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The future of Aussie music is bright to say the least…
Few have had a year quite like Tassie-born Sam Alfred, the in-demand deckslinger emerging as one of the breakout stars of 2022. It’s not hard to see why, with the 22-year-old serving up countless high-energy sets across the country along with an enthralling EP and batch of singles. It’s resulted in him not only amassing an extremely dedicated fan base, but garnering co-signs from Aussie dance stars like Mall Grab, Skin On Skin, X Club and more.
And now, he’s got a tasty new single out in his latest release, ‘Auckland’s Groove’ (out via Gallery Recs). The new tune sees the Melbourne/Naarm-based artist slow things down for an eloquent yet hard-hitting display of house and breaks. It’s definitely a refreshing mix up from the young artist on the rise, and it proves that whether it be double time heaters or meditative grooves, he can well and truly do it all. No doubt his upcoming Suzuka EP (due next year) will be just as enthralling, but until then, we’ve got more than enough to tide us over.
In celebration of the new single and the year he’s had, we caught up with Sam to get the drop on ‘Auckland’s Groove’, his biggest ‘Pinch me’ moments of the year and what he’s got planned on the horizon. Check it below.
It’s a pretty crazy time for you right now. How are you feeling with everything going on?
Really good man. I really didn’t expect everything that happened this year. It’s a good feeling, but I am low-key losing it at times because I’ve been doing so much stuff lately [laughs]. But, now, I’ve got two weeks off before festival season, so I’m just going to relax for a bit now, and hopefully have a good year in 2023.
For a year full of so many highlights, what’s been your biggest ‘pinch-me’ moment?
The biggest pinch-me moment this year would probably have to be… I might have to say Pitch Music & Arts, just because it was my first big festival set. My first festival was Let Them Eat Cake, and I played at 12pm in front of nobody, but then at Pitch… I had a really good slot and played in front of around 4,500 people. So, I was like, “Fuck, this is a really crazy moment.”
And I played an awesome set. Yeah, I think Pitch was my moment of the year just because most DJs in our scene just want to play that festival so bad, and to have the opportunity after only doing like four shows and one opening slot at a festival is crazy. So, that definitely was a pinch-me moment.
You seem to be taking everything in stride, which must be hard considering all the attention you’re getting, even with getting asked for selfies and so on. How do you keep your head and not wig out from all of that?
Honestly bro, I don’t know. It’s flattering that people want to take photos with me and all of that. At first, I thought, “What the fuck? I’m just a DJ?” But since then, I’ve come to realise that people actually like my music and what I do. So I appreciate that a lot. But to this day it’s still a little bit weird because I’m just a 22-year-old bloke from Tassie who happens to DJ, so it’s kind of like, “What’s the deal?”
But, it’s a really cool feeling. I always try to be as approachable and nice as possible because that’s who I am as a person, so when people are trying to get a photo, I always try to have a chat with them as well because taking a photo and telling them to go is not a cool thing to do. So, I’m happy to have a chat with them and see how they’re going and whatnot. And now, as I’ve been doing it for a few months, I’m really comfortable with it and just more flexible with the whole thing in general.
You’re also hot off your Boiler Room debut the other week. What was that like?
Oh, man, it was probably the craziest night I’ve ever had. Leading up to it, I wasn’t nervous, but as soon as I stepped on the decks and I saw the crowd, I was like, “Holy fuck. This is a lot of people.” And obviously, not everyone there was there to see me. So, I wanted to do my best and introduce myself to people who didn’t know who I was as an artist and DJ. But yeah, it was a cool experience and it was so much fun. Great night.
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You’ve recently dropped a new single, ‘Aucklands Groove’, which is a lot more on the chill side of what you’ve been putting out. Why was that the next single to put out? Especially considering you’ve got so much in the bank at the moment.
After my last release, back in July, I noticed that as I was DJing, I fell into the trap of playing songs just to please people and I wasn’t really playing for myself. And in addition to that, I noticed the sound I was playing was becoming very saturated. I would go out to clubs and hear the same thing every weekend. And I was just like, “Well, we’re just going around in circles, aren’t we?”
So, I felt like putting out something different to what everyone’s playing right now was definitely a good refresher for my listeners and people who see me DJ. I feel like it was a good moment to step back and put something out that I can listen to, or that isn’t as crazy as what I usually play all night. So, that’s definitely the approach I took with this one.
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You’re obviously really good at creating those fast-paced, four-to-the-floor bangers, but you’ve also got a talent for the emotive side of producing. Your remix of SWIM and Crush3d’s ‘Miles Away’ comes to mind. Do you have a preference between the two?
I’m going to say the more emotional stuff, just because you can have more of a connection with the song. Whereas, if I’m just making a ’90s rave techno beat, it’s just me having a bit of fun. And also, when I produce, if I hear something that sounds too similar to someone else, I will just scrap it and start again. So, I feel like with the faster stuff, everyone’s using the same samples and gear. So, it’s becoming harder to be unique.
But, when I’m writing the more emotional stuff, I can write my own melodies, choruses and so on, as opposed to sampling stems. So, I feel like that’s where I find myself being most creative. Even just slowing things down more, I find myself more creative than just hitting it fast and going hard. That’s my approach.
I also wanna touch on the crew you have around you in the Melbourne scene. I remember seeing you say in an interview a little while back that you’ve done mostly everything yourself. But now, what’s it like to be coming up with people like SWIM, Crush3d, Bella Claxton, Max, Ricky and so on and for all of you to be killing it while being in each other’s corner?
Man, it’s so good. Entering the scene last year, all of these artists were people who I’ve always looked up to. So, being able to talk to these guys and just get feedback is so helpful. The other week, I went to SWIM’s house, and just spent a couple of hours in the studio with him. And in that couple of hours, I learned so much, and he was able to give me so much advice and whatnot. So, I feel like having that network has been so good for my confidence and my production as well.
Going on from that, you’ve also been tapped by local legends like Skin on Skin, X Club and even Mall Grab, which is a huge deal for anyone in the dance scene. How does it feel to have those artists in your corner as well?
Oh, man. When I first linked up with X CLUB, I was so excited just to meet them, because I’m a huge fan of their music. And they’re the coolest dudes I’ve ever met. Manny (Skin on Skin) and Jordy (Mall Grab) are as well.
Going into the scene, I always thought you should never meet your idols, that they could be an asshole. But everyone I’ve met so far has been so cool. So, I feel like that’s been a bit of a myth for me. It’s so cool to be able to talk to those guys, and obviously I’ve built a connection with them, and we’ll work together in the future. It’s really cool to see how that’s turned out.
I also wanna touch on the way you open/structure your sets, with your first appearance at Lost Sundays being a key example with that ‘Shut Up’ track by SWIM. Just from a technical standpoint, what’s your approach to opening a set?
Honestly, I have no idea [laughs]. With that first Lost Sundays set, the artist who played before me, Chloe Maguire, dropped a song called ‘Jungle Splash’ by Bailey Ibbs, which I really wanted to play, but obviously I couldn’t play it after that. So, I just plugged in my USB and was like, “Oh, I haven’t played this song by SWIM yet.” So, I did, and oh my god, the reaction was nuts. I was insane.
And ever since that moment, with opening sets, I definitely try to recreate a similar energy. Even though I won’t be able to, I try to recreate that moment with other songs. A good example is the song I opened with recently at Boiler Room, it’s called ‘Gridlock’. I initially only made it to open with at Xe54 one time. But then, everyone loved it, so I was like “I might keep it and hopefully release it later on in the future.
But, yeah, that ‘Shut Up’ moment was crazy. I’ve never had more DMs in my entire life than I did after that video came out. Everyone was like, “Bro, please drop this.” And I’d be like, “Mate, it’s not mine. You have to ask SWIM [laughs].” But, one thing I will do is I’m going to tell him to never drop it because I want to keep playing it [laughs].
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Going on from that, your sets have a real spontaneity to them, but they also feel meticulously put together. Do you plan your sets much prior to playing a gig?
For gigs like Boiler Room, I’ll plan it, but for stuff like Lost Sundays and so on, I’ll plan a skeleton of a couple of tracks that I think will work well. I find Sydney crowds the easiest to read out of all the crowds I’ve played to, just because they’re all there to have fun, and they’re all down for most stuff. So, while I play, I just find what they like, and then I’ll go off that and just play whatever.
You’ve touched on how instrumental YouTube was for you when starting out as a producer. Were there any other things that helped you find your stride and sound when it came to making music?
I feel like a tip that took me over the edge in terms of learning would have been going in and working with artists who already know what they’re doing. I had a session with Jordan Brando a few years ago, and he just taught me so much stuff. And after that, I was consistently learning every day and making new tracks nonstop after, because I knew so much more than I did before. So, I recommend anyone looking to make real music should look for someone to learn from.
Like I know Adam Pitts does paid lessons and stuff like that. I would even do that right now with him just because I feel like he would know so much more than I do. I feel like you should never be afraid to invest in your craft. And if you don’t want to do that, just keep grinding on YouTube. It’s a never-ending book of information.
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Australia’s dance scene is so on fire right now. It’s so exciting. And you’re probably one of the main figures in it right now. How are you feeling about the future of Aussie dance music?
I feel the future is very bright. Growing up in this country, there’s always been a strong electronic music community here. People like Flume, Dom Dolla, Hayden James, Rufus, all of those guys have been pushing the electronic music scene so much. They’re more on the mainstream side, but when it comes down to my scene and area, I feel like the future’s so bright.
There are people like 6 SENSE, two 19-year-old boys from Melbourne. They only just finished school last year and they’re already making mad moves in the scene. There are so many people coming up now, especially the young kids, so the future’s definitely bright in our scene. It’s just a matter of whether I can keep up with them [laughs].
Now, looking to the future, what’s your five year plan? What’s on the horizon for Sam Alfred?
I plan to do an Australian tour in the next two or so years. Maybe even next year. Then the big festivals like Splendour, Listen Out, and stuff like that would be cool. And then, I want to release some EPs on international labels, like Ninja Tune or Steel City Dance Discs. And then, in 2024, I’ll hopefully be touring Europe.
After all of that, I want to come back and do some mad Australia tours. For me, in general, I just want to make good music and play good gigs for the next however many years. I don’t want to make music for movies or anything like that. I just want to do what I’m doing now, but on a bigger scale. Hopefully, that’s how it turns out, but if not, I’ll get a job or finish uni [laughs].
Lastly, if you could go back in time and talk to a young Sam Alfred, what year would you go to and what would you say?
I’d go back to 2020 when I was making music for the first time in lockdown and say “Get ready for a big couple of years”. I’d also say “Stop making melodic techno, because it’s not going to take you anywhere” [laughs].
Sam Alfred’s new single ‘Auckland’s Groove’ is out now. You can buy/stream it here. Be sure to keep up with him on Instagram to stay up to date on all of his latest projects.
