The Story of Australian Dance: EDM, Electro-House & Melbourne Bounce (2010 – Now) [DJ Mix]

“This era felt like the height of Australian dance music,” DJ and producer Tigerlily tells Apple Music. She’s talking about the 2010s in particular, when EDM and electro-house were on the rise across the globe, with a new subgenre, Melbourne Bounce, emerging shortly after. “There were so many club nights thriving, festivals exploding onto the scene every summer, so many touring artists and groups, and so much new and experimental music being released every week,” she says. “As an artist, it felt like there were so many opportunities to explore your sound and style, and as a punter, there was always such a great vibe on the dance floor.” While Melbourne Bounce—which took the energy of its predecessors, amped it up, warped the rhythms, and messed around with big, fun vocal samples—was all the rage in its namesake city, Tigerlily’s native Sydney was every bit as pumping. “A favorite memory is of my headline shows at [nightclub] Pacha called Kiss My Tigerlily, directed by The Squared Division. But it’s hard to not mention nights at World Bar listening to incredible DJs drinking from teapots, hot summer days at Stereosonic and Future Music Festival, or sunsets on the harbor at DFB,” she says, referring to classic local haunts and events. In honor of the era and those venues—which, sadly, no longer exist—Tigerlily has created this DJ mix to pay tribute to late, sweaty nights. Highlighting one track that stands out here and in her memories, it’s Dirty South & Alesso’s “City of Dreams.” “I used to play this song in a lot of my sets,” she recalls. “It's lyrically and harmonically so beautiful, while also being so euphoric. I loved being able to take the crowd on a journey with me through the highs and lows of the song.”