ARIA DJ Of The Week: dameeeela

Each week, ARIA highlights one of the DJs that contributes to the Top 50 Club Tracks Chart.

DJ, producer, radio host and Yuggera woman, dameeeela was raised in Tulmur/Ipswich and is now based in Meanjin/Brisbane. She has steadily amassed a following and reputation as one of the city's most in-demand selectors, with an ability to cater to any audience, energy and genre from hip hop to acid to the classics and back again. dameeeela’s mixes burst with electric passion and are rife with experimentation, combined with ongoing reminders of club music’s origins in Black culture.

dameeeela boasts a live resume that includes warming up stages for iconic artists from Skepta and Tyler, the Creator to Charli XCX, Anderson .Paak, Genesis Owusu and Skin On Skin amongst others. She’s made appearances at Boiler Room, Splendour In The Grass, Falls Festival, Listen Out, Laneway, Pitch Music & Arts, Groovin The Moo and more. Offstage, dameeeela recently launched her own track IDs playlist on Spotify.

1. Tell us about your style of music...

My style of music reflects my thousand-lives-lived. From what was me downloading 100 Daily Hot Hip Hop packs, sifting through them every day to send around and share about 5 of my favourites to my friends and on Myspace, shifted into my two year solo world trip that I spent clubbing and befriending some pretty wild and passionate DJs. I believe this is why my style of music cannot be defined (that and I am a gemini thru and thru). 

I get bored easily sticking to certain genres, all I really want is something unique whether it be the most blabby blabby hip hop to a jumpy club track. It just has to be different to intrigue and impress me. 

2. What makes a set by you unique?

Definitely the genre-hopping. I swear I get like whiplash trying to figure out what genre I just played after every set. I’ve also recently begun this habit of speeding up several flips of viral TikTok songs within my sets to, you know, keep 'em on their toes. I like all parts of my body to be bouncing start to finish. 

3. What's your guaranteed floor-filler?

Can’t believe I have to give up a secret weapon like this but it is truthfully, honestly and interestingly enough, 'Woman's Touch' by Bushbaby. I’ve never seen people NOT lose their crap to it. 

4. You have to step away from the booth for a break, what's your go-to long song?

Anything William Oneyeabor. Who is William Onyeabor is an essential record to have as well as a vinyl DJ. Again, I play them sped up sometimes too but his songs range from like 8 minutes - 13 minutes and I swear it’s exciting and irresistible to dance to from beginning to end. He has quite an interesting back story too.

5. What would be your ultimate music collaboration?

Shamejob gonna make me fangirl like this. Obviously, I wanna work with Shlohmo to make something dark but dancy and exciting and never heard before and mysterious but also calming and somehow hip hop influenced and like you’re in the clouds but also grave-yardy but mostly unforgettable. 

6. What is the most rewarding part of being a DJ?

By far the best part of DJing is being able to platform underground or upcoming producers and artists. My favourite thing ever is when high-up names discover smaller names through me, it’s such a win-win in the gigaaaantic pool that is the music scene. 

7. Can you share any tips for people who want to become a DJ?

Stay true to yourself. It may feel like being a DJ also means you have to take on a somewhat “influencer” role but you don’t. It is about the love of music, sharing music, experiencing music as a community and if you’re in it for that it will show and that’s all that matters. Trust yourself.

Click here to apply to become an ARIA Club Chart contributor.