Our Beginnings

KONTAKT was born in the empty Warehouses of Melbourne Australia. In 2016, I decided like many do in their 20’s, to pack a bag and head to the other side of the world on a working holiday visa. Only I didn’t just pack a bag, on a hope I packed a shipping container full of sound system too. With a background in free parties and sound system culture the idea was to run parties in a new city but with an old ethos.

On arrival I realised that Melbourne offered a real opportunity, it has a small but thriving underground music scene consisting of a young, multicultural population which includes residents living, students studying and travelers stopping there on a temporary basis. All of which who are keen to get loose.

KONTAKT Collective was born. The name chosen because it’s supposed to promote the idea of a collective of people coming together. Making a connection at the same time in the same place. To dance with the backdrop of urban decay. With the only limits imposed by one another and not by licencing or security.

Over the course of the next 2 years I was involved in 15 warehouse parties either running them as a KONTAKT night, doing vs nights or supplying sound for other promoters. With plenty of derelict warehouses left over from an older industrial era, located next to the docks and with what seemed like a slightly more forgiving police force the poorer, less gentrified area of Footscray was a favorite haunt.

I give thanks to anyone of the collective who played a part, who helped load in or (especially) out, all the DJs that played and all of the party goers that sought us out to come and dance.

Looking forward KONTAKT still stands on the foundations it was built on. Sharing a love of electronic music and facilitating a common experience of emotional connection we feel on the dance floor.

Matt @ KONTAKT