This week on our culture spotlight we interviewed Casper AKA Young Gho$t, the man behind the capital’s underground promotional powerhouse Ghost Media. Responsible for some of the sickest jungle, garage, and breaks nights in recent memory, Welly bass heads should be familiar with Ghost Media as a staple for a great night out. We quizzed Casper on the beginnings of his “one-man-operation”, the highlights and lowlights of running events, and what’s on the cards for the future…

“Initially Ghost Media was started as an outlet to platform myself, as well as other artists who had talent but weren't necessarily getting booked at parties or gigs. A lot of the Ghost Media ethos is rooted in hip-hop, punk, hardcore and metal, so we are firmly on the side of the underdog, championing the voices of the underground that don't always get a light shone on them. It started off with more of a hip-hop focus, then over time I realised that I wanted to shift things towards rave-style electronic music events, as it felt like there was a more positive and fun culture around them, fostering an enjoyable environment with good knock-on effects to the community.

I never really wanted to run events, there just wasn't anybody else putting on the sort of shows that I wanted to go to. I'm a music fan first and foremost, and that's why the focus of the events is always on platforming the artists and creating an environment where people can enjoy listening to the music. That’s exactly what makes Ghost Media events so special - the music and the people who come with it. We try to deliver a cross section of up to date cutting-edge sounds, alongside the more classic sounds that helped to inform the genres that we love in their formative days. I am a huge believer in the role of history in music, and aim to educate as well as entertain. As a result of what we push, I think we end up with crowds that are a bit more music-oriented, who aren't just there to party. This is where I think our goals align with Twisted in particular - we are spreading love through music and connecting like minded people across their passion.

What I love about Welly is that it is such a cultural melting pot, and you get people who actively engage with niche interests. There's a lot of artists here, so people really appreciate artistry within music, which is what allows us to bring relatively niche acts time and time again. Another thing that is unique about Welly is how small it is for a major capital city, so we get all these big artists that end up playing in a tiny bar like Valhalla or Moon. One of my proudest moments was  the first time we packed out Valhalla for an international. We had Killjoy and Peaky Beats on for a double header and it was just carnage. That was when I realized that there was a place for this type of music, and that what we were doing was truly a community service. Another time I felt that was when we hosted Breaka and Bakey on a sunday night at San Fran and sold over 200 tickets. I couldn't believe we got that many people out on a Sunday night and was so amazed by how far the whole thing had come.

On the other hand, it isn't always an easy place to run events, and you can't just throw a night and expect people to come, especially with this type of music. The last year has been especially challenging as people have been doing it a bit rough financially, and don't always have the money in their budgets to afford $30 or $40 for a concert ticket, so we try and give out free tickets where we can. In an ideal world these events would be free so everyone can indulge, but sadly we do have costs to cover. 

Regardless of the ups and downs, it’s all been worth it. Over the past couple of years we’ve been able to host so many incredible artists including 4am Kru, Cesco, Plastician, Coco Bryce, Sully, Goth-Trad, Doc Scott, Isgwan, Papa Nugs, Need For Mirrors, Sam Binga and Paige Julia. Running events with so many amazing musicians and being able to chat to them and pick their brains is something else. One highlight that stands out in particular is spitting bars over Main Phase & Neffa T's b2b and having Neffa-T chop while I was spitting - that was absolutely surreal. 

We have some big events in the works in the near future.This Friday (15th November) we are teaming up with Third Eye Hi-Fi and Jungle Juice, doing a multi-level rave at The Grand headlined by none other than Breakage, an absolute legend of jungle dnb. We've got an all-star jungle lineup downstairs, and essentially two techno parties upstairs, so I'm excited to see these two worlds collide. It'll probably be the first time we've tried to push an event this large with jungle as the focus, but hopefully people are ready. We shall see! We've also got a couple of shows locked in for 2025 already, but honestly I'm at the point of trying to say no to as many as possible now - I have been struggling with my musical output a bit since being so busy, and next year I'm hoping to shift the focus away from running events and a bit more towards finishing and releasing some of the music that I've been working on.

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Before all that though, Twisted is next on the list! I just can't wait for that feeling you get when you get to the valley and you realize you don't have to do anything for the next five days except embark upon silly shenanigans and listen to sick tunes. There is something about being in that remote location, surrounded by like minded weirdos, all ready for the same chaos. I have heaps of friends who I only get to see at Twisted, and it's always fun catching up with them all. I've heard it's the ten year anniversary this year, and the lineups have just been getting bigger and better year by year, so I assume we have some amazing acts to look forward to. I definitely can't wait to DJ at the Beat Bach for the first time - there is something about Twisted that just makes it one of my favourite places to perform. The crowds are so open-minded, and you can really push the boat out and play tunes you might not get away with at other festivals.

My favourite set I've ever seen at Twisted was Digital last year. I've seen some epic sets in the Cobb over the years, but getting to witness one of the originators of the drum’n’bass sound laying it down in the valley sent chills all up and down my spine. Earlier that night I played probably the best set of my life, with Bad Taste, and that was pretty crazy. The giant b2b2b2b last year was absolutely iconic too.

To cap things off I would like to give a shout out to Further Sound. Mikey (who runs Leather Kennel studios) in particular is the backbone of a lot of our operations. Without those guys we wouldn't be able to have achieved half of what we've done. I also want to give a shout out to Third Eye Hi-Fi and Tubs Audio, the other two sound systems we work with - both great teams run by knowledgeable and passionate people. I would also like to big up my partner Gianni, as well as Noyer, whom I run the Garage Sale events alongside, as they are always open books who I'm able to bounce ideas off. Shout out to Piper from Support Your Local Collective, another absolute legend. Last but not least all the talented VJs and lighting operators we work alongside - Cubeman, Lightsmith, Lightcraft, Uncle Graham, Grace, all the others. Not to mention Ben from Valhalla, Jamie from Moon - it takes a lot of people to run a ‘one-man operation’!”

Massive ups to Ghost Media for their mahi in the music scene! If you’re in Welly this weekend get down to Shakedown at The Grand on Friday for an epic three stage rave - you don’t wanna miss this one!