Mix #1 in the “New Decade” Series. Chilled. Funky. Sexy. Just plain indulgent.

Before I left FNQ for that fateful trip to Sydney in August 2020 (effectively preventing me from returning home to Queensland for an indefinite period), I recorded this mix on the shores of Oak Beach, several days after we ran the intimate beach dance party [refer to WPS Mix #8] : “The Final Hour of World Peace”.

Indeed it was!

I had some days after that event to reflect, and imagine another angle of my approach as a DJ - bearing in mind I was micro-focusing to millionaire audiences during the WPS mixes. Of course, I didn’t advertise those parties to the mainstream (if I did that, it would have wrecked the exclusivity of those events), but you can still listen to the soundtracks - they are available from WPS 1 through to 8.

This mix was NOT recorded live at a dance party. It was just me and my decks on location at Oak Beach on a really balmy tropical afternoon, a few days after we packed up after WPS #8. It doesn’t diminish the ambience nor the impact. I recorded this mix with my heart wide open. The signature photo on the track is the late luncheon I gobbled down while mixing this recording - 4pm AEST to be exact. August 8, 2020. 

The location of this recording was only 100m up the beach from where WPS #8 was run a few days prior. Just a few days before, some 30 yachts were at anchor and three generators were barely enough to run WPS #8. (Logistical mayhem. A success, nonetheless.) Now, on this empty coastline, there were no flash crowds, no pop-up lighting rigs, no supercharged sound system; it was just me. With the ocean before me, and a good pair of headphones, I recorded this.

A big thank-you to Thala Beach Lodge for the impeccable beachside service. It was 28 degrees Celsius in the shade under those coconut palms. A gentle on-shore breeze wrapped in from the Great Barrier Reef and nearby islands. Just a few days after the glorious full moon in the tropics.

I kept this mix on ice for a long while - I wasn’t going to release it publicly because it wasn’t recorded at a live event. But on pressure from close friends, I release it now as the FIRST mix of a new decade.

Listen and share with your friends. A lot of love was put into this mix; a lot of my emotion went into this one, and I hope this brings you some joy! 

Peace and love,
Simon

Aussie Summer 2020-21 (New Decade Mix #1)

Simon began his public DJ career in 1990, appearing in an eclectic mix of  venues including the Imperial (Sydney), Rock Lily (Sydney), MP's (Gold Coast), Connections (Perth) and Pump (Newcastle), playing a funky house / progressive house style. In 1993 he began playing in more venues along the Sydney Strip, including DCM, The Albury, Taxi Club and Midnight Shift. Throughout the 1990s Simon's popular vocal house style, signatured by long transition mixes and infectious rhythms earned him popularity and a strong following in the competitive club environment. He became well-known in venues such as EP1, Blackmarket (Dayclub, Hellfire), DCM and Spike / Byblos. He also played at a number of dance parties in the mid-90s including "Venus 95" and Sleaze Ball in 1996 - 1998. He played on the Gold Coast (The Meeting Place)until it closed.

Simon is a veteran of the ‘old-skool’ House and House-Techno styles. If you’re on the dance floor at one of his gigs, prepare to be transported immediately into a sublime space. He has an uncanny ability to read his crowd, and often times it sounds like he is playing  just to YOU. It’s a refreshing style, and that makes him very unique in the DJ fraternity.

In 2018, Simon started playing at private dance parties at remote beaches along the Upper Eastern Australian coastline. These are the “World Peace” series - the ones before Covid hit our shores. His signature style still embeds him as a true master of House / Emo-house genre.

Aussie Summer 2020-21 (New Decade Mix #1)

DJ Simon Andrews