Sauce

DJ Shammie, a.k.a. Shayne Rogers, is a fixture of the Psy Sessions set. With only the future ahead looking bright, Shammie shared with me some of his thoughts on life as a rising star in the psy trance world…

Hey Shayne, tell us a bit about what you’re all about?
Well the direction I’ve taken the last two years has kind of taken me by surprise. All I wanted to be while growing up was a rock star or the best drummer in the world. These days I am listening to a lot of electronic music and really enjoying styles like minimal, electro and progressive and full-on psy trance. Making money from music and becoming famous no longer means as much to me as it used to. I have been involved with a lot of different bands in the past but at the moment I’m giving that a break and concentrating on producing my own electronic sounds and having fun being a DJ!

In regards to the music you play, how would you describe your style and what sets you apart from other DJs?
As for the style I play, I guess it depends on the night. I’ll play a different style early in the night to what I would early in the morning. Also I’ll play a different style outdoors than indoors. I would usually go for either full on melodic psy trance or progressive psy. I’m not so sure what sets me apart from other DJs - maybe the fact that I haven’t strictly limited myself to playing a certain style.

When and how did you come to be involved in Psy Sessions?
Going on two-and-a-half years ago, I discovered psy trance and fell in love with it overnight. I think it was only a matter of time before I was inspired to start mixing the tunes I loved and playing sets. In college I was right into scratching vinyl and playing samples as part of a band but chucked it in once I got fed up with the needle jumping every time the rest of the band would start moshing. But during that time I started to get my head around beat matching. Anyway, the idea came up to do an Infected Mushroom tribute night at the next Psy Sessions event and it was the perfect opportunity for me to push myself to be ready for a gig and, at the time, Infected Mushroom tracks were all I was familiar enough with to play.

What’s the most exciting thing about DJing for the crowd at Psy Sessions?
I really enjoy it the most when everybody is absolutely cranking on the floor and responding to the music the same way I do. Also, seeing smiles on all the familiar faces!

What makes a great set for you as a listener at a Psy Sessions?
A set with a gradual increase in intensity and slightly unpredictable tunes really keeps me on the dance floor; mostly fat and low pitch bass lines.

To what extent have you experienced or wielded the mystique of being a DJ/performer?
Not a lot really. I don’t think there is much of a mystery to what I do. The people who don’t understand it at all probably don’t really care about how it’s being done.

Are you an artist who plays with music or a musician who makes art with sound?
Hmm, both I guess.

Where do you hope your DJing will take you and where have you been already?
I haven’t done much other than Psy Sessions, to be honest, except for a handful of free outdoor parties and a few gigs for “Electrodelic” at various venues. In the future I hope to be invited to play at other festivals and clubs around Australia and the world and start sneaking in more of my own tracks and develop ways of playing live. It would be nice to be a DJ that promotes a label too.

When DJing, what do you hope the audience is getting from you as a performer?
I would like to think that the vibe created on the dance floor would have everything to do with my choice of tracks. Hopefully they notice the creative mixing and enjoy it as much as I do.

If you weren’t a DJ, what else would be keeping you up to all hours of the night?
Writing and producing, listening to other DJs and artists.

DJ Shammie can be heard at Psy Sessions at Halo