Trapping The Beat

While Williams grew up listening to (hardcore) hip hop, “I loved Sex Pistols,” he enthuses. It transpires the 20-something was exposed to the ol’ skool anarchists by his obviously very cool parents. “Yeah, they’re all right!” he laughs. Later Williams, who began DJing in his late teens, would gravitate to the comparatively sedate electro-house. “I was in a duo before Hydraulix called Dizz & Draz, just doing electro-house. Then we broke off from doing that and I started off Hydraulix, which is when I started doing trap and all that stuff – and, yeah, it’s just kinda taken off since then.”

Today Williams, a fan of the primary trap rap, is glad the generational – and cultural – divide in the US scene is closing, a Waka Flocka Flame jumping on Flosstradamus’ TTU (Too Turnt Up) – “It’s good to see that the older generation of trap is embracing the new wave.”

This Antipodean outsider has developed his own take on ‘trap muzik’ – in much the same way as French renegade DJ Snake of Turn Down For What fame. “Before I started doing the trap stuff, I was doing dubstep and electro and all that sorta stuff, so I like to try to bring some of the older sounds that I used to like into the trap thing – which I think is where it might differ from the other people.” It’s paying off, with the DJ a regular at mid-week Kings Cross bass night The Wall, plus the iconic Chinese Laundry.

Williams, who has a stash of tunes on SoundCloud, including his recent banger (and free download) Let’s Play with local peer Oski, doesn’t mind listeners surfing for tunes rather than buying them. “As long as you’re keeping your music current and keep putting your music out and people are enjoying it, then you’re gonna make money from shows – it’s not so much about making money from Beatport or whatever these days.” The copious producer is finalising an EP – and mentions unreleased tunes with Oski and PhaseOne. “I’m always keen for new stuff, new collaborations, new remixes – whatever comes my way, really.”

He’s already attracted international interest – again, through SoundCloud. “I’d probably actually get more feedback from overseas than I do in Australia.” He’s even impressed big names like Borgore, another Waka Flocka cohort. Williams, who’s just signed to new management, will soon tour New Zealand. As for the US? “It’s definitely on the to-do list.”

But, prior to that, Williams will headline Ambar’s Japan 4 – his first Perth gig as Hydraulix. Expect a personalised party set with exclusives and edits. “I’ll definitely have lots of new material to test out. One thing that I’m really looking forward to is all the touring and all that. It’s just a good chance to, before I put out tunes, be able to test them on the road and make sure the reactions are good!”