Wadawurrung producer Moss only has a handful of tracks under his belt to date, but each of them has been a face-melter. He won the triple j Unearthed DIY Supergroup competition with his track SABRE TEETH (feat. Genesis Owusu). To create the track, Moss took the verse Genesis provided for the competition and created one of the biggest drops of the year around it. He even included a sample of the Didgeridoo, a nod to his First Nations heritage - and a sound that's now become his signature.

Moss has just released his new single, SPEED DIAL (feat. BRIA), and it's a track that explores the culture of online dating, which is more prevalent than ever given the last 18 months have been spent largely at home thanks to the pandemic. Much like SABRE TEETH, the track contains a drop that'll test out your most powerful speaker system, and it's definitely festival-ready.

We spoke to Moss about the inspiration behind SPEED DIAL, as well as how telling stories through music has shaped the way he views music, and dance music in particular. Moss's music is set to for the live stage, and he's already got some grand plans for what these tracks will look like live. 

Cool Accidents: SPEED DIAL, your latest single, talks about the highs and lows of online dating – is this a more general statement on the matter, or does it draw from personal experience? 

Moss: When BRIA and I first started working on SPEED DIAL, we both had gone through a fair share of individual experiences of lockdown online dating. BRIA really went in lyrically on a story that resonated with her and I weaved it in to have it really hit home. From missed calls to linking up to being left on read, we wanted to capture all of this both lyrically and sonically. 

What elements need to be present to make a perfect dating profile?

Good photos and a sense of humour are a must but honestly, I think authenticity is key. There are formulas and theories but I’ve found just being yourself goes a long way. 

I wanted to ask about the air of mystery that seems to surround you – was this deliberate, or do you think that’s come about as a result of the pandemic limiting live shows/face-to-face interaction?

Yeah! I always liked to keep myself mysterious because of the music I was making but the pandemic really took away the spotlight of shows as well. I think though that this is changing and I’m more and more open with every release. Cannot wait until I can hit the road with shows again.

Your sound stands out in the Australian dance/electronic scene – especially given the incorporation of the Didgeridoo, which I think is your trademark at this point! Can you tell me about the moment that inspired the creation of that drop in SABRE TEETH?

Thanks! I had collected a LOT of my own recordings of Didgeridoo sounds as well as sourced a lot from across the internet with the right permissions. With Genesis Owusu’s heavy anti-racism verses, I found it the perfect way to tie in my First Nations heritage to support his lyrics. In my recent tracks since SABRE TEETH, the Didgeridoo has become a little bit of a producer tag as a reflection of this too so keep an ear out!

Growing up, how did your First Nations heritage influence the way you perceived music, and did this lead to you naturally gravitating towards dance music?

Music was something that always surrounded me in my childhood and growing up. Telling stories through rhythm is such an important part of Indigenous culture and it was something that really came naturally to me. Dance music has such a driving rhythmical force that I really connect with, so to be able to share stories through this medium is honestly a dream come true. I remember when Yolanda Be Cool released A Baru In New York featuring Gurrumul and Flume made his soundtrack version - that was a moment that was really special for me.

You’ve played alongside the likes of Skrillex and Baauer – has there been any advice that they’ve passed on that you’ve taken to heart? 

Oooo good question. It’s really cool meeting your idols because they’re also just people like you. I think the best takeaway from meeting the likes of Skrillex especially is just being a good person to everyone you meet. Being humble and kind will always go a lot further and benefit not just you but everyone in the long run.

2020 and 2021 have been rough on the live music scene, to say the least. What do you think will surprise fans most about what’s in store from your live shows?

It’s definitely given a lot of time to revise and build upon the visions I previously had for my shows. I’ve been working on creating a full experience for fans - I’m not going to dive into specifics but the light at the end of the COVID tunnel is nearing and I can’t wait for what’s to come.

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Finally, who would be your dream collaboration and why?

This is tough but I would have to honestly go with Skrillex. He’s so ahead of the curve creatively with everything he puts out and inspires me daily with how he sonically pieces his music together.