2024 Victorian DMC Champion- DJ Decktektive
The 2024 Australian DMC Championships has kicked off in record spinning style at The Gaso in Melbourne last Friday, turning out what was dubbed an amazing crowd, good vibes and some of the best DJ’s Victoria has to offer. Taking out the number one place and first to enter the finals soon to be hosted in the home state, DJ Decktektive (aka Stefan Cusack) turned the volume up and out landing him the coveted spot over his peers.
Music Festivals Australia caught up the 2024 Victorian DMC winner to unspin the record that is DJ Decktektive.
Can you share some insights into what inspired you to pursue a career in music?
I have always been a collector of music all my life and I love Hip Hop culture. DJing/Turntablism was the element that I naturally gravitated towards because I am passionate about playing music and dedicating my time to a craft.
How did you get into turntables and mixing and who were your influences?
After hearing Q-Bert on ‘Dr Octagonecologyst’ that inspired me to want to start scratching and also seeing J-Red do his Super Mario routine at Word War 3 in the early 2000’s blew my mind. From then onwards, I knew that DJing/Turntablism was something that I needed to be a part of.
In your opinion, what do you believe set you apart from other contestants in your field?
On top of flexing my skills on the night, I believe my use of Phase will allow me to stand out on the night with one of the tricks that I do, and also a lot of crowd engagement and secret weapon that I have locked in the chamber.
What has been your biggest lesson in your music career and how has this shaped the artist you are today?
I have learnt to focus on things that I am passionate about, rather than just doing things for money. A lot of the time, if things don’t feel right or don’t align with your values, its hard to accept/feel good about it in the future. By being choosy with the opportunities that I take, it has allowed me to continue to be extremely passionate about the art of DJing and turntablism, Rather than doing things just to follow where the money is. I have complete respect for people that do that in order to have a career in music, but I know I am also a very passionate school teacher and not having to rely on DJing has always made it feel fresh and exciting to me. Success is in the eye of the beholder and everyone has their own motivations for having a career in music. Having integrity whilst maintaining an honest career is something that I am proud of and has helped build a good reputation.
Besides becoming State DMC Champion in 2024, what are some of your career highlights so far?
Some of the career highlights so far have involved being able to spin at many events for artists that I have followed for many years and have listened to their music. Alongside numerous emcees, being able to open for O.C. (From DITC), Onyx, Brad Strut, The Beatnuts, Cormega, Black Josh and many others have been some career highlights so far. Also by using my connections that I have developed over the years as a DJ, they allowed me to run a successful Hip Hop podcast named ‘Collector’s Testimony’ for a period of 2 years, in which I was fortunate to interview many many acts that I have the highest respect for.
I am also extremely proud for having worked alongside my right hand man DJ Daily to run the Hip Hop event ‘Can I Kick It’ In Melbourne for 5 years. We held down the biggest Hip Hop open mic/event on a weekly basis at numerous locations around Melbourne. It was truely a great time to be alive and I met so many amazing people in the process which in turn resulted in so many exciting opportunities.
I am also thankful to have been apart of numerous records and having my cuts released on vinyl, there is something very special about listening to your own work on a turntable that you used to record on.
What will winning the Australian DMC Championship and the opportunity to represent Australia at the World Championship in Paris later this year mean to you?
It would be an amazing opportunity to represent Australia in something that is extremely close to my heart. Being able to share the stage alongside so many other champions from around the world would be a dream come true. Competing alongside the best of the DJs from around the world would be incredible. Also being able to travel to the other side of the world as a result of DJing would be something that I have wanted to do for so long and have observed many past champions doing that has inspired me to take part in the DMCs myself.
Who in your crew would you like to shout out?
I would like to shout out DJ Daily, who as already mentioned is my right hand man, Sir Chux, anyone involved with ‘Can I Kick It’ over the years, and all of the BreaknBread crew.
What is your advice for up-and-coming artists following in your footsteps
To not turn your back on opportunities because they are uncomfortable, but to take a leap of faith and see where things lead you. You never know what things they may unlock and what it can lead to.
Also find a job/career that allows you to use DJing/Turntablism as a liquid skill so it allows you to incorporate your passion in a completely different way, whilst also keeping it interesting.
Interview by Pieta Clarke
