As a child, Melbourne DJ/Producer Sean Quinn’s fixation for music compelled him to peel back the layers and examine his musical interests of the time comprehensively. He listened to and analysed every part a group’s repertoire in order to make the educated judgement, do I really like this? All grown up, Sean is still as meticulous with his music, and that is probably another reason why he is one of Australia’s finest Dance Music talents and exponents to date.

Sean has been involved in the Australian dance music scene as both DJ and Producer for well over a decade, and to talk to him you understand how fervently passionate he actually is. “I can’t explain it to people, I literally get out of bed on a Wednesday morning and think, records, I need to buy records”. Playing over 90 per cent of new music each week makes it hard to predict or define the style of set Sean would play at any given time. He has an appreciation for many genres of music and likes to challenge his audience where possible with new and confronting sounds.

However, he is not a selfish DJ and plays to his crowd but does admit that realistically you’re never going to please everyone. An example of this would be the much revelled, “Summadayze” event, which is held in Melbourne on New Year’s Day each year. Sean fondly recalls playing the late set a few years back and says not much can compare, “to looking up that hill and seeing 24,000 people” in front of you listening to your set. He admits that in this instance he needed to curb the amount of new music he played because he was catering for tens of thousands of diverse punters. Yet, he still managed to push the boundaries playing at least 50 per cent new music. With a smile in his voice, he professes that Summadazye is right in there as one of his best DJ experiences.

I asked Sean about the other memorable experiences he’s had of late and he told me about his very recent 9 day whirlwind in Europe, “playing at Ibiza during the peak of the season” alongside names like Anthony Pappa and Dave Seaman. The Heinken Fast Forward Dance Parade was another highlight, “40 semi-trailers lined up with four DJs playing sets on each”. Mind you these semis were being driven at 5 kilometres per hour through the streets of Rotterdam, which were lined with 1.5 million jubilant people, “yeah, it was pretty crazy”.

And it seems the craziness doesn’t end there for Sean Quinn … it has only been three weeks since he and Kasey Taylor finished their latest Our House album. Sean admits producing the album was a “weight on his shoulders” over the past three years and he’s happy to finally be on the other side of it. This album is more diverse than any other Our House production, slower and very melodic. There’s even a remix of the Tears for Fears track, ‘Shout’ – something to look forward to.

To Sean Quinn 2002 is a year where he has the chance to “escape his pigeon hole as a progressive house DJ” – especially in his home-town of Melbourne where progressive house has become a somewhat dirty term. He has also deliberately given Adelaide a break for the last year from what he calls, “Sean Quinn over exposure”. This weekend at Independence will be Sean’s first appearance in Adelaide for 2002 and he is, “looking forward to being back … (I) always have a ball with Brendon, Mal and the guys”. We are assured of a thumping set from Sean, a hot pot of everything from, “breakbeat and funky vocals” to “some slamming progressive”. And from the serious chuckle he shared when warning of ” ball-tearing sounds”, I’d have to suggest to the punters to watch out, we’re up for something very big from Mr Sean Quinn.