If you fancy yourself a good night out on the weekend, there is a decent chance you’ve been serenaded by Kato.

The Sydney based DJ, producer and all-round top bloke had a chat with us this week, sharing his thoughts on DJing pre and post lockout laws, Sydney’s underground nightlife, his pick of the crop for up-and-coming Aussie producers and the infamous ‘TUNE!!!!’ towel.

SR: Mate I can’t think of a busier DJ around Sydney. From Picnic Socials, to S.A.S.H and 77, it seems like your everywhere these days. Regardless of the lockouts it’s great to see Sydney’s nightlife still finding a way to thrive. How have you found DJ-ing around Sydney pre and post lockout?

Kato: I actually feel it’s cooler than ever to be doing what I do – obviously I don’t make as much money but since when was making money ever fucking cool anyway. Being a DJ in Sydney in 2016 is as fucking punk rock as it gets at the moment the government hates us wants us shut down so we’re real underground outlaw rebels haha, it’s great. All the fair weather DJ/ promoter operators who were just in it for the money, chicks and whatever have fucked off back to the gym or the beach or the bank or wherever the fuck they came from and the scene is full of real cats doing it for the love because if we don’t we might as well be dead.

Berlin and Melbourne might be cool places to be but it’s an easy life there where you don’t have to fight guerilla warfare with the fun police.

SR: It’s great to see new nights popping up even with the ever growing presence of the lockouts. What have been some of your favourite new nights that have popped up? 

Kato: Club wise to have 77 back is awesome they are supporting some great forward thinking underground djs and promoters and there is great music being played there every night of the week, it’s nice to have a regular hang spot again it’s like the ‘Cheers’ of techno!
Party wise there’s heaps of good ones House Of Mince, heavenly and picnic obviously still killing it but young guns like Sydney Pony Club, Vibe Positive, People’s Club, Rimbombo, Ghostly, insert and Okra are all doing mad shit too

SR: It’s crazy to think that in 2016 there’s a Vinyl production plant opening up in Adelaide and Vinyl sales are hitting decade long highs. Working at the Record Store, what’s your take on this new vinyl resurgence?

Kato: I think certain people like me are always going to want to own things – it’s a fucking pain in the ass to move 4000 records every couple of years but at least I have something I can touch that came from all my time and money. Spotify and all that streaming shit you don’t actually own anything and when you stop paying its all gone, the quality is shit too and the artists aren’t even getting paid what there music is worth – at least an artist can make a little off vinyl and you know you’re supporting them in some way by buying a new release.

Also you’re not gonna invite friends home to listen to your mp3s and playlists are you?!

SR: Do you get to DJ on Vinyl as much as you’d like?

Kato: More and more now which is good. I’m not a format snob so long as the music is good and it sounds good but I don’t focus on digital anymore so if there’s no turntables you might miss out on a few of the precious jewels in my collection.

SR: We haven’t heard any new tunes from you and Adam in a while (Wordlife). Can we expect some tasty tunes in the not to distant future?

Kato: You can definitely expect some tasty tunes from Adam and I in the near future though it won’t be as Wordlife. Our new music exists in a different sphere of reality to Wordlife so a different name was in order but I think when our fans discover it they’ll be back in for the ride

SR: You always seem to have you ear to the ground with new music. How and where do you find all the music you do? Also, who are some of your favourite Aussie producers you’ve discovered of late?

Kato: Mostly in record stores both physical and on the Internet, I also watch a lot of DJs and listen to mixes, watch boiler room – listening to samples on a website at home is totally the wrong context for dance music you need to hear that shit in the club or at least on headphones when your headed somewhere in a hurry hehe!

There is so much good music in Australia at the moment I’m really vibing on Ccolo aka the Magic Pirate, Sam Weston, Alba, Sweetland, Moonshoe records, Steven Be Calm and Mall Grab (str8 outta Newie) Sonderr, Albrecht la Brody, Dan white, sleep d and the rest of the Butter Sessions gang.

SR: On a broader note, what is your own personal favourite record? Be it to play out or listen to at home?

Kato: It’s a pretty expensive one called do sho lov / sunrise mix by Dj sotofett presents the Bhakti crew on his Wania label. It’s a pretty amazing downtempo breakbeat Tripp pressed to vinyl and it works in the club and at home which is a rare treat.

SR: We haven’t seen the Tune!!!! Towel out for a while, can we expect an appearance this week ? And if so what have your secret set weapons been of late?

Kato: It doesn’t come out all the time and it doesn’t come out unless there is actually a serious fucking tune going down at a mad party. A triple j ‘rag’ may go up for any old shit but when the o.g. Bang Gang towel comes out you know shit is fucking real. I don’t keep secret weapons if I’m not busy your welcome to come ask me what any tune is anytime. At the moment the red axes mix of hyper martini by Michele mininni is pretty big for me though.–

You can catch Kato on the 1s and 2s this Friday at Make-Me where we just might catch a glimpse of the TUNE!!!! towel back in action!