Written by Kylie Vesey

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This week we bring you a girl from WA who has an amazing stage presence, as well as being a boss lady in her own right. Behind The Decks welcomes TRIPLETT (Brooke) to the family! 

I first came across TRIPLETT earlier this year and one of the first impressions she gave me was that she was not afraid to be herself or chase her goals and the more I watched, listened and learned, the truer that first impression came. 

TRIPLETT has been DJing for just over three years now and is well known for her high energy stage presence and infectious dance grooves. She makes the room transform into a feel-good atmosphere. There are no limits to what she takes on, crossing over various genres, whilst getting the dance floor pumping is one of her specialties. 

I caught up with the Perth local to talk about all things music, style and juggling DJing whilst continuing to study. 

 

Come with me as I step Behind The Decks with TRIPLETT

 

Firstly, thank you for the opportunity to interview you. I love what you have been creating recently. What has it been like for you moving to such a virtual world of DJing? 
Thank you for getting me in!

Let me just start by saying that I am probably the least tech-savvy person ever, so understandably the transition to the world of digital DJing was probably way harder for me than it needed to be lol. I do have an incredible network of friends and colleagues though and I am incredibly grateful for the help that they have been able to offer me!
The virtual world of DJing is certainly much different to the “real” world though. The connection that I was once able to form with the dancefloor is now virtually impossible to recreate. The exchange of a smile with a stranger and that fist bump with someone who is loving it are now gone. I look forward to this human element being able to return to my sets, but for now, we will just have to stick to the exchange of heart emojis in comment feeds.

 

The energy you bring to your sets is contagious. The passion you have is clear the moment you begin. Where did it begin for you and what made you want to become a DJ? 
My love for music and live DJ sets stems back to when I was 15 and first started attending festivals. But my interest in actually pursuing DJing as a career didn’t arise until I was working in nightclubs back in 2016. Being close friends with DJs and seeing them perform on a weekly basis quickly made me realise that this career is open to anyone willing to give it a crack. So give it a crack I did.
I’m so glad that I did chose to pursue DJing though, as I have found it so rewarding! There is no way that 2016 me could have ever predicted the importance that music now holds in my life. I hope to share my love for dance music with the world for many more years to come.

 

Being such a diverse DJ sees you cross into various genres meaning we never know what to expect. Which is your favourite type of genre to play and why? 
These types of questions are always such a hard one for me to answer. We as humans are inconsistent beings and change our tastes all the time. Just like how you switch up what you have for lunch each day I switch up my music preferences as well. Recently I’ve been having a bit of a moment with Techno though, specifically Melodic Techno. The progression and depth of the songs in this genre really draws me in.
The mix I’ve made for you guys is Bass House though. Bass House was one of my first loves and is a genre that I’ve mixed since day one. This June actually marks 3 years since I played that first-ever set, which I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear was also Bass House. So to pay homage to my OG I decided to make this mix bass house as well. 

 

You have an incredible business sense and you manage your own branding, marketing, account management, business relations and content creation. How do you stay on top of all of these things and still make time for yourself?

I’ve always been a bit of a workaholic, so I really thrive under heavy workloads. I’m also in the last year of my Bachelor of Commerce, so I have been able to apply the knowledge I’ve gained over the degree to run the business side of things smoothly. In terms of making time for myself, I love working with music, so you’ll catch me hunting for tunes, mixing with friends, on the dfloor at events and creating content whenever I have spare time. That saying where people say “If you love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life” really applies here. 

 

TRIPLETT is becoming such a huge name and has seen you play alongside the likes of Sam Divine, Chris Lake, Hermitude, Peking Duk and many more. If there was one person you could play alongside who would it be? 
I dream of the day that I’m on support for Rüfüs Du Sol - that’d make my little heart so full. These guys couldn’t make a bad song if they tried I swear to god. Their stage presence is also incredible. I feel like a set alongside Fisher would also be a hoot and a half, that man looks like such a ball of fun.

 

Being a young female in the industry do you find yourself being challenged to produce and be seen in a certain way? 
People always have and always will comment on how you present yourself, it’s up to you how much attention you pay to these people. I personally have never really cared for what people think of me as I’m too busy being my own individual human. I believe that the day you give in to societies expectations of you is the day you start to lose yourself. Carve your own path I say, be different.
In terms of producing, I have massive pressure on me from all angles to release music. I don’t think this is tied to my gender though, as I think most people just assume it’s the next step for all DJs. I have no plans to release any of my own music any time soon though as I’m more than happy using my platform to showcase other peoples art.

 

What advice would you give to girls wanting to take up DJing as a career? 

The music industry still has some pretty intense gender roles that they expect you to fit into which can often be intimidating if you don’t naturally fit into these moulds. My advice to girls wanting to take up DJing would be to not give in to these gender expectations and to make sure to not let them bound their creativity. Stick to your guns and believe in yourself, because you have what it takes.

 

One thing that you are renowned for is making people dance, you seem to love it. What goes through your head when you look out in the crowd and see people throwing down to a set? 

You are right, I really do treasure dance. I feel people are often quick to overlook how important it is to throw down a boogie every now and then. Not only is it incredible for your psychological wellbeing, but it is also great for your physical health as well! On top of all the health benefits, it also gives you a sweet, sweet confidence boost, what more could you want really.
I find that I’m super susceptible to the energies around me and during a DJ set this is no different. The power and energy that comes from a bumping dancefloor is so special, there is nothing like it! It is such a rush to look out over the crowd to see them all having the time of their life while bopping to my tunes. Being able to unite people through music is why I do this.

 

I absolutely love your style. It is super fun and has such a festival vibe. Is this style one that is just for Triplett or does it stream from your everyday tastes? 
Thank you!!! My costuming for TRIPLETT is definitely a much more extreme expression of how I dress day-to-day. It is certainly influenced by my own personal style though. I look at my stage costuming as a bit of a creative outlet and love being able to throw together fun and wacky styles that I otherwise would never wear!
Most of my cool stage pieces are actually ones that I’ve found in second-hand stores like Depop! I also have heaps of pieces from Tibbs & Bones, Zalie and Tigermist as well.

 

We are starting to see COVID restrictions easing here in Australia. Once we get back to some form of normality what does 2020 and 2021 hold for you? 
My roadmap for the future is a bit of a hot mess at the moment thanks to Aunty Rona, but once the end does come near I hope to rebook all my tour dates! I think I’ll only be able to tour within WA for quite some time now, so all my interstate and international plans will have to stay on hold. I’m just keen to get back up on stage, I’ve had so much time to develop new ideas and I can’t wait to share them with everyone.

 

And finally, we ask all our artists the same closing question. What is the craziest thing you have seen from behind the decks?
I once performed in a venue with a crab problem. Yep, real, live crabs. My friend who was on tour with me at the time had to come up on stage holding one before I believed her haha. 

 

Well for a girl who is just scratching the surface in what is set to be a long career, TRIPLETT is absolutely crushing it. She brings a type of energy that when watching her brings a smile to my face. One thing I always say is I love nothing more than seeing someone slay the decks with passion and she does just that. Her love for what she does shines through and this is one artist I cannot wait to see grow even further. 

Last week saw Perths clubs reopened where you can catch TRIPPLET at Jack Rabbit Slim's. So if you are in Perth and looking for an epic night out with some great beats, be sure to head over to TRIPLETT’s socials to keep up to date on where she will be next.