Sixfour Unleashes Spooky Melbourne On The Northwest (Exclusive Interview)

Northwest producer/DJ Sixfour, also known as Derek Lombardo, recently released a few tracks the man himself describes as ‘spooky Melbourne’ and ‘drum and bounce’. Originally producing and mixing drum and bass, the foray into the booming sound of bouncy Melbourne house from Sixfour is an interesting shift in style. Combining the speed and energy of drum and bass with the irresistible bounce brought to the broader dance music scene by Will Sparks, Joel Fletcher, and more, Sixfour is showcasing the darker side of Melbourne house.

I intended it to be interesting to listen to on all mediums. It doesn’t have a busy breakdown or anything as fantastic as you’d find in most of today’s music. I love building atmospheres, so I would describe it as a darker and more atmosphere-based twist on standard melbourne-house, which sounds pretty damn chipper most of the time.

https://soundcloud.com/sixfour/sixfour-transcendence

Of the recent releases, two are reworks of other artist’s and one is an original tune from the Richland, Wash. native. The original track, Transcendence, is a perfect introduction into what exactly ‘spooky Melbourne’ is. A 90-second build up with all of the signature Sixfour we’re used to opens up to an oddly serious and subdued bouncy drop. Less like the bounce from What’s Up Suckaz (via TJR) and Ah Yeah! (via Will Sparks) and more like something Tim Burton would use for a film, the sound of ‘drum and bounce’ is a welcome addition to the mixing and mashing of sub-genres in dance music today.

I’m still trying to find a sound and I think I’ve come a long way with the Melbourne stuff. But overall I just focus on a good clean mix and intensity with the sounds.

In addition to Transcendence, there are a couple of tracks that Sixfour introduced his new sound to. The most recent release is a bootleg of Neville Bartos and Chris Lorenzo’s Coke Diet. The other is a remix of SCNDL’s Melbourne banger The Munsta. In both cases Sixfour does a great job of intertwining the sounds and style of the original track with his distinct blend of drum and bounce. Be on the lookout for more new tunes from Sixfour soon, including a remix of dubstep-great Skrillex.

https://soundcloud.com/sixfour/neville-bartos-cole-lorenzo

The release of original content follows a busy school-year for the Communications major at Washington State University. While going to school, Sixfour opened for Adventure Club at a show in Pullman and won a contest for an opening slot at White Winterland in Bellevue last year. He then was featured on all three stops of Felix Cartal’s Northwest tour in April of this year, playing shows in Corvallis, Spokane, and Pullman. If you’ve missed your chances to catch one of the up-and-coming artists in Northwest dance music, don’t fret, as Sixfour will be playing in Seattle soon. He’s opening for Dieselboy at Foundation Nightclub on July 16th.

I’m so excited to be opening for Dieselboy. I’d been trying since Foundation opened more or less to get an opening spot and finally got the nod! Dieselboy’s one of my DJ heroes, so I’m really pumped!

https://soundcloud.com/sixfour/live_at_stubblefields_felix_cartal_nw_our

Let us know what you think of ‘spooky Melbourne’ and ‘drum and bounce’ as well as if you’ll be catching Sixfour with Dieselboy at Foundation later this summer! Comment below, on Facebook, or reply on Twitter!