Interview - Peter Daris; Melbourne Techno Massive
Author: Azztek
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
Melbourne- That's where they are. Once known as the "Techno Capital of the world" (Space DJ's quoted in the mid 90's). Founder of the Melbourne Techno Massive (MTM) Peter Daris is keeping the tradition alive by producing EP's, DJing gigs and running events (which include some of the worlds best acts) which are keep Melbournites up-to-date with the latest sounds within Australia and the techno world.
Techno- That's what some may call it. MTM have put a different spin on the word, introducing a range of funky tunes, booty-tek house, pounding beats, electro and breaks through their production and events, which seem to be the essence of the this production company.
Massive- Because once again, not only is their sound flowing throughout Melbourne, but the whole world is loving it to.
We get a chance to speak with Peter Daris, one of the label Managers of MTM, about the past, present and future and the upcoming event "Bass Clef Series #One" featuring Portugal's very own The Advent (Live).
The MTM massive have risen rapidly through the scene as one of the hottest new production companies. Both music and event wise. They have given back Melbourne something which was fast becoming a fading element, techno, and are taking it to new places once again. Their first release on the MTM label 'MTMR001 Extra Phenomena EP' topped as the 7th bestseller for TuneInn.com in its first week! Peter Paris (PDT) gives us some insight into what else he has up his sleeve.
MTM started around mid 2002, what was the motivation behind setting up your own label-
At the time, we had decided we wanted to set up an entire corporation, from artist management, to events and a record label. The industry was very much "keeping to your own" so with the record label, we decided to be an outlet for the up coming producers whose material was of an international standard. No other label would take them on, so we decided to run our own.
The Melbourne techno community seems really tight-nit, with crews coming together to create a great party atmosphere. Who were your influences within the scene and did they have any impact on helping you create what you have today-
I feel I've always had some guidance from the likes of Garth Lategan and Richie McNeil, who I have been heavily associated with. Without people like Garth, I wouldn't be where I am today.
What were the highlights of the first MTM party-
MTM's first run event was the techno room at NRG 5 and that was a great night to say the least! That was the first time Melbourne got a taste of Serotone vs Linas and it went down a treat!
With production of your first EP MTMR001 Extra Phenomena EP, how did that come together- Did you expect it to do so well-
We basically sat down and came up with a game plan. We knew where we wanted to be and what we needed to get there. It was just a matter of knuckling down and getting on with the job. Once we finished the EP, we hadn't really taken it all in and we're totally surprised with the feedback we received. It was very satisfying to hear people's support and praise for something we had so much passion for. It reminded us all why we began what we did.
Have you had any feedback from other producers regarding you work-
Most definitely. There was a huge response for our first EP in Europe and we had received emails from people over there praising the Melbourne sound.
I was wondering how you approach making music, in other words what's your main inspiration to start working on a track-
I haven't had much time lately to work on anything, but when I do, its usually me playing with sounds in my head and wanting to get that down. Then creatively working on it.
What are you currently working on production wise with MTM-
There have been keen interests from overseas labels to rel Tags