D. Tyrone
MESS Artist, New Waveforms – March 2025
D. Tyrone is a Naarm-based, queer music producer and DJ.
Previously based in Tāmaki Makaurau, their compositions and DJ sets are highly influenced by dub, jungle, and deep house records that shaped the music scenes of the early 2000s.
For their set at Brunswick Music Festival, D. Tyrone will be re-contextualising recordings produced in 2023 as part of MESS’ Professional Development Course.
How did you first get involved with synths and electronic sound?
When I was living in Aotearoa in 2013 my friends and I started a music and arts collective called Kerosene Comic Book. Everyone was so effortlessly sick at producing music and art in their own unique way, that was super humbling and formative for me. We all mixed on Virtual DJ or Ableton since we were all broke and didn’t have access to CDJs or turntables, which was honestly awesome because it kept things DIY and raw. Most of the artwork and merch was made after hours when I’d break into the local art school and print on shirts I’d pinch from op-shops or local markets.
Around then I had a bit of fun making some super awful music on Fruity Loops, and after a couple of years I decided to level up and buy an Octotrack and made a bunch of dance music with my friend Oli as DJ Kush Boogie for a couple of years. That was my first foray into synths, and I only moved to being confident as a solo synth musician around 2017. I picked up everything I know now from leaning on my muso friends and asking heaps of questions to wrap my head around it all.
How would you describe the sounds you make today?
The past year I have been leaning into making dub techno and darker bits, trying to relax on my song structures, and leaning into more droney loops. I’ve been trying to take more of a minimalist approach with my tracks, keeping the master to 6 stems or less to ensure each synth line has room to breathe.
Where do you find inspiration, what motivates you?
I’m most inspired by my trans and queer friends who push the boundaries around the local creative scene. Seeing my friends push boundaries in DJ’ing and production locally is far more important than anything an international artist could give me. I love and respect the homies who have a voice tied to their craft, that is a huge motivation for me.
Also, I just got a puppy and I am determined to teach him to love dubstep. And also to train him to stop waking up so early, that’s a huge motivation at the moment.
What’s been one of the most rewarding or satisfying moments of your journey so far?
Most rewarding has got to be finding my feet in recent years and getting over nerves when releasing solo shit. It’s a common struggle but I still work through it all the time and it feels so rewarding when I push through that anxiety. Also playing gigs where my family has been around always makes me cry, that’s always a joy.
And the most challenging?
Ironically overcoming nerves around releasing music is also my most challenging. Double double.
Do you have a current ‘go to’ set up at MESS? Any favourite machines or combos that you’re currently digging?
I have rinsed the SH-101 and plug it in every time I come in, the 504 space echo is also a big fave too. Mixing them up together is so sick, you get all these dubby sludgey tones that have a beautiful choral, vintage tone.
Are there any machines in the MESS collection you’ve had your eye on but haven’t tried yet?
New-machine-wise that’s hard to say, but I have decided that this is the year I finally get over my DSI Tempest anxiety and tame the beast. It’s such a beautiful machine and I am super down to feel confident on it and put in the hard work.
If you could give yourself one piece of advice when you first started what would it be?
D. Tyrone performs at New Waveforms, Brunswick Music Festival
Date: Wednesday, March 5th, 2025
Time: 7pm-9pm
Venue: Brunswick Mechanics Institute
