Reflex Blue strings together a fresh mix of tech-y house cuts for our latest mix instalment.

Emerging from the South Pacific in impressive fashion, our buddy Reflex Blue has put together some stellar music over the last couple of years. Inspired by the 90 and 00s zeitgeist of prog, tech and trance, Coops made a name for himself in his hometown Naarm with his tasty selections and releases on the likes of Gestalt Records, R.A.N.D. Muzik and more. Now he’s busy concerning the EU underground scene following a recent relocation to Berlin.

With an upcoming EP on Gene On Earth’s Limousine Dream label and the recent move, we caught up with Cooper to hear about the latest developments.

Hi Coops, it’s been a while! How’s things? I understand you have extended your EU adventure and are currently playing a lot of shows on this side of the hemisphere? Tell us a bit about your time in Europe so far and what you’ve been up to..

Hey guys, going well thanks. Sun’s starting to come out here in Berlin which is super nice. I have been in Europe since February now, touring around and playing gigs. After my tour ended I decided to cancel my flights back to Australia and stay on. I am settling down now in my new home of Berlin. Slowly finding my feet and managing some time to make some music.

You also just released your debut LP via Whitvoir, which is a milestone for every artist, so first off all congratz! I remember you sending me some of the tracks on there a while back and telling me you’re busy making an album inspired by Australia’s outdoor parties (doofs). Can you elaborate on that and tell us how the album came together?

Yeah the LP was a very enjoyable and personal project. About two summers ago I wrote a bunch of tracks, I was very inspired by some of our parties in the bush. It turned into an album as it was made in a short period of creativity burst and it was a reflection of that time for me. Looking back it’s a nice way to bring up some of those good memories.

I also saw you just announced a new EP on Limousine Dream. The 4 tracker sees you explore some new avenues and sounds. Can you tell us a bit about that and how this one ended up on Gene’s label?

That’s right I have a new EP coming out on Limousine Dream which I am very excited about. The tracks and sound is a bit more focused on my house-ier productions, with a functional approach. It came at a perfect time as I was really enjoying digging for old house records. Gene and I got chatting and the release naturally developed. The whole process was super smooth and it was lovely working with Gene over the last year or so to make something come together that we can be proud of.

How’s things coming along with Program Earth – the label you run with your buddy DJ Life? Can you tell us a bit about the ethos behind the label? And, following a nice debut EP from you both, what can we expect to see in the future?

Program Earth is bubbling away with plenty of good things on the horizon. We haven’t quite developed a steady release schedule as we are both quite busy, however we have been putting in some hours recently so we are excited to bring forth some new records and other things ;). Our mindset for the label is to support the sounds and artists we like and bring forward the weirder tracks that are sometimes overlooked. The next record is coming mid year- a heady 4 tracker of loopy tech house, perfect for summer.

What can you tell us about this mix you’ve put together for us? How did you approach the mix, what kind of energy can we expect and are there any tracks or artists you would like to give a shout-out to in particular?

I really enjoyed working on this mix. It is a culmination of records I digged whilst travelling over the last few months- all tied together. It’s a fun summery mix that can be enjoyed in the park, driving in a car or at your afters/pre-drinks. I hope you can enjoy 🙂

Finally, how’s the EU summer shaping up for you and what else might you have in the works for 2023?

Things are shaping up nicely. Plenty more gigs in beautiful cities, catching up with friends and family and enjoying life. A couple more records on the way. I am keen to focus more on my digging and djing this year, and play some good sets.