Always unruffled with a mind wrapped in systems of logic and reason, it is hard to see where the line between Cosmo Cater the lawyer and Cosmo Cater the DJ commences – for each is an outlet for the other. Bred on a diet of Beethoven, Kraftwerk, Supertramp, Weather Report and Crucial Cutz on 4ZZZ, this varied regimen has opened Cosmo Cater’s ears up to a world overflowing with melodies and textures. Add to this his education in cello and piano and a love for hip hop artists such as Pharcyde and Freestyle Fellowship, and we have the template for a remarkable musical mind. Since his first gig on a Sunshine Coast radio station, Cosmo has come a long way to cement his mark on Brisbane, particularly with a memorable warm-up set for Sasha in 2009. In the lead-up to his support set for Orbital at Family Nightclub, inthemix sat down with Cosmo to candidly discuss the underground scene, the crimes of our time and what keeps him behind the decks.

What keeps you interested in dance music after all this time?

Passion keeps me behind the decks, and the sheer amount of amazing new music being released constantly. I love sharing music with people.

As somewhat of a stalwart in Brisbane’s dance scene, you would have seen many things come and go as well as stay around. Given Brisbane’s fickleness, what do you attribute the staying power of the success stories to?

Many, many, things have come and gone. Unfortunately the nature of the music and entertainment scene is that it tends to attract ‘flash in the pan’ types. It’s hard to pinpoint one attribute that gives the success stories staying power. Consistency in all things they do greatly assists, as does adaptability.

As a crime fighting lawyer by day and a DJ who smashes dance floors by night, how do you find both aspects of your identity work together?

I find both vocations working together very challenging. It’s occasionally very tiring, and not too kind on my body clock. I don’t believe the vocations are necessarily at odds with each other though. The popular perception of a lawyer and the popular perception of a DJ will always lead to stereotyping. But music appeals to my creative side, and law appeals to my academic side.

How do you think Queensland’s politics is reflected in Brisbane dance scene?

Queensland has, until the mid 90s, had an extreme political culture. It’s been rough, corners have been cut, due process not followed, all in the name of progress and development. The Brisbane dance scene has been similar. It’s funny talking about politics impacting on the dance scene, because many would say they go out to dance to escape politics. By going out and dancing till the sun comes up, by choosing music not played on the radio, by creating a new identity for one’s self on weekends – these are all quite political acts in themselves. They still represent a culture that runs anathema to the kind of current Nanny State we find ourselves in. It’s a shame that the simple act of going out dancing is becoming so regulated.

What are your thoughts on Brisbane’s dance scene?

I am seeing new DJs, clubs and promoters enjoying popularity. I’m definitely seeing some of the older DJs playing out less, and it’s a shame because some of them worked really hard on their DJing – they were also people I was inspired by. Change is bound to happen though, that’s the nature of clubbing. Nowadays dance music is the norm, and much less of a counter-culture than even a decade ago.

What are your thoughts on Brisbane’s dance community?

My thoughts on Brisbane’s dance community could fill a very boring, yet defamatory, book. One of the true crimes of Brisbane’s dance music community has been the undervaluing of local DJs. We have ones that are beyond world-class. It’s only now, when we see tyDi smashing it internationally, do we think about how wonderful our local talent pool is. People who go hard on the dancefloor and our supremely skilled local DJs are two other aspects I admire about Brisbane, plus the sense of community. However, I do think that the feeling of community has been lost in some instances. It still exists but it’s more confined to house parties and occasional club nights. The focus of enjoying the music has shifted to celebrating oneself. Many festival promoters base booking local supports on how many industry tickets someone can sell, not whether they can play or whether they are appropriate for their timeslot and stage. That’s doing a disservice to talent and is disrespecting the local music culture.

Tell us about your experience warming up for Sasha at The Met last year.

It was such a buzz playing that set! The crowd’s acknowledgement throughout was heart-warming, and I am still getting random people thanking me now. It’s something I’m very proud of.

With one of electronica’s biggest acts coming to town, what can we expect to hear from you at Family when you support Orbital?

Obviously as Orbital made their name in the first half of the 90s there will be a few tunes from around that era, but there will also be some atmospheric warm-up tunes from all sorts of places. I’ve dug into storage for this one! It’ll be warm, fun music to set the scene and allow Orbital to perform at their best.

Cosmo Cater joins Scott Walker and Tim Fuchs when tDmuzic present Orbital at Family Nightclub tonight, Wednesday February 24th. Tickets are still available here on ITM!