and hopefully the coast will realise that there is more to music than ministry of sound shit
jay801 says...
Audun is the bomb.
Givi says...
Audun is by far one of the most on to it and sophisticated DJs I have ever had the pleasure to work wih. His technical ability and attention to details is just amazing. Always keeps his sets fresh and interesting. He spends lots of hours hunting new tunes and he has always push the boundries having such an ego-less and humble attitude towards music. He certainly has been a great influence on the Gold Coast since the last year of old Berlin Bar and later on Elsewhere. I have enjoyed his sets for the last 6 years. If you haven't heard him yet, do yourself a favour and try catching him at Elsewhere on Friday nights where he runs his "Electronic Boogie Show"