Every week, Fade Up sets you up on a hot date with an emerging homegrown artist who Sandro Dallarmi thinks are worth getting to know. Sandro looks kinda funny and has little to no dating experience, but the conversation and soundtrack have already been provided through a quick interview and minimix from the featured artist, so give the guy a chance!

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His city is known for making abrasive, obnoxious club music, but Sweetland knows that there’s more to Melbourne’s sound if you dig a little deeper. True to his ethos, the young producer ventures on the deeper side of house. However unlike so much music that places itself under that banner, Sweetland’s tunes do everything but wash over you. Subtle tweaks and flourishes reveal themselves around each corner that his music takes, strengthening the night’s hold on you as you thirst for the next surprise.

Meet Sweetland

Sandro :: So, house music in Melbourne. How’s it faring in comparison to the oft-scorned but undeniably popular ‘Melbourne Sound’?

Sweetland :: It’s pretty rough down here to say the least, as the majority of the clubs in Melbourne (most popular nights included) all play the Melbourne sound. The whole viral trend that is ‘bangers’ came so quickly, which in turn opened the floodgates for many local and new producers to get gigs and tracks on labels. I think that sound will progress any further as a genre as there is little space for it to evolve beyond where it is now.

I find it annoying that some of the most well-known sounds to come from Melbourne are ‘bangers’. I want to try and do my part to bring out a new house culture in Melbourne so that in the future we’re known and respected for something better than what we have now.

You’ve got a track, ‘Fly Low’, that sample Flying Lotus (aka FlyLo, ha – clever!). Is it safe to assume that house music hasn’t always been your number one passion?

Nice pick-up! ‘Fly Low’ was my tribute track to Flying Lotus. Yeah, before getting into house music I listened to a lot of rock stuff before being introduced to Daft Punk’s Alive 2007 which changed everything for me. After that I was hooked on house and electronic music.

I like to listen to a lot of different stuff these days including Flying Lotus and Odd Future. There are all these producers creating cool experimental music doing what they enjoy, not follow any rules and make some truly awesome stuff. Though I will always hold house music closest to my heart.

If you could DJ a party in any space with money as no object, what sort of night would you create?

I’ve always thought playing in a huge Cathedral would be crazy. I’m not religious or anything but I think it would be the perfect setting for a memorable night, with the help from a few lights, screens and a big sound system.  It would be fitting to have Justice play a set at this party (they’re my favourite producers) so I’d ship them down.

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Every Saturday night at 1am, Sandro Dallarmi airs a new Fade Up mixtape on FBi’s newest dance music show, The Mixing Bowl. To keep looped with all things dance music and hear Fade Up mixes before they go online, have a gander at the show’s Facebook page.

For now though, listen to Sweetland’s Fade Up mixtape below.

Tracklist:

Flying Lotus – ‘See Thru To U (Cosmo’s Midnight Mix)’

Sweetland – ‘Feel It’

Machinedrum – ‘DDD’

Sweetland – ‘Fly Low’

Sweetland – ‘Nothing To Lose’

KiNK – ‘Kiss The Sky’

Sweetland | The Mixing Bowl | Fade Up