We are excited to present the 7th installment of A Handsome Mixtape put together by local Sydney DJ Naverone. Each month we’ll showcase an amazing young DJ whose tunes are something special – they’re all ridiculously talented, unbelievably cool and will have you breaking out your best dance moves in an instant. Read on to see Naverone’s interview.
We’re loving this track. What was the inspiration behind it?
So much of the music I’m into at the moment draws heavily on the past, whether it be synths from the 80s, groves from early 90s RnB or classic 70s disco jams. All these flavours have influenced where I’m at musically at the moment, so I wanted to create a mix that explored those roots while framing some of the new artists I’m really digging.
When did you first get the electronic music bug?
When I was a kid our house was broken into, and amongst other things, they stole a bunch of my CDs. Everything was insured though and I got to choose 100 CDs to replace what was stolen. It allowed me to completely reinvent my music collection from scratch and get albums from all kinds of genres that I wouldn’t otherwise have tried. One of those CDs was ‘Music for the Jilted Generation’ by The Prodigy. I was just blown away by the layers of sounds that were combining to create what I was hearing. It changed my perception of what was possible musically and started my love-affair electronic music.
What music did your parents play?
My Dad is a blues musician, so he taught me a lot about the old guys like Albert Collins and Muddy Waters but also the later Chicago electric blues scene. He’s been listening to a lot of Greg Brown and Harry Manx lately. My Mum loves all that as well but also introduced me to a lot of classical music. They had all the classics like the Beatles, and The Stones as well of course. It was a very musically eclectic household to grow up in.
Who would you like to play with in the future?
I’d love to play with Breakbot so I could nick a few of his records.
What are the shortest shorts you’ve ever worn?
My rowing zoot suit was pretty bad when I was at school, but now I’m rowing surfboats and it’s even worse with Speedos. I promise it’s necessity not fashion.
What’s the next big thing in electronic?
I hope it’s a return to melody.
Any cool collaborations coming up?
I’m not huge on the production front, but I think I’ll start releasing some of the edits I’ve put together for all the mixtapes I’ve done over the past few years.
Is fashion important to music?
Fashion is extremely important to the performance of music. It’s not so much about what you wear but how you wear it. People react to confidence, so whatever you’re wearing, if you’ve got the confidence to pull it off then your audience will pay attention. Lady Gaga sums that one up pretty well.
Is music important to fashion?
People define themselves with their choice of music just as much as they do their choice of clothes. Look at how pissed off some people get when their favorite new underground artist suddenly gets played on 2Day FM. They loose their individuality and liking that artist suddenly says something different about them. Music and fashion both allow you to fit in or differentiate yourself from a crowd.
Do you prefer your ladies in a bikini or a one-piece?
Anyone can rock a bikini, but it takes a girl with a bit of style to pull off a one-piece.
What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you at a gig?
A naked dude with a vacuum cleaner suddenly started trying to clean the dancefloor mid set. That was a little odd.
What’s your signature drink?
Bacardi and Coke if I’m DJing, Aperol and cider if I’m in the sun and a nice Pinot if I’m out to dinner.
For hear more from the talented DJ Naverone, check him out on Sound Cloud and Facebook.
DJ Naverone’s tracklist:
1. Ridiculously Handsome Intro, Naverone
2. Never Leave You Lonely, Cherrelle
3. Something’s Got to Give (Franco Re-edit), Afro Cuban Band
4. Candy Castle, Glass Candy
5. Express Yourself (Mike Simonetti Edit), Jackson Five
6. You Put a Spell on Me (Breakbot Remix), Matthew Dear
7. Celebration, Friend
8. There’s Talk, Gene Dunlap
9. Falling in Love, Surface
10. Stretchina Out, Gayle Adams
11. You Make Me Feel So Good, Unique
12. Love Rip Off, Crown Heights Affair
13. Dance Lady Dance, Crown Heights Affair
14. Spread Love All Over The World, Fatback
15. Pumpin’ it Up P-Funk All Stars
16. It’s Yours (2011 Mix), First Touch
17. Flying High, Cloud One
18. Normana’s Fire, Jacques Renault
19. Satisfy Me Lover, Starpoint
20. I’m So Crazy ’bout You,Starpoint
21. Love Bizarre, Prince & Sheila E.
22. Funky Boogie, John Ozila
23. Without Lies (Breakbot Remix) – Aeroplane
24. It Looks Like Love, Vincent Montana Jr.
25. Traffic Stopper, Fat Larry’s Band
26. LHeure Blue (Shook Remix), Division Kent
27. Something Special (Crazy P Remix), Max Sedgley
28. Runaway to Elsewhere (Breakbot Remix), Pacific!
29. We Got the Juice, Attitude
30. Walking on Lightning (U-Tern Blend), Kris Menace & The Dream
31. Do the Washing Machine (Moullinex Remix), Rodion & Golden Bug
32. For You, Madeon
33. Head (Ghosts of Venice Edit) – Prince
34. Jupiter Menace, Uncle O
35. Seattle (Crazy P Remix), The BPA
36. Set Me Free, Phonat
37. See the Light (Calvin Harris Remix), The Hours
38. Fresh Air, Dionigi
39. Double or Nothing (Louis La Rouche Remix), The Swiss
40. The Worse it Gets (Shook Remix) – Penguin Prison
41. Shruiken, Madeon
42. A Handsome Goodbye, Naverone