Over the past 20 years Danny Bonnici has been at the forefront of the world’s electronic music scene. Working with his band NuBreed to bring people their signature sound, which amazed audiences with their raw stage presence, and crowd-pleasing performances. Now as a solo artist he’s truly coming into his own, with influential dance music media such as DJ Mag all signing praises for his world-class production/engineering & DJing.
In 2003 Danny’s collaborative efforts saw him co-produce the club hit ”Ride” with good friend Luke Chable. This record was a huge hit in the scene giving Danny international recognition alongside his efforts with NuBreed. Danny’s tracks have featured on many labels ranging from Renaissance to Global Underground, YK4, MOB, Vicious Vinyl (and the list goes on…), his expert production has also seen him nominated for an Australian Dance Music Award, and an ARIA Award in previous years.
Danny is seen as an influential Australian electronic music pioneer with a string of original and remixed works under his belt spanning from 2000-2018. His music has been played by the biggest DJs in the world including Sasha, John Digweed, Hernan Cattaneo, and many more, with his own gigs have taken him all of the world in the last 14 years headlining famous clubs such as Fabric in London.
Aside to producing, Danny is also well known for his mixing, and mastering abilities (under his Liquid mixes banner) for ARIA winning artists such as Kimbra, and Bertie Blackman, along with many other record labels, including the globally renowned Balance Series compilations from Balance Music.
Hello Danny, we are honored to have you here and to do this interview for our website.
You’ve had a long and influential journey in electronic music. Can you take us back to the very beginning, what first pulled you into music production and DJing?
I started making electronic music when I was very young and I was initially inspired by Georgio Moroder and Italo disco. I also loved early hip-hop which had more of an electro flavour and film scores. I was inspired by the technology as well as I was there when it all started from sampling to hardisk recording.
I loved synths and still do so after learning piano for many years it was a natural progression for me. I remember my first sequence that I made was “The Chase” remake on a Korg M1, I couldn’t believe what we could do with 8 tracks of synth sequencing. It was like magic. As far as DJing it was more a necessity than a passion as I was really more a producer than a DJ. I believe to be a great DJ you need to spend a lot of time looking for records and also be able to play to any situation as opposed to just playing bangers.
You were a member of NuBreed, the Melbourne-based electronic music trio known for their nu-skool and progressive breaks. Back in the early 2000s, as electronic music, especially breakbeat and nu-skool breaks, was rising, NuBreed played a key role in shaping the Australian scene. What was it like to be part of that journey?
That was a special time where the scene was still very fresh and exciting and we were pushing new sounds with other like minded artists like Tipper and Sibegg and Hybrid. The breakbeat era was full of discovery and pushing sound design to a new level. There was no rules. A free flowing melting pot of ideas and risk taking.
Melbourne was the epicenter of some amazing talent at the time. There was great parties on all the time and no phones so people could be free and not feel like they couldn’t express themselves on the dancefloor. The collabs between friends was also strong and there was a real sense of community.
It’s quite clear that we are living in unprecedented times. In your long career, what were the most challenging or difficult moments and how did you deal with them?
Constantly touring was difficult at the time as I got very lonely when I would go on my own and DJ. The time zone shifts were hard and I didn’t know whether I was was coming or going. I slowly backed off and took a break from that.
The other thing was when art became more about numbers and likes than music. I have struggled to get on board with this. I’m a studio nerd so having a social media presence was the last thing on my mind. This is a constant struggle for me.
What do you think of Australia’s scene now and how has it changed over the years?
Things come and go and genre’s have their time in the sun but its constantly evolving and attracting new people. Of course I am biased about the heyday of the early 2000’s as it was my peak time and there were many more festivals than you have these days. I do believe the scene is struggling more these days in that regard with less things on. I also believe the underground will never die so you just gotta look harder for those special experiences.
Many artists credit you as an inspiration. How do you feel knowing your work helped shape a generation of progressive and breakbeat producers?
This is especially important to me as I love teaching and propelling students forward and seeing what they bring to the table. Giving back is a big part of it.
You run Liquid Mixes, which provides mixing, mastering, and Dolby Atmos services, yet you continue producing music. What’s your approach to juggling these roles?
Some days switching hats can be hard but I don’t force it. Being Creative can be difficult some days and other days it just flows. I love mixing for other people and I feel both roles are just as rewarding as each other.
With modern technology and AI tools becoming more common in music production, do you feel the creative process is changing, and do you see that as an advantage or a challenge?
I believe its fine to use if its helping you realise your creative potential. If its just prompting music into existence then its not really your work. There is a fine balance ultimately you need to feel like its your expression and not solely AI.
I love tech so moving with the times is exciting but I do believe the more you do yourself the more honest the production even if it takes more blood sweat and tears.
You performed at this year’s Balance Festival, how was the experience for you? Were there any standout moments from the festival, either behind the decks or with the crowd?
It was an awesome experience being there and sharing moments with people. The crowd was amazing and loved every minute of it. I really enjoyed watching Jeremy Olander play and Tim Green.
All the Aussies played really well and brought their own flavour to the festival. Balance has been very good to me and releasing on the label has always been special.
Who is Danny Bonnici when he is not behind the DJ deck or in the studio? Are there any interesting hobbies that you enjoy in your free time?
A dad and mountain biker and general all round nerd.
For the end of this conversation, is there any exclusive information you can share with us or maybe announce some of your upcoming projects?
I have some projects on the horizon with Vapour Recordings and I will be taking a break from DJing and concentrating on more of an electronica sound maybe even live not sure yet.
I get bored easily and try new things all the time. Gotta keep it fresh and evolving. Lets see what happens.
What's Your Reaction?
