Remember The Times

Getting back behind the decks and loving it.

This past weekend, I had the incredible experience of returning to the decks at the Times Festival in Fyshwick, Canberra. It’s been a while—since 2008, to be exact—since I last DJed at a festival, and let me tell you, it felt amazing to be back.

For the past few weeks, I’d been obsessively designing my set. It evolved daily, reflecting my mood—jumping from edgy new rave and blog house to bumping house, vocal house, breaks, and tech house. I found myself wishing for a three-hour set, but with only one hour, I eventually settled on a vibe. It started with some fun, cheesy main room house before shifting to fidget house, sprinkling in a bit of indie electro, and then looping back to main room house. The best part of this process was getting into a flow state while preparing. I spent hours searching for music, experimenting with different mixes, and losing track of time. It took me back to when music was my life—always ensuring I had the freshest tracks and stayed ahead of trends. I miss that feeling, though I just don’t have the time (or need) to do it as much these days.

Then, the morning of the gig, technology decided to test my nerves. My USB drive, loaded with my set, suddenly lost all the files, and Rekordbox (the software I use to catalogue music) kept flashing the dreaded “FILE NOT FOUND” message. Seriously, why now!? I panicked—what if nothing worked when I got there? This is actually a recurring nightmare I have more often than I’d like, even after all this time. Thankfully, after some troubleshooting and a quick run to buy a backup USB, everything was sorted. Crisis averted. But when something like this happens, it really rattles you. I felt like I was running on pure adrenaline, which is not ideal.

When I arrived at the venue—the old Canberra Times building car park—it felt like stepping into an underground rave. Random bits of scaffolding were scattered around, giving it this raw, industrial vibe. The main stage (The Lot) was massive, with a raised DJ platform towering over the crowd. My stage (Classics) was a bit smaller, but it still had an impressive setup with four CD players and a huge mixer. The sound was superb, and I couldn’t wait to get started.

Once I got up there, everything just clicked. It was like riding a bike. My fingers found their rhythm, and soon I was in the zone—playing with effects, layering vocals, and having an absolute blast. The energy transported me right back to the days when DJing was both my job and my biggest passion. I can’t fully describe the feeling it gives me—there’s a rare focus I achieve, a surge of confidence, a sense of control, but also pure joy. It’s such a happy place for me.

That one-hour set flew by, and as I closed with The Presets, it felt like a full-circle moment. Stepping off the stage, I realised I’d rediscovered a part of myself that had been dormant for too long. I think the last time I DJed, I walked away feeling a bit "meh," likely because I wasn’t playing the music I truly loved. But this time was different—I’m motivated to do it all again. I’d love to get some more gigs, though nothing that runs too late. I value my sleep too much these days... and I can’t afford to be too tired to run the next day! I guess I want it all—is that asking too much?

The set was recorded, and I’m currently cleaning it up to upload to SoundCloud, so keep an eye out for that!