ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY RED BULL, APRIL 2019
DJ JNETT is a name synonymous with the extensive and deep history of Melbourne dance music. A driving force in the genre through the '90s, Janette Pitruzzello's untouchable musical knowledge and skills behind the decks elevated the DJ to the upper echelons of reverence within the industry, while her fanbase would only continue to intensify and diversify as her career entered the 2000s.
But now, in a musical climate driven by digital connections and a global community made smaller thanks to the advent of technology and the internet, how does a luminary such as DJ JNETT view the ever-changing dynamics within the Melbourne music community?
Over a cup of tea in the city’s inner-north, JNETT opens up about the difference in scene now, to when she first began her journey through the ranks.
“I stuck to it because I was completely passionate about it.” she reflects on the early days. “In Melbourne when I was coming up, the huge thing was the progressive house sound. For me, I was more into underground house, disco, whatever genre you’re talking about. The musicality, I struggled with. Like, ‘There is all this other amazing music, how come this is such a dominant sound?’ Personally, it didn’t rock me, but it is what it is. I don’t know what it is, but it’s almost like this other force that kept me going in it.”
As we talk, JNETT’s unbridled love for the art of music and its many sonic forms rings out beautifully. From working in music on a retail front, to spending years crate digging and building an envious collection of her own, and then bringing her own DJ technique to packed clubs and audiences of thousands, Pitruzzello has an intrinsic connection to the beats, the whirrs of production – the odd sense of euphoria that comes with the completion of each sweaty set.
“I feel that there’s this thing that is innate inside you,” she says. “That when you’re exposed to certain things and it triggers something, you don’t really know the answer as to where it’s come from. There are certain personal friends who have really influenced me in such a massive way, musically. Producer-wise, there were a lot of American house producers who now have become headliner names. It’s interesting how before, it would be a sideroom thing, whereas now, everyone seems to be aware of those artists, it’s so interesting!”
Cutting her teeth on stages in Melbourne clubs, eventually growing her style and presence internationally and then on TV as a presenter on ABC's Recovery, Pitruzzello has thrived on each challenge to be put her way. However, she admits the path to success for today’s generation doesn’t necessarily align with her own values.
“Your drive for it changes.” she admits. “For me, I’ve just approached music really honestly, not in a conscious way, which I see a lot of now. The art of planning, ‘I’ve got to go from this to this.’ I’m avoiding a lot of the shitty gigs which I have spent a lifetime doing, because if that allows you to express yourself and hone in on your craft, the more the merrier. The more hours you clock in doing it, it becomes second nature.”
A mother of two, Pitruzzello’s priorities have undergone examination and change over the years. Her role as a parent is one she proudly speaks, but just as fiercely, she is also proud of the dynamic she’s been able to strike as being both a parent and a creative force. Not one to be pigeonholed, or have her path determined for her, DJ JNETT’s creative growth stems from an innate desire to go her own way.
“What I struggle with is the idea that there’s this lane you’re supposed to run with, if you want to keep your profile alive.” she says. “If you really remain true, then there is no formula. I’m not a 25 year old who wants to be posting selfies. There’s elements of that I really struggle with, but then I think, ‘You haven’t had to do that so far, you don’t have to feel the pressure of it’. I want to move past that. We’re in a different time now, it’s a different thing to be aware of. Regardless though, you do what you love - if you’re going to focus that much time and energy on it, you’ve got to love it. I know that for me, I love it on a level that I can’t really explain.”