Meet the Gorilla Strong Melbourne DJ who loves to experiment, Grant Cook

Grant Cook is a Melbourne-based DJ and creative known for serving up disco, house, funk, techno and club sounds with a strong focus on reading the room and keeping the dancefloor moving. He is associated with the PAN Party Melbourne and is described as a resident DJ and co-founder, with a style that blends soulful grooves, disco house and techno-leaning energy depending on the night. In Melbourne’s queer nightlife and community spaces, he has been billed as a local favourite and a regular presence behind the decks.

Luka Musicki (L.M.): So, welcome to the interview, Grant. I am glad to have a sit-down with you. How is life going so far? Just to open with an ice-breaker.

Grant Cook (G.C.): Glad to be having this sit-down, too. How’s life been? Life has been really busy at the moment. Between work, DJing, art and all the other stuff I’m doing at the moment its been pretty crazy.

L.M.: What was life like growing up in Melbourne? Have you travelled to other cities in Australia? And how did you fit in the queer community?

G.C.: I grew up in the north-eastern suburb of Greensborough, which was really bogan. I listened to heavy metal, had long hair, wore metal t-shirts and smoked a whole lot of pot. That was what it was like. Getting stoned and listening to early Pink Floyd albums in someone’s bungalow bedroom. This all changed when a friend from the UK introduced me to techno and raving in my last year of high school. I got to be part of that scene that blossomed here in Melbourne. Those years of raving changed everything for me and put me on the path that I’ve largely stayed on to this day.

I’ve been to a few other cities in Australia. I’ve been to Sydney many times, Brisbane a couple of times and to Perth a couple of times. 

Fitting into the queer community is always an interesting question. Sometimes I feel like I don’t fit at all, lol! But over time, I’ve built up friends and relationships with people near and far. That’s what community sort of means to me, the friends you keep. Coming out was something that took time for me. I was 25 when I did it, so I was a late starter. The Laird was instrumental in that process. I had a safe space to really be myself. I had to start from scratch, so I made all new friends and connections. It took time, but I got there. 

L.M.: You do DJing at the Laird in Melbourne. When did you first do DJing, and what is the DJ experience like at the Laird? Do you DJ in other venues and events? So far, I am aware that you do Wet in Wellington Sauna, Grunt, Pan Future Techno and The Laird. 

G.C.: My very first DJing experience at a party was way back in the mid 2000s at a party called Witness Protection Program Social Club. I helped with the flyers for the party (where I made a lot of mistakes but learned a lot). Shannon (the guy who ran WPPSC, RIP) gave me my first-ever opening set at one of the parties. It was a terrible mess, and my mixing sucked. I was using vinyl back then, so it was a lot more unforgiving. But I like to think that at least the tracks I played were good, lol! I’ve gotten a lot better since then.

DJing at the Laird can often feel like I’m DJing in my living room in a way. I’m so familiar with the venue. I’ve been going there since my twenties. I used to get really nervous before my gigs at the Laird, but I’ve got pretty comfortable with it over time. DJing at Wet on Wellington is always fun.

L.M.: Staying with the DJ topic, what type of music do you DJ? Like, do you mix Acid House? Deep House? Disco?

G.C.: So, my love of dance music is coloured by two things: my raving and then my embrace of clubbing via an almost perfect club in Melbourne called Freakazoid. Raving gave me a deep appreciation for old school techno and the deep Detroit sound, and Freakazoid instilled in me a deep and abiding love of house. Between these two poles, everything else fits. I tend to like weird stuff too. 

My favourite DJ in the world is the awesomely talented Derrick Carter. He has had a deep and profound influence on me musically. I’ve also met him a few times, and he is hilarious.

Working as a DJ also changed what I play. Catering to a gay crowd has certain needs that need to be addressed. They will want their divas; they want to sing along. The trick is to give the audience what they want without losing your sense of self to it. I always try to find remixes that fit my sound.

L.M.: So, tell us about Afrenasia, is this your DJ name? And how did you get this name? 

G.C.: Afrenasia didn’t start as my DJ name, but it’s become that in the last year or so. Previously, I just used my actual name. Afrenasia is the name of my design/art company/project. How I got the name is an interesting story. The short version is, add LSD to the movie Naked Lunch, mishear the final sentence of the movie, lol! The miss heard line was “Welcome to Annexia”, which I thought was profound and beautiful when I first heard it. I knew it was “welcome to…” and the last word started with an “A”. This viewing occurred before the internet was what it is today, so after watching the movie, I couldn’t just go and check what the last line was. So, my head invented the word “Afrenasia”. At first, I used Afrenasia as a corporation name in a cyberpunk story I was putting together. Then it became the name of my design stuff. Finally, when I started DJing at my own party PAN, I took on Afrenasia as my DJ name as well.

L.M.: You seem to have a lot of party outfits, mostly jocks and harnesses, for your party events, what is the inspiration for the wear?

G.C.: For going out, I use the same advice to myself that I give to others. Does this make me/you feel sexy? If the answer is “yes” you are on a winner. Sexy and comfortable to dance in. I’ve always found lycra and leather sexy. I have a huge collection of stuff.

L.M.: So, you do some artworks, like the biomechanics drawing sketch with blue biro, similar art design of Scorn. What is your inspiration for doing this type of artwork, and what is the process?

G.C.: Ok, so if the kids don’t know about H R Giger, the incredible Swiss designer and surrealist, this is your wake-up call. Get into his work! He is the designer behind the Xenomorph from the Alien franchise. His work is a diabolical mix of flesh, machine, sex and stylised violence. He literally gave us the biomechanoid. He has been a profound influence on me and my work, and a direct influence on hand-drawn work. You see his influence very directly in the art direction of Scorn as well.

The other influence in these drawings, which is a bit less visible but still underlines the process, is the graphic design and art of British designer Roger Dean. His logo work and landscapes still inspire me. His influence is severely underrated. He designed the YES logo and album covers from the 70s and the logo for seminal 90s game company Psygnosis. 

These influences go into my pen-drawn stuff. The process of doing it has evolved over time. Initially, it was just going over a page of notes I’d made during the day. But then I started doing it on fresh pieces of paper, and then on larger pieces of paper. The process has become much more detailed over time as well. I can shade with a pen as I could with a pencil now, so I can make it all look a lot more 3-dimensional. I imagine the drawing as strange little organic creatures, floating in some sort of fluid. There are rules to this strange world of organics. I learn more about it every day. How they fit together, what they can and cannot do. The art teaches me how to make it.

How I do them is I start with a very quick scribble or frame, and then I fill it in over time. It sits on my desk during work, and I add a little bit each day. Each artwork evolves till it is complete, then I start another.

L.M.: Sticking to the artwork topic, you have experimented with Midjourney. What led you to Midjourney? What do you do, and what advice do you have for people when using Midjourney? 

G.C.: Initially, I was just curious about Midjourney and wondered how far I could push it with ideas. I quickly discovered its limits; basically, it needs a reference for any idea. It struggles when you ask for something it cannot reference. I use it mainly for very basic idea creation, sort of like making a stock image. It gets more interesting when you start with your own work and iterate on it. It’s also not stable; new versions don’t necessarily produce better outcomes. Some things improve, but some things go backwards. My advice is to have it around as an idea spark or stock image generator. DO NOT RELY ON IT. It works best when you go to it with vague ideas; wanting something specific is a lot harder to nail down. Also, feed outputs you like back into it. You might not be able to fully control its outputs, but you can push it in certain directions. It does simplify a lot of processes if you bring stuff into it. Getting Midjourney to animate a character I’ve designed is a lot easier than putting that character design into After Effects and animating it there.

L.M.: And you go to the gym to keep fit, especially with those sexy pictures of you in those poses in the jocks? What gym do you go to, and what workout routine do you do to keep fit and strong like a gorilla? And do you do modelling? You would look great for the Sugar Plump Fairy’s clothing line.

G.C.: I go to the local Anytime Fitness gym in Collingwood, which is around the corner from my apartment so its super easy. I go 5-6 times a week usually. I do one body part per session, chest, back, shoulders, arms and legs. I’ll double up on one body part if I want to push that part. Currently I’m focusing on my back, it needs more thickness. I have done some modeling in the past but not much. I’d love to model for Sugar Plump Fairy (Gerard’s business name and DJ name). I’ll have to twist Gerard’s arm lol. 

L.M.: And it seems like you enjoyed your travel to Japan recently, what was it like and who did you travel with?

G.C.: Japan is amazing and I’d recommend going to anyone. Food and clothing are both quite cheap. I’ve been fascinated by Japan since an early age, with cartoons like Astro Boy and Star Blazers. I studied Japanese architecture at Uni (I have an Architecture degree) 

I travelled with my sister, her partner and my niece, which was great but also a bit limiting. It was more a shopping trip than a cultural trip. My niece wasn’t into going to temples etc. It was still great though, I came back with a new wardrobe of clothes, lol! 

L.M.: What do you do for hobbies and fun, other than your busy schedule? Travelling? Beach sessions?

G.C.: I have way too many hobbies, lol! I play Dungeons and Dragons (usually weekly but my group has been having a break and just doing board games for a bit) and collect RPG books (I have way too many). I’ve been a big collector of comics, mainly of the superhero variety (I started as a Marvel lad but moved to DC in the early 2000s). I write fantasy stuff and love world-building. I collect action figures, I collect Lego, and I collect Japanese kawaii stuff. I have a collection of graphic design and art books. There’s also the Lycra collection lol!

I’m not really a beach person, I incinerate in too much sun, lol! I’m too much of a pale Celtic guy. Half Scottish, half Irish descent. I’d travel more if it wasn’t so expensive, lol!

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

G.C.: Being a bear opens certain doors for you that would not open in the same way in the straight world. I’ve got to do amazing things that I would not have been able to do if I weren’t a bear. You end up with friends all over the world. This is how I’ve got DJ gigs around the country and overseas. I’ve designed stuff for people all over the world, too.

In the beginning, my audience was all bears, because they were my friends and social group. Nowadays, I might reach a bit further than the bear community, but it’s still where I get most of my support.

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

G.C.: Firstly, do something you are passionate about and work at that. Being a DJ, in any scene, is having your unique take on it. That’s true with art as well. What’s your take on it? Get good at what you do. Then start putting yourself out there. Expect to be rejected a lot, and when you get a foot in the door, know that you will be on the bottom rung of the ladder. It’s why it’s key to enjoy what you do. If you do it because it’s something you love to do, then success or failure, you get to do your thing your way. Chasing hype will burn you out eventually. But it’s also a game of networks and who-knows-who. So if you want to DJ, you have to be out there amongst it. Get to know the people in the scene. Make friends.

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

G.C.: Make more stuff, play more tunes, get bigger muscles! lol!

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?

G.C.: Firstly, thanks to a couple of people who have been with me for the long haul. My dearest friend Jimmy, who has helped me endlessly with the pocketbears project. Without Jimmy’s help, I’d wouldn’t have got half of it done. He also pretty much saved me from the darkest period of my life. I love him dearly. And to my other dearest friend Eric, with whom I run the party PAN, another debt of thanks. He’s my techno brother that I fight the good fight with. He pushes me to be a better DJ and designer. I push him to be out there more; he’s literally one of the best gay DJs in Melbourne. I love him dearly, too.

L.M.: Thank you, Grant Cook, for your time to participate in the interview with me. Now it is time for some quick-fire questions to round up the whole interview with you.

• What type of animal would identify with (and if a bear, what type?) Tiger (Wood Tiger is my Chinese zodiac sign). 
• Location: Melbourne, Australia
• Pronouns: He/Him
• Relationship status: Single
• Favourite Drink: Vodka soda
• What type of guy are you into? Short, muscley/fit dudes with beards. Bonus points for hairy and nerdy! Most of those points are negotiable, except for beards! lol!
• Favourite Cities/Vacation Spots:  Siena, Tuscany (Italy), Gion District (Kyoto, Japan), and Koh Samui (Thailand).
• Favourite Hobby or Pastime: It’s between drawing, designing and writing.
• Idea of a good date? Well, it’s usually straight to shagging with me lol! But dinner and a movie are nice 
• What do you look for in a guy? A killer smile, it’s my kryptonite.  
• Where can you find yourself?
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grant.cook
  • Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/afr_gc
  • Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/grantcook/
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afrenasia/
  • Kris Bee Bacon tee collab: https://www.krisbeebacon.com/collections/pocketbears-official-collab-collection