Dirty South's methodical mixing skills can be traced to the DJ's humble beginnings. He was born Dragan Roganovic in Belgrade, Serbia, and the encroaching unrest in then Yugoslavia sent his family packing to Melbourne, Australia, when he was 13 years old. Already a budding music nut, young Roganovic began taping music from the radio, which he'd then DJ with a rudimentary setup of two tape players, masterfully manipulating the pause and play buttons to create mixtapes for his friends. This continued for nine years, until in 2000, he got his first pair of turntables.
He made quick work of scoring on the international dance scene. After the usual club gigs and computer remixes, Roganovic, now properly known as Dirty South, gained a deal with Australian label Vicious Vinyl. He then put out his first release, 2005's "Sleazy" single. His 2006 remix of Evermore's "It's Too Late" gave him a bona fide club chart hit; its carefully calibrated jackhammer four-four aimed squarely at the peak hour. Dirty South's releases since then have continued on the same tack, squeezing a little grimy electro and techno flavor into often-vocal-heavy big-room hits. Saturday's gig at Mansion finds him celebrating the success of his newest single, "Phazing," a sunny summer anthem that Pete Tong anointed an Essential New Tune on his BBC radio show.
