Simon Slieker - Overview

Having been creating music and dj sets for 16 years; the concept of the dance journey has, for Simon Slieker, become something to live and grow by. A lived art. As a dj he has been sculpting sound and laying out his creations relentlessly with the dancefloor the exhibition space.

His domain traverses the inner worlds of techno and touches the sacred, the tribal and the spiritual traditions as they are conjured through the dance experience. His method is trancelike in it's minimalism, the repetition, the movement.

The sense of journey he creates as a dj is indicative of this: insistent and intense yet sensitive to the subtle textures which allow breath. The throughline, a mesmerizing and hypnotic drive. Vinyl, computer, controllers, the accessories of the art. Techno, minimal trance, progressive, tech house: the pigmentation of the soundscape.

Seeing the possibilities available with the advent of new technology, Slieker has dismantled and reconfigured his own conception of what it means to be a dj.

After 14 years as a dedicated devotee of vinyl, Simon has more recently experimented with CD's, moved across to the digital vinyl platform of traktor scratch and is now using the 4 sound source environment of the traktor engine with exernal midi control and live turntables with traditional vinyl, providing a panoramic environment of layers and increased creative potential.

Herein lies the new frontier of dj'ing with mutliple sources and increased emphasis on looping functionality. Unafraid of this evolution, Slieker offers a vigorous rethink on the art of dj'ing.

"To me the gap between production and dj'ing is closing. I'm finding the work I do in the studio is mirroring what I do behind the decks and vice versa... It's an exciting and daunting time for the art of dj'ing, seeing it undergo such radical change. Yet to resist change is contrary to what the electronic music movement is about. So the question for me becomes: how do I incorporate the innovation without sacrificing the soul? I'm adjusting my approach, my paradigm, to include the new technology, but with a firm grip on the fluid aspects through which feeling and heart are conveyed."

Slieker has been a stalwart on the Melbourne techno scene for some 15 years. Throughout this time he has been engaged weekly throughout Australia, New Zealand and as far afield as the US. Indicative of his diversity and wide ranging appeal is his gig profile; from major outdoor festivals to intimate underground clubs; supporting international headliners for high profile promoters to heading up events in his own right.

Favourite residencies include: Ranibow Serpent Festival, Earthcore, Teriyaki Anarki Saki, SUB:mission, SuckerPunch, Revolver, Centriphugal, Escape, Thump, Protozoa, Chasers, Cynosure, Dancehall, Deep 11, CARNI, Sunny, Lectro, Technoir, Spin Cycle, Semi Retired, YFY.

Favourite artists played along side: Speedy J, Dave Clarke, Thomas Schumacher, Derek May, Woody Mc Bride, Green Velvet, Felix Da Housecat, Monica Kruse, Mathew Johnson, Chris Liebing, Josh Wink, Adam Beyer, Jeff Mills, Chemical Brothers.