With a reputation that precedes them as some of this island’s premier party-starting disc jockeys, Yacht Club DJs are a perfect pick for a New Year’s Eve party. It would seem that the collection of obscure geniuses and child prodigies over at NYE On The Harbour know this very well, having slotted this duo from Victoria in amongst Architecture in Helsinki and Bag Raiders to help a seething mass of Sydneysiders see in the new year with characteristic fervor and abandon. We caught up with the guys ahead of the show to get the low down on the powerful party prowess.
MF: So, you guys are pretty well known for your ability to turn your standard dancefloor into a wonderful churning mess of flesh and limbs, and now you’re playing NYE On The Harbour; are you worried you might do some damage to the area/punters considering the circumstances?
YC: We’ve taken to playing nothing post 30s through a gramophone whilst sitting in a comfy chair, so shenanigans will be next to impossible.
MF: I’d imagine that’s a pretty important skill for DJs, to restrain yourselves for the sake of the health and wellbeing of the punters?
YC: People enjoy watching DJ’s have a nice sit down more than you’d think – we are trailblazing.
MF: Have you done many New Year’s shows in the past? How do you find them?
YC: New Year’s shows are some of the best we’ve played – something happens to people in December and January in Australia that causes them to throw caution to the wind – probably holidays.
MF: Do you have any special New Year’s tunes you’re planning on dropping?
YC: Go Your Own Way – The Mac and a lot of new faster Yacht Club stuff off our next mix tape, They Mostly Come At Night… Mostly, which will be out early next year (Plug)
MF: You guys have a love for the good old mash-up; any particularly special one you’ve got planned you can let us in on?
YC: The Fleetwood Mac one is a Freshy.
MF: DJ culture itself has pretty much taken over the world, a lot of the most successful figures working in music being DJs. Do you think that DJs will eventually become the dominant force in music over original artists?
YC: I think ‘DJ Music’ has filled in the fun hole in music at the moment – the most popular electronic artists sound to me like 80’s stadium rock with a heavier kick.
MF: DJs often cop criticism, the artform often dismissed as nothing more than hitting play. How do you describe the art of the DJ as it’s a hard one to nail, being almost more about curating than creating?
YC: We have never been big into DJing (it has occurred to us many times how stupid it is that we have DJs in our name). On rare occasions (2 Many DJs, Z Trip, Cut Chemist, Avalaches) it can be something special. We’ve also never understood why there are such specific rules as to what goes in a set and what genre things are … DJs exist to make people have a good time not argue about the difference between deep house and deep progressive house.
MF: What do you see your role as a DJ being? What are you there to do?
YC: Well, looks like I got a little carried away with the last question …
MF: What made you want to start doing it and what keeps you behind the decks?
YC: We were sick of going out and hearing the same songs over and over. We also started DJing at a pub called Karova. The punters would give you a hearty bottling if you were playing shit, so we had to get our act together quickly.
MF: What should we be keeping an eye out for in the next few months?
YC: New Black Keys album is an outrage; new Pond record; Black Lips touring; and we have a mix tape I mentioned before that will be coming out crammed with new stuff.
MF: Where do you guys like to go to get a taco in Sydney?
YC: Haha. The Abercrombie!! Particularly on a Friday at Totally Barry. Friendship check.
Yacht Club DJs play NYE On The Harbour at Cargo Bar December 31st – Buy Tickets
