Interview – Jamie Stevens

Brisbane is welcoming the venerable Jamie Stevens this Saturday, who is flying up from Melbourne. He will be playing a back-to-back set with Brisbane’s Fergus Alexander at The Fitzgerald, for returning staple Logic, with Lemon & Lime, 21C Progressive House and Protocol Events. On support are Logic veterans BPM and Mike Redfern. The show is sold out, but if you missed out, you can still read all about what Jamie has been up to lately.

Q. Jamie, you were recently in the UK with the Anjuna crew, spending time in their studios and discussing electronic music production, among other things. What did you take away from that experience?

It came about because I’d been speaking to Vlad, otherwise known as PROFF, in the months leading up to my trip to London. We were chatting about something unrelated, and he said, “When you’re over here, let me know and I’ll take you around the Anjuna studio.”

It was fantastic to meet Jono Grant and Tony McGuinness from Above & Beyond, and Anjei from Volen Sentir. We had a lovely lunch, talking about life, travel and a few studio tricks, then went into the studios.

Tony was working on bits and pieces for the upcoming Above & Beyond live set, while Jono showed me around his studio. Seeing all the hardware and getting an understanding of his workflow was fascinating. It’s always great to see how other people work.

Later, I spent most of the afternoon with Anjei looking through Volen Sentir projects. What really struck me was how similar our projects looked. Everyone’s sessions are different in some way, but these sessions were uncannily similar to mine, which I was blown away by given how much I love their work.

Beyond the music, I just really enjoyed spending time with Vlad and Anjei. We got on so well on a personal level. The main takeaway was that we’re all just normal people who love making music! Haha!

Q. You’ve just returned from Balance Croatia 2026 after what, by all accounts, was another incredible set. Following your appearance at the inaugural event last year, you spoke about the genuine sense of community that exists around progressive house, both in Melbourne and internationally. What is it about Balance Croatia that seems to bring that community together so well, and how did this year compare with the first?

I think it starts with the music it represents. We haven’t really had a festival like this before, dedicated to progressive house in all its forms. In the past, it’d often been jammed into a broader festival lineup but lately we haven't even had that, so having somewhere that brings fans of this music together from around the world is pretty special.

There’s a warmth to the music, even when it gets dark and dirty. It seems to attract people who want to immerse themselves in it, and that creates a lovely atmosphere and Balance gives our community a place to come together that we haven’t had before.

I wasn’t sure whether the second year could have the same energy, and a lot of people I spoke to felt the same. That first year had such a sense of discovery: “Wow, we didn’t expect this.” You wondered how much of the excitement came from experiencing it for the first time.

I was so pleasantly surprised to find the same excitement, energy and warmth this year. Literally, too, because it was bloody hot! It was lovely hearing from people who were thrilled to return, and others who’d come for the first time after hearing about it. The magic was well and truly still there.

There were a couple of issues that people have spoken about, as you’ll get with any festival, but they were dealt with swiftly. For me, the overwhelming majority of it was absolutely brilliant.

Q. In June 2024, you played alongside Hernán Cattáneo at Forja in Córdoba, Argentina. Then, on 28 August this year, you released Hocu Pocu and L’alba on Hernan’s Sudbeat label—a two-track collaboration with fellow Melburnian Kasey Taylor. How do you find your music translates when you’re playing to a huge arena crowd in South America?

Forja was quite a unique experience because, outside of what I used to do with Infusion, I hadn’t played by myself to a crowd that size.

South American crowds really immerse themselves in the music and put their faith in the person playing. You can go deep or get energetic, and they’re with you the whole way. They’re there for the journey, so to speak.

I was playing live at Forja, and it was wonderful being able to explore the deeper parts of my music without feeling I had to push everything towards a particular energy level to get people moving. That’s something about progressive house that really connects there: the groove, atmosphere and storytelling can carry the experience.

It’s always a privilege to play there. On my recent trip, I also played with Mariano Mellino and Nick Stoynoff, and had that same feeling. You can play a long set, get deep, then get really heavy, and the crowd keeps giving you that energy. They just keep moving. It’s a wonderful thing to experience!

Q. The year started strongly with Endgame, a three-track solo EP on John Digweed and Nick Muir’s Bedrock Records. Since then, you’ve collaborated with fellow Australian Zankee Gulati and reunited with Kasey Taylor for another release on Vapour Recordings, as well as teaming up with the legendary Christian Smith for Global Underground. There seems to be no slowing you down. What continues to drive you creatively and keep the quality so consistently high?

Thank you — that means a lot. I think what drives me is staying curious and responding to everything I experience. Without trying to sound wanky, the desire to explore music has become such a big part of who I am. It’s in my blood.

As for the quality, being a perfectionist probably helps! Of course, what I consider high quality might be different from someone else’s idea of it. I try to release music that I believe has the best chance of connecting with people, and there’s a particular feeling I’m looking for that I can’t always put my finger on.

I know when I really believe in a track, when I feel I’ve made it as authentic as I can. That’s when I’m happy to release it.

Over time, I’ve come to understand that more clearly. I’m always striving to make something that feels inherently me. That’s the question I keep coming back to: “Is this genuinely me?”

Q. Last year, your artist album, Beginner’s Guide To Floating, found a home on Music To Die For. What made that label the right fit for the album, and looking back now, what did releasing it mean to you?

Honestly, it was simply a natural progression from the singles I’d already released with the label, “Transference” and “With You”. Those gave me room to explore a more cinematic, broken-beat sound (or 'emotional breaks' as Johnny Hudson, the owner of Music to Die For calls them).

The initial suggestion was to make a third single, then look at an extended release. Through Johnny Hudson’s encouragement, that gradually became a conversation about an album.

I’d wanted to make an album for a while, but I didn’t want it to be entirely house or 4/4-based. I wanted to create something that felt timeless to me, something people could return to years later and still connect with emotionally.

The album gave me space to explore parts of myself musically that I hadn’t been able to express within the limitations of a club record. As someone who’s always loved the album format, being able to put my own hat in the ring and say, “This is what I can contribute,” meant so much.

I’m excited to make another one. In the meantime, I’ve actually remixed the album myself, taking it further into cinematic, ambient, dub and slower, more experimental territory. It’s called Advanced Guide to Floating, and I believe it’s coming out next month, alongside vinyl pre-orders for Beginner’s Guide To Floating.

It felt like something I needed to make. It works as a continuous listening experience and draws on the kinds of music I’ve loved throughout my life. I’m really excited to share it.

Q. Beyond Zankee Gulati, who are some Australian producers you think people should be keeping an ear out for at the moment?

There are honestly so many. We’re spoiled for choice in this country.

Mike Rish is absolutely killing it. He’s always been amazing, but he keeps going from strength to strength. I knew that once he really focused on his music, he’d be up there, right at the top. I told him a long time ago to 100% go for it, so it’s awesome to see that happening.

Shoges is fantastic, releasing on Vapour under Kasey’s wing. GMJ and Matter are still absolutely smashing it, as always. Zero Tolerance are making amazing music, and Doppel keeps delivering really creative stuff. Tom Baker is another one, just an absolute gun.

Some of my students also have enormous potential. They haven’t released anything yet, but I’ll definitely be sharing their releases when they come about.

I know I’m leaving people out, because there’s so much fantastic music here. Australia has a really strong community of forward-thinking producers, and we should be proud of that.

Q. From your early days with Infusion — one of the defining Australian electronic acts of the early 2000s — through to the solo career you have today, you’ve experienced some very different eras of electronic music in this country. How do you look back on that journey, and how has it shaped the artist you are now?

It’s definitely been a substantial stretch of electronic music history, and there have been enormous changes.

Probably the biggest has been how music reaches people: how labels operate, how tracks get into DJs’ hands and how long a release stays around. Tracks could once have a life of a year or more; now, sometimes, they’re lucky to last a few weeks. That’s a bit sad to see. I don’t think it will necessarily always be that way, but you do have to move with the times.

In terms of how it’s shaped me, I’ve become much clearer about what I want to make. Earlier on, as sounds changed, I’d sometimes feel I needed to adapt. To an extent that’s natural, but I think I occasionally got too pulled towards the sound of a particular moment and lost touch with what felt true to me.

I’m inspired by such a huge range of music, and I needed to be more honest about that bigger picture of who I am as a producer.

Having lived through so many changes, I’ve come to place much more value on authenticity. Music will keep changing, but making something that feels authentically me is what matters most.

Q. You’ve travelled extensively overseas for gigs, but closer to home, have there been any Australian events or parties recently that have particularly stood out for you?

We have some really great events here. We might not have the population or the huge numbers following this music, but when the stars align, you can get something brilliant. Often it’s the smaller events that really stand out.

I had a wonderful time playing at Pablo's for an event called Secret Sounds. It’s a tiny bar, but the atmosphere was absolutely electric. I got to play for hours and hours and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was my second time there in as many years, and both visits were really special.

Going back a little further, warming up for Hernán Cattáneo at Northcote Theatre was another highlight. That was a fantastic crowd. I’ve also had some really fun gigs at Howler.

A recent one at 24 Moons with the lovely Rising Sun crew was a throwback event focused on music from around the year 2000. I played a dark, 2000-focused progressive house set, which was so much fun. The crowd was younger than you might expect for that kind of night, and seeing them get into the darker, tougher, faster sound was brilliant.

The Invite Only events are always fantastic too. Anthony Pappa and Louise do a wonderful job running those. There’s such a positive energy, and the music is always second to none as you'd expect from having Anthony at the helm.

Q. This October sees you returning to Brisbane with the resurrected Logic brand at The Fitzgerald in Fortitude Valley, playing a back-to-back set with Fergus Alexander. There’s a lot of shared history there, along with a clear enthusiasm for a particular sound. How did the idea for the B2B come about, and what can people expect from the night?

Ferg and I go back a long way. I absolutely loved playing in Brisbane during the Infusion days, and there were plenty of shenanigans! He’s become one of my longest-standing and closest friends, so doing this back-to-back means a great deal.

When it came up, it was almost a case of, “Why haven’t we done this already?” I believe we talked about it at Balance last year. I said, “We should probably do a back-to-back at some point,” and Ferg’s response was, “Shit yeah!”

The seed might have been planted earlier, but let’s say it was Balance. Once I mentioned it, it was like giving a dog a bone and Ferg made damned sure it happened! Haha!

We share such a passion for progressive music that I think it’ll gel really well. There’s also that lovely element of a back-to-back where you’re showing each other music from your collections and pushing one another to dig a little deeper.

I’ve got lots of new music, including tracks I made for Balance and the other European shows, so I’m looking forward to bringing those along. Ferg has impeccable taste in this sound, and I’m really excited to see where we take it.