ARIA DJ Of The Week: Xan Müller

Meet the Sydney-based DJ, producer and label founder.

It’s 2018 and Xan Müller is collecting sound samples in the controversial WestConnex tunnel as part of his next project. But the story doesn’t start here.

Xan is a Sydney-based DJ, producer and founder of underground label Surveillance Party, with techno, electro and tech house releases across labels Micropope (Melbourne), Enchant Audio (Berlin) and now Ministry Of Sound. A musician with a penchant for the eclectic, Xan has been known to grace the stage and studio with any number of genre explorations, from rave to breaks to dnb, in addition to the house/techno spectrum.

Since the early 2000s, Xan has been producing music and refining his sound. As one half of electro duo Kid Kay Ferris, he blitzed his way around Brisbane's club & warehouse scene. The duo’s music made such an impact that it drew attention from Australian DJ Kid Kenobi and earned them a coveted spot on Ministry of Sound’s Clubber’s Guide to 2004.

Xan later moved to Sydney and ‘locked himself’ in the studio—an abandoned radio station in downtown Sydney where he honed his craft for over a decade. His goal was to become an amazing producer and find a sound that would fit melodic influences while still packing a punch. A goal that he can safely tick off his bucket list. His hard work and hours spent in the studio turned into a coming-of-age career moment when he was offered the opportunity to remix Australian dance music legend Paul Mac’s 'Anechoic (Everybody’s Singing)'.

Xan now has a unique sound thanks to his mastery of analogue synths and drum machines. He now hosts his own warehouse parties and produces tracks using traditional sequencing and sound design methods that pay homage to the heritage of dance music. When he’s not doing that, he’s composing tracks for film and TV, and creating electronic elements for indie bands.

Xan recently enjoyed one of his biggest career moments when he got the chance to remix 'Salt 2.0' by Mark Dynamix, Namito (Berlin) and JimiJ. The track was picked up by Ministry Of Sound for the relaunch of their infamous Sessions series.

Finding his sound has seen Xan’s career continue to flourish. And it’s also how he found himself in the WestConnex tunnel.

His latest, yet-to-be-released piece is an inspired two-track EP entitled Disconnex. Track one is an ambient piece featuring eerie sounds that give a gentle nod towards the second track. Track two is a trippy and sparse breaks track which cleverly uses samples of politicians talking about the WestConnex project, their voices robotically warped until unrecognizable.

Xan's Top 10 tracks this week: