a Genre melting journey into sound from a sydney mainstay.

Long standing 2SER Radio host and prominent figure of the ‘90s ambient/chillout scene, Lyndon Pike delivers a genre defying mix of everything from drum ‘n’ bass and downtempo to ambient, indie and everything in-between.

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Can you tell us a little bit about your journey into electronic music and DJing? As a kid and teen I was open to a wide variety of sounds that I heard either from my Dad’s record collection or on the radio. The early 80’s was a really fertile time for electronic sounds thanks to the avalanche of new technology. Everybody and their dog had a bash at some kind of synth exploration on their latest album and it wasn’t long before bands like New Order and Depeche Mode entered the mainstream with gusto. For me, it was seeing New Order live at the Enmore Theatre in 1987 and then a year later, hearing the strains of acid house starting to appear on radio shows on 2JJJ and 2SER that really lit the spark within.

Like many teens in the 80’s, making mixtapes of tracks from the radio was a serious pursuit, and I guess curating these ‘sets’ were a precursor to DJing proper. It was probably late 1989 or early 1990 that I started hanging out with some mates whose scooter club met up regularly at the Cricketer’s Arms Hotel in Surry Hills. During an afternoon visit I noticed one of the bar guys putting a record on, and so I asked if they had a dedicated DJ there. I started the next week and quickly became the resident on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights and eventually all day Sunday, for the now legendary Cricketer’s Recovery parties which ran from 11am-11pm for a few wild years there.

You’ve been involved in some iconic Sydney parties and ambient events stretching back to the ‘90s. Can you tell us a bit about the likes of Frigid and the Cryogenesis island parties? What was the idea behind them, how do they compare to events in Sydney today and are there any standout memories that have made a lasting impression on you? Both Frigid and Cryogenisis were created by friends of mine Seb Chan and Luke Dearnley (collectively, Sub Bass Snarl) as well as Shane Roberts (Sir Robbo). These events arose from a very pure place and mindset, centred around music for those who existed outside of the bullshit fashion/minor celebrity/’exclusive’ club scene. The Blue Room this was not. This was music for explorers and those who believed in a true sense of community. It wasn’t hippy dribble though, it was extremely radical in its nature of not conforming, and at no time did it try to be seen or heard as anything other than a group effort amongst friends old and new. One of the most lasting things to come out of these parties were the many connections that still exist today - artistic projects, musical collaborations, technological developments and indeed, marriages and families, which began via a shared experience at either Cryo or Frigid.

I like to think that there are similar underground events created by young DJs evolving in 2021 with a shared desire to rise above (or hide below) the day to day noise that’s thrown at us. My friends and I enjoyed the pleasure of experiencing the events I described before the existence of social media. If there’s a reason for people to create a quiet space for innovation in the present day, the rejection of instant gratification would be a good place to start.

Recently you’ve been working with UK musician Richard Norris. What kind of work do you with Richard and how did it come about? In 2009 Richard messaged me enquiring about potential DJ gigs in Sydney he could play at whilst out here on holiday. Jump forward to 2019 and I get a message asking if I could design a logo for a new ambient record label he was starting called Group Mind.

Once the logo came together with no fuss, I was asked to design the very first Group Mind record sleeves to compliment the aesthetic of the logo. It’s now three years later and we continue to work together on each project Richard conceives. I must say, despite the distance in both time and geography between us, Richard is easily the one client I have who I absolutely click with in regards to what he requires. There are rarely any reworks or changes to the artwork, and I think this is because as a true innovator and creative force, he is able to express what he wants with no confusion. A dream client!

As a long time fan of The Grid, Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve and now his solo work, it’s been a real honour to collaborate with one of the pioneers of the UK post punk/acid house/electronica movements. The guy’s worked with Timothy Leary, Genesis P-Orridge, Joe Strummer and Robert Fripp ferchrissakes!

You’ve hosted the show Another Angle on 2SER for an impressive 20 years. What kind of music do you explore on the show and what do you enjoy about working with 2SER? My time on 2SER has always been the oasis in whatever shit-storm may rage around me in week-to-week living. I started on 2SER when it was on the (almost) top floor of Sydney’s ugliest structure, the UTS building.

Around 1996 I also hosted a show with two good mates on Radio Dex called Sunday Platoon, a post club recovery show with loads of lush weirdness and spoken word etc. It was this show that pricked the ears of Tim Ritchie, the Sydney DJ who had inspired my tastes back in 1989 on 2JJJ. This was around the time that FBi launched and Tim dangled the golden carrot of making a show especially for me - I could choose the time it was on and play whatever I liked.

Of course my dumb ego responded and I said yes, effectively ditching my show on 2SER and joining the apparently hip, young up-and-coming station. I enjoyed a good run for a few years on Sunday evenings with a show called Vertigo, until it was deemed that my program was “too sophisticated” and that a shift to Monday nights at 11pm or so was a better slot. That didn’t appeal, and so I left FBi. Ironically after trying a few different shows in my vacated spot, they settled on Loose Joints, which was effectively a very similar show with a new host!

Fortunately for me, 2SER’s music director and the person who gave me my initial start at the station, Andrew Khedoori, reached out to me and asked me if I’d like to host another show. I’ll always be grateful to Andrew for this, as it gave me a lesson in humility and cemented my home at 2SER - one I’d never leave. I love the freedom I’m given on 2SER, it allows me to play a very wide array of styles, eras and genres which is how I collect music and how I listen to music at home.

Your Lazydaze mix covers a lot of sonic ground. How did you decide to approach the mix and are there any particularly special tracks or moments in there for you? As with radio, DJing in person and in the mix, I never overthink the set but just feel it out as I’m going and totally trust my gut instincts. I like taking risks mixing up genres, but to have them make sense (to me) is important. Yes you can place an indie country folk track before a house tune, but the sonics and moods of the two tracks need to compliment each other. Never sticking to a singular style or genre does not get you booked for gigs, but it reaches the section of your audience who are prepared to take the journey with you, and that’s who this set is for.

As far as favourite moments on this particular mix go, it’s the parts that surprise me, even though I put it together. If you can entertain yourself, surely others who share your mindset will be similarly thrilled.

What’s your all time favourite chill out…?
Track: Fila Brazillia - ‘A Zed And 2L’s’ (1995)
LP: The Irresistible Force - It’s Tomorrow Already (1998)
Mix Compilation: JD Twitch - Sketches for Summer (2021)