Cross-country throwdown Destination? was born in Perth, with a no-fuss, good-times formula that was later exported to Sydney. Both incarnations now co-exist in their respective cities, repping hometown talent alongside hand-picked international headliners.

Destination? is now an institution in Perth, while its Sydney offshoot is steadily building a reputation for championing the breakbeat sound in all its guises. This weekend sees German gun Miles Dyson do the Destination? double, so we found out from the party’s Sydney team what keeps it fresh.

Was Destination? born in Sydney and Perth simultaneously, or did one come first?
Destination? was is the brainchild of Mark Woolard and Peter Santa Maria (The Signal Divers) in Perth. Mark and Pete have built Destination? from the ground up to be a formidable force in the Perth. Its reputation was strengthened when almost clean-sweeping the Perth Dance Music Awards in 2006, winning ‘Outstanding Contribution’ and ‘Best Club Night’. Destination? Sydney is now in its third year, forming a loyal and dedicated fan-base who are appreciate quality music, and above all know how to have a good time.

Are there certain differences you have to be aware of between Sydney and Perth, or does the party work the same in both cities?
Each city has an individual direction, music policy and is run by its own team. Destination? Sydney is predominately focused on breaks, funk and DnB whereas Perth is more focus on house and techno.

When you think back over the history of Destination? in Sydney, what are some of the standout memories where it all came together?
Haha, wow there are so many standout memories. Musically for me Miles Dyson at The Cross in 2008, or NAPT at 202 Broadway earlier this year were standouts. The crowd went nuts. Both Miles and NAPT are leaders in the industry; they know how to serve up seamless mixes and never disappoint. Otherwise, the party where we spray—painted 52 pairs of sneakers with Pacman was pretty memorable. It was pretty amusing seeing punters going home in our artworks.

After a real boom period of the early-2000s, breakbeat has gone somewhat ‘underground’ again. Do you think it’s an exciting time for the sound?
Underground, yeah! That’s the way we like it. It is really exciting time at the moment, those who are dedicated are experimenting with different influences such as dubstep, nu funk and D&B. Plus there are some really outstanding young producers making a real impact on the scene. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds for breaks.

With the club scene going through so many changes in recent years, how do you go about building a loyalty to your party?
It’s pretty simple: build a party based on friendship and fun, play music we want to hear, and go nuts. Being an independent promoter in Sydney is pretty tough at the moment. We are lucky to have great bunch of really cool and loyal punters who are keen to support the scene – and there is the added bonus that they love to party.

Who would be on a wish-list of guests for future Destination parties?
Krafty Kuts, Plump DJs, Stanton Warriors, Autobots, Soul of Man, DJ Icey, NAPT and Miles Dyson.

DJ PROFILE: KARTON

What feeling do you hope people take away from your album For All Seasons?
People are going to take a lot of different things away from the album because it’s probably as diverse as its audience. If the record makes someone’s day better we can’t really ask for more.

Do you think there’s a particularly strong community of Australian producers doing good things at the moment?
Australian producers are doing great things right now – guys like Nick Thayer and Bass Kleph are putting out some great forward-thinking tunes at the moment and drum ‘n bass champs Pendulum have been showing us for years how to take over the world.

Given Karton’s international reach, do you ever feel isolated from the action being all the way down here in Australia?
From a performing artist’s perspective, it’s definitely a lot harder for us to get across to Europe quickly to hit the festivals and clubs. We just got back from playing shows in Spain and the UK over the European summer and we made some great contacts while over there. From a recording artist’s perspective, especially for any kind of electronic music, the internet pretty much bridges any gap instantly to the point where we feel like we’re right amongst it all.

You told inthemix a while back, “To paraphrase a quote from Atomic Hooligan, I think our sound is always defined by breakbeat but never constrained by it.” What excites you most about the possibilities within breakbeat?
Breakbeat is part of so many genres of modern music and so easily integrated into any production – it’s a good platform to branch out to different styles without losing your roots. Plus there’s something inherently human in breaks that connects with people on a very basic level. The most exciting thing about the genre is where things are going at the moment with influences like dubstep and drumstep taking breaks to the next level.

After all the studio work, is it a buzz to get out and take your music into the clubs as DJs?
That’s the pay-off for all the hours spent in a dark studio. Playing our tunes out and seeing the punters get into them is wicked, and seeing people’s reactions has also become part of the production process for us.

You guys have played Destination before. Are you looking forward to another round in Sydney? What’s on the cards for the set?
Expect some bigness to massage your eardrums. We have a stack of massive breaks tunes, some amazing drumstep and everything in between, plus unreleased Karton originals fresh out of the studio. Can’t wait for this one!

Destination? hits Perth and Sydney this weekend headlined by Miles Dyson. Canberra’s breaks specialists Karton also play in Sydney, and here’s an ITM-FM mix they’ve put together to get you properly hyped.

Fri 10 Sep – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney JOIN THE ROLL-CALL
Sat 11 Sep – Villa Nightclub, Perth JOIN THE ROLL-CALL