As the BPMs have gone up and down over electronica’s history, Brisbane’s dance scene too has waxed and waned with many DJs coming and going. However, the longtimers of Brisbane’s industry have not only managed to linger, but stay on top of the heap, guiding our ears through waves of fashion, rages and new genres. DJ Fuzion is one of Brisbane’s electronic pioneers.

Since his underage teen years sneaking into Brisbane’s notorious underground clubs, Fuzion developed a full fledged compulsion for all things electronic until his compulsion matured into a life long addiction. Since trying his hand behind the decks in 1997, Fuzion has gone on to emerge victorious in Channel [V]’s first ever National Amateur DJ Competition to eventually conquering Australia’s underground community. With a passion especially for techno and minimal house, Fuzion stands out with his effortless skills – particularly his renown 3-deck assault – with an abiding love for floating melodies, mesmerisingly unyielding beats that span the spectrum of percussion instruments through to synthesized rhythms and overlayed by resolute basslines.

Welcomed to every dance event in town and around Australia, Fuzion has also featured prominently on every underground bill, including Melt, Drop, Sunday Roast, Dark N Dirty, Logic, Subtrakt and The Moonbar Collective. With a wealth of experience and knowledge behind him, Fuzion joined forces with Elliot Clarke to form Colours, and from there the sister brand, Kana. As Kana looks back on two years of bringing the mystery and fun back to Brisbane’s dance, ITM sits down with DJ Fuzion to discuss Brisbane’s dance history, where he has been and where he is going.

You have been lurking around Brisbane’s dance scene for some time now. What changes have you seen come and go, and what have you seen stay the same?

There have been obvious shifts in styles – nights, promoters, DJs, venues and a shift in the way people approach the whole thing and the culture. The only thing that has stayed the same is the determination and attitude in today’s DJs and promoters to keep delivering. But I hope that the scene will always shift in different directions, which can only be a good influence on the generations that will push our music forward to new boundaries.

What would you like to see Brisbane’s dance scene evolve into?

The monster that it’s slowly becoming. Brisbane is graced with an abundance of talent. I’ve been fortunate enough this year to have played shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Cairns, and Brisbane is by far, for its size, the healthiest.

Are there any Brisbane crews or DJs that especially get your mark of respect?

Respect to all the DJ’s and promoters that came before us that built the foundations for the thriving scene we are fortunate enough to be part of today. Brisbane’s pioneers: Angus, Mark Briais, Darren Briais, Kazu Kimura, Jason Rouse, Tran-C, Gracie, Barking Boy, Jen-E and everyone else that was around during that era that I’ve left out. Respect to the early promoters who put on Strawberry Fields, Adrenalin, NASA, Blackout, Headfunk and every other party that has disappeared into the vault of my memory. Venues like the Tube and Mantra who were always at the forefront of techno; Viva stepped up Brisbane’s sophistication; Respect to The Site, The Roxy and Sybil’s for the early 90s raves, and The Tunnel for changing my life. Respect to those, who over the years, have continually shown unconditional faith and support by providing their hard work and commitment in adding value to the underground scene we have today.

Where do you think Australia sits on the dance map in comparison to the rest of the world?

I think it’s in a healthy state. The Australian market is saturated with festivals, the club scene is bigger than it’s ever been, there’s TV advertisements promoting festivals and CD releases – a form of media that would never have been warranted ten years ago. Small independent underground nights are healthy and still pushing forward and you constantly hear stories of artists touring this country and loving it. I’m loving the vibe and the spirit that people bring to events big and small. The message at the end of the day is support your local scene, artists and labels because everything has an expiry date on it, and when its no longer there or when things move on and morph into something else, you’re gonna miss it. That’s the nature of the beast. So make the most of what’s on offer today, and have a damn good time doing it!

You wear many hats of promoter, organiser and performing artist. Which do you prefer?

Definitely performing first and foremost. Nothing captures the buzz of performing. Producing is something that I need to give serious attention. It requires a certain element of discipline that I still haven’t come close to mastering.

With turntables, CDJs and now Laptops a part of the DJ regimen, where does your preference lie?

If I had to choose a platform – turntables without question. I’ve been playing on CDJs with an outboard loop sampler for the last 3 years or so. There’s a feeling there you just can’t replicate. There’s something to the art of actually playing records. There’s a certain look to it, which nothing can come close to, even with all this technology around us. Apart from mp3’s, the biggest threat to vinyl as Tim Xavier recently mentioned, is that there are only seven people left in the world that can repair a vinyl press machine.

What do you do to challenge yourself as an artist?

I don’t own CDJs, so playing new tunes each time I play is a constant challenge. Traktor is next on the list. The next big challenge for me is producing something that I’m entirely happy with.

What is it about techno and minimal house that continues to capture your musical soul?

Exactly that – the soul. Techno for me, no matter how dry or monotonous or minimal, has enormous amounts of soul (if its quality). I’m also a huge fan of swing, shuffle and quirky rhythms and the particular sounds that really get me moving, I’ve always found in techno or deep tech house records. That’s the sound that continually captures me. There’s intelligence in this music, in its depth, in its structure and its sounds. I find the same thing in drum & bass. I love that style for the same reasons.

What is it that motivates you to always push at the boundaries of music? What is it that you think you are searching for?

I’m always on the hunt for something new. That in itself is an addiction. It doesn’t even have to be new, even something I’ve never heard before, or something old that I didn’t get before that I understand now. That’s what’s always new for me. Not staying in the same spot for too long but always maintaining a common denominator.

How did Kana come about? What does it represent to you?

Kana is a brand and a concept that represents many ideas. It represents diversification. It’s about re-igniting the spark, interest and hunger that we all had for clubbing and the music when it was all new to us. It’s an opportunity to step away from clubs and get involved in a totally different experience, which is refreshing. There’s also an element of excitement of taking over a piece of real estate and letting loose for a casual afternoon. I mean its one thing to hold an outdoor event but it’s a totally different feel when you just rock up to an undisclosed location, guerrilla style, and start playing tunes with a group of up for it crew. Sometimes you just have to stop yourself and look around and think, “Are we really doing this?”. I also love the fact that the music interacts with our surroundings. It puts a totally new twist on the music. The function and form of both seem to meet. It’s difficult not to notice when you’re playing with The Storey Bridge as your wallpaper.

With Kana’s 2nd birthday coming up, what are you most proud of? And what can the Kana faithful expect on the day?

I am proud to be part of the concept and its development. Expect a few surprises, but also expect the same consistently amazing experience that Kana has delivered thus far – an unprecedented location providing a backdrop and a soundtrack to a perfect afternoon away from clubs with a great community of people! Pure in its rawest form. What else could you ask for?

Kana’s Second Birthday hits a secret location this Sunday 27th September!