A cosmic exploration of life, death and evolution.

By way of some truly gorgeous music, one of Sydney’s favourite DJs, Ezra, composes a deeply personal mix of aural catharsis.

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Can you tell us a bit about your journey into electronic music and DJing? When did you first discover electronic music? My first glimpse of electronic music was when I went to visit my father in Ibiza when I was an 11 year-old boy. Obviously I didn’t manage to get into the nightclubs but I had a taste of the music and vibe of the island at the bars and beaches and mostly at this amazing day market - which at night became a club. When I came back to Mexico I had plenty of party posters which I put up all around my bedroom. I also came back with a 3 CD compilation of popular house music. It was an amazing trip. It was like a Star Wars experience, seeing so many different cultures was something that really changed my perspective, especially at such a young age.

Then when I was 19, I moved to London where all the clubbing and concert going began. Three years after I moved to Sydney where I met some amazing friends that motivated me to start DJing, and DJ Ezra began in the dugout  at the Burdekin Hotel.

How did you decide to approach your mix? Was there a concept behind it? It’s a mystical mix. I believe in cause and effect and a destiny that you can’t run away from.  I’ve always wanted to make a mix that takes you on a journey to the moon, but the last two years I have been passing through lots grief and sorrow, with one of my best friends passing away and some family problems. All of this really changed my perspective of life and I gained new thoughts on life, death, evolution and survival of the fittest.  I had the privilege to travel to the Galapagos Islands to really reaffirm my thoughts and realise that we are here for a purpose - to keep evolving with the knowledge of each generation and also adapting to changes.

The idea of the mix is to take you through the highs and lows and the constant process of change that life is, starting with the sound of water (where life began) and ending with the sound of fire (where we are reborn). Destiny is recalled, because it turns out I had collected these amazing pieces of music over time and I always knew that one day this mix would come to being.

Are there any particularly special tracks or moments in there for you? The whole mix is important to me, but the last track makes it really special, a tribute to death itself.  I would like make a special mention to my mate who passed away and all those creatures that are gone or extinct. We must protect the circle of life.

Which artists inspire you in the ambient/downbeat/electronica realm? I would say that I feel new to the ambient circle. For me it was artists in the genre of new age and synth masters like Jean Michel Jarre, Mike Oldfield, Ryuchi Sakamoto.

What’s your time favourite ambient/downbeat/electronica/experimental track, LP or mix compilation? Jeff Mills - The Outer Limits.

Where can we find you playing in Sydney these days? Well as you know there is a big issue happening in Sydney after five years of lockouts, so it’s quite difficult to find places to keep expressing a sonic lifestyle. I just recently lost my precious gig at Sydney Seaplanes, and I say precious because Sydney is all about outdoor water views (my habitat). I was really enjoying the exploration of downbeat, deep house, disco, funk, electronica and world beat. For now I continue to stay afloat. At the moment I’m working in a social capacity, which is basically bringing the record aficionados out of their caves to share their sounds.

There’s the Reggae Vinyl Social Club, which happens every three months at different locations, and BYO Vinyl Thursdays at Stanley’s in Darlinghurst. Then I have my residencies at Watershed Hotel and Cohibar in Darling Harbour, where I like to explore a mix of retro house, disco, funk and world beats. From time to time I also get the opportunity to play the kind of music that really drives me. This month I’m playing at S.A.S.H. (11th) and Stanley on Stanley’s (31st).