Dance producer and DJ Blake.08 has officially released his debut studio album, entitled From Sydney With Love. The ten-track effort is out today (August 22nd) via Anjunadeep, and sports collaborations with other members of the Australian dance music community such as Seduna, Nathan Ball and Claxy. One such collaborator is upcoming producer Soschi, who worked with Blake on ‘Restless’, which closes out From Sydney WIth Love. To celebrate the release, the two artists spoke with one another exclusively for Music Feeds, delving into their process and love of beats.
Blake.08 – From Sydney With Love
Blake.08: What do you think about the Sydney nightlife scene? How did it impact you as a person growing up through 18 to now?
Soschi: I started my nightlife/music journey working as a promoter in Kings Cross the week I turned 18, at a club called SoHo. I remember getting paid $3 per person that I’d get into the club. Some Friday nights I’d get 150-200 people on my guest list, which was crazy pocket money for a fresh 18-year-old kid. I was absolutely hooked. I did this for a little over a year before moving to another iconic Sydney venue, The World Bar, sometime in 2015 (shortly after lockout laws were introduced).
Matt Pilkington, who ran the legendary club night Cakes, took me under his wing and taught me the ins and outs of being a promoter and running a club night. We had so many iconic Australian artists perform early into their careers: Dom Dolla, Torren Foot, Anna Lunoe, Odd Mob, Motez. Matt would get in crazy international acts like Breach, Bixel Boys and Taiki Nulight on a random Saturday night.
It was so much fun, but we were fighting an uphill battle with lockout laws. It decimated a lot of the local nightlife over the following years. Venues were closing left and right – clubs, bars, restaurants. Even the local kebab shops and convenience stores were fighting to keep their heads above water. A lot of livelihoods destroyed because of an incredibly out-of-touch, conservative state government.
It was really sad. Fast forward to today, though, and I believe Sydney is rapidly regaining its nightlife personality – especially in the underground scene. There are so many great promoters and events that are hustling to give local artists a platform, and an inclusive space for people to express themselves. One great example is a collective out of Sydney by the name of People’s Party. Post-COVID, they have been an unstoppable force in the Sydney nightlife scene, paving the way for a new era of events from underground raves to multi-day camping festivals. If anyone says Sydney is dead right now, they aren’t looking in the right places.
S: How has your writing process changed and developed over the years?
B: It’s still the same process as I’ve always done. Aside from a few synth changes, I haven’t really changed much. I’d say the best thing about the recent years has been having access to awesome collaborators and singer-songwriters to produce the tracks with. The vocals give songs an entire new element as an instrument. I love working with vocals, and I wish I could sing myself.
I’d also say that the production seat time has been more scheduled and organised. I make sure I’m running off a clear timetable, setting aside time for music production, demo listening, social media, emails, and so forth. It’s fast-paced now, and I love that. I’m ready to put all hands on deck now with this album. It’d be stupid not to; this has been the dream all along. 15 years in the making.
B: How did you get into writing music? What resources did you use to learn?
S: I’ve been pretty musical my whole life. I played the drums from the age of about seven for a few years, and then dropped that to teach myself guitar when I was about 13 – which I still play to this day. I first started playing around with music production when I was about 15. By memory, I downloaded a crack of FL Studio, and messed around for a few years making bass house and dubstep. It wasn’t until I was probably 18 that I started learning Ableton, and I’ve been on and off writing bits and pieces ever since. I never actually finished a track or released anything until last year, when I was lucky enough to get to release a song with you on Anjunadeep.
In terms of consistency working on music and learning the craft, I’d say I only have two or so proper years under my belt as an actual producer. I truly do feel like a novice, with a lot more to learn. In terms of resources, almost all of my knowledge is a combination of being self-taught through experimenting and hours and hours of YouTube videos. That, plus many collaboration sessions with you and other homies like Seduna and Chadwick. It’s always fun to learn so many valuable secrets from sessions with your friends.
Blake.08 feat. Soschi – ‘Restless’
S: What does Blake.08 do when he isn’t making music? What are your other hobbies or passions?
B: Boxing, mates, teaching, driving and relaxing. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes processes that are part of the artist game, and I keep busy with that. The touring schedule can get hectic, so it’s good to have as much free time as possible before it all kicks off again. To be honest, I’m introverted in general. I don’t really like to hang out with big crews at big parties and so forth. I’d rather go to the beach, hang out with my brothers, hang out with my cousins, and hang out with my good friends. I’m not the socialite that, that a lot of DJs tend to portray. Over the next few years or months so, I want to race cars again. I wrote off my car a while ago during the COVID era – that was a mess. Ever since then I haven’t had any track time, so I’m keen to get back in the hot seat.
B: Who’s your favourite artist? Do you draw influences from different producers whilst making your own music?
S: It’s hard to pick my favourite artist of all time, but right now my favourite artist is a rapper out of Sydney’s inner-west named Jimmy Nice. I’ve always listened to hip-hop growing up, and Jimmy was a part of Spit Syndicate – who I grew up listening to religiously as a young teen. He’s been releasing his own solo stuff since 2020 and in my opinion is one of the greatest lyricists of all time – up there with legends like AZ, Big L, O.C and Nas. His writing ability is unmatched and his creative direction and execution on things like his music videos is absolutely crazy. He’s so insanely talented and original. He has a new album coming out later this year, which I’m jumping out of my skin for.
In terms of where I draw my influence from and get inspired by, I would definitely say acts like The Prodigy, Aphex Twin, Deadmau5 and Moby. Right now I’m super inspired by Vegyn’s side project Headache, which a friend showed me recently and I’m completely obsessed with.
S: What was it like growing up in Maroubra? Do you have any special memories?
B: Growing up in a friendly beach area was great. I had a very good childhood. We used to skate down at the park and had a little crew, that was fun. I always went to Maroubra Beach with my family and friends. I’ll always love that place. Funnily enough, I was at Maroubra Beach when I decided to take on giving music a shot, after my older brother inspired me. I think I was 14 at the time. I’d look up to my older brothers, who’d attend hardstyle events such as Sublime, and raves around Malabar and La Perouse. It all seemed super cool to me, and whilst producing that’s when I started partying. In hindsight, it was a pretty good idea to shake off all that partying early on in my life!
B: What’s next for you as an artist?
S: Honestly, I just want to keep writing music and continue to use this as my creative outlet. I’m incredibly grateful to already have a track out, and another about to drop on my favourite label Anjunadeep – which is super surreal, as I’ve been a fan since I was a teenager. Hoping to get some of my solo work out in the not too distant future, but I’m not rushing. I’m really taking my time to find and refine my sound, and I’m enjoying the journey along the way.
S: Like some of your previous releases, From Sydney With love has a car theme to it, what’s the story behind this?
B: I grew up drawing cars as a kid. I’ve been obsessed ever since I could remember. I had older brothers that played the Gran Turismo series, had magazines such as Autosalon and DVDs such as High Octane. When I got older, I got into simulator racing and then eventually track driving. I’ve driven circuits around Sydney, written off cars in Sydney, and made music with Sydney. I guess it just seemed fitting when paired up with the aesthetic.
I always like to say that my music is music that you can drive to and music that you can dance to. I like to split my music into two different layers: One side is the groove elements, which put you in a trance, so you can be entranced while driving. The other side is the musical elements, so, the chords and the bass and so forth, and those are the elements that can affect that mood and make you want to drive faster – or make you want to dance.
S: Any favourite memories on tour so far?
B: Anjunadeep Explorations 2024. I was nervous, but pulled off a winner of a set with six guests all comped with me. That was killer – I saw Marsh play drum & bass, and then partied all night with the Anjuna artists and my mates. Playing at the Five Hotel in Dubai was unreal, too. The whole place had this incredible energy, with a unique kind of freedom that comes from travelling the world and soaking in different cultures. They went all out – they even made an edible cake with my picture on it! The hotel rooms were dripping in gold, and the open-air venue was just next-level.
One of my wildest moments was early in my career, playing as part of a duo called Human Movement. We got to support Deadmau5 at the Metro Theatre in Sydney, a venue packed with about a thousand people. Being the main support for someone who inspired me to write music, at such a young age, was unreal. That memory’s one I’ll always hold close.
S: Is there a particular track on the album that feels the most personal to you, and why?
B: The whole album’s super personal to me, but ‘F.A.S.H Attack’ is my favourite. I wrote it during a rough patch; I was feeling manic, not sleeping much, and dealing with some bad habits. My life wasn’t together. That track became my outlet, letting me pour out my emotions in a way that felt real. It’s why I chose it as the album’s opening track; it carries everything I was going through. I love the chord progression – it’s got this spiritual, almost church-like aroma that hits before each drop. The high-pitched lead, floating in and around the drop is so uplifting, giving the track a brilliant, soulful, and spiritual energy. It’s one of my best. Big shout outs to Seduna for killing it on the vocals
S: What was your ultimate goal for how listeners experience From Sydney With Love?
B: My ultimate goal for From Sydney With Love is just to be able to get some recognition from the masses with my music. When I wrote the album, I wanted to portray my skill set. I wanted to show people that I have what it takes to be one of the best electronic music producers that Australia has. It wasn’t really something I wanted to put out to be cool or to make money. I had this true belief that I have what it takes, to write music that people love, and to do this as a career full-time.
From Sydney With Love is just a showcase, essentially, of what I have to offer. It’s meticulously made and produced. It covers all bases. It’s a conglomeration of the thousands of tracks that I’ve written as a debut album, and I already can’t wait for the next one. Shout out to Deborah, my mother, for always believing in this dream.
Blake.08 From Sydney With Love 2025 Tour
- Sunday, August 31st – Chophouse, Falls Creek VIC
- Friday, September 5th – New Guernica, Melbourne VIC
- Saturday, September 13th Sept – Nevermind Alley, Adelaide SA
- Friday, September 19th – Black Bear Lodge, Brisbane QLD
- Saturday, September 20th Sept – Elsewhere, Surfers Paradise QLD
- Sunday, October 5th – Civic Underground, Sydney NSW
Tickets for all shows are on sale now via Blake.08’s Komi.
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