Dirty South

Vicious Vinyl, Defected, Axtone, Cr2

2008.08.20 ::: Words by Andrew Reid

Over the past 3 years, Grammy Nominated DJ/Producer Dirty South aka Dragan Roganovic has made an instant name for himself in the dance music industry, impressing the who’s who of international DJs, producers, media and music lovers with his uncanny ability to dish up ready-made dancefloor bombs. Born in Europe and moved to Australia when he was 13, Dragan’s thirst for music took a hold of him from a young age. Unable to afford turntables, the youngster began ‘mixing’ with an old NEC Cassette deck, while his growing fascination with production saw him re-jig his home computer and start to make beats with it using demo music software. Inspired by everyone from Led Zeppelin and later The Neptunes, Dragan focused his attention on producing mash-ups and bootleg tracks, with his natural ability to produce devastating dancefloor weapons seeing DJs clamber for promos – something that still characterizes his rampant popularity.

The international attention didn’t take too long to swell either. When Dragan injected his trademark house groove into Evermore’s ‘It’s too Late’ rock hit in 2006, the entire dance music world stood up and took notice. Not only did dance luminary Pete Tong reward the track as one of his coveted ‘Essential New Tunes’, but the gem was also licensed to over 30 compilations worldwide, as well as being picked up by Warner and Ultra (USA). Included on his self-titled EP of 2006 out through respected Australian imprint Vicious Vinyl, ‘It’s too Late’, topped dance charts worldwide and saw Dirty South nominated for a coveted ARIA award (Australian Recording Industry Association) - a stunning follow-up to the previous year’s nomination for his red-hot single ‘Sleazy’. ‘It’s Too Late’s’ impact was also confirmed in early 2007, with a nomination for ‘Best Alternative Dance Release’ at Miami’s ‘International Dance Music Awards’.
No surprise that Dirty South stands as one of the hottest and most in-demand new artists in house music. His remixing credits read like an honour role of dance music’s finest, having reworked revered artists such as Depeche Mode, Mark Ronson, Tracey Thorn, Snoop Dogg, Roger Sanchez, Josh Wink, Tiësto, Chris Lake, Fedde Le Grande, Ferry Corsten and TV Rock. In 2007 many of the productions and collaborations have earned Dirty South numerous ‘Essential New Tune’ gongs from Pete Tong. Some of those productions include his anthemic chart-topping tune “Let It Go” released on Axtone and a more tech-house offering “Minority” on the UK imprint Toolroom Records.

In 2008, Dirty South teams up with house genius Axwell to produce the track ‘Open Your Heart’ and also an outstanding version of The Doors ‘The End’ While his productions go from strength to strength, Dirty South continues to excel in the DJing department. He’s toured the world, gigging throughout Europe, the UK, UAE, Canada and the USA and playing massive festivals across Australia including Ultra Music Festival, Creamfields, Global Gathering, Good Vibrations, Future Music Festival, Summadayze and many others.

In 2008, Dirty South also secured a monthly residency at the legendary Ibiza club Pacha, playing for Eric Morillo’s Subliminal night. Home stereos are likewise kept grooving with his throbbing mix compilations, having delivered stunning offerings for Vicious’ ‘Clubwork’ (2006) and Vicious Cuts (2008), Australian superclub Onelove’s ‘Your Disco Will Eat You’ (2007), Ministry of Sound’s ‘Sessions 4’ (2007) and a “Live & Direct” compilation mix for the UK label CR2.

With only a few short years under his belt in the international production scene, Dirty South’s potential to achieve tremendous musical heights seems limitless. As his trademark blend of beats inspires more and more house lovers from across the globe to sit up and take notice, the future is certainly looking bright down south.

Nocturnal: We have to ask... where'd the name Dirty South come from?
Dirty South: The name was something I just made up with a friend of mine when I did my first remix. I didn't want to use my real name so this name came about. It didn't mean anything at the time, but now people say it makes sense as I live in south (Australia).

Nocturnal: You have one of the globe's most discernable styles... how do you vision your dance floor and sound? Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Dirty South: Well I play a lot of my productions and I make a lot of tools and edits plus I'm always on the look out for new and fresh music and these things basically make up my sound and my sets. I like to keep the energy levels high and keep the crowd interested throughout my set. As far as inspiration, I get inspired by everything and everyone around me.

Nocturnal: Have you ever had to take a massive risk musically?
Dirty South: I think playing brand new tracks is always a little risk, and I do get a little nervous when I play my new tracks out for the first time.

Nocturnal: Of course your own productions have been met with critical and commercial success. What's your process in creating new music? Are you strictly software or does hardware play an integral role in your compositions? What's your most indispensable piece of studio kit?
Dirty South: Right now the process in making my tracks and remixes is working on my laptop as I'm touring quite a lot. Everything is done on Logic 8 and some quick ideas are done on Ableton Live. This process can be hard because everything is mixed through headphones and I do miss spending time in the studio and blasting out the speakers. Every now and then I happen to be back in my studio but all the projects are still done on the laptop, which makes my laptop the most important piece of gear.

Nocturnal: What forthcoming releases can we expect from you?
Dirty South: I’ve just finished a track with my good friend Axwell and we are really happy with this record. It’s called ‘Open Your Heart’ and it should be out on places like Beatport by the time you read this.

Nocturnal: You're lined up to mix the next instalment of the Toolroom Knights series. What do you have in store for the mix? Any exclusives or hot new tunes on it we need to know about?
Dirty South: The compilation is a double disc, with the first disc being a little deep, weird and sexy. It’s basically the kind of stuff that I would play if I was to warm up for myself. The second disc is more energetic and more ‘big room’ sounding. On this disc I’ve included the new track with Axwell exclusively.

Nocturnal: In your opinion what other producers out there are really pushing boundaries or making a big impact on our scene for the second half of 2008?
Dirty South: I really like what the Swedish House Mafia (Axwell, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Eric Prydz) guys are doing in the studio and in their dj sets. They bring great energy and freshness to everything they do.

Nocturnal: As the digital revolution continues to dominate, how do you see it impacting our industry going forward?
Dirty South: I think everyone will say that it has pluses and minuses, and the best thing we can do is adapt to it and find ways to use the technology the best way we can.

Nocturnal: Are you hip on the whole laptop DJ thing... or do you prefer those who do it physically?
Dirty South: I am not into the laptop DJ thing. I prefer playing with CD’s but that's not to say that laptops are a bad thing. I’m sure I will find a way to change my sets and setup as new technologies emerge but for now I'm sticking to 3 CD players and a mixer.

Nocturnal: Summer means touring... where can people catch you in the next little while?
Dirty South: I’m spending a lot of time in Europe during this summer. Ibiza is the place to be, and I will be a monthly resident at Eric Morillo’s Subliminal night at Pacha, which has been amazing so far. Also I will be doing all the major festivals in Europe including Global Gathering and Creamfields.

Nocturnal: The voting for the DJ Mag Top 100 is open again... how much stock do you put into the annual rankings? Is it something that you try to market for and push, or if it happens it happens?
Dirty South: The voting is done by public, so it’s interesting to see how much awareness I’ve had during the year with my sets and productions. I don’t go bombarding people with spam, I just put a message on myspace to make people aware that the voting is on and where the can go and place their vote.

Nocturnal: Lastly here are some quick shots:
Nocturnal: Tell us something you’ve never told an interviewer before?
Dirty South: I usually tell them everything they want to know.
Nocturnal: House or techno?
Dirty South: Bit of both.
Nocturnal: Sunset or sunrise?
Dirty South: Sunrise.
Nocturnal: Favourite travel destination for performing?
Dirty South: Pacha in Ibiza, Ministry of Sound in London, Pacha New York.
Nocturnal: Most indispensable item you travel with?
Dirty South: My laptop.
Nocturnal: Favourite thing to do when returning from a long tour?
Dirty South: See the people that are closest to me and some home cooking.
Nocturnal: Favourite travel destination for vacation?
Dirty South: Ibiza is always nice, and a few other remote islands. New York is also great for a more suburban type visit.
Nocturnal: After a late night at the club, what do you do to unwind?
Dirty South: I try to sleep as much as I can.
Nocturnal: Who's your most treasured relationship with?
Dirty South: All the people closest to me.
Nocturnal: Most emotional song for you of all time?
Dirty South: Stevie Wonder – Lately.
Nocturnal: Single greatest moment from your career?
Dirty South: Every time I finish an amazing set.

::: Related Links

::: www.myspace.com/dirtysouth909

::: 2008.08.08 » Soho p/ Dirty South @ This Is London Photos