Day for Night

Overview

There's no other way to celebrate the start of Mardi Gras except to throw a massive party. Part performance art, part music, and part dance, Day for Night is one cut above the rest. Presented by Carriageworks and Performance Space, with curation by Jeff Khan (Performance Space) and Emma Price (The Kingpins), the event sees Carriageworks transformed into a large-scale space for queer expression for a full three days.

The party (February 20, 7.30 – 11.30pm, tickets $35) will feature tunes from local electronic outfit Stereogamous (Paul Mac and Johnny Seymour), self-described as sounding like a "gay bath house". The next two days (February 21–22, 12 –8pm, free) sees music and art combine with a series of live performances by Australia's leading queer artists, soundtracked by the duo. They include choreographer Matthew Day, Emma Maye Gibson (you might recognise her work as alter ego Betty Grumble), interdisciplinary artist and Kanye collaborator Techa Noble, White Drummer, Nell, and self-taught dancer Bhenji Ra (House of Ra), who has supported the likes of Mykki Blanco and Le1f.

In the lead-up to this night of nights, we spoke to Stereogamous and got them to put us in the mood with a mix (titled 'DAY').

Where is Stereogamous currently at, musically speaking?

Our weekly Voguey Bear party [at Tokyo Sing Song] focuses on deep and innovative music. Nothing abrasive, noisy or played out. The deep research we do for weekly content for an eight-hour set keeps us on our twinkle toes doing the 9-5 (am), but also informs our production heart space in the studio ... We are currently composing with the incredible Shaun J Wright (Chicago/Twirl), who is one of the most marvellous performers we've ever encountered.

What and who are you most looking forward to at Day for Night?

The punters. The intersex, transgender, bisexual, lesbian, gay community and our admirers have our moment to have our Christmas/Grand Final/Prix/celebration and shine. Seeing the artists and our collaborative children come to life in front of our family and like-minded creative adventurers. Making make a great queer party in one of our fave buildings in Sydney.

What was going through your mind – musically or otherwise - during the making of this mix?

DAY is deep. It's the warm-up without the gogo. You wake up somewhere, with last night still in your body. There's a sonic treacle coming from an unknown place. Sounds that can either be slow decompression into facing reality, or a gateway to escaping.

Let's pretend we live in a utopian world for a moment. How would the ideal Stereogamous day play out?

President Nova Peris has diverted mining profits into developing solar power and water desalination, revegetating the desert. The increased arable land provides enough power, shelter and self-sustainable food stocks for the entire South Pacific region. Equality exists not just for queers but for gender parity in wages and employment, Indigenous peoples, asylum seekers and people with special medical needs. Drivers serve drinks on free bus trips. Arts has equal funding as sports. Drugs are legal and available on Medicare. We're just doing what we're doing now. Collaborating and attempting to bring people together to resonate joy.

Your sound is self-described as "sauna beat" and "bath house music”. Besides yourselves of course, what other music would this hypothetical bath house be playing?

Bath houses are sacred homosexual spaces that we have spun tracks in for over a decade. Perhaps best described as "horizontal dance music". Apologies but you won't hear Katy/Igloo/Taylor or any EDM noise. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just not really appropriate "sling music" feels. We're more likely to be playing Discodromo, Alien Alien, baker & baumaker, Suspect, Trevor Sigler, Jason Kendig. Believe we're way more The Black Madonna than Madonna.