Intergalactic Gary is a true legend in the scene. We had the honour to hear him play a b2b with with Pasiphae at our festival in 2019. As a walking music encyclopedia we were very excited to reach out and talk about his picks and his career. Lose yourself in a mix of electronic sounds you probably haven’t heard before.

You have been DJ-ing for upwards of 30 years now, can you name one thing about the scene that has changed for the better, and one thing that has become worse over the years?

Being able to play gigs as a DJ has become more accessible these days,  compared to let’s say the 90’s, early 00’s, when clubs would have resident DJ’s who would play at the same club every weekend.

Or party organisers would book the same (well known) DJ’s every time, just because they were well known in order to sell enough tickets, making it difficult for newcomers to get booked/break through.

Being able to share your mixes/sets/shows etc. online has helped a lot in order to share your content with a worldwide audience, but on the other hand there’s also so much of everything out there online these days, that has made it more difficult to reach an audience, especially as an upcoming artist. Social media seems to be important,  as a tool these days, which quite often makes it feel it’s more about social media skills/presence, than your actual content.  

The way we consume music has changed a lot. Everything’s on YouTube, people find music with Shazam, and you can do a world tour with one usb-stick. Has it become more difficult to play something people haven’t heard before?

The fact that you can find so much music through YouTube, Shazam etc. these days is a good thing, I think.  Being out there for people to consume/discover, but also, there’s still so much music to be discovered, whether it’s something that has come out two decades ago or a more recent release.   

Are there any upcoming DJ’s that have caught your eye the last few years? Who has surprised you recently?

Of the younger generation of DJ’s there’s only a few I’ve experienced playing full sets. But two artists who I enjoy are Mad Miran and Identified Patient. Both have a solid track selection and are able to keep the energy high in their sets.

Could you describe your perfect gig to us, is it in a club or at a festival? What time is your slot? How many people are there? Lots of smoke? A tiny room?

A perfect gig is more likely to happen in a club that isn’t too big i guess, since it feels more intimate which makes it easier to connect with the crowd. Lots of smoke can really add to the atmosphere, as well as dimmer lighting. It could also take place during day time at a festival on a big stage, or at a cosy club late at night/early morning hours, there is no written rule about that. As far as slots are concerned, peak time or closing slots are more likely to be part of a perfect gig, even though an opening slot can also be refreshing, especially if you get to play like a long opening set and get to initiate the intention for the rest of the night.

So tell us about your secret weapon.

Even though I haven’t had the opportunity to play this track out in front of a crowd, due to the circumstances we’re still in at this moment, i’d have to choose this one as my secret weapon. It has a nice build up and quite a euphoric feel to it on top of the drive. When the arpeggio bassline comes in at the 2 minute mark it really takes off. Perfect as an encore or to boost things up. 

Check out Intergalactic Gary’s full playlist out here.