It is always refreshing to meet a DJ with his/her feet planted firmly on the ground. One such person is DJ Drift aka Michael Nilsen. Having been involved in DJing for as long as he can remember, and professionally for nearly three years, Drift would be as entitled as anyone to let the ‘DJ life’ get to his head. Instead, Drift’s motivations remain incorrupt and his intentions remain humble. Drift is in it for the music.
I asked the deep progressive house maestro for his thoughts on DJ culture in this country. More specifically whether he thought we had reached a point where some DJs are considered more important than the music they play. “Well it does seem that way these days, but I guess the majority of DJs that I have come across love their music and have begun DJing because of that love. The underground scene can be a lot more fun for the musically minded person because, unlike some commercial style clubs, at an underground venue you know people are there for the music and you definitely know that the DJs are playing their own style and loving it. That concept means much more to me than a pay packet”.
DJ Drift’s own dealings with underground music identities like Ivan Gough and Dave Thornton have helped shape his own style. “Musically Ivan Gough has influenced me the most. This is mainly because of his attention to detail in the studio and behind the decks. He’s a fantastic person – ‘Love ya style’. As far as DJs go, well I would have to say Dave Thornton. Dave showed me the ropes and taught me heaps of invaluable lessons. He’s a very hardworking DJ. I hate to think what things might be like without guys like these”.
Drift’s latest project, Twaulijha, comes in response to a perceived gap in Melbourne’s thriving dance scene. Drift puts it simply, “Twaulijha came about when we discovered that there wasn’t a bar or lounge playing the sort of deeper darker music we like. I think as dance music continues to progress in Melbourne the venues that are prepared to embrace the underground scene will be rewarded in the long term. We wanted to make Twaulijha a little bit different. It’s a place where you can go and hear some of the freshest sounds coming out of Melbourne and indeed the world, in a relaxing and friendly environment”.
Casting his mind towards the future Drift says, “Twaulijha’s mission is simply to provide a party atmosphere for a wide range of different people to enjoy. If you walk away from one of our parties having had a good night, then we have done our job. We want to be adventurous, mixing progressive beats and tribal influences. We are striving for a night that people can look forward to each month and we have something BIG planned for our end-of-year party. But most importantly we want Twaulijha to keep feeling like a party as opposed to a club. Hopefully this way we will all remember why we started it in the first place”.
Catch DJ Drift and guests from 9pm at Twaulijha @ Mi Casa Es Tu Casa, 213 Franklin Street Melb, 6th Sept and the first Friday of every month
