Written By Shane Price

 

Generik is the definition of FUN; from great Aussie banter, through to recapping a great, drunken memory in Monaco, you would think that he is equal parts dj and comedian!

And his personality shines through in his music; the sounds of cruisey vibes fill the room when listening to any of Generik's tracks, making it the perfect summer playlist. We got to sit down with the Melbourne-born legend ahead of Festival X.

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Come with us as we step Behind The Decks with Generik.

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Mate, how does it feel to be coming back, hitting up the Australian summer with one of the biggest festivals we've got happening?

Mate, I’m so excited! I guess Australia has really been lacking that big 1-day festival; you've got plenty of bush doors and plenty of camping festivals over the summer period but it's fantastic that Festival X is here and I get to come back to Australia. It's the perfect excuse and I absolutely can't wait to have a VB back at home.

 

Leading in from that, what has been your outlook on the Australian festival and dance scene?

I think that music changes all the time' recently, people have been taking off to bush doofs and the scene has changed to house and tech house music and EDM has a really big decline, especially in Australia. I think that big EDM festival's weren't really working here, and the difference with Festival X is that it is a multi-genre festival- it's still got that real house, techno feel element to it, still got that big room stuff and you got some rap as well. I think it's a really good mixture and I just really excited to be on the bill for it and to be coming back to Australia to playing.

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Cheeky question here, previously you’ve said you look at Calvin as a big brother without the wedgies, when you guys head out for a drink, who’s got first round?

Well, the thing is Calvin doesn't drink, it's just me drinking, so I pay for all my rounds haha! 

 

One of my favorite stories, I've ever read, is that you stole a couple of bottles of champagne after playing in a club in Monaco and ended up drunk in front of the casino looking over Lamborghini's and buggies.

Yep yep, that's exactly right! It was a tour about 6 years ago, we were in Monaco, I was absolutely hammered (I think Calvin was at the time too, as it was back when we was drinking). We let off all the sparklers that come on the bottle service in front of the club while there were a couple of Rolls Royce's out the front. Yeah, that was a big night actually, it was really really fun though, I'm so glad you bought that up, I almost completely forgot about it!

Monaco, that's one strange place. The wealth there is crazy and I don’t think they missed their bottles of champagne that's for sure!

 

Have you had any other nights that have come close to that, or is it pretty tame on tour now?

Oh no, I’m still wild as all fuck - I just do whatever! I get home most morning around 10am in Ibiza, I’m having a great time out there. I've got no problems partying, I love it, it's why I do what I do. I’m like Peter Pan, I don’t want to grow up!

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How does it feel coming from a small suburb in Melbourne's east, to now working with Calvin Harris and playing in some of the biggest clubs across Las Vegas to Ibiza. How do you get your head around it? 

It's kind of hard to, I never thought I'd get to do this. I was never really into dance music, I was always into rock and roll and indie bands. Then I went to Big Day Out and there were these guys playing (Iggy Pop) with some acid house records and I was like “oh you can actually listen to both at the same time and enjoy it”. It was what got me in to dance music.

I was never going to be a dj, the fact that I'm now playing things such as Creamfields UK, have a residency at Pash and Ushuaia, I work in Vegas at Omnia and Wet Republic, it's pretty unbelievable!

It's really, really fun and it's also good to see other Australian's who are absolutely killing it out there too - Alison Wonderland, who’s smashing the festival circuit, she’s coming back for Festival x too. 

 

When you are playing and you see us Aussies, can you feel or sense the difference?

Yeah, 100%! You’re all drunk, and your energy is completely different than anyone around the world, I think that our laid-back attitude and that everyone is up for a good time, any time, it really shows that it's not forced - it's just a really good time!

You can see the Aussie's smiling, holding up their phones, showing shaka's in the air, which is something that's uniquely Australian and I’m like “Yes! You’re a bunch of Aussies!!!” You guys are having the best time, you don’t care what anyone thinks and I think that's the best thing about Australia. That's why I’m so excited to be coming home and hang out with all you clowns, it's going to be awesome!

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The next hottest international festival on the circuit is ADE, which you're attending as an artist for the first time. How does it feel ticking off these major, international events?

I went once as a festival-goer about 3 years ago and had an absolute ball. As you said, I've never been apart of it as I am this year, where I'll be playing apart of Oliver Heldens and Friends at Paradiso. The fact that I’m actually going to be talking at a panel and djing at the event as well, is something I am really, really looking forward to. It's an amazing place to go meet people, great place for networking artists, you can meet label owners, different agents; it's definitely different than other music conferences, and other festivals around the world, like this is THE main one. 

 

The week you are releasing your new single “Bunny", and have just launched your own label You Do You, what else can we expect from you in the upcoming months?

Bunny is coming out on Good Company (UK) this Friday, and I am stoked for you all to hear and enjoy it!

I got a bunch of new music coming out on You Do You very soon, as well as so much new stuff in the pipeworks to be released on  You do You in 2020, that's for sure!

But back to Bunny, it comes out on the 18th October, and wait till you see the art work. Without giving too much away, it's me, in a bunny suit, in a wooden jacuzzi in Ibiza - it's hilarious!

I’ve been working on Bunny for a while, it's got really good discotheque house vibes. I can't wait to be playing it at Festival X.

 

If we were to look at your Spotify, what would be playing?

Mate, I don't listen to dance music when I’m on Spotify. I like a lot of old rock like The Rolling Stones, I listen to them on repeat, all day, every day! They are my favorite band and I’ve seen them live and I got to High 5 Mick Jagger when I was at a concert I was 16.

 

If you could live in any era, when would it be?

I kinda really like where I am; I grew up playing and hanging with the head banger crew and that was a really fun time for me, because I was still into the indie stuff. As my taste of music developed, I developed a love for house and classic house, so the fact that house music has come back, in a big way in terms of pop culture, I really love. Being able to really enjoy and take a lot from.

Although it would be pretty sick to be in 1992, hanging at acid house raves in the UK somewhere - that would be pretty amazing! I think I'd stay where I am for the moment, cause other wise I'd be older and I don’t really want to be older, I want to be younger!

 

And our final question we ask all our guests, what's the craziest thing you've seen from behind the decks? 

Oh man, I think that I’ve become friends with Gordon Ramsey, is just pretty insane in itself! He comes to my shows in Vegas and hangs out, I think that's one of the craziest things, something that I would have never expected. But yeah, having Gordon Ramsey come to your shows is craziest enough for me!

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Generik's latest track "Bunny" is released this Friday, 18th October. Be sure to keep an eye on our socials for the launch of Bunny on Friday.

In the meantime, if you have not purchased your Festival X ticket, make sure you head here to read how you can get discounted tickets on behalf of us at Behind The Decks.