We are in the presence of greatness. Renowned Sydney-head and veteran to the scene, Barney (Kato) has been working the doofs, dancefloors and warehouse parties of Eora and beyond for as long as I can remember (Actually since Y2K)
In a city that makes it increasingly difficult to keep the scene alive he’s remained unwavering and loyal to the cause, throwing iconic warehouse soirees with parties like Alien, Doe Dee label parties and Breakbeat Chaos, was co-host to Thursday Sunset on fbi for years alongside another sydney icon, Ben Fester, and has always shown up to support new and emerging artists and djs learning the craft.
First and foremost thank you so much for taking the time to put this mix together, can you tell us a little bit about the energy behind this mix, is there anything you would prescribe doing while listening?
Thanks for having me, I like to keep little piles of records organised together based around themes and feelings when I’m thinking about the different mixes I’m doing then I usually listen to mixes in the series to get an idea of where the series intersects with my style and go from there, I always have a few signpost / memorable / for the beginning, middle and end as the main moments of the story and then I flesh it out with deeper trippier stuff to glue it together.
This epic mix you’ve put together is an all vinyl journey of some gems you’ve dusted off from your no doubt TREMENDOUS record collection. How many records do you think you’ve accumulated now? And what was your first and what was your last?
I don’t keep an accurate count but I’d say at least 5000 or so, I'm at the point now where I have to rent a separate office/studio space for all the extra records and other sci-fi paraphernalia I collect.
I think one of the first Dj records would be either Chemical Brothers or something from mo’wax like Dj shadow - probably all bought in the one shopping trip. The last is a digital promo from my fave new producer Skesa called Float Stop and I'll five tracks on it KNOCK. Can't wait to plat them at Tresor Globus this friday ;)
Also when I get to a record store the next record I hope to buy is the new Animalia release from Naarm producer Al Dente, it's fire !!!
Are there any records or tracks in the mix that deserve a special mention?
I like to feel as if I'm piloting a spacecraft while I'm djing and so a track like Punding System by early 2000s Uk techno innovator Tim Wright (around 25 to 30 mins) Might be the start of a rocky ride through an asteroid field or a minor intergalactic skirmish Might be the start of a rocky ride through an asteroid field or a minor intergalactic skirmish.
There are a couple of really old psy trance tracks towards the end I like to listen to music outside of my regular sphere to find bit's and pieces I can glue into my sets - Mumbo Jumbo – Pyro Gyro has a few extra breakbeats that pique my interest more than most Psy tracks without too many corny samples or common basslines
The last track Coldcut - Timber Quant's Shaggy Dog Story (remix) is a perennial favourite (and may have ended another recorded mix of mine) a like it at the end of a set as it feel like it floats you off into oblivion (sadly ironic as it's made up from samples of the destruction of the Amazon rainforest)
“I try to save it for moments I’m particularly impressed by not just any big tune and also enjoying the rave always takes precedent over holding it up so it’s a rarer commodity if you see me holding it up now I’m really feeling it.”
What are some of your favourite collectives/producers and venues in Sydney currently that we should be visiting / listening to in your opinion?
I really like alot of the younger collectives energy - Prowl, Safari Park, Decay, Translate, Burnia, Headnoize, Pharmacuetical audio, Palace and Shed all seem to be doing mad stuff and new festivals like Minutiae, Skydance, Mode, Realm Riparia, Outsider and the classic Subsonic are also fighting the good fight against the opressive anti festival legislation and rhetoric in NSW.
Club wise 77 has just started a 22 hour party running from Sunday 6am to Monday 4am which is something new and exciting for Sydney, Chinese Laundry is also back with some impressive lineups and Mothership and Kalyx are cool community run spaces a little outside of the city.
Does the TUNE scarf still exist and what constitutes for said TUNE scarf to be raised?
Yeah it's still around most of the time, I have a lot of personal rules about it now haha, For instance I won't hold it up for myself when I'm playing but I will for a b2b partner. I try to save it for moments I'm particularly impressed by not just any big tune and also enjoying the rave always takes precedent over holding it up so it's a rarer commodity if you see me holding it up now I'm really feeling it.
How did Barney in the Tunnel come into existence and are there anymore releases on the horizon?
My friend Ash (Tunnel Signs) and I started making music together and a year before we met I took too much acid at a party in a tunnel and was unable to DJ so the name is a slightly dark reminder to me to keep move forward and not get stuck in a tunnel. We do have some release planned for later in the year and I've actually done some vocals on one so that's a new "move forward" for us and we're playing our first gig in a long while at Subsonic in November with a few more to come around it.
Last and not least, what’s next for Kato?
As I mentioned before my first European gig in awhile is this friday at Tresor Globus with Luca Lozano and Mr Ho and then heading back to Australia for a fun festival season featuring Skydance, Eudaimonia and Subsonic.
Non music wise I'd like to blame Magic the Gathering for why I don't get more other stuff done haha