2008 was a great year for Australian dance music. The Presets took over every club in the country with My People, PNAU released their career-defining self-titled album and Sneaky Sound System snuck onto the radio with their dance-pop crossover. Meanwhile, Sweat It Out was born in a bedroom by iconic Aussie dance champion DJ Ajax. A founder of Australian dance collective Bang Gang, he brought that same intuitive energy from behind the decks to the label and helped birth some of the biggest dance records of the past decade.
Ajax tragically passed away in 2013 but his legacy lives on within Sweat It Out. More than a decade after the golden year of Australian dance and club music, Sweat It Out continues to innovate, releasing some of the best local records each year. In the past few years, RÜFÜS, Winston Surfshirt, What So Not and more have released defining records. While Sydney, the city that Sweat It Out was born in, continues to struggle with its nightlife, Ajax's label continues to champion and energise the local dance scene.
So with that, we revisited the label's 200+ releases and here are our unforgettable favourites.
Gameboy / Gamegirl - Sweaty Wet / Dirty Damp
Sweat It Out's first release ever defines the early days of the label. It's a sweaty, playful cut that sounds like every great club in 2008. Honestly, we'd still be dancing to this right now if there were enough places to do it.
RÜFÜS DU SOL - Take Me
RÜFÜS are one of Sweat It Out's biggest success stories. After a string of great EPs, the Aussie trio took it to the next level with this sprawling, perfect electronic track that continues to soundtrack festivals around the country.
Parachute Youth - Can't Get Better Than This
At some point, Aussie electronic music shifted from the clubs to festivals as it became more expansive. Parachute Youth sits right on the edge of the two. It's underground and pulsating but it's also atmospheric ready to pump out to crowds of thousands.
Yolanda Be Cool & D Cup - We No Speak Americano
It's extremely rare that a song makes it out of the depths of the clubs and into the upper-echelons of the charts but that's what this Italiano-sampling gem did back in 2012. It topped charts all around the world and continues to sound as perky as the day we first heard it.
AJAX - I'm Hot
Sweat It Out unearthed an unreleased Ajax cut to celebrate 10 years of the label and this one is taking us right back. It's a boastful, genre-spanning piece of excellence that sums up Ajax's enduring charm. He knew exactly how to get the party started even though it was experimental and like nothing anybody had heard.
Twinsy - Water Bombs
To this day, Water Bombs is one of the most underrated Aussie dance songs of our time. It's got the childlike charm of PNAU with Sweat It Out's trademark cheekiness. The chorus of this continues to swell in our heads.
What So Not - Gemini
What So Not has released so many great tracks but this one is an undeniable winner. With the elongated vocals of George Maple he created one of the most slow-moving but affecting dance tracks of the last few years.
Motez - Promise Me
Motez is the king of the clubs. He's one of the few producers still firmly focussed on making house tunes that rattle the dancefloor and Promise Me is one of his early winners. With soulful nods to '90s dance music, Promise Me is a spiritual experience.
Crooked Colours - Flow
Crooked Colours so beautifully pair alternative pop with experimental electronica and Flow is a perfect example of this. The song so subtly builds taking instrumental detours at every turn that you barely realise how much its built by the end.
Winston Surfshirt - Be About You
One of Sweat It Out's newest members Winston Surfshirt have built to great heights in a very short time. Winston Surfshirt occupy a different space of dance for the label. It's groovier leaning more towards to the RnB side of things.
Sweat It Out 2008 - 2018 is out now.
