District Time

To say Ambar is a Perth institution is kinda low-balling it. Ten years running, it's been our Best Nightclub Destination as voted in the PDMAs, regularly cops some silverware for various Inthemix Awards, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a touring breaks DJ (national or international) who doesn't know and love the place by now.

Philly Blunt is part of that close knit group responsible for helping make the club the juggernaut it has been over the years, and he takes a philosophical approach when asked for thoughts on packing the bags and moving out. “Ambar has been my home for a long while now and it will be hard and weird to have to leave behind the basement at 104 Murray St,” he begins in earnest.

“But that being said – what lives on is not the building, but the music, the atmosphere, the punters, the friends and everything that makes Ambar so great. So it's bittersweet, but one thing is for sure – we are going to send off the old girl in style, so I'm looking forward to the next few weeks of some serious partying.”

And those who know the venue, will know how true those final words (so often painfully the next day) ring.

One of those serious parties happens to be tomorrow night, when the final District (at 104 Murray) takes place. Launching last year, District has put the focus on bass music in all its various forms to great effect, and Blunt's looking forward to going out with a bang. “We have got Panda from Karratha playing as well as a bunch of our favourite DJs who've played for us over the past couple of years and some new talent thrown in for good measure,” he says, before touching on the night's legacy so far, and what the future holds.

“District's been great, we've really built up a loyal following by doing something different musically than everything else at Ambar. We keep the sets shorter with heaps of variation between genres, whilst keeping it all bass oriented and the party moving.

“We will definitely been moving locations with the club – music wise we will stay true to ourselves, but in saying that we love to push the envelope.”

While he's doing what can to push the envelope sonically now-a-days, it's the early sets Blunt cut his teeth on that stick out for him when he looks back over the highlights of his time at the club. “Man that's tough – my first sets there still stick in my mind – but they weren't my best – warming up for Malente a few years back and AC Slater a couple of years after that were both amazing sets. As was RL Grime recently. So many closers when There's still 200 people chanting 'One more!'  and of course the dozens of shows I've run there hold a special place – knowing you've put together the party that so many are enjoying is a great feeling.”

And while it is a time for reflection, it's also a time to look forward, and Philly Blunt – DJ, producer, record label owner (Grits N Gravy), event promoter, graphic designer – has a lot going on. “I've got some other projects I'm keen to work on in the next few years, but for now I'm going full steam ahead with Philly Blunt and Black & Blunt music, heaps more graphic design work and some bigger and better events.”