If you live in Sydney and have been immersed in the dance music industry over the past 30 years, you would at some point have come across the legendary Johnny Gleeson. A DJ and producer upon whose shoulders today’s artists unquestionably stand and without whom the landscape would have been as featureless as the Atacama Desert.
His roll call is impressive. Pacha Ibiza resident DJ and Oz Music Award winner as a Legend of the Industry. He has had releases on Toolroom, Ministry of Sound and Pacha which act as a reference point to his prodigious catalogue of work. He has been remixed by Mark Knight, Robbie Rivera, Paulo Mojo and Dave Spoon amongst others as well as featuring numerous times on Pete Tong’s Essential Selection. He is also commander in chief at record label and production company Modifii.
Having had residencies at EVERY major venue in Sydney and beyond and driving the development of the band Binary, he is uniquely placed to comment on our world today and how it has changed.
Most importantly though, we nearly lost the indefatigable artist to a medical emergency and this is the first time we have gotten to sit down with him as he emerges from that scare.
Many will attest to the fact that when Gleeson gets behind the decks you are in for a treat. No boring, dialled in sets from planet hum drum. Whether it be as part of Binary or as a solo artist, he has always delivered his music via a waterfall of superlative moments. Therefore, it was with a great degree of interest and concern that we got to ask him about the future and his confrontation with his own mortality. This is Johnny Gleeson in his own words...
You had just started a family and were in one of the most prolific phases of your career when illness befell you. What had you been working on up until then?
JG: Big question. Let’s keep it recent. A long lead up of constant DJ work in Australia and abroad with as much production time as I could afford. More recently my focus has been developing Binary and a few other projects like VR Radio which rolled on for a while. It was a very busy period for me, however, with the climate of Sydney’s clubbing scene progressively deteriorating, it has felt like a hell of a lot more work for less results than I have been used to in the past.
How has your musical taste evolved since BITD? What still spins your wheels?
JG: Basically, I’ve always been attracted to music that ‘works’ regardless of genre. I feel that every genre has its time where it is fresh and exciting which in turn always becomes tired and dated. Then it reinvents itself and comes back a few years later with a different twist. I enjoy crossing genres whilst playing to achieve an overall mood or story that I am trying to portray. I guess being an old funk fan, rhythmically if the style doesn’t swing and have an intelligent rhythm bed and arrangement, it may lose my interest. I love the darker side of music and always appreciate a good vocal when they turn up. It’s exciting to get onto a vocal track early that you know is about to become a classic. I particularly enjoy the contrast of the darker side juxtaposed with beautiful vocals. In saying that, I also love funk and anything with soul. The first 3 years of my career, all I played was funk, acid Jazz, roots based hip-hop, soul, rare groove, salsoul and disco during the acid Jazz heydays of the early 90’s at Kinsela’s, Bentley Bar, and Soho… This period really laid the foundations of where my musical taste branches from.
How touch and go was your medical emergency?
JG: Basically, I shouldn't be here. I’m very lucky in so many ways. The Aneurysm was 12mm in diameter, the average size of a fatal aneurysm is 2mm. Had it not been pressing against my optic nerve and sending me blind, it wouldn’t have been found and I would definitely be dead today. It is an hereditary condition that has taken the lives of a few family members in my lineage which I was unaware of. Its a real killer.
Has it given you a different slant on life?
JG: For the record, as people are constantly asking, my health is back, my passion for music and life is back and I feel eternally grateful for another bite at the cherry. I have been totally overwhelmed by the outpouring of support I received last year. It was truly humbling and will never be forgotten.
I have 40 percent vision back in my right eye, which was the blind one and have lost some peripheral vision in my left. The stem cell op last year and the therapy worked and I’m very happy with the results. A lot has changed for me in Sydney and I have sunk my teeth into other production in a big way. I’m seeing more productive and personally satisfying results and I’m looking forward to seeing results outside of Sydney again.
What is important to you now?
JG: Being happy with where I am in life right now, staying inspired and moving forward career wise. Outside of that, trying to spend more time with family and friends, enjoying music, sport and arts, taking time to smell the roses and live in the moment.
There was a big groundswell of community support to help you through the crisis. How do you repay that and what did it mean to you?
JG: I think I just touched on that and it really changed the playing field for me. There were those who I didn’t expect to come forward that really helped out and it brought me quite close to a lot of people unexpectedly, in a beautiful way. On the negative side I have to say that some past employers and clubs hid from the situation. I wasn’t expecting anything from the whole crowdfunding thing really as it was organised without my knowledge. However, it definitely changed my perspective on things and was a truly dichotomic moment. On one hand I felt let down by the clubs that I have put a lot of love into, and on the other I received so much love from unexpected quarters. It was a beautiful moment and a real life changer for me; an awakening. I’m eternally grateful and have paid it back in some forms where I can. I think my life has changed so much that it really is an honour to be given the opportunity to repay people when I can. It feels good and is something that I will continue to do for the rest of my life.
How has Binary progressed since you fell ill?
JG: We had a great summer last year and went on tour last December. The Band has evolved and there is some great production going on right now.
You are working on a film score. Can you give us any details?
JG: Yes I can now officially let the Cat out of the Bag! I have been hard at work buried in the studio working on a score for my first major Hollywood production release! Very excited about it and it has launched my production company "MODIFII PRODUCTIONS" in a big way and in the right direction. The film is called DREAMCATCHER and the premiere is in Hollywood in November which I will be attending and playing the after party for. The film features 6 tracks from myself, Binary of course, Johnny Gleeson and McLaren and another with Paul Wheeler and his sister Eve on vocals under Binary feat Eve Wheeler. There is more work in the industry coming on the horizon. Funnily enough I completed my diploma at SAE in the early 90's with the intention of getting into film scoring, then DJing became a huge, successful yet fulfilling career which has now led back to film. Funny how it all works out. I’m very happy with this new project that is so inspiring and at the same time fulfilling.
Artists like yourselves have lamented what has happened to the scene in Sydney since lock-out laws have been introduced. What has this meant to you personally?
JG: For a couple of years it really hit me hard. I had many friends fall into depression and lose lifelong careers as a result of the lockout laws. It decimated our industry both financially and personally. Of course, there were survivors but there were and still are many, many people suffering as a result of it. I have had to move on from it to maintain my sanity. Our glorious Sydney no longer holds the place in my heart that it used to. I guess it has brought me back to basics now that I have gotten past it. I’m playing better, enjoying my work more and exploring outside the box. Other opportunities have materialised as a result of it.
What is better today than the rose-coloured moments of yesteryear?
JG: In Sydney? Not a lot. It has its moments but it’s very low on Mojo. I look abroad for those moments now and they exist in spades.
Analogue vs Digital?
JG: They both have their place. Quality analogue wins hands down sonically. There are quite a few cheap analogue attempts out there that don’t quite cut the mustard however the classics are King. I also enjoy the sonic candy of high-end digital synths at high sample rates. However, they lack the x factor that high-end analogue delivers. A combination of the two is what I pursue in the studio at the moment. It takes a bit of engineering but the results can be fantastic
Joe Clausell vs Louie Vega?
JG: Joe Clausell. Hard question that but Joe's production/arrangement has an organic feel that I can’t deny.
Is there much room for the journey anymore? How do you approach it these days?
JG: Of course. The journey is where the real art is. Anybody can play a playlist of "Bangers".
Do we need chin-strokers and train spotters?
JG: Yes, they keep us on our toes
Should mobiles be banned from the dance floor?
JG: Absolutely, they are cancer to a dancefloor! In 2017 I attended Eric Prydz's opening night of his first ever Ibiza residency at the newly constructed HI nightclub (the old Space). All the elements were there for something legendary to happen. However, the light show was so amazing that there must’ve been 500- 1000 phones lit up filming the show and there was no vibe. It was bizarre.
Have we become a Nanny State?
JG: Yep. Next question.
Who’s your favourite Nanny then?
JG: My mum. She is my boy Rafael's Nanny and he loves her to death. She has helped a lot. She rocks.
What does music streaming mean to the commercial viability of material these days?
JG: It has taken another chunk of money away from the seasoned artists and record labels. However, the industry is more accessible to those who wish to operate Indie labels as sole traders. I guess the biggest challenge that platforms like Spotify face these days is to avoid being saturated with low quality music.
What are you looking forward to?
JG: New music, new venues, new projects and now that I am back to health; getting back to the pressure of the music industry. Its where I thrive. I love the heat. Also figuring out the new age question of how a DJ handles a career and Fatherhood hand in hand. I’m still working on that. It is definitely a challenge, however a nice one.
How will you achieve your goals?
JG: By searching for the most productive environment for me to be able to maintain an inspired state of mind (very important for me) and in turn, being content within the moment. Staying healthy, active and avoiding negative people and situations. I need to choose my battles these days as I don’t have the time anymore to take them all on. Bottom line right now is that I’ve had some time on the bench and I am revitalised and hungrier than ever to get back in the mix…
What advice will you give your son about realising his dreams?
JG: Find what makes you most excited and go for it as hard as you can and without fear! Then if you fall and suffer, get back up, dust yourself of and be more excited about learning from the mistakes and doing it again, BETTER, the next time around… Enjoy the ride..
If we had a night time lord mayor and you were voted in, what would you do?
JG: I don’t know off hand but it would be f***ing excellent
Who would you like to thank?
JG: Everybody that has ever shown me the time and effort to support what I have done over the last 25+ years. The people that have kept me inspired and in the game. My friends and family. The up and comers that approach me online fearlessly asking questions and reminding me of where I started. Anybody that has ever appreciated my art and followed it. It’s an honour to play to these people and build friendships from the music we love.
Your Top 5 Tracks of all time.
In no particular order:
Les Djinns- Trentemoller
Voodoo Ray – A Guy Called Gerald
Give Me One Reason – Tracy Chapman
Handle with Care – Travelling Wilburys
You Get Me Hot – Jimmy Bo Horne
INXS, U2, Frankie Knuckles, Queen, MAW, The Clash, Talking Heads, the Pharcyde, Tribe called Quest, Guru, KRS1, Defwish Cast, etc etc etc….i could go on and on. God. I don’t know, how long’s a piece of string lol?
We are eternally grateful that John is back into the environment where he can excel once again. Australia and the world are all the better for it 😊