//following TAKEN FROM THE "INTHEMIX" INTERVIEW with DUSK// First impressions last. Whether it’s meeting someone for the first time, your first night out in a new city, or even seeing a certain DJ, ultimately it will shape your opinion of them. So when I embarked on my first adventure in the Adelaide dance music scene after moving to the city late last year, I was pleased to say that Jacqui C, otherwise known as Dusk, had given me an excellent first taste of what she and her... Read more
//following TAKEN FROM THE "INTHEMIX" INTERVIEW with DUSK// First impressions last. Whether it’s meeting someone for the first time, your first night out in a new city, or even seeing a certain DJ, ultimately it will shape your opinion of them. So when I embarked on my first adventure in the Adelaide dance music scene after moving to the city late last year, I was pleased to say that Jacqui C, otherwise known as Dusk, had given me an excellent first taste of what she and her fair city had to offer.
Fusing together house, breaks a smattering of drum and bass and a tinge of electro and tech, I was drawn to her varied style. She surprised me with her track selection, and the way it just seemed to work in almost uncanny ways. Silky smooth mixing skills and an enthusiasm which is hard to contain, it was no surprise that her set at the Adelaide Breaks Collective’s Summer Jam captured not only the attention of myself, but also that of interstate promoters. Dusk is now heading East, set to headline this week’s Wanna Break party in Sydney, aptly titled Chicks vs Dicks.
No stranger to the limelight, Dusk has featured on the Enchanted Forest line up for 3 years running, and has appeared as a guest at many local clubs including Heaven, Sugar, The Loft, Crown ‘n’ Sceptre and Black Cat, just to name a few. This will be her first appearance in Sydney, and there is no guessing how excited she must be.
‘A breaks crew in Sydney were looking for female breaks DJs for a special themed party,’ she explains. ‘After viewing a profile and review of the ABC party, they expressed some interest – so I pounced!’
A strong believer in the merits of breaks, Dusk pushes the rising breaks scene in Adelaide and hopes that her headlining slot in Sydney will open up many new avenues in her Djing. ‘The ABC parties have been proof that a substantial, quality breaks following exists in Adelaide, but this is only every few months, and breaks is only just starting to flourish here, that’s why I’m so excited about Sydeny’ says Dusk with a beaming smile. ‘It’s an opportunity to play in a city where breaks thrive! Where I could play whatever I want, without the fear of a crowd that ‘doesn’t understand’ the tunes and I can be as creative as I want.’
Originally into grunge and punk, playing bass guitar and jamming regularly with friends of mutual interest, Dusk grew tired of those sounds and began to search for something new. Her musical diet already consisted of early electronica and 80s synth pop, with artists such as Ultravox, The Cure, Roxy Music, Spandau Ballet and New Order providing her with significant inspiration. There was no guessing that it wouldn’t be long before Dusk would be seduced by dance music.
‘My tastes have always been very diverse,’ she begins, ‘so I was always searching for something new and different. Without any connections, as my friends were all heavily into punk and metal, I began to search for drum and bass music and events. I stumbled along Clinic 116 in Adelaide Arcade – a D’n’B/Breaks/Hip Hop specialist store.’ It was there that she first met D-Jon – friend and mentor, and the person ultimately responsible for introducing her to turntables.
‘D-Jon worked there and we immediately fell in love,’ she laughs. ‘I was very eager to learn and incredibly enthusiastic. He and his friends were really supportive and offered lots of encouragement. After being showed the basics, I began to dominate the decks a bit at parties,’ she adds, cheekily.
The expected followed – after girl meets boy with decks, girl becomes fascinated by decks. Girl develops debilitating vinyl addiction and is forced to live on bread and water. Thankfully, not for too long though, as a residency at Marion’s Aesthetic was to follow just three months later. Hard work, determination and relentless DJing saw her involve herself in projects such as Tribe, an all female night at Enigma, and Move at the Loft. She also currently co-hosts and DJs for Turbulence on Adelaide’s Fresh FM, a drum and bass/breaks specialist show.
International experience also features on her resume – in 2004 she was invited by DJ Mystique to join Hard Step Sistaz, headed by Dhanu in the UK. However, it was her residency at New World in China’s Shandong Province which proved to be her most life changing experience as a DJ.
‘I went to teach English and met several other English teachers – one being DJ Liberation from the UK.’ After revealing her talents behind the decks to Liberation, Dusk was suggested that some appearances at local clubs be organized. ‘We (Liberation and myself) played a trial set at New World, and the manager asked us to play every night – full time basically! It was the most lush, pimped out club, with dancing girls, endless free booze, 5 star private karaoke rooms with personal servants in traditional dress,’ she reminisces. ‘Rags to riches – I had been living in squalor, without hot water for weeks at a time.’
‘I quit teaching to my absolute joy,’ she laughs, ‘and was playing two hours or more every night!’ Dusk describes the effect on her as a DJ was monumental – as her and Liberation took on the task of single handedly introducing house music to the entire Shandong region. ‘Seeing as House was a very new genre where I was, I was under constant pressure as a DJ to read many of the crowds who hadn’t heard it before. I had to keep the floor pumping, which often translates into keeping the cheese factor high. The beat had to be constant as these punters didn’t understand the concept of breakdowns – they’d walk off if a beat stops, which taught me to keep on my toes at all times. What vocals worked and what didn’t – all that jazz.’
It’s no surprise that Dusk has been just as busy in the studio as she has been behind the decks. Originally a bass player, she is the first and only female with multiple releases on award winning local label 5158 Recordings – Electricity in 2003, and the dark and brooding Confession the following year.
However, the thing that will strike you most after meeting this young lady is her philosophical views. Apart from carving up dance floors and setting them alight, Dusk has just recently completed her Honors degree in Anthropology at The University of Adelaide, and also has a degree in International Politics, which she explains, has had a considerable effect on her as a musician. Political and post-modern philosophy remain particular passions of hers, and Dusk can carry a rather interesting conversation on their effect on modes of and motives for personal expression. ‘I feel like I can coherently express very specific things through music – very specific feelings, and states of mind. It is in this coherence I find a very powerful state of personal satisfaction.’
loading data...
COMMENTS [0]