Machine Kat

Thirty-three year old Machine Kat of Adelaide, South Australia, has been immersed in the electronica/techno/electro/house music scenes since the early 1990s. Performing under the guise of DJ Catalyst, she played underground techno, electro, house, and electronica at a plethora of parties, clubs, and outdoor festivals in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Japan, the highlight being her set in the Boiler Room in 2002 at Australia's largest music event the ‘Big Day Out’. DJ Catalyst was also fortunate enough to be aired on radio Triple J's ‘Mix Up’ however after a few years in the business, the late nights, the cigarette smoke and her disillusionment with Adelaide's techno scene, saw Dj Catalyst try something different. She became one of the founders of Adelaide's Dance Music Vinyl Fair, where Djs came together to swap, buy or sell their vinyl. She also helped promote local producers and Djs, putting on parties in small, intimate venues around Adelaide. Favouring the outdoor party, despite battles with angry mosquitoes and police trying to shut parties down, the parties would go on beyond sunrise, which was also her favourite time to play. Over the years, her love of electronic music led to dabbling in the world of music production with the alias ‘Machine Kat’. With a soft spot for vintage synths and drum machines, she became obsessed with Waldorf, Kurzweil, Korg and Roland equipment. Early on she composed tracks using an Atari with Cubase. Being a university student, the world of software has saved her empty pockets, yet she dreams of a studio decked with vintage gear. Currently, Machine Kat uses Cubase SX, a Kurzweil K2000R and midi keyboard. Although DJing is no longer at the fore of her music interests, Machine Kat’s love of music has remained strong, pure, sweet and untainted by the commercial crap out there. Right now, she thrives on a combination of electronica, ambience, techno rhythms, smooth bass lines and sublime analogue synthesizer atmospherics. Machine Kat's life-long projects involve combining music production with her studies in clinical psychology. She believes that music can assist people with mental health, physical illness and stress related concerns and may be utilized in conjunction with relaxation techniques and mindfulness-based therapy. Ultimately, Machine Kat strives to help the world through music and nurture the soul...