She was the first VIP female DJ/producer to enter the national dance consciousness. While she was classically trained in music as a youngster, since then of course she’s committed herself to a career in underground dance. And she’s stayed at the top of her game for over a decade, both as a successful producer and more recently, with her Mixology Digital label. We’re talking about Australia’s premier trance vixen Bexta, of course.
As a young student studying her Bachelor of Sonology at the Queensland Conservatorium during the mid 1990s, the young lady otherwise known as Rebecca Poulsen was attending classical piano classes under the watchful eye of Yefim Stesin. But it was in 1993 at a chance visit to The Beat nightclub in Fortitude Valley that ‘Bexta’ was born. “I loved the vibe at dance parties,” she reflects. ”It was almost tribal seeing a club full of people all going off to a four on the floor.”
While she was accustomed to the strings and symphonic textures of the Conservatorium studios, these were quickly replaced by pounding four-four beats, synthetic melodies and pulsing computer-generated basslines. For Bexta, this was the start of the road to stardom. Thanks to an excellent instruction in all aspects of music technology, Bexta was able to source the necessary equipment for forming live PA performances – a set that used keyboards and FX boxes balanced against her original computer-programmed tracks and rhythms. Classical was enthusiastically traded in for hard house.
And the dancefloor hits followed soon after. Lunar Tango hit the streets first in 1995, with her legendary Skirmish live EP following a few years down the track. With such a musical tradition behind her, did she expect to make it in the dance music industry? “’Make it’ is an ambiguous term. I’ve never really reached a point where I have said that I’ve made it. It’s not about that for me. It’s a continuous, evolutionary art-– continuously changing and striving to be perfected. Now, more than ever, doing what I do – producing, DJing, everything – is about sharing a craft that I’m trying to perfect and nurture.” Her classical training “helps on a composition capacity – not really anything to do with production. I cant DJ mix two tracks together if they are out of key with each other,” Bexta muses.
And her DJing and production has evolved in tune with dance music over the years, which is just as much in a constant state of flux. “I’ve always been led by what I like, and hope that people will follow. Most people would say that I have slowed down over the years – I used to write music at 160bpm so you could definitely say that!” Bexta notes that there is definitely a criteria to the tunes she enjoys writing or performing. “I have always loved certain things though – catchy melodies and vocals, intense percussion, excellent production, and tracks that make you want to get up and dance.“ And what does she try to achieve with each track and each performance? Bexta proclaims it is “a journey, a story… I try to include tracks I know people will recognise and enjoy and I try to introduce them to other music – new or otherwise – that they may not have heard before.” And how does she come up with these treasures? “I just try to get the music from my brain onto paper, so to speak – to get the ideas out. I try to write beautiful music that is well produced,” Bexta declares.
Once her degree in Brisbane was completed, Bexta made her move to Sydney and quickly bolstered her DJing skills. Her gigging career took off, with a steady stream of performances and tours booked along the East Coast of Australia. Her extensive studio experience also enabled her to take on tasks like cowriting a tune for the Olympic Games, to remixing tracks for other artists like ACDC and Icehouse. Being signed to Central Station Records meant the birth of her own mix compilation series: Mixology. And this was backed up with performances at events stretching from Gatecrasher to Godskitchen, inthemix50 tours, Adventj#h and of course the Big Day Out – which became a norm on her yearly schedule. “Yes,” Bexta points out. “I enjoy that I’ve been lucky enough to be on the Big Day Out more than any other artist.”
Her debut album Conversations with Ones and Zeroes was finally released in ‘04 and triumphantly, it took out #8 on the national independent ARIA charts. Reflecting on her successes, Bexta notes that “in terms of releases, the Skirmish Live EP and Ones and Zeroes were important to me because they’re quite personal journeys that I’ve put out there. I’m also happy with the original One for the Road release – which has become an old skool anthem in London.” Bexta also finds satisfaction in “getting emails from people commenting on how one track or another has changed or saved their lives – they’re the biggest achievements for me without a doubt.”
Now based in Melbourne and focussed on her own Mixology Digital label, she’s found herself in the position to support and build up other Australian artists and producers. “I like to see Aussie’s supporting Aussie’s. We tend to have a bit of a tall poppy thing here – not just in the dance scene – it’s everywhere. That’s why I started signing locals to my Mixology label. I wanted to support and encourage Aussie producers and promote them here and overseas. I hope it helps in a small way.”
And while she’s not afraid to sex it up, she reckons there’s co compromise here as far as musical integrity goes. “I did Ralph in February because I am currently exploring that part of me, and I liked doing something totally unexpected and out of my comfort zone. I think any artist can explore their sexuality publicly or personally, but I think if sexy images are all you have, then you’ll pass as quickly as the issue of the magazine you’re in! It’s a fine line if you’re striving for respect. I make sure my sexy side projects don’t jeopardise all the hard work I do; that it’s all part of my personality.”
Musically, she’s swung away form the hard dance sounds that she used to be known for. “I found I wasn’t as inspired with any of the hard music around, and I found writing it was a struggle. So I found salvation in progressive, trance and some tech trance.” And this self-proclaimed salvation has led to a new stage in her vocation: the launch of her latest track VIP. Featuring songstress Amii on vocals, and former Pseudo-Echo member Brian Canham also helped her out, now a fulltime producer and studio engineer at Metro Mix Studios in Melbourne.
“As a tune, I like it,” Brian asserts. “It’s very cool. There are great bits about it: a hooky melody; a familiar melody and great grooves.” And releasing VIP on TV-waves with a fun video clip, Bexta has again stepped from her comfort zone to test the boundaries of her scope. “It was incredibly easy and fun shooting the clip,” Bexta proclaims. “I normally get nervous but the producer Simon Day, was so easy going. Basically we did a clip because we felt like it.” VIP has now been on high rotation on radio stations across the country, and the video clip was titled with ‘Clip of the Week’ on Vodaphone in the first week of release.
So with both VIP and her Mixology Digital label taking off, Bexta’s luminary status shows no signs of fading. Indeed, reservations are far from Bexta’s mind.
Bexta’s VIP is out now through Mixology Digital, check out the ITM review and the clip in ITM-TV. And catch her in the flesh at the following shows…
Fri 11 Apr: King St, Newcastle
Fri18 Apr: Sublime @ Home, Sydney
Fri 25 Apr: Stargarden @ Viper Room, Melbourne
Fri 2 May: Bliss Nightclub, Ipswich
Fri 9 May: One Nightclub, Albury
Fri 30 May: Syrup, Hobart
Sat 7 Jun: Ballina Hotel, Ballina
trancejunkii says...
go bex. u rock!!
kittykat83 says...
bexta Sucks!
rayjay says...
i'd hit it
markmarkmark says...
*cough* skank
partyanimal187 says...
id hit it too
DJ NIK FISH says...
If you're such a hater why even bother visiting this page you gronks! You have waaaay too much time to spare... as for hitting it well from one DJ to another!
Matthew de Groot says...
Saw her at BDO this year, she blew me away, best set I've seen her play. Hey Kittykat, she probably thinks you suck too. Not that anyone cares what you think.
DJ AXiS says...
Ive been following Bexta For years now F*Kn wicked DJ every set she does @ Famz is always the best, she should be a weekly resident, TyDi, Syke, Gee, and Bexta on Fridays@FAMZ FUK YEAH!!! PS: kittykat83
RAD08 says...
BeXta is simply one of the best Djs to come out of Aust. Best Idea I've heard in agers DJ AXis - Put Family back at the For front of TRance and bring BeXta back to Brissy as a Resident. Kittykat83, if you think BeXta sucks it just shows how little you know about Djing and the Industry -- Get off this website.
Miss_Nefarious says...
Bexta changed my life! I've been a fan for years... many more to come!! xxx