Track of the Week: Sub-Bass, Storms & The Story of “Shake That”.

The Spotlight: Meet Perth’s DnB Heavyweight

If you’ve been paying attention to the Perth underground music circuit lately, you know that the local Drum & Bass scene isn’t just surviving, it’s thriving. And right at the centre of that low-end frequency is Mooch (Marc Chadwick).

Our Track of the Week winner isn’t interested in luck. He’s the guy dissecting loudness targets to game the system, surviving festival disasters, and turning obscure Rick and Morty samples into dancefloor weapons.

His winning track, “Shake That,” is a masterclass in neuro-funk energy with a cheeky jump-up twista track that refuses to take itself too seriously, even if the production is dead serious.

We sat down with Mooch to talk about his journey from the dancefloor of Shape Nightclub to the chaos of Raindance, and how he’s engineering his way onto the world’s biggest labels.

🚩 The Anthem: Inside “Shake That”

“Shake That” is a heater, but its origin story is pure patience. The vocal hook—lifted from Season 1 of Rick and Morty—sat collecting digital dust in a folder named use_samples43234 for years.

“It was a bit too goofy for what I was releasing at the time,” Mooch admits.

Fast forward to 2024. Mooch was staring down a heavy neuro track that felt too serious. He needed a “cheesy jump-up flavour” to cut through the noise. He dug up the folder, dropped the sample, and it clicked instantly. The result is a track with massive neuro energy that still remembers to have fun.

🔊 Listen to “Shake That” Now:

• SoundCloud: [Link Here]

💿 The Journey: Shape Nightclub & A Wholesome Nickname

Like many of Perth’s best selectors, Mooch started on guitars and pianos before stumbling into the spiritual home of Perth nightlife: Shape Nightclub.

It was 2012. The bass was heavy, the room was dark, and the epiphany was instant. “I wandered in and heard the DJs playing DnB till the AMs… I decided right there: this is what I want to do.”

And the name? In a scene full of dark aliases, Mooch’s origin is wholesomely hilarious. “My mum used to call me Mooch. To save myself embarrassment from my school friends, I just told everyone it was my nickname. They thought it was pretty gangsta that my mum used it too.”

🎚️ The Hustle: The Art of the ‘Label Hack’

Mooch doesn’t blindly fire demos into the void; he reverse-engineers the void. His releases on heavyweights like Riot Records and Device were calculated strikes using a specific strategy.

“The idea is matching the vibe of the label’s catalogue,” he reveals.

Mooch analyses the specific technical DNA of a label: whether their bass is “froggy” or growly, where the percussion sits, and crucially, their LUFS (loudness) targets. “Some sounds just won’t reach a certain loudness because of the way they’re built… so you learn to adapt around that.”

🌪️ War Stories: Survival Mode at Raindance

If you want a metaphor for the Perth scene’s resilience, look at this year’s Raindance Festival. While a storm was physically dismantling the campsite, Mooch was on stage navigating a DJ’s worst nightmare.

“Mid-set, while the crowd was buzzing from Mampi Swift, we realised our CDJs belonged to another stage… We had to do a frantic CDJ swap without cutting the music.”

While punters were literally climbing the stage frame in the wind, Mooch held the floor. And as for the campsite destruction the next morning? “In a moment of pure laziness, I’d tied my tent to my car… and somehow that saved it. Everything else was gone, but my little tent was clinging on.”

⚡ Quickfire Round: Build Your Perfect Party

We asked Mooch to build his ultimate rave in 30 seconds. Here is the blueprint:

• Genre: Drum & Bass
• Favourite Venue (Perth): Metro City
• Favourite DJ (Global): Andy C or A.M.C
• Ideal Crowd Size: Just enough so everyone has space to move
• Preferred Soundsystem: PK Sound
• Indoor or Outdoor: The Forest
• Party Vibe: Chaos
• Drink of Choice: Pepsi Max
• Must-Have Party Element: Vibe (the most important)

🔮 Pass The Aux

Incoming Question from NextJen: “How would you approach taking on the challenge of dropping a Happy Hardcore tune in your set the next time you play?”

Mooch: “I have to be honest, I am already guilty of doing that. The tempos are so close together and it does break up the set nicely. Although I would probably normally shoot for a darker techno-influenced 4×4 track, the challenge would be to find a Happy Hardcore track I actually love.”

Mooch’s Question for the Next DJ: “What is your favourite break sample and where did you sample it from?”

Follow Mooch: [Instagram Link] Do you have a track that deserves the spotlight? Submit your demo to the PartyLine team today!