IN2STELLAR: The ‘Shine A Light On’ Mix

Music

IN2STELLAR is the guise of cosmic fugitives DJ Sarah and Georgia Bird.

Both originally DJs in their own right, the pair’s orbit synced up through their shared love of driving electronic sounds – think progressive house, Goa, electro and 90s trance.

Adopting the name IN2STELLAR – a tip of the hat to Underground Resistance’s seminal ’98 album – the Naarm/Melbourne-based duo have been building their reputation on home soil and across the pond, not only through their sets but also their slick productions which have so far been released on the likes of Pure Space, Sticky Tapes, WAT and Georgia’s own Phenomena imprint.

As another way of sharing the sounds they love whilst building a community around them, the pair launched Neurotiq Erotiq, a party series that elevates up-and-coming DJs with a particular focus on championing women within their local scene and further afield.

Last year saw them come over to the UK and Europe for a string of gigs, and this summer they’re coming back for round two. For those who haven’t been inducted into IN2STELLAR’s sonic solar system just yet, we asked them to contribute to our Shine A Light On series – here’s a taster of what they’re all about…

Ransom Note · IN2STELLAR: The 'Shine A Light On' Mix

Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you and what are you

Hello Ransom Note! We’re Sarah and Georgia. We’re DJs and producers, Georgia runs a label, Sarah hosts radio and together we also run parties in our hometown of Naarm/Melbourne, Australia.

What does your music sound like?

Fast, driving, percussive soundscapes, with elements with inspiration from house, 90s trance, goa, electro and prog.

Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)?

Where was the mix recorded?

Georgia’s living room which often becomes our makeshift studio and office space (sorry to her housemate Alberta who works from home x)

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

The mix is pretty quick and heavy from the get-go. It’s a snapshot into what we’re playing at clubs and festivals at the moment so it would be fun to listen to on the way to the club, or on any kind of drive. We listen to a lot of mixes in the car together. Even in headphones when you’re trying to focus on getting some work done or maybe on a run.

What should we be wearing?

Something practical and good for dancing!!

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?

Live recordings from a festival are the best where you can hear a little bit of the crowd so maybe at one of the many amazing festivals we have out in the Australian bushland. Ideally on some CDJs, (a V10 mixer which is our new obsession after playing on one at Cub 121 in Wellington,NZ) and some turntables that aren’t dusty (impossible in Australia).

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

At this time we’re contractually obligated (just kidding) to say our own track ‘Feels Bad’ which is the first single from our debut EP.

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

Georgia: That’s such a hard question to answer, it depends on what mood I’m in. But my go to mixes are usually by Pjenne if I want to chill or C.Frim if I want to hype up haha.

Sarah: Same here, so hard to pick favourites! Andy Hart’s mix for Louis McCoy’s mix series called FHUO (for home use only) is one I always go back to. It’s nearly 4 hours long and travels through so many genres – it’s honestly a masterclass in the art of DJing and song curation for me.

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

B2Bs get a bit messy with 2 of us already in the mix, but we love them. We just played an accidental B2B dream with Or:la and Spray at our last party and that was a huge vibe – we were all just so present in the moment and have really similar music tastes.

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

Georgia: I started with a little controller and eventually got turntables when I was about 21. I still only have Turntables at my house, and my housemate has xdjs.

Sarah: I sold all of my equipment to fund our tour last year and now spend a lot of time at Georgia’s house where the equipment is. My first set up was 2 x CDJ850s and a Xone:23 mixer. I miss that set up.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

Ending.

What were the first and last records you bought?

Georgia: One of my first physical records I bought was this Swedish Italo Disco record I bought from Skydiver. My last was an album off Domo Records, such a good label.

Sarah: My foray into vinyl collection consisted of me performatively buying hip hop records to impress a guy I liked in high school so probably something on that tip. The last record I bought was a digi bandcamp download of Bailey Ibbs’ most recent EP ‘Not Into It’.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

Definitely something wet and sticky.

If it was an animal what would it be?

Probably a deadly snake.

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

We generally mix one track for one when we play and there are definitely a few unquantized tracks in our libraries that slip each other up when mixing in – but we live for the thrill.

Upcoming in the world of IN2STELLAR

The aforementioned debut IN2STELLAR EP is coming out in April with the first single in March, so we’re really hyped about that. We’re on tour around Australia at the moment too so keeping on our toes and then planning to come to the UK/EU in August for a few months so let’s hang out!

Anything else we need to discuss?

Thank u for having us!