Scott Pullen is truly one of the old hands of the Sydney dance scene, having been DJing since the birth of the Australian dance scene in the 80s as well as playing at the infamous RAT parties at the Horden Pavilion. While it takes a special occasion to get him behind the decks these days, his involvement with the scene continues, both through his live/DJ fusion outfit The Groove Academy who bring a diverse concoction of samba, salsa, tango, swing, funk, soul and house to all of their gigs, as well as through his DJ booking agency, also known as the Groove Academy.

The group will have an exclusive gig coming up this Saturday in Sydney at the Opera Bar. ITM chats with Scott Pullen to find out more.

Tell us about your journey from DJ, to forming The Groove Academy outfit a couple of years ago?

The first time I started DJing with musicians was at the infamous RAT parties at the Hordern pavilion, so it’s nothing new. I’ve always had an interest in live music, world music and jazz in particular. I have a very broad appreciation of music and this is another outlet to express my different styles.

What was your main inspiration for this at the time?

I love rocking a dance floor, don’t get me wrong, but there is a vast wealth of fantastic music that people just don’t get to hear anymore. We are reintroducing old school rhythms like bossa nova, tango, samba & swing to a new generation & making them cool again. We also rock the dance floor with some seriously funked up afro/latin house.

What do you think the reaction was like from your fans?

I didn’t realize I had any ‘fans’, I just go about my business and do what I do. People that know me realize that I have a very broad appreciation of music so they are not surprised at all. I think people need to have a break from dance music at times, and realize that there is so much more excellent music out there. My taste in music is constantly evolving.

From the beginning, what originally inspired you to get involved in dance music?

From the beginning, people have been dancing to music and celebrating their lives. Early tribal people, ancient cultures, aboriginals, gypsies etc all enjoyed dancing to some sort of music. I get a lot of joy out of playing music and bringing people together to celebrate. I love using music as a vehicle to bring people together, regardless of their creed, age, sexual preference, race, religion and just _all_dance to the same groove. It’s very unifying!

The Groove Academy have played a lot of solid gigs recently. Did you envision this level of success from the beginning?

I’m not sure how successful we are, but we do play some pretty cool gigs. I just started working with really good musicians like singer Michelle Martinez, Aykho Akrhif and Ross Middleton and playing music that I love on the more jazzy side of things. People really started to take notice & appreciate what we do. There is a lot of musicality with The Groove Academy which is a big change from the constant 4/4 of a dance floor.

Another big focus for you at the moment is your DJ booking agency. Tell us a bit about what’s been going on, and what inspired you to begin working with young talent?

We don’t just work with young talent; we work with anyone that is good at what they do. We are always interested in nurturing new talent as well. Over the years I have built a reputation as a versatile DJ with good taste in music that can read a crowd. Whether it’s a large music festival or an A-List celebrity’s cocktail party, I would always focus on the job at hand. I have toured throughout Europe and Asia as a DJ, but also supplied music to some of Australia’s most exclusive events and parties. Clients trust my judgement, knowing that I will supply the right music, DJ or band that is perfect for their event, festival or club. We launched The Groove Academy website, www.thegrooveacademy.com.au, in January this year, so people can contact us via the website.

What about your programming the music channels on the digital TV networks, tell us a little bit about that.

Unfortunately, I don’t do it anymore, but it was great while it lasted. People always talk about the music that plays in the background on Foxtel’s menu channel. That is the ‘Lounge’ channel that I used to program from Foxtel’s ‘AIR’ music channels. I worked on the ‘Lounge’, ‘Dance’, ‘Anthems’ & ‘Jazz’ channels.

What does playing music to a dancefloor mean to you in 2009?

Every dance floor has a different crowd & vibe. Once you understand the crowd in front of you, you can then go about entertaining them. People are out for a good time so I’m there to give it to them without being predictable. Give them a good taste of what they haven’t heard but will like as well. I very rarely play clubs in Sydney anymore, just gigs in different cities, overseas, good parties & festivals.

And who were the artists that inspired you to get involved in the scene?

Funnily enough, I was in the scene long before I was inspired by any artists. However, I’m inspired by artists who are true to their aim, break the rules, don’t care about what others are doing and don’t get caught up in any hype.

Looking back at all the gigs you’ve performed at, what would you name as the most memorable?

There’s a few…definitely rocking the 100,000 strong crowd at the Sydney 2000 Olympics Official Closing Party in the Domain, The World DJ Festival in Seoul last year, supporting Fatboy Slim (in the early days) and DJing at Keanu Reeves NYE party on a tropical island in far north Queensland.

What changes can you identify in Australian dance scene now, compared to when you were performing at RAT parties in the 1980s?

In the mid to late 80s, the dance music scene was quite underground. There was no dance music on the radio and all sorts of people would dance to many genres of music on the one dance floor. Today, the scene is very homogenized and mainstream. It’s also splintered into smaller sub-cultures based around sub-genres of different music.

What are some future goals that you’re hoping to reach?

I can’t give away too many secrets, but I hope to expose a lot more Australian talent to the world and have my own original music being enjoyed around the globe. I’d also like to continue travelling with my music & be inspired by interesting people.

Finally, where can we catch Groove Academy, and what can anyone new to your sound expect?

The Groove Academy usually only perform at exclusive private & corporate events, Unfortunately, I we won’t be doing any live performances until I return from touring Asia. We are doing some gigs in Fiji in June & will possibly be doing some cool cabaret style gigs in Sydney. You can listen to a live recording of the band on the homepage at www.scottpullen.com or email us at info@thegrooveacademy.com.au.

Catch Scott Pullen fronting his Groove Academy this Saturday April 25th at Opera Bar.