Terminal V Podcast 080 || Ollie Lishman

Ollie Lishman is one of a number of artists who have made their mark in Australia and moved over to Europe to continue making waves. The Naarm/Melbourne native is now based in Berlin and mixing up the city’s sounds with his own style brought from home. He calls it simply ‘groovy electronic music’ and it takes in big beats, infectious energy and smart samples from across the hard dance spectrum.

He recently made his production debut on Hot Meal and offered up four colourful, full-fat cuts with plenty of character and endlessly infectious bounce. He follows up that up with a fine entry into our mix series which showcases just what you will get from him in the club in 2025. Stick it on and read our chat which touches on his creative process, mixing up influences and lessons he has picked up along the way.

 

 

How has the production journey been so far? How much have you learned since the first one?

The EP release has blown away a lot of my expectations—it’s been unreal seeing it played and enjoyed by so many people. “WATCH YO STEP” was completely written overseas in Berlin and the UK. I think this was a big step in my journey, learning how to produce in foreign spaces rather than my usual studio. Also, collaborating with artists is pretty new to me. I’ve always been pretty independent, but I love how much you can learn from other people’s work styles. Being in the studio with others has been such a rewarding experience.

How long has it been since you started, and what do you hope is your signature sound?

I think I always give a different answer to this because it’s been so long my memory is fading! I’ve been doing music for most of my adult life. I started when I was young—probably around 8 or 9—when I got my first keyboard and learned through YouTube. Then, in my teens, I shifted to guitar, which I learned with a teacher. Producing electronic dance music really began in my teenage years. My current SoundCloud account has tracks that go back to 2014.

My sound is still evolving, and I think that’s what I love about it right now. I don’t want to box myself into one particular style yet—I just make groovy electronic dance music.

How do you approach writing? Do you have a sound in your head you’re aiming for or a moment in the night you’re trying to soundtrack?

I usually wake up, have some coffee, and produce all day. If I’m not still producing at night, I’ll spend my evenings listening to random archive YouTube accounts to find inspiration, which I think heavily impacts the next day’s writing process.

When I’m planning for a big set, though, I do produce with specific moments in mind—like an opener track, a middle track, or a closer.

More and more artists from Naarm seem to be making moves over in Europe, so is it fair to say the scene is in a good way right now? What’s it like for anyone who hasn’t been?

Absolutely. The fact that it’s possible for artists to move so far away and still stay connected through touring and their passion is a great sign for the scene. A lot of people think artists are moving because they have to, but really it’s because the demand is there. So many amazing artists are emerging, and Australia is relatively small—it’s easy to end up with too much free time if you’re trying to do this full-time.

How much does living in Berlin influence what you make, play, and listen to? Or do you think you still have a musical identity tied to your time coming up in Aus?

I definitely still have my Australian music identity, and I aim to showcase that over here. But of course, it’s merging with new influences. That fusion is so exciting—it’s all connected in a way, but it’s become a core part of my project.

Recently, our Hotmeal Records Aus tour showed just how good that influence is and how much our supporters love it.

 

Interview by Kristan Caryl