Tim McGee

McGee is one of the rare creatures of a time that cannot be synthesized, and a place that cannot be recreated; A major Australian proponent of dance music who contributed to the cultural dialogue as it happened and created a place in the Australian entertainment industry where other artists could grow, where he could remain creative, and where enthusiasts could appreciate an authenticity in club music. And damn it, just have a bit of fun.

It's a laudable story of commitment, good humour, creativity, and no small dose of business acumen. A musical sensibility steered Tim toward DJing as it did many young men in the late 80s. But unlike many of these young men McGee would go further than spinning tunes and promoting events with some international DJs. His career would see him invited to play with some of the biggest House names on the planet, both here and overseas. Danny Tenaglia, Roger Sanchez, Felix Da Housecat, and Derrick Carter have all shared deck space and forged ongoing relationships with McGee. They like him as a person, they respect him as a business man, and they play alongside him because he is a bloody good DJ.

15 years of focus and experience behind the decks has allowed Tim the ability to blend casual elegance and a cheeky bit of fun with this mixing and tune selection. After so many years DJing the technical skills are a given, as is the access to both rare and brand new tunes. But it’s mastering the exacting craft of reading a crowd, knowing your music, knowing people’s temperaments and tailoring your delivery to meet their needs and move the party forward that earns you respect and it’s created a reputation for Tim McGee as an all time party favourite. His brand of Electro, Techno, House and indie-tinged music keeps them effortlessly treading, or dancing on, that thin line between education and entertainment.

Club culture exploded in the 90s and as local crews became accustomed to seeing his name on the hottest tickets around town, few would suspect he was also behind many other parties and hugely popular regular nights in Sydney. The Underground, Sublime, Yu, and Home nightclub are just a few places where McGee gave House a Home. Tim's success was created as much by design as circumstance; he was effectively creating a foundation and a network for the formidable sounds of House music in Australia. And the kids loved it.

Without his sense of humour it all could have crumbled long ago. Aside from all the late nights out and late night lifestyle, McGee established his own label, Hussle Recordings, and was licensing and releasing music from local and international artists. He was also recording and remixing tunes himself as one half of the Sushi Twins, and with his production trio, the Wok Institute. It was no remixing hobby; major Australian releases included Paul Mac, The Rockmelons, Byron Stingily, GT and Kooki. His recent remix work under the Chameleons moniker with breaks producer Klaus Hill has already unleashed DJ Sneak's Funky Rhythm and their remix of Beats and Styles’ Dance Dance Dance will be released toward the end of 2006. There's little sign of this power-house stopping any time soon

The experience, network and knowledge gained through all these musically engaged areas of his life led to a seamless progression into Ministry of Sound. It's often been quipped that McGee was one of three men in the whole Australian profession who could possibly have filled the top job at MOS Australia. It's not known if the others could have come close to the rampant success that Tim has created for the label and for Australian DJ's and Producers looking for a viable avenue to release their music.

He still DJs, he still has residencies, he still produces, he still runs Hussle, he's still the boss of MoS, and he still laughs at his own schedules. He'll continue to release mixed CDs like the Alfresco Soiree series, the very first MASHED instalment with Declan Lee and House Sessions with Grant Smillie, and he'll continue compiling the best tunes only he can get his mitts on for many other Ministry of Sound mixed CDs and compilations.

It’s not just one line or one page that will be credited to Tim McGee in the Big Australian Book of Music Culture. He's earned himself a whole chapter and more importantly through his efforts and his hard work, he's given other artists the tools they need to write their own.