Out Of The Wilderness

“It's always nice to come to your side of the world for some much needed sunshine. The wintertime in Canada is always a busy season for shows since all the ski hills open and most people like going to shows to hustle up some warmth. It's been a great season, but time for some sun!”

Stickybuds, the self-proclaimed “party DJ” from the scenic west coast leisure hub of Kelowna, British Columbia, is ditching the snow of his homeland to venture south, connect with friends and immerse himself in a dance scene that, as he points out, is growing exponentially with every visit. The Sticky one is a humble and laidback character, yet this hasn't limited him to a flight path under the radar. Last year Martens scored his first ever nod at the Breakspoll Awards in London, while he's managed to drop the wobble during some of the most hedonistic celebrations on the planet.

“It's been amazing checking out some great festivals around the world,” he admits. “Burning Man was absolutely legendary and I had one of the best times ever. The party I played there was with a bunch of my great friends – Fort Knox Five, Jpod, Funk Hunters, AGFA – and it was really memorable. Glastonbury was also amazing for the sheer size of it. But the best for me is always going to be Shambhala [Music Festival] here in [Salmo, BC]. I've been going to that for thirteen years now and played for the last eight. It's really close to my heart and that is kind of the biggest deal to me.”

Naturally, during his visit he'll be balancing club appearances with these organic locations for euphoria such as the Earth Frequency Festival, the sort of scene the 28-year-old is more than experienced with. “I started going to raves when I was fourteen, [and] it's been really interesting to watch rave and party culture develop and grow out here [in Canada],” he relates. “These days there aren't too many 'raves' as most of them have moved into venues that support it. Back in the day though it was really fun – calling up the number on the flyer to meet a guy in a parking lot who gives you a dodgy map to find a party down a logging road. Those were good times.”
But whether his sounds are more suited to such settings is up for debate. “Hmm, I don't know; that's a tough question. I haven't asked the trees and bushes what they like to listen to but I will next time I'm out in the forest,” he teases. “I imagine trees probably like more organic music like funk. I would think more swampy marshland would like dubstep. I could be wrong, though.”

Martens pins his restless sonic nature not on the desire to avoid being pigeonholed, but rather his short attention span, which seems to be playing out as more of a blessing than a curse. The Canadian talks up a glitch hop cut on Australian label Adapted Records, a new drum'n'bass release with Ed Solo on Jungle Cakes, as well as a 400-strong loop pack made and recorded with various musicians. He wants to write more, release plenty, collaborate with fellow creative heads. But, most importantly, Stickybuds wants to leave memories that will last long after the fade out.
“I just want people to walk out of there glowing from dancing, connecting with their friends and having a great time,” he says of his aspirations for this tour Down Under. “I just want them to have fun.”

Stickybuds will be playing the following dates:

Friday 15 February - Coniston Lane, Brisbane QLD
Saturday 16 February - Earth Frequency Festival, Brisbane QLD
Friday 22 February - Villa Nightclub, Perth WA
Saturday 2 March - Mobius, Hobart TAS
Friday 15 March - Chinese Laundry, Sydney NSW
Saturday 16 March - The Clubhouse, Canberra ACT