Canberra has always had a strong dance music scene and local  girl, Tori Mac is busy adding her sound to the mix, hotting up our  dancefloors and blasting her way to success over the airwaves.

Tough, glamorous, sexy and talented — proud Canberran Tori Mac is well-known around the local clubbing scene and is set to become one of Australia’s favourite electro/house DJ artists.

In between running her own radio show, playing DJ sets, producing her own music and winning DJ competitions, Tori took time out to chat with FUSE Editor Alex Thatcher about music, inspiration, and what it’s really like to be a female DJ.

Have you always been involved with music?

Absolutely! Ever since kindie when I used to scream in music class until the teacher gave me the drum to beat! My first paying job in music was when I was fairly young, producing a commercial radio breakfast show here in Canberra. I loved using the digital mutli-track recorder.

That’s when I also started to make music in my spare time using my newly found production skills. Music is in my blood. I have tried to let it go so many times but I keep turning back to it. I hear music in different ways to other people. I almost hear it three dimensionally! I hear all the different instruments and sounds all at one time yet so individually.

What first drew your attention to being a DJ?

A club owner asked me on my thoughts of building a Friday night at his club. Before I knew it not only was I helping work on ideas, I was also spinning the tunes. The most hilarious thing was that it was retro. If I hear ‘Mickey’ or ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ one more time... ARGGHHH!

So what are your influences, how would you describe your sound?

In terms of modern music, my idols are Melbourne electro group Vandalism. They absolutely rock my world with compelling and infectious electro sounds coupled with their driving beats. Other modern day chick rockers I love include Princess Superstar and most of all Gwen Stefani — a real inspiration both through her image creation and her incredible music talent.  I also love listening to 70s stuff — Fleetwood Mac are in my top 10 all-time favorite acts and Stevie Nicks, yeowwww!

In terms of my sound, I don’t try to be like anyone else. I just let my passion for music shine through. I love songs that make the listener feel good as well as tracks that support the gay and lesbian community through the lyrics.

What images and emotions do you want your music to invoke in the listener?

After having a tongue-in-cheek go at the celebrity culture through my tracks including ‘Famous’, my attention has now turned to remixing songs of the 70s and 80s that had soul and substance. I am currently working on a track that headlines a movie from 1980. The film will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year and by remixing this track I hope that I can deliver a powerful emotional experience to a new generation of listeners and club-goers, similar to the impact felt by its original audience.

There is so much anger and hate in many genres of music right now, I want to steer clear of all that. There is still a lot of good in the world that should be celebrated through music and dance.

What are your thoughts on the emotional connection you share with your audience as a DJ?

Playing music is like a journey, sometimes you’re not too sure where that journey is going because it changes depending on the people that are getting on board for the ride. In my sets, I try to include something for everyone. However, I am very conscious that the music I am playing is not for me but for the good people that have paid good money to come and hear it. Therefore, in my shows I endeavor to deliver a powerful and positive experience.

You also have an amazingly popular radio show, tell us a bit about that?

I love Girl Thing… it’s my baby and the support that RAW FM has showed me and the gay and lesbian community is outstanding and should be applauded. The whole concept was outrageous, here was this up and coming DJ going to the owners of a mainstream narrowcast dance radio station saying, ‘Have you ever thought about a dance music show that specifically reaches a lesbian audience?’ To this day I still take my hat off to Angy, the owner of RAW FM, who gave me that one opportunity to help our community to shine.

In its second season, Girl Thing is still going strong — now attracting great interviewees and great reviews from its audience. The main driver behind the show was that I had a ‘Girl Thing’ night at Cube, but the ladies had to wait every six weeks to experience that, so what if I could give them a small taste on the radio twice a week? That’s how Girl Thing came about (Wednesday and Sunday from 7:00pm on 87.6 RAW FM).

Would you say your music choices are swayed towards the women?

I play what the ladies like to hear: Beyonce, Pink, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Britney — they are always crowd pleasers. Great music from great artists, how could you go wrong?

Do you think men and women respond differently to music?

Absolutely! In my opinion men like it a bit more dirty and grungy, whereas women respond better to tracks that are based on house and have words that they may have heard before. Ladies know how to party and they are more attuned to dancing with each other and having a good time, whereas the boys kinda like to dance in their own space. So often the challenge is playing music that will integrate the audience.

Do you think female and male DJs are equal in your field of work?

Quite simply, chicks have the potential to make better DJs every time. Sorry boys! It’s a proven fact that women can do more than two things at once and to be a great DJ you need to be thinking and doing about ten things at once! Whether it be having three tracks playing over  the top of each other all beat perfect and mixed to perfection; through to performing, dancing and talking  to the audience whilst all the aforementioned is going  on — the ladies do it better!

In general terms of equality, in my opinion, no, women are not equal. I think globally in DJ-land it’s a big boys club and chicks spinning music is seen as a nice novelty. This is more evident in straight clubs. While things are getting much better and Australia has some wonderful female DJ talent; I would currently estimate the overall DJ populous to be 75 per cent men and 25 per cent women. Females don’t as easily get that first go and they often get disheartened and give up. Any lady that is passionate about her music and wants to play — hit me up and I’ll do my best to make that first gig happen for you!

Visit Australia’s electro pop princess online at www.torimac.com

Visit Tori on Facebook.