Alexis Raphael

“There are a couple of DJs that have come through solely on their DJing,” he says, “but even then, they’ve had record labels to showcase music and something more than just the DJing. Nowadays, if you want to play in the far corners of the world, you need to make tunes.”

Although Raphael came to attention in the final years of last millennium, he’s plotted his movements quietly, placing emphasis on the art of DJing rather than the spotlight. It’s not exactly valiant unselfishness that’s led him down this path. Simply put, Raphael attends to the particulars of his assignment out of sheer love.

“I just play and make music I like,” he says. “I think if you’re trying to be someone or something then it’s not genuine. Music comes from inside and the love and passion that I’ve had for over 20 years for electronic music is just part of me. I try to do what I do and I hope people will like it.”

This impassioned commitment has allowed Raphael to sustain relevance in the clubs of the world for over a decade. In fact, he was nominated for DJ Mag’s coveted ‘Best Breakthrough DJ’ title as recently as 2012. But while the name Alexis Raphael holds enduring weight in the DJing world, he didn’t always plan to etch out this reputation.

“I started DJing when I was 14 but never actually thought, ‘I want to be a DJ.’ I just loved the music so I wanted to buy the records so I could play them. However, I did always say I wanted to make tunes. [DJing]’s just a natural love of mine that has luckily ended up being my career path. I’m grateful every day for that.”

It’s taken a while, but in recent years Raphael has been realising his initial ambition. In 2011, his debut original release ‘Spaceship’ came out via Lee Foss and Jamie Jones’ Hot Waves imprint. Foss and Jones have since released a string of Raphael productions and remixes on their primary label Hot Creations, and he’s also put out tracks through London electronic label Lower East. Raphael is set to continue with original production in the future, but it won’t supplant his DJing post.

“I think that, like everything in life, it’s all about getting the right balance between the two. I love making music and think I have a lot more still to give, but I also love touring and DJing.”

Raphael comes Sydney’s way this weekend to perform at S.A.S.H. This is the experienced Londoner’s first visit Down Under, which is another sign of his growing international significance.

He mightn’t have been to Australia before, but he’s not fretful about winning over club-dwellers.

“At the end of the day, wherever they are in the world, people are out for the same thing: to party, have a good time and get lost in the music,” he says. “I think that DJing is about getting the right balance between pushing music forward to the crowd that they might not necessarily know, whilst also trying to give them some of what they want. I try to get that balance in all my sets, whether it’s here in London or in the far corners of the world. So Australia will be the same.”