Dallas Raft - The Calm before the Storm.

Many have seen the name. Many have been a witness to his crafty elegance and majestic brilliance with vinyl. Many have thrived on his interpretation and presentation of techno over the passing years. Many have come to appreciate him and hold him in the highest of regard. But none have yet to experience the true extent of the talents encapsulated within that who we know as Dallas Raft.

Dallas Raft's journey through the broad scope of techno has been a long and distinguished one. From his early roots with RnB, soul, swing and hip-hop, he began to unravel a passion, which, unknowingly at the time, would help shape his future and play a major part in the person he is today. Sharing his passion and influences with a close school friend, Dallas quickly began to explore the deeper realms of electronic music. New sounds were introduced through the swapping of tapes and the world of Acid House was evidently revealed. Intrigue into this sound kept Dallas yearning for more - which lead him to attend his first rave. The aural splendour that was delivered from DJ to dance floor was one that totally consumed and over whelmed him, evoking and unlocking emotions within. The techno bug had bitten Dallas and it was from this point that he never looked back.

An 'artist' in the true sense of the word, Dallas began to experiment with his own interpretation of sound. His blank canvass was quickly brushed, layered and filled with a supreme set of elements, derived from not only his earlier musical influences, but also his newfound passion for techno. Luke Slater, Gaetano Parisio, Ben Sims, Shufflemaster, Marco Bailey & Jay Denham were just some of names contributing to his palette of colour. Dallas developed a rich tapestry of sounds, distinctive and balanced, yet original and truly reflective of his deeper understanding of the art form of electronic music. Discovery of his talent was imminent, and it was not long before this young, aspiring DJ got his first break. Richie Rich, director and owner of Hardware Corporation - one of Melbourne's largest event groups, provided the platform on which this life-changing event would take place. Hardware Universe, New Years Eve, 1998 was the first chance the masses had to witness Dallas Raft; an exceptionally gifted DJ that would go on to forge a firm place for himself in the world techno scene.

Over the years, Dallas Raft has played at some of the most respected techno nights in Melbourne, as well as playing support to some of the best international DJ's. He has created his own platform, setting the pace, raising the bar and leaving the rest and unsuspecting in his wake. He has developed and refined an ability to read and connect with a crowd, intensifying his hold on the audience with each track that he plays. He constantly pushes the boundaries of Djing with his 3 deck mixing, coupled with well timed and executed scratching - DJ qualities that seem all too rare in the current scene. Through hard work and drive, his name has become synonymous with quality, precision, diversity and sheer brilliance, yet his notoriety as a DJ, whilst already commendable, has only really just begun.

Dallas Raft could very well be seen as a "dark horse" within today's techno scene. Having had a few solid years of exposure to a wider audience, he has, of late, seemed to be in a state of "techno hibernation" - only surfacing every now and again. You may have been lucky enough to catch him at parties such as Two Tribes, Hardware, Transatlantic, Chinese Laundry, MTC and Honky Tonks, or making a, extremely rare appearance with Dave Pham over 4 decks & 2 mixers, better known to some as DeBang Defunk. You could be fooled into thinking that this DJ has perhaps had his day. You could also be lead to think that his passion and drive has been all too exhausted like so many DJ's before him. However, to make that assumption, you would have to somewhat associate this DJ with the common and the predicta Tags

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