Following his latest offering ‘Wander Pt.1’ hitting the shelves through Unknown Records, we spoke with Australia’s very own Daniel Tonik to learn more about what went this stunning two track selection plus a deeper look at the man behind the decks.

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HMWL – Can you tell us a bit about your journey in the music industry so far? What led you to become a DJ and producer?

Daniel Tonik – A journey, to say the least!! I grew up around dance music for most of my life, my dad was a DJ in the 90s so I’d often be watching him and his friends jam out with crates full of vinyl records… anything from funk to acid house, it definitely played a part for me having such a broad love and appreciation for so many different styles of music. I picked up DJing around 08/09, it started off as just a bit of fun after school. In 2012, I downloaded Ableton with not a clue of what I was doing, something to fill my spare time until I finally got the hang of the program. I signed my first record in 2017 and it just snowballed from there.

I’ve always strived for a higher purpose in life, and being able to make people feel emotions and connect to music has always been my main goal and inspiration.

HMWL – How did your musical style develop over the years, and who have been your biggest influences?

Daniel Tonik – I’ve had a fair crack at making a wide variety of genres in the dance music world, I never pigeon-holed myself to one genre or style and I believe that’s what has helped me to develop my own sound. Progressive House was my original first love and it’s stuck with me for the entirety of my career.

Through the different era’s of my musical journey, I’ve had a few key influences but if I had to narrow it down to the most important ones, I’d have to say Eric Prydz, RÜFÜS DU SOL & Camelphat musically as well as Solomun & Laurent Garnier for pushing the boundaries with versatility as DJ’s.

HMWL – Congratulations on the release of “Wander Pt. 1”! How did the collaboration with Unknown Records come about?

Daniel Tonik – Thank you!!

Unknown Records have been one of my all time favourite independent Australian labels. I’ve watched so many of my favourite Aussie artists kickstart their careers with Unknown and go on to do some amazing things… Paris, Luke Alessi, Nyxen — to name a few.

I’ve always had my sights on UNR, I just wanted to make sure I was delivering my finest work before giving it a shot and I felt “Wander” was the perfect opportunity to reach out. I feel honoured to be apart of such a prestigious underground music family!

HMWL – What has the response been like so far from fans and the industry for this EP?

Daniel Tonik – The response has been incredible. As I said, I feel like “Wander” is my best work to date and fans, friends and the industry seem to be echoing the statement. I was blown away to receive early promo support from Marco Carola & Joseph Capriati among a tonne of amazing local and international artists.

I’ve seen a major increase in bookings and shows across Sydney & Australia, so it’s definitely getting noticed in all the right spots!

HMWL – What was your creative process like for “Wander Pt. 1”? Did you face any challenges during production?

Daniel Tonik – I loved every second of the process, I started writing “Fara” in 2022 on my way back from Greece. I had just finished playing a bunch of shows in Mykonos and I was super inspired coming back home. Both tracks kind of sat for a little while until I revisited them again during my travels last year. I was doing a bit of solo travelling through Europe and I drew inspiration from the sights, sounds & cultures of various different places. I think the only challenge was not actually being in a studio environment, most of the process was done on the fly in my headphones… so it wasn’t until I returned home where I could actually lock in on the finer details, mixing, mastering etc.

HMWL – “Fara” and “Kosmos” are both captivating tracks. Can you share the inspiration behind these pieces?

Daniel Tonik – “Fara” was an interesting one. I was in Mykonos and felt super inspired after my run of shows. I had come across a few Balkan & Eastern European atmospheric/tribal singers (I really can’t think of a better way to describe it hahaha) and that’s where I got the inspiration for the vocal sample in Fara.

“Kosmos” is definitely a cinematic statement piece in my opinion. The idea was to take listeners on a sonic journey and transport them to another dimension, it has a kind of “space” theme hence the title.

Fun fact: Fara means “to travel/traveller” in Old Norse and Kosmos meaning “order/harmony/the world” in Greek. A fun little play on my writing journey as I was travelling the world at the time (which also inspired the EP title).

HMWL – Can you walk us through the production techniques and tools you used for this EP?

Daniel Tonik – I’ve always been a minimalist and believe less is more in music production. I find I use a lot of reverb, space & silent points in all my tracks to really emphasise the cinematic and atmospheric themes of my sound.

HMWL – The title “Wander Pt. 1” suggests there’s more to come. What can we expect from “Wander Pt. 2”?

Daniel Tonik – Absolutely, Part 2 will continue the Wander journey. I’m really excited for 2, again another couple tracks created on my travels — one being quite a large festival style melodic/progressive track and the B-side diving into the deeper house realm which is already getting some early hype from DJ’s test running it in sets.

HMWL – Are there any upcoming collaborations or projects you can tell us about?

Daniel Tonik – I’ve got a tonne of new projects in the works, excited to be collaborating with Melodic DJ/Producer/Vocalist Jordz (from Melbourne, AU) who laid down some amazing haunting vocals as well as some insane writing on one of the new tracks out on Part 2.

I’m back writing with Shiralee Coleman and I’ve been producing a heap of new music with my good friend Anton Yaz. Surrounded by so many talented and driven individuals and I’m just so excited to see where all this goes.

HMWL – Could you give us a glimpse into your studio setup? What are your essential pieces of gear and software?

Daniel Tonik – I’ve been slowly building up my home studio over the last few years, it’s a really cool creative space. In terms of software, I’m on Ableton but have started to learn FL so I can work with a broader range of artists. Just recently upgraded my monitors to Yamaha HS7’s, I’ve got a Novation Bass Station II synthesizer, Roland SPD-SX sampling pads, a Native Instruments Maschine MK3 & a Novation Launchkey 61 MK2. (I’ve also inherited my dad’s turntables, so a piece of nostalgic history sitting pretty in the studio).

HMWL – How do you approach the balance between hardware and software in your production?

Daniel Tonik – I generally will start with a jam out session on the bass station synth. Having the controls at my finger tips is a real game changer, the sound design opportunities are endless and I sometimes get carried away spending way too much time creating sounds. Once I’ve inspired a new idea, it’s straight into the software and I’ll keep building from there.

I’ve got a background as a drummer so I like to use the pads to bash out cinematic drum loops.

HMWL – How do you stay inspired and motivated in such a competitive industry?

Daniel Tonik – I think having such an incredible support network helps a lot. I surround myself with winners, hustlers and go-getters; it’s quite easy to stay motivated when everyday I get to see all the positive things my friends are up to in their respective industries.

If I’m having an off week and my creativity is low, I don’t beat myself up about it. I enjoy the downtime, I think it’s crucial for a healthy balance. I never try to force anything because art needs to come naturally.

HMWL – What advice would you give to aspiring producers and DJs looking to break into the scene?

Daniel Tonik – Always stay true to yourself, don’t try to be like someone else. Stay consistent and most importantly… always be kind!

HMWL – Where do you see your music evolving in the next few years? Any genres or styles you’re eager to explore?

Daniel Tonik – I feel like my sound is always evolving. I’ve been diving into the Afro/Latin House world recently and I’m so excited to see what cool concepts I can create with the global influences.

 

HMWL – How do you prepare for your live sets, and what can fans expect from a Daniel Tonik performance?

Daniel Tonik – Energy!! I enjoy telling a story and taking people on a journey, there’s nothing more I love than connecting with people on a dance floor… I find it almost spiritual.

I’m listening to music 24/7, always trying to find something new and exciting, so I’ll be subconsciously preparing for a set in my everyday life. I do prefer an extended set, 3+ hours where I can properly embark on a journey and play all the music I love from a wide range of genres.

HMWL – Do you have any memorable experiences or stories from your gigs that you’d like to share?

Daniel Tonik – There’ve been so many amazing experiences so it’s really hard to narrow it down to one. But if I had to choose one: I hosted my first “Daniel Tonik & Friends” in Mykonos last year, we took over MYK Boat Club for a sell out event. I was surrounded by all my friends and it was just the most perfect day. I played the sunset closing set, “Innerbloom” by Rüfüs as the sun was setting, you just can’t recreate that moment… goosebumps.

HMWL – Is there anything else you’d like to share with your fans or our readers?

Daniel Tonik – I just want to thank everyone for the ongoing love and support. It really means the world and I can’t wait to see how far we can go on this journey ❤️

HMWL – Where can people follow your journey and stay updated on your latest releases and performances?

Daniel Tonik – I’m super active on Instagram, so be sure to follow me to stay up to date with everything — @danieltonikmusic

Wander Pt.1 is out now and available to download here.