Doorly Interview

To say that Doorly had a killer 2015 is an understatement. The Huddersfield-native has really come into his own with string of releases, especially on Cajual Records and Hot Creations, that has been playlisted across the board by all the major players. With events in London, L.A, Amsterdam, Berlin and Ibiza, his Doorly & Friends night is well on its way to become a global brand, and it’s receiving a reputation for its quality lineups and amazing vibe. Doorly will be heading to Australia for a massive 8 dates which includes a set at the sold out Beyond the Valley festival. We caught up with Doorly for a quick chat about his year…

Hi Doorly, we’re excited to have you return to Australian shores in a couple weeks, where in the world are you now?
Currently in the middle of a “round the world in 60 days tour”. Finishing up the Asian leg right now so I am typing this from Koh Phangan in Thailand where I will be playing the Jungle Experience tomorrow night before heading to you guys for the Australian leg for which I’m also extremely excited!

You’ve recently toured around the U.S – any favourite moments from that tour? Are there any particular spots in the world you haven’t played, but still aspire to?
I’m based in L.A but I had spent 5 months away in Ibiza so my homecoming L.A shows were my favourite moments, and just being home in general. But the whole American run was really great, again because I had been away so long.

You’re originally from Huddersfield in the UK but have spent a significant amount of time being based in both London and L.A. Do you find where you are in the world influences the music you produce?
100% L.A! I moved there from London because I was feeling incredibly uninspired by that city and British people in general who can be very bitter and negative overall when it comes to music. Instantly after setting up my studio in L.A my sound took on a new dimension and I totally found my groove again. When I’m there I feel like I’m on holiday and all of my best friends are there and everyone is happy and positive so it’s a great place to write music in the sunshine.

You play across four CDJs, plus samplers and FX units; a lot going on when you perform on stage! This is an art that has become increasingly rare in the electronic world – has this type of live set always been an important aspect of performing for you?
Absolutely, I started as a DJ and became a producer 12 years later so the performance on the night for me has always remained a real priority. I want my sets to be as much of a fully engrossing live performance as possible, otherwise I feel like I am short-changing my fans. Also for the last 12 months I’ve been producing more and more cinematic music which is aimed again at my live performance to add more drama and epic moments.

Your sets seem to never be constrained to the boundaries of one given genre and incorporate everything from house to hip hop. Is this a process that happens naturally for you when you’re on stage? Should Australian audiences expect the unexpected this December?
Yeah for sure, although I’ve certainly reigned it in a lot over the last few years as my sound has developed as a producer, so in my sets these days I tend to float more between disco through house and into techno. Genres like hip hop I save for more special occasions as I still love to put my vinyl turntable skills to use with a good old golden era hip hop set when the time is right and the crowd will go there with me.

Your career reached new heights after Pete Tong played at one of your infamous Afterparty events and invited you to do an Essential Mix. More recently you’ve created quite a strong relationship with the legendary Green Velvet – collaborating on the track “Money” together. I imagine these were quite huge moments for you? What was another notable milestone for you?
Yeah for sure, both of those moments were career defining, and especially meeting Green velvet who has become a mentor to me. I release most of my music through his label (Cajual) now with him advising me start to finish on tracks which is great. Releasing my first record on Hot Creations this summer was a big deal for me as I’m long time fan of the label – it was really nice to be officially welcomed into that family.

You are quite the Ibiza veteran now, having recently completed your 8th season on the white isle. Any tips for people planning to head there for the first time next year? Where do you like to relax when you’re not playing, any favourite restaurants / areas of the islands?
It was actually my 10th season this summer! My tip to anyone going for the first time is to get on the Ibiza spotlight website which has the most up to date party calendar and plan your time there picking a few key parties you want to go to, but also making sure you take some time away from the clubs to experience what an amazing island it is. And especially I would recommend taking the ferry to Formentera for the day which has literally the best beaches in the world.

As an event-organiser, DJ, producer and radio presenter, you have had success in so many areas of the industry. With such a multi-faceted career, what ambitions do you have for 2016?
More of the same, I feel like my music has really gained some great traction this last 12 months and everything I make is being supported by all of my heroes which is something I’ve always dreamed of. My Doorly & Friends parties are something that I will be focusing heavily on in 2016. We already have residencies in London, L.A, Amsterdam, Berlin and Ibiza, and I will be aiming to expand this globally; it’s really nice to be able to bring my friends and heroes around with me everywhere on tour to hand selected clubs in my favourite cities – those parties are always the best ones!

You’ve been to Australia a couple times now – this time will see quite a busy two weeks for you playing in multiple cities including Beyond the Valley festival in Victoria for New Years. Do you have any new years resolutions?
I love an after party and am generally the last man standing, but I need to start knowing when to just go home and sleep! There usually comes a point at a crack on after a gig where nothing new or great is going to happen, and that is the point that from now on I am going to knock it on the head and go and get some sleep and try to maximize my productivity. I spend so much time on the road that I really need to start using those potential few hours here and there more wisely. We’ll see how that goes though! Also, just to be healthier in general, when I’m home in L.A I actually have a nutritionist now so that I can get back into shape and lose all the weight and stuff I put on out on whilst on tour – but from now on I’m making a huge effort to make healthier choices when on the road as well so it’s not so hard every time I get home.

Is there anything that you’d like to do in Aus this time round that you didn’t get the chance to last time?
I never got a chance to surf last time I was there which I normally do when in Oz so will be making sure I get out there a few days this time around.

Doorly Australia Tour Dates

Friday 18th December: Brown Alley, Melbourne
Saturday 19th December: Coco Lounge, Brisbane
Sunday 20th December: Nautic Giants, Gold Coast (day)
Sunday 20th December: Elsewhere, Gold Coast (night)
Saturday 26th December: Chinese Laundry, Sydney
Sunday 27th December: Courtyard, Perth
Wednesday 30th December: Beyond the Valley, Victoria
Thursday 31st December: The Grand Hotel, Melbourne for Deja Vu