Moody downtempo and cosmic broken beat to farewell 2023…

Sydney mainstay and Oblique Records co-founder Ben Bracken delivers an excellent selection of ‘90s flavoured downbeat and sci-fi chill-out to wind down the year.

Can you tell us a bit about your journey into electronic music and DJing? When did you first discover electronic music? While kicking the soccer ball around with my brother, we would be recording tracks we loved onto Mum’s TDK tapes up at the feed sheds. Rick Deez was flogging that Daft Punk’s ‘Around The World’ on his weekly top 40 radio show and it definitely put me in the direction of EDM. But in saying that, I do recall a moment when my parents had the news on (can’t recall my age but I think the cold war had ended) and apparently raves and ecstasy were becoming a problem in Sydney - but to my eyes and ears it seemed very intriguing and I wanted to be apart of it. In my early teen years there was definitely a lot of Nick Skitz going on and Napster of course.

One track that really got me into DJing was Azzido Da Bass - ‘Dooms Night’- that was the pivotal point when I pursued DJing and started buying records. I attended a DJ course after school with United DJ Mixing School in Surry Hills and DMC Sound and Lighting handed me my first decks. The whole crew there were legends and I learned a lot from them - it was my weekly along with many of my friends at the time.

I eventually got my first proper gig with a mate at Candy's Apartment and things stemmed from there, until we all went our separate ways. I still kept around the scene a bit, but was a bit broken from the hiatus. Years go by, I am still DJing locally and at private parties, but more as a hobby and not a pursuit. More years go by and I meet Tom Ackroyd, who pushed me towards getting gigs in Sydney again, which revitalised my passion and landed me somewhere I hadn't been before. Now I am surrounded by a great group of people in a part of the scene that really resonates with me and I am here to stay.

How did you decide to approach your mix? Was there a concept behind it? I definitely looked for tracks that would work together as a whole. There were a few different directions to go, but the tracks in this mix are ones that really define my tastes. There are tracks I have had for years, some a few months, and some I just heard recently. It all came together quite quickly as the best things usually do.

Are there any particularly special tracks or moments in there for you? All the tracks have their special place and are in the mix for good reason. Each one defines a memory for me - even the unreleased ones as they are there from people who have played our Oblique events or made tracks for our label.

Can you fill us in on Obique Records? How did it begin, what’s it all about and what have you got coming up in the pipeline? Starting a record label was always a bucket list thing to do…but when was the right time? Well it was when I got involved with Oblique, which became a project where we can express our sound and direction with a great brand and help build relationships with artists we love. Release 004 has been waiting on ice - when it is ready, it will be ready. In the meantime we have a side project called Jetty Sessions (the name is inspired by a hiatus in Amsterdam). It’s a white label repress of some 2000s house/tech/electro tracks from a once Sydney based producer. It’s available on pre-sale now on Bandcamp.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve learned about DJing you can share? I would say find your sound and define yourself, play every gig as if it is your last, work harder than anyone for it. Also, the punters always come first. And read the crowd!

What’s on the cards for you DJ wise in the near future? I have got to play a few nice gigs recently, one at SASH with Youandewan and Bonus Dub. And also Serenity Now - a mini festival which was in the most amazing spot with the most amazing people. Definitely one to go to! It’s family time for me at the moment - my youngest, Olivia, is turning one, Christmas is upon us soon and then Eliza, my eldest, is turning four in January. I also have a few events coming up in the new year and will be spending time organising events with Oblique.

It’s Sunday afternoon at home. What album are you putting on? I don't really listen to albums much any more, although one that has sat with me for years is Air’s Moon Safari. Otherwise I would probably put on a great podcast like Lazydaze, or maybe something from Slowlife or Drum Syrup.

You can check out the full tracklist for Ben’s mix over on SoundCloud.