Cam Harris

Where and how did the bug bite you?

"It's a journey that has continually progressed over the years... Further surreal moments incoming... the very first introductions I had as a teenager was my older brother on Sundays at home cranking various Nice'n'Urlich, Ian Pooley's 'Once Upon a Time,' and then I very vividly remember the coke advertisement coming on TV around this time. Not sure how I knew this already at this time, but this track was made by Kiwis Kingsland Housing Project."

We've seen you put on some amazing events and play some stellar sets. What's your defining moments and standouts?

"Pivotal moments over this DJ career would be getting introduced to this new world as a young buck carrying my mate Llewellyn's record bag to be let in the club without being asked for ID (lol), also in the beginning visiting events at my favorite venue (which has just been approved for repairs again), the St. James, with Liam from Prodigy playing. My first international DJ experience was after borrowing my older brother's ID (lol again) to check out DJ Craze at the old school Fu Bar on Queen St (another of my historical favorite spots in NZ).

I remember being so bloody nervous before playing in a club the first few times, and rightfully so being at a time when there was no such thing as a CDJ. My first proper gig was a party called Meow, and it was Neverland-themed. I saw a photo of me recently - crack up. Then, the first time going back-to-back with an established DJ mate RP, who introduced me to his nerve-sorting tactic pre-getting on stage. It consisted of three tequila shots in a row. For a 17/18-year-old, this was mad! 😅 It sure sorted those nerves out, though.

I didn't feel nerves again quite like this until years later when Collude was invited to host the Cellar stage at RNV. This was my first time playing to over my previous highest attendance, warming up for Munuit at ye old student bar Shadows.

Since then, things have really gotten actually very surreal - supporting Carl Cox, Adam Beyer, Nastia, etc., two years in a row at the NZ PURE events, signing an EP with techno heroes Pan-Pot, playing at Revolver over in Melbs, collaborating with my at-time heroes Pig&Dan on a track. All of this and more, and what's yet to come. Not bad for a bloody shore boy at the arsehole of the world.

My worst experience with Sonorous Festival was the 2019 year when just 3 days out from the event, acts Miguel Bastida and our headliner for that year, Victor Ruiz, both had to pull out. Miguel due to cancellations in Australia and Asia, and Victor managed to get severe food poisoning to the extent he wasn't legally allowed to get on a plane. So, with just three days out and potential replacement acts coming from Europe being a day behind us meant they would need to jump on a plane pretty much immediately to get here in time for the event. Juliet Fox just so happened to be floating around with her mates just across the ditch in Melbourne, so she was contacted and confirmed straight away. We also managed to pick up Teenage Mutants, and with 1 day out from kick-off, we made the announcement. If there ever was a black book of weird challenges promoters in AU and NZ had to overcome on the last event week, this would have to be in the top 10. I was really happy with the turnaround, but still hoping that this kinda thing doesn't happen again, lol.

That's a lot in how many years?

19 years. It's a long time. Our music works in cycles, speeds go faster and slower, and drum machines go in and out of fashion... hair gets longer and shorter...

What genre do you think has stood the test of time, and are there any tunes that have stayed as a constant in the crate?

It's quite funny coming into my third decade of musical escapade I've been on. You do see genres of music disappear and return ten years later slightly different and with a new name.

For me, House music will never die, and likewise for its naughty 3rd cousin Drum and Bass. These two genres have been there since the beginning and both phase in and out of having short stays at the top of the commercial music circuit.

Even now, chuck on any classic house track, I'll dance around the house, sing you all the lyrics, and then tell you the artists' names and interesting facts about their lives, lol.

Follow-up question: How has your style changed over the years?

I started with hard house, went into electro and breaks, then into house, which I still spend a lot of time with. But in recent years, Afro and Techno... It's quite funny coming into my third decade of musical escapade I've been on. You do see genres of music disappear and return ten years later, slightly different and with a new name.

Why is Techno and Afro appealing to you?

"Well, in 2018, I lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil for almost a year, seeing so many of the world's biggest artists play sometimes at the same event too, like Timewarp. That shit blew my mind so hard that the next thing you know, I'm back home in NZ and trying to bring it back to NZ.

Afro I fell in love with after discovering &Me. The more I listened to from him, the more I found myself falling for this genre. The reason being is that to me, it has bits and pieces from around the world. It takes elements from the groove hard-coded into its sound design, which funnily enough thrives with energy even though it's commonly played at a slower tempo around 118-122 bpm.

I have to say, after saying all this, it's all very F'ing surreal, and I feel very humbled and thankful for the opportunities this life has delivered.

Lastly how did you approach this mix?

I guess could say the mix is a collection of music I feel I lesser known to indulge in by the general public, but it's a collection of music that I really enjoy, it's the music I aspire to when jumping into the studio and when I'm not making stronger techno beats.