New Brew: Monarch Interview

New Brew is our new column interviewing some of the finest up-and-coming electronic talent that our country has to offer. We find out about what makes each artist special, what’s in store for them and what tracks they can’t go without!

Words: Iman Athira

You may have spotted Sydney based Monarch aka Dean Elliot getting down on a dancefloor or two, donning his signature butterfly wings that have traveled with him to festivals far and wide. Though he is no stranger to the Australian music scene, 2017 marks the year that he switches roles from punter, into producer.

With his keen ear for sound, there’s no doubt that he will soon be taking Australia by storm.

Autosea managed to catch up with this babe to ask him a few questions.

Autosea: Hey Dean! Thanks for chatting with us. Can you tell us a little about your alias, Monarch?

My pleasure, thanks for having me. Monarch as a production name has only come about recently in the last month or two, but the idea of Monarch and the Butterfly has been apart of me for well over 2 years now. I began wearing these cheap butterfly wings to concerts and festivals so that I could be easily spotted by friends. This grew into a sort of reputation thing within the party scene for a short while, and that was a bit of fun.

I don’t wear them as often as I used to, although the Monarch butterfly has and still does have a major impact on my way of living. It symbolizes the importance of accepting change, not knowing where it will lead you but having faith that it will be beautiful in the end.

Autosea: What motivated you to try your luck in the DJ/Producing scene?

Music has been apart of my life since I was a 10-year-old playing guitar and piano, though it was when I found electronic music that I fell in love. I used to promote and help manage a nightclub in Kings Cross, Sydney for about 3 and a half years booking and being around many producers and DJs, so much so it got to the point I was sick of booking others and was ready for my own time to make my mark.

I started producing 5 years ago and have been really patient with releasing any music while I learnt and refined as much as I can. I’m always learning and getting better but the time is now!

Autosea: So congratulations on producing your first track, Whispers of Innocence! It’s got a melancholic, dreamy vibe to it. Should we be expecting more productions in the future?

Ahh thank you! Yeah, this track still makes me daydream when I listen to it, and I definitely want anybody listening to go on a little journey.

I love techno, particularly how it makes you feel and think! I’m constantly producing different tracks from all different genres, but I have an almost completed track with the same style as “Whispers of Innocence.” I’m really enjoying these types of productions that have the potential to tell stories. I love a hard banging, ominous techno track but the immersive/journey techno gets me right in the feels. Tracks will come out soon I’m sure, the hardest thing though being unsigned, is how to go about releasing and getting recognized.

Autosea: From chill house-y vibes, to more doof-y summer deep house, to harder techno, you seem to cover all bases. How would you describe your sound?

When I play out, my sound is definitely a combination of all of those. All those genres are immensely fun to play and I believe in the importance of working to a crowd and working with a party to achieve the best night for the concert/club attendee.

From a production point of view, my sound would be bass/immersive/journey techno and I feel until people are paying the big bucks to see my own personal style, I can play different set times and different genres. It’s a whole lot more enjoyable to play different sets. Although the genres can be quite different, the particular songs I have from each work really well together.

Autosea: If you were the last person left on Earth left with a CD that only contained five songs on it, what would those five songs be?

If I was the last person I’d be getting loopy! My CD would have to be songs that make me smile:

Red Axes – Sabor