Secret Agent DJ Lorna - Keeping it in perspective.
Author: Michelle Pirovich
Saturday, October 19, 2002
Back at home by the seaside in Sydney, people will tell you that Lorna was way ahead of what is today the most emerging sound in dance - breakbeat, with her much loved night Trip Hop Skip Jump.
Today Lorna will you have believing that she is dabbling in production, has her own radio show, is a consultant for SBS Radio's Alchemy, and is Promotions Manager for Floating Point Music.
Don't be fooled, we here at TranZfusion have it from a reliable source that Lorna is actually a secret agent, her mission to infiltrate the music scene and produce the best sounds the world has ever heard.
How has the year 2002 been for you-
Incredibly busy, challenging, sometimes brilliant, sometimes fucking hard, but on the whole, a year of amazing opportunities. I find it really difficult to say no to anything so I'm never bored.
Where did your passion for music come from-
It probably has something to do with my Mum and Dads parties in the early 70's. They were only in their early 20's when they had my brother and I and we all lived in a 1 bedroom flat in Glasgow. So on Saturday night, all their friends would come around and blast disco in the loungeroom all night. My brother and I would join in and dance around for a while then fall asleep in the bedroom in amongst the coats with Donna Summer pumping through the wall. Consequently I can fall asleep anywhere if I'm tired enough - even in a club!
What is it about DJing that you love so much-
I'm not sure what it is, but it's the same feeling I used to get when I worked in a record store and I introduced someone to a brilliant piece of music. I'd get this kind of internal buzz as I put the record on and anticipated their reaction. I adore connecting people with something that I know they will love.
You have been involved in the dance scene since the early days, what are the most significant changes you have seen-
Some scary transformations of people who were initially into the music and then got caught up in the bullshit of ego and power. It's an industry that builds and devours egos en masse, so it's healthy to keep things in perspective. I truly value the people who keep their integrity in this game.
Did anything become of your breaks night Trip Hop Skip Jump-
That was a one-off that was lots of fun to do in a time when there were no breakbeat nights in Sydney. If only we'd waited another eight years we may have broken even…
How big is the breaks scene in Sydney today-
Breaks is massive up here. The scene has an energy that attracts the young, up and coming clubbers so the big parties do really well. I still love breaks but I kind of bowed out a few years back when the scene started to get too focussed on a certain style. I don't like to feel harnessed into playing one style in a set so I've never become known as a 'breaks' DJ. I play to a mood rather than a genre style.
You spent quite some time overseas, and achieved a lot.
What did you find to be the major differences between the dance scene here and in the UK-
The dance scene in the UK is more focussed, has much more support from the government, is far more professional and is far more competitive. However, in saying that, it is no more dynamic than the local scene has been at times. What we have to keep in perspective is that most of these 'amazing' clubs we hear of are just small nights with average attendance but are hyped-up by a mate who reviews for Muzik or< Tags