Australian duo The Journey delivers an attention grabbing mix…

In Melbourne the names of Jacob Malmo and Tom Evans are well known as solo artists. Together, they have carved a niche for themselves as The Journey, a name synonymous with sturdy progressive. It’s a sound that’s been forged with their combined 20 years plus of dance music experience – and one that’s gaining traction internationally.

Alongside multiple European tours, they have graced stages at iconic festivals like Rainbow Serpent, Pitch Music & Arts, Subsonic, and Strawberry Fields. Labels from Monaberry to Stil Vor Talent to Einmusika have signed their music and they’ve collaborated with artists including Bebetta, Tim Engelhardt, and Florian Kruse.

Their name is an apt one too: a Journey set can take exciting turns which never feels forced. On this almost two hour set they deliver an adventurous sound which feels minimal in aesthetic yet is maximal in impact. With tracks and remixes from Sébastien Léger, UNKLE, Tim Engelhardt, Guy Gerber and more, this one deserves your full attention.

Name: Jacob Malmo & Tom Evans
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Alias/Producer name: The Journey
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Labels affiliated with: UGENIUS, Stil Vor Talent, Monaberry

J: I grew up on the beach in a small country town, so the music played around the house naturally resonated with the local surf culture. I remember hearing a lot of Simply Red, Crowded House, INXS, and that sort of stuff at an early age. The only person in my family who actually played in a band was my brother Steve, who lives with Down Syndrome and was always banging drums around the house. His love for music is incredible, and looking back, it probably had a big influence on me—so thanks, mate!

T: My story is pretty similar. My parents weren’t musicians, but my Old Man was a Supercar driver, so race cars and loud engines were really the first “music” I was exposed to. Mum listened to a lot of the same bands as Jacob’s parents, but she also loved iconic Aussie pub rock bands like Chain, Billy Thorpe, and Cold Chisel, which definitely shaped my musical taste. As for my own preferences, I gravitated toward a mix of Silverchair, Metallica, Michael Jackson, and the Beach Boys.

J: My brother had a big influence on my taste in electronic music. He was always listening to bands like Massive Attack, Thievery Corporation, and Salmonella Dub, and when St Germain released their album Tourist, I became obsessed with that sound and still am today. Later on, I got into heavier electronic music through the Ministry of Sound CDs.

I vividly remember sitting in the car in 2004 with one of my best mates, who had just installed subwoofers. We kept blaring the Mylo remix of Freeform Five’s “No More Conversations” over and over—it completely blew our minds. Listening to that track now, it’s still a banger.

T: I was a drummer and percussionist in a number of different bands, both in and out of school, across a pretty wide variety of genres. As I mentioned earlier, I was really into Rock, Punk, and Metal in my younger years. But in Year 11, one of my best mates, Stu, had a brother who ran a Thursday night at a club called Seven in South Melbourne. He’d sneak us in through the side door, and that’s where I was first exposed to house music. My taste in music shifted pretty quickly after that.

J: The first time I saw a DJ in a live setting was at Parklife in Sydney in 2005, the day after my 18th birthday. The lineup was eclectic, full of breaks, electro, and house. I remember seeing Crazy Penis (now Crazy P) playing “Started Something,” which is still one of my favorite tracks to this day. I often play it in my solo sets at certain venues.

T: This one’s always tricky for me because my creative spark tends to shift from week to week. Some artists who have been staples for me over the past few years are CIOZ, Arodes, Tal Fussman, and Joris Voorn. There are certain artists and bodies of work that inspire me to stick with music and strive to be unique.

I listen to a lot of Jazz, Blues, and a heap of live Sinatra recordings throughout my working days. For me, it’s such a raw, authentic, unbridled genre that’s so far removed from modern productions, and it really inspires me to be different.

When it comes to albums, Silverchair’s Diorama holds a special place in my heart. It was way ahead of its time, and Daniel Johns’ songwriting is simply mind-blowing. Whenever I need a creative boost, that album never fails to inspire me.

J: I’m somewhat similar in that I listen to a lot of jazzy, downtempo electronica, and dub, especially when I’m working. The emotive feel resonates with me on a deeper level, and when I’m digging for music, I definitely go for those records that tell a story. M83, Maribou State, José González, and Zero 7 are massive go-tos for me when I’m traveling, as their music takes me to another place.

From a more dance floor and electronic standpoint, artists like JOPLYN, The Scenarios Crew, Weska, and Mike Rish are pushing the envelope in their respective genres—definitely check them out.

J: The last album I actually purchased was Scene Delete by Sasha. It’s filled with ambient and electronica, and it’s an incredible listen from start to finish. I highly recommend it.

T: The last album I downloaded was united places by N.Y.C.K, an amazing duo from Melbourne. I still love buying vinyl, so the last album I bought was Chorus by Mildlife. They’re a Melbourne-based electronic jazz band doing awesome things—you should check them out.

J: My DJ setup at home includes 2 x XDJ1000mk2. I just sold my Pioneer V10 mixer and am looking at getting an Allen & Heath Xone 96. As for my DAW, I’m still running Ableton 10 Suite on a Mac Mini T2.

T: I’m currently using an old 2020 MacBook Pro, and it’s barely getting the job done, so I’m planning to upgrade in the new year, haha. I’m an Ableton guy too, and I love UAD and Slate Digital plugins for the engineering side of production. When it comes to sounds in our music, I really love u-he’s Diva and UAD’s Moog emulator for bass—really good stuff.

T: We have quite a few collabs on the go and a few originals nearly finished. There are a couple of remixes on the horizon too however we have a new single called ‘Calamity’ out in September with a super talented producer from Melbourne called Kristal Lava. It’s a fresh sound for us and is one of my favourite bits of music we have done to date so we are really excited to share that with everyone!

J: We’re about to head back to Europe for 12 shows across Bulgaria, Germany, Austria, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, and we’re really excited for it.

T: We’ll be back home at the end of October, and from there, we’ve got a few dates booked at The Melbourne Pavilion and Interstellar Groove Festival, plus a few more yet to be announced. We also have regular rotations at clubs like Onesixone, Revolver, Music Room, Reve, and Elsewhere. On top of that, we run a weekly radio show called UGENIUS Radio, which airs on over 20 stations worldwide.

J: We went back and forth for a few weeks deciding which records to include, and we finally mixed this in the studio over a day. We’re super happy with the outcome. As a duo, we think it’s important to find a balance in our taste since we do like different things.

The mix includes a wide variety of music we enjoy, from ambient and breaks to house, afro, melodic, and progressive sounds. Personally, I love Baril – One More Rush—it’s an incredibly emotive record and really sets up the mix.

T: The Yulia Niko & JOPLYN track would be one of my top picks. I’m also really happy we found a way to incorporate DJ Seinfeld’s ‘U’ into the mix—I absolutely love that record!

T: Right now, I’m playing our new record ‘Calamity‘ the most. Outside of that, it would likely be Paul Roux’s ‘Hold On‘. It has a really cool bluesy vocal that makes for a different experience on the dancefloor—you can hear it in the mix.

J: Samm (BE), Ajna (BE) – Move is deep and hypnotic while still packing a punch. It also has a cheeky vocal that always stirs up the dancefloor—track of the year so far for me.

T: This record came together really quickly. It feels like a José González record and features awesome remixes from Kellerkind, Kasey Taylor, and Chris Meehan.

J: The Journey – Secrets was a heap of fun to write. It was originally created with Ivan Gough and Arle, but we got really stuck with it. During the COVID period, we turned it inside out and ended up releasing it as a solo record. It also features an incredible remix from CIOZ, which got a lot of play from RUFUS DU SOL in their DJ sets, and a great deeper take from Thankyou City.

J: St Germain – Pont Des Arts

T: Silverchair – Tuna in The Brine

J: Dune 2. I’m a sucker for Sci Fi.

J: Seinfeld by a landslide.
T: Seinfeld by a landslide.

J: Blue Bay Hotel, Sozopol, Bulgaria …… We will be there very soon haha.

T: My mum lives in Metung. It’s home to me but it’s also my favourite place to escape life and create.

Balance-Walter Balance

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