Monday, September 7, 2026
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Dark Sin, Juicy Fruit, Sin: Inside the World of Chunk Australia’s CEO

Luka Musicki

Born in Carlton, Victoria, Sinan (Sin) grew up in his early years in Hadfield, Glenroy, before moving to Westmeadows right near Tullamarine, where he spent his high school teenage years.

That’s where his love for music developed and where he first got his hands on his turntables, which his mum got for him as a 17th birthday present. He first discovered nightclubs and DJing at underage events called Time at the infamous Metro nightclub in Melbourne.

Half his days at the events were spent watching the DJs in awe while they spun vinyl in their booth. He was hooked right away and knew instantly that’s what he wanted to do with his life. That was about when he was 15 years old.

He started taking music more seriously around 18, when he started going out as an adult, where he first discovered hard trance at ZOS nightclub, now Chasers on Chapel St. His weekends were full of clubbing and record hunting, and he loved it.

He already had a healthy record collection after winning a Metro underage DJ competition at 17 years of age, which won him a year-long subscription to the Central Station Records promo list, which meant he received about 15–20 records for free every month for a year.

He started producing music around the same time and produced about 100 tracks from the ages of 20 to about 27 or so. Only one song was ever signed to a label, but he is super proud of the music that he produced and still plays some of it out and about today. He never really got back into producing after that time, but he still has hopes of re-igniting his creative production spark.

Right Pic (above): Deputy Editor, Luka Musicki, with Sinan (Sin) Bayram. Pictures credit: Robert Knapman.

Fast forward about 10 years, and a very dormant Melbourne hard trance scene was around. He discovered live streaming on Facebook in 2017, which led to the development of a beautiful community in his hard trance vinyl streams, which led to the creation of his first proper club brand, TR!P.

Since launching and running his first TR!P event in 2017, which focuses solely on hard trance vinyl classics, celebrating the music and passion we had for the scene that was peaking in the early 2000s.

Since then he has created multiple EDM brands, including Alchemy which focuses on classic and current trance music, Chunk which celebrates all the beautiful bigger bodies in our gay scene, and co-created brands such as house music label ‘It’s a House Thing’ and ‘Melbourne Hard Trance Reunion (MHTR)’, which he co-promote with Hard Kandy & Pharmacy and is a once yearly event which hosts over 2000 people and celebrates the classic hard trance days.

Right now, his focus is on his newest venture, Sinergy, which sees me headline his own shows, playing 6-hour extended vinyl sets and taking his dance floors on a journey through his personal favourite tunes, spanning dance, club dance, trance, hard trance, and hardstyle. They have just had our second-ever Sinergy event, which was a sold-out event at 24 Moons. It is a truly amazing journey that Sin has gone through.

Luka Musicki (L.M.): Hi Sinan, it is nice to meet you at the “CHUNK SYDNEY: MARDI GRAS EDITION | 21 FEB 2026” event, and I am glad that you were interested in sitting down with me for an interview. How have you been since then? Always busy?

Sinan Bayram (Sin): Correct! Always busy, but humbled and honoured that I get to do what I love for a living. I certainly do not take the ‘busyness’ for granted.

L.M.: Do you prefer Sinan or Sin (when meeting people or it depends how people know you). For your DJ handle, I can see that you go by Dark Sin for the Chunk Events? Do you go by Juicy Fruit as well, or is this someone else? If you have two, do they have different styles with DJing?

Sin: I prefer Sin. It’s somewhat my chosen name and a nickname that my own mother coined for me ever since I was just a young pup. Regarding DJ handles, Dark Sin is predominantly my Trance / Hard Trance alias, whilst Juicy Fruit takes over when I’m playing my Chunk/house music sets.

L.M.: What was it like growing up in Melbourne, especially in the queer and bear community?

Sin: It was interesting! I was somewhat of a late bloomer and didn’t come out till I was in my late 20s or early 30s, can’t really remember. Growing up in the northern suburbs and being gay was not easy. I didn’t have any gay friends or even know anybody who was gay till much later in life. Having Islamic parents and a cultural background also made it very difficult to learn to accept myself.

I’ve only really been a part of the gay bear scene over the last 5 years or so, though, and have met some of the most beautiful people and made some of the closest connections in my life since.

L.M.: You have been a DJ and producer for over 30 years and 2 months, right? When did you get into DJing, and why do you like it (i.e. the passion)? What type of music do you usually spin/DJ at events/venues?

Sin: Correct! I started mixing music on a small analog mixer and 1 x CD player and 1 x DVD player. I would mix with whatever I was able to get my hands on. That would have been back in 1995 or so. I then got my turntables at 17 and fell in love with mixing vinyl.

Why do I like it? Wow what a question. Honestly, there is nothing more in this world that I love more than playing and mixing music. But it has to be vinyl! Playing digital gives me just a fraction of the joy mixing vinyl does. Something about controlling the record with my own fingers, having to delicately work with the format to get the songs at the right speed to then mix, I just love it, and always have.

The satisfaction of getting a mix right, the joy of just being so hands on with the turntable is just like nothing else in the world for me.

That’s the playing side, the performing side is what really gets my juices going. I used to play my music loud in my bedroom as a teenager, just staring at a wall but imagining that I was playing to thousands of people somewhere. I would get goosebumps just picturing the joy I could bring to people.

To now be able to actually do exactly what I used to dream about is an absolute blessing. The feeling I get from DJing has not changed at all over the past 30 years. Whether I was playing to my walls as a 17 year old, or to 20 people as an upcoming DJ, to 2000 people at a packed out venue, it’s always been the same.

My love for not only sharing the music I love, but being able to create connections and grow communities that bring people happiness fills me with more love and joy than I could have ever imagined. Some DJs prefer to be in a dark corner just playing music, but to me being a DJ is so much more. I see myself as a creator.

I create spaces people can unite and forget about the troubles of the world and just be free, not only free from the outside world and all the negativity it brings, but even more importantly, free from our own incessant thought patterns and mental chatter.

I like to see my dance floors as a place for healing. Healing through connection, music, community. And as a promoter, I love creating a space where people can unite to do this together, and as a DJ, I love having the opportunity to personally connect with the people in front of me, sharing that sacred space for a few hours together while we share one energy, full of love, peace and oneness with the infinite.

It all sounds wild and very airy fairy, but I truly feel it on my dance floors, and just hearing all the feedback I get from people from ALL of my events that are coming from all different walks of life, I know that what I’m doing is really making a difference in people’s lives, and that gives me more inspiration to keep going than any dollar amount or any other measure of success ever could.

L.M.: Where do you usually DJ? Do you approach clubs and event organisers, or do they approach you or both?

Sin: I don’t really play many gigs that aren’t my own events. Lately since beginning my Sinergy events, I get to play 6-hour extended vinyl sets. Doing 2 of those a year is more than enough to satisfy my needs.

I do get booked for a few gigs throughout the year but I don’t really take on any gigs that aren’t special to me. DJing isn’t a hobby, it’s my life, and so I choose wisely where I spend my energy.

L.M.: What DJ equipment or DJ Controller do you use for DJing? Do you use different Pioneer and Denon equipment?

Sin: Personal preference is Technics SL1200 turntables and an Allen & Heath Xone 96 mixer, club standard digital decks, Pioneer CDJ2000s or 3000s, plus a DJM900 or similar mixer, do the job for other events.

L.M.: So you are the CEO of Good Times for Chunk Australia. How, when and why was Chunk Australia created?  

Sin: Chunk was created as I didn’t find that there was a place for the bigger bodies in the bear scene to get together in a non-judgmental, ego-free zone to be able to be themselves without the fear of being ridiculed or made to feel unwelcome.

I found certain other prominent events run in the Melbourne gay bear scene were quite pretentious and very ego-centric, and if there’s anything I could say I hate to see in nightclub spaces, it’s ego.

L.M.: What is the lifestyle for the Chunk Community? Or in other words, what would you expect at the Chunk event? Are they different in style?

Sin: Body-positive, confident, supportive, fun-loving, friendly, inclusive, free to be themselves, social, party energy mixed with genuine connection. People can expect club nights, themed parties, UV events, underwear parties and all-around inclusive vibes.

We like to throw nightclub-style events with great dj’s, music, decor and production with lasers, etc. Chunk Australia is about Body-positive, confident, supportive, fun-loving, friendly, inclusive, free to be themselves, social, party energy mixed with genuine connection.

L.M.: Do you usually DJ with a shirt or without a shirt? It can get very hot, djing in a venue with poor ventilation, right?

Sin: I love taking my top off when I’m DJing, but then again, I love taking my top off any opportunity I get. I lived my youth being extremely self-conscious of my body. To the point where I would get my mum to write me notes to the teachers at school so that I wouldn’t have to participate in school swim days.

My childhood is full of memories of me swimming with a t-shirt at the pools or the beach because I was too embarrassed to take my top off. That really affected me in the worst way.

However, since I had some really big breakthroughs in mental health in my late 20s and early 30s, I’ve been able to learn how to fully love and accept myself, and that comes with accepting my body for exactly what it is. And now, you can’t find me with a top on!

L.M.: Have you produced any music, and if so, what are they? If not, what would you produce if given the chance?

Sin: I did a lot of producing in my early 20s, and also wrote a song or two over the last few years. I would really like to get back into it, though. Anyone keen can hear some of my stuff on my Spotify.

L.M.: You will have the event “Dark Sin presents Sinenergy: Return to Source” on 4th April 2026. Can you tell us how you planned this event?

Sin: This event has just passed now and was honestly the pinnacle of my DJing and promoting career thus far. The show sold out with over a month to go as just myself as the solo act.

The Sinergy events are a place where I can connect with my audience for 6+ hours playing extended vinyl sets in a boiler room type set up with everyone all around me.

The 2 I’ve done so far have both been unbelievable experiences and I look forward to seeing where I can take it.

L.M.: I have recently completed my Club DJ Fundamentals course, and I want to get into DJing asap, what advice would you have for me? Would you be willing to do a collaboration with me if I was in Melbourne?

Sin: My advice for any upcoming DJ would be to just play to yourself as often as you can and not focus on trying to get gigs until you are totally comfortable in your skill as a DJ.

Do it for you first, because you love it and then and only then should you be focusing on trying to get gigs.

Right now it’s harder than ever to get gigs as every Tom, Dick and Harry is a DJ. So, unfortunately it’s become a numbers game.

Promoters are more interested in how many tickets you can sell rather than how good you can DJ, because almost anyone can be a good DJ, so why would they pick you over anybody else.

It’s tough out there, you either have to be unbelievably excellent, be a successful producer or bring 50 people with you to get gigs.

Personally, I love giving new, up and coming DJs the opportunity to open some of my events. And if they do a good job and are nice people, then they’ll usually find their way into my artist roster.

However because our events are so few and far between, it’s too difficult for me to give anyone a real shot.

L.M.: You have a nice short beard, do you agree, and how do you maintain your beard? (looks nice btw)

Sin: Haha, I’ve had this beard since I was 18, and honestly, it stems out of laziness more than anything.

L.M.: And tell us about your sweet puppy dog. What is its name, breed and special bond with you? 

Sin: Kiki! She’s the sweetest Groodle.

L.M.: Would you say being a bear has helped your career? Is your audience primarily bears for work and life?

Sin: Being a bear hasn’t affected my career in the slightest. I have found that my fans love me for how I make them feel. Anything else is a non-issue.

It’s actually so beautiful to see that so many people from all walks of life come to my events, support me and love what I do, knowing that I am a gay man and genuinely don’t give a s***. If only I could tell my 16-year-old self this.

L.M.: Is there any advice that you would give someone (like a bear) who would be interested in the DJ industry, including production and events management, and what is involved?

Sin: Just be yourself, be nice and respectful to everyone you meet, have zero expectations, nobody owes you anything, and expectation is the root of all heartache.

Do what you love and become excellent at it to the point where they can’t ignore you.

L.M.: What are your career goals for the future?

Sin: Right now I’d love to continue growing Sinergy into a larger scale, national production. In the near future I’d also love to get back into creating music. 

L.M.: Is there anything else that you would like to add in that I have missed, or you would like to say to our audience?

Sin: Just massive love and appreciation for all the people out there who have supported my vision over the years.

I don’t do things the traditional way and my events are very different to the norm, and so the fact that people out there believe in me and my vision really means the world to me.

L.M.: Thanks, Sin, for answering the main interview questions. Now it is time for the quick-fire questions.

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Luka Musicki

Luka is the Deputy Editor for Australian content for Bear World Magazine, part of Gray Jones Media. Luka is producing interviews with Australian and international bears, producing Australian city guides and interesting fun articles. His vision is to create a vibrant and supportive platform that celebrates the diverse spectrum of human bodies and experiences. His mission is to foster a community where individuals feel empowered to embrace their authentic selves, share their stories, and recognise the bear beauty in vulnerability and feeling great pride in themselves. Luka is also a resident writer for Konnect with Data (an Australian Data company).

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