The Huntress – Beyond the decks
If you’ve ever been on a dancefloor and felt yourself drop out of your head and back into your body — hips moving without thinking, breath slowing, rhythm taking over — that’s the space The Huntress plays from.
Her sets feel instinctive. They carry depth without heaviness, intensity without force. There’s always movement, but there’s also space — for play, for pleasure, for connection. Ahead of her appearance at Haven, we sat down with The Huntress to talk about intention, community, embodiment, and the way music can bring us back to ourselves.
1. Your sets are known for their cinematic tension, deep grooves, and primal feminine energy. When you step behind the decks, what intention or feeling do you hope to invoke on the dancefloor?
For me, music is soul food. When I’m behind the decks, my intention is always to tap into that part of each dancer’s psyche that makes them want to move and connect with their body, regardless of the time slot or genre. I want people to feel a deeper connection — to themselves and to each other. Life and the world can be heavy and serious, so the dancefloor becomes a place to get down and dirty, to reconnect with joy, play, and pleasure, and to remember what it feels like to be fully alive in your body.
2. You’ve played everywhere from UNVRS in Ibiza to Garbicz, Gardens of Babylon, Esoteric, and Ulu Cliff House. Is there one dancefloor or moment in your journey that felt especially transformative for you as an artist?
One of the most transformative moments for me was playing the fourth — and most recent — Psychedelic Bush Disco dancefloor. There’s something incredibly powerful about playing to your chosen community. Seeing the looks of pure joy after a weekend of deep connection really affirmed why I do this. Another standout moment was Chi Wow Wah City party in October, just after returning from Europe. I’d been playing in some incredible venues and felt deeply inspired, and that set truly lit a fire in my belly and marked a new chapter creatively.
3. Your sound carries an unmistakable wild, jungle-like quality — deep, mysterious, and tribal. Where does this sonic identity come from, and how has it evolved over time?
I’ve always been drawn to music that makes me feel something deeply – I think this has a lot to do with not only growing up in the 90s listening to rob but also my music theatre background, both which speak to the soul and also tell a story. On the dancefloor, that feeling is inseparable from how my body responds to the rhythm. I’m especially inspired by Afro and percussive sounds — there’s something so primal and grounding about them. I’m a storyteller by nature, and my sets have evolved into journeys where I can guide people through emotion, tension, release, and connection, using rhythm as the language.
4. As Director of Psychedelic Bush Disco and part of the Rewired Rhythms crew, community clearly plays a big role in your world. How does event creation influence your artistry behind the decks?
Community is everything to me. Music and festivals have brought me my soul tribe, and that deeply informs how I play. I see music as a powerful connector, so behind the decks I’m always choosing heart-forward, uplifting tracks that help people open up and connect with one another. Especially in times like these, creating spaces for community, joy, and togetherness feels more important than ever — and that intention flows directly into my artistry.
5. You move effortlessly between day vibes and late-night energy. What changes in your approach when you’re crafting a sunrise set versus a peak-time nighttime journey?
My approach is always guided by the audience and the journey I want to take people on. Set and setting are everything. During the day, I’m drawn to lighter, more expansive sounds that feel open, warm, and uplifting — music that mirrors the sun and the sense of ease people feel in daylight. As night falls, I naturally lean into deeper, moodier, and more shadowy textures. There’s more space to explore tension and mystery after dark, but the intention remains the same: to meet people where they are and guide them through a shared experience.
6. You’ve released mixes for Ibiza Global Radio, Beat & Path, and Deep House Melbourne. When curating recorded mixes, how do you choose what world you want the listener to enter?
It’s very much the same process as playing a live set. I start by imagining the listener — where they might be, what time of day it is, and how I want them to feel. From there, I build a journey that’s intentional and immersive, adapting the energy to suit the context. Even without a physical dancefloor, I’m still thinking about flow, emotion, and embodiment — creating a world the listener can step into and get lost in.
7. You describe your sound as “sacral music for the soul.” What does that mean to you personally, and how do you bring that sacred quality into a club or festival environment?
For me, the sacral chakra is all about pleasure, sensuality, and emotional expression, and that’s the place I want my music to come from and speak to. So much music can live in the head — very cerebral — but my intention is always to bring people back into their bodies. I want the sound to drop you down into your hips, your centre of gravity, to that grounded, instinctual place where movement becomes natural. Even in a club or festival setting, that embodied, almost ritualistic quality can turn the dancefloor into something sacred — a space to get down, feel deeply, and connect with yourself.
8. With a touring schedule that spans clubs, festivals, and global dancefloors, what is inspiring you most right now? Any new directions or creative edges you’re excited to explore next?
Right now, I’m incredibly inspired by the people around me in Melbourne who continue to keep the scene and the industry alive through pure passion and dedication. I’m also deeply motivated by female DJs who are leading the way globally — artists like Elif, Carlita, and Desiree — and showing what’s possible when women fully step into their power behind the decks. Creatively, I’m excited to keep diving into production and really commit to developing my own sound, with the goal of working towards a release by the end of the year.
There’s something grounding about the way The Huntress approaches music — it’s not rushed, not performative, not trying to prove anything. It’s about feeling. About being in your body. About sharing a moment with the people around you.
If you catch her on a dancefloor, come curious. Come ready to move. And don’t be surprised if you leave feeling a little more connected — to yourself, and to everyone else in the room.
