Walking into the headquarters of the Botany Bay DJ, I was handed a can of Pratsky and led into a room so filled with smoke that I could not see who I was about to interview. This made keeping the identity of the Botany Bay DJ a secret all the easier.
The Botany Bay DJ is known for their elusive nature, appearing on Facebook and Twitter a number of weeks ago and keeping their identity a secret ever since. When asked about their peculiar style of speaking almost entirely in the third person, they replied saying: “The Botany Bay DJ has no comment.”
The Botany Bay DJ began their career playing songs for the tennis players of Botany Bay, but soon learned that their tunes were a gift that all should be able to partake in. Speaking to The University Times, they said: “The Botany Bay DJ plays tunes for the masses. It’s for every resident in Botany Bay, and beyond. The Botany Bay DJ brings tunes to everyone, wherever they may be.”
Once daily, they play three songs from the window of an apartment somewhere in Botany Bay, taking requests for two of those songs, with the last song always Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love”. “Every day, we hear people enjoying the tune sessions outside the windows, screaming for more. But the Botany Bay DJ respects their own rules. It’s the rules that make the Botany Bay DJ edgy.”
When asked about their inspiration, they replied: “To quote Kanye, ‘I inspire myself’. Also, Banksy is a big, big influence, in terms of the cultural significance as well as the anonymity.” Amongst their other heroes, the Botany Bay DJ cited John F Kennedy, Michael Collins and Angela Merkel, stating that to the best of their knowledge, “all great leaders got their starts playing tunes in Botany Bay”.
The choice of Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love” as their trademark tune was not a decision taken lightly. They explain that “the lyrics embody everything that the Botany Bay DJ is about, to be honest. They believe in accessible, friendly and fun tunes that the masses can get behind, and Steve Winwood is nothing if not that”. The Botany Bay DJ claims that they “will look inside (their) heart, if the fans look inside theirs”.
They describe themselves as a movement, and as an idea, stating that “ideas can never grow old, or be silenced by the Junior Dean”.
As far as their future plans are concerned, the Botany Bay DJ has a busy few months ahead of them. “The Botany Bay DJ has a massive, landmark event coming up on April 7th. The Botany Bay DJ is hosting a large ball, for all their followers, entitled ‘The Botany Bay Ball’.” This ball happens to coincide with another ball around college on the same date, Trinity Ball. “The Botany Bay Ball is really the embodiment of the movement, and they’ll be compiling a list of the greatest tunes on earth, and will play from 3pm until late on the 7th of April.” The DJ then added in a disinterested voice: “Oh, and then the Botany Bay DJ is playing Sziget in August.”
Despite moving out of Botany Bay in May, the DJ is not worried about their legacy: “The movement of the Botany Bay DJ is soaked into the stones of Botany Bay at this stage, and will never really leave. Because whenever you hear a tune reverberating around Botany Bay, you’ll think of the Botany Bay DJ.”
This journalist was then fortunate enough to sit in on the session of the day, the tunes consisting of ABBA’s “Gimme Gimme Gimme a Man After Midnight”, Earth Wind and Fire’s “September” and, of course, Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love”. As the final chords of “Higher Love” played, there were cries from the tennis court as the the DJ’s fans shouted out for more, but alas, the window was closed, the session over, until tomorrow.
