Sifting through the momentous output of Australia’s Bang Gang is enough to not only moisten you. The talent and range of releases coming from the label leaves you flopping on the floor, covered in boners, laughing and smiling like a deranged fool. And we at Rhythm Sektion agree that this is what dance music should be doing to you. You can imagine our delight when we were allowed by the powers that be (Learning Secrets, see: these dudes), to interview the Bang Gang’s Gus da Hoodrat. Gus and all his compadres from down under make a shitton of music, and they bring it to the world covered in funny juices, an amazing design aesthetic, and a delightful charm and wit.

This Friday at Beauty Bar, $5 gets you dancing to the most insane mix of techno, some gay disco, slow mo booty bounce country twang, whatever you want. Read through Gus’ hilarious answers below, grab a few mixes and tracks, and come pwaty with us tomorrow.

RS: Explain to us a little about the setup of Bang Gang. Bang Gang is the record label, and then a touring act, with off-shoots and all, who’s all who in this mix?

BG: It’s actually quite funny to think that there is any type of “setup” with us. It has all been pretty random, and i’m not sure how we have ended up where we are now. Basically – Bang Gang was a party – the party then became a group of djs who then started a record label and then the group became a family and then some of the family members grew up and left home and then some brought their young cousins over and then they brought their friends to crash and so on and on and on…………

RS: What’s the dance scene like in your hometown? You guys have a club night there right? Is that how this whole thing started?

BG: We used to run a club night – and yeah that is where this all started. For some stupid reason we thought that we didn’t need to book dj’s – that we could do it all ourselves. We learnt the hard way. Deep-end theory…… actually more like deep-idiot theory. The dance scene in Sydney now is quite fickle, it is i guess you could say at a low-point, but its a transitional thing i think – and it is starting to harmonise again through all the great artists that are producing & performing.

RS: How do you feel about dance music around the world right now? With friends all over, and a heavy travel schedule, what have you loved lately?

BG: I think that its out of control – in a good way. So much stuff from so many people, lots of it exceptional and lots of it rubbish. But the good thing is that you can choose and choice is one thing we all have a lot of now. every tiny little sub-genre is covered. From neo-country-wobble-hop to liquid-proto-tech-pop its all there and ready to be consumed. My personal tastes are firmly rooted in techno, the psychedelic & futuristic side of house music, and the proto moments of disco and i think that is where they will always stay (whether or not i’m higher than a kite flying out of the kitchen window of Apollo 78).

RS: I can see a lot of elements to each release. what sectors of dance music, or all music, are your creative force right now?

BG: I love slowmo stuff – - i have been dancing too hard and too fast for too long. Its time for me to cut the dance moves down a little. One shoulder pop to every 2 foot-stomps. instead of 5 waist line winds and 8 shoulder pops to every single foot stomp. I think also my tastes have suddenly gone a little darker…. although it doesn’t always show in the music i dj. It’s more of a personal off-time thing.

RS: The artwork for each release and your site is really rad. Are the design elements your illustration/thinking/doing, or a friend’s, or what’s up with those? They’re awesome…

BG: It’s kinda usually directed by us in collaboration with friends and the artists. We have been lucky enough to have friends that were great to work with and always somehow visualise our direction… sometimes we even break out our limited graphic skills and do them ourselves (they’re probably the crap ones).

RS: Such a huge outpouring from new tracks and remixes to these zany songs on bumbleez tumblr, to just the humor in everything, it’s apparent you guys are super busy and having a lot of fun being so…I guess, what’s a typical day like for you?

BG: Wake up, vegemite on toast, ride my kangaroo to the studio, write 43.5 emails, have negotiations with a drum machine, more emails, drink a beer, ichat, say yes, say no, dinner (wombat stir-fry), go to the pub, go to bed. Its a simple life-style but i like it.

RS: How’s your tour going? Favorite place so far visited? Looking forward to anything in Austin?

BG: At this current point – i still haven’t even left Australia. So the tour has been easy – i am going to wake up in about 3 hours though and head to the airport – so maybe the pain will start off slowly building from there. I can say though – i am looking forward to some heavy slam-dancing and old-fashioned cowboy food when i get to Austin. You do eat everything out of old whisky barrels and drink out of gun-holsters yeah ? I heard the stories.

Outstanding. Big thanks to Gus for answering our questions. Check out the newest release from Bang Gang over here. Equally bonerific is this, a new mix from Finger Prince linked here, and this wobbly doopity cut below. See all you crazy kids Friday.

Stop Making Me – Tempo