He’s got the biggest house track of the summer under his belt with Get Shaky, but Ian Carey is by no means a spring chicken to the dance scene. The American DJ and producer has been kicking about for several years, releasing on labels like Defected, Ministry of Sound, Hed Kandi. In the country for the Future Music Festival and his own headline tour to launch his Vicious Cuts compilation, we got a quick five minutes with the man to talk shop!

Ian Carey, it’s very nice to talk to you, how are you doing at the moment and what’s been happening?

All good, just getting ready for my tour down there!

2008 was a pretty big year for you obviously. What are the highlights and why?

Well I had three crossover hits in 2008 – three records in top 40 charts in major music markets around the world, so I would say yes, it’s been a big year.

When you were producing Get Shaky, was it one of those tracks that you knew instantly was going to be a massive global hit, or did you have no idea of how well it would be received?

Can’t say I thought it would be a massive hit, not to the extent that it has gone, but I knew it was a good record, otherwise I would not have finished it and put it out.

One of your first musical passions was hip-hop. Do you still listen to the genre, and what’s your opinion on the state of hip-hop at the moment?

Yeah, I sill listen to hip hop, but it’s different now, not really better or worse, but different, it’s basically pop music. I actually would not mind getting back into hip hop on the production tip.

What’s the best thing that you think has happened during your career?

Just being able to make music and play for a living over the past years, really, that’s my goal, and it seems to be working out ok.

When you see guys like Pete Tong and Roger Sanchez championing your music, as an artist how does that make you feel?

Well years ago, it was an amazing feeling of course, but now its kind of expected in a way.

What’s on the agenda for 2009?

Touring and an album!

Are you excited to be playing at Future Music?

Yes, of course, it’s awesome… I’m going to play some good tunes and make people dance, that’s my job!

What are your thoughts on the dance scene in Australia?

Seems to be coming along quite nicely and it has grown in the past years for sure. To see my record in the top 10 for so long proves that!

Vicious Cuts, mixed by Ian Carey and John Course, is out now through Vicious/Universal. You can catch Ian at the remaining Future Music Festival dates or on his own headliner tour throughout March:

Mar 5 – Discover, Darwin
Mar 6 – Platinum, Gold Coast
Mar 7 – Future Music Festival, Brisbane
Mar 7 – Academy, Canberra
Mar 8 – Future Music Festival, Melbourne
Mar 9 – Future Music Festival, Adelaide
Mar 12 – Blue Martini Club, Geelong
Mar 14 – Chinese Laundry, Sydney
Mar 15 – Gilligans, Cairns