trickpony & the art of coming together

As the size and scale of Australia’s electronically inclined musicians only grow, to many, it’s never been more important to set genre boundaries to help define who, what, and where they align.

Culturally, that same kind of segregation is having an arguably needlessly large moment across the less nuance-partial circles of music appreciation. Whether across specific dances, styles, or venues, the commitment to and enforcement of genre boundaries tend to scratch only the surface of what our relationship to music really means.

For those a little more genre-agnostic, music appreciation is a world often defined by emotion, values and approach to life, rather than any other predetermined factors. In recent years, the cultural dial within Australia’s more grassroots musical spaces has shifted slightly downward, toward musical projects moving away from hard-and-fast, whether purposeful or otherwise.

On a local level, that long list includes the likes of Acopia, A.S.O, Dregs, Hysterical Love Project, Now Always Fades, and trickpony, among many others. With so many of the people behind these projects with their feet firmly planted in other creative pursuits, sounds and spaces, what has unified them across this move into more ‘real’, live and less club-focused music is a shared love for creative experimentation.

trickpony is the blurring of three slightly different frequencies, spoken in the same artistic language.

Boorloo/Perth-originating producers and DJs Katie Campbell and Michael Gunson, also known as Roza Terenzi and Mike Midnight, respectively, have long stood as influential creative forces and ambassadors for the depth of Australia’s sound. In their own right, their musical output has sent ripples across the surface and depths of Australia’s broader musical ecosystem, with Katie’s label Step Ball Chain acting as a home for numerous of its resulting waves.

From trance-tipped prog and femme-forward breaks across Katie’s work and collaborative output, to the frission-inducing swagger that comes through across Mike’s, the pair may, to some, appear not to have a lot to learn.

In teaming up with Finnish designer and signer Maria Korkeila (also known as emkay), however, trickpony would immediately prove that sentiment wrong.

‘Pillow Talk’, trickpony’s first release, came to us in the first half of 2024, described by the group as “an assortment of sensual cyber jams collaged together… over timezones.” It found itself immediately beloved by many, clearly yearning for downtempo, trip-hop-leaning production of a quality as true as the sum of its parts.

Sultry, shimmering and groovy, ‘Pillow Talk’ took everything that the trio had developed up until this point, and delivered upon how one might imagine such a collaboration to feel.

In a world where isolated production by a single person is, in many ways, the norm, the way in which ‘Pillow Talk’ was made may not appear apparent to any listener. However, upon listening to ‘24/7 Heaven’, what becomes immediately apparent is an energy that didn’t exist before. The group’s second EP, released right at the close of 2025, sees the trio coming together to write in person for the first time.

The result is a piece of work that feels all the more true to its original self. The textures of ‘24/7 Heaven’ weave in and out of one another. Emkay’s lyrics float and dive beneath reverbed drum lines, talkative pads and synth-leads, and an ever-chugging set of bass lines. The group, having previously only worked in isolation, comes together in an entirely new way. So too, unlike ‘Pillow Talk’, ‘24/7 Heaven’ presented trickpony with the opportunity to play live for the first time, aided in part by Mike’s move to Berlin, allowing more time for collaboration, and the stages of un:send festival and Miscellania’s MEZZANINE in January of this year.

What has emerged from this latest release could only have been made in the act of coming together.

Off the back of those performances, Mixmag ANZ caught up with Katie, Maria and Mike to discuss what coming together for the shows and this latest release has taught them not only about the project, but also about their own creative practises.

KATIE: Well, technically it did start there! I had a total vision for this project and knew I wanted to work on something with Mike; we hired a studio in Perth a couple of years ago and just started spitballing.

I sent some of the rough demos over to Maria [I was blown away by her Gem-K project], and she immediately sent back the most amazing vocals. I knew we had to work on more together.

MARIA: I feel like trickpony took shape pretty quickly after we laid down the first track, it all came together so effortlessly, at least from my POV. For the first couple of years, we were doing everything (chronically) online from the opposite sides of the world... Mike and I only met in person when we all finally got together in April last year. I enjoyed collaborating with them so much that it was a no-brainer to continue. I was hungry for more… still am!

KATIE: Honestly, I don’t find it too difficult; I think by nature and because we all make so much different music in general, we naturally steer towards more innovative directions, also combining the creative perspectives of the three of us keeps things fresh IMO.

MIKE: I think with all live debuts, there is a really strong level of vulnerability that comes with it, wondering how the music will be translated into a live space. trickpony is a studio project, so it required a big time investment from all of us to structure, develop and rehearse our live set.

I was really nervous about it all, and it’s definitely a continued work in progress, but overall, I just remember feeling immense relief and happiness when I looked out at the crowd and saw everyone really enjoying the music. We were really lucky to be surrounded by such a supportive group of friends in the crowd. The Misc and un:send team were also amazing to work with and super encouraging.

MIKE: I’ve found it to be really freeing, not that it’s radically different from my solo project, but more so through the collaborative nature of it - there is a level of control that you have relinquish when writing music with three people. I can get a bit hyper-focused at times on my own work; it’s really nice to be forced to let go of that at some stage in the writing process so we can keep moving forward. In some ways, I’ve found that I’m also more inclined to experiment with production techniques, which I think is a testament to the dynamic, freedom and comfort in which we work together.

KATIE: Totally agree, I've found it to be an amazing outlet for creativity and leaning into new and ever-changing processes of collaborating and problem-solving. It all links into the work we do individually, but it's refreshing to be part of something bigger than an individual. Sometimes, when I need a breather from the more club-focused world I am frequently operating in, this project has been a haven for redirecting my production and musical energy.

MARIA: I’d been so focused on my design work in the past years that I’d kind of started to lose sight of what I wanted to say or do with music. Collaborating with Katie and Mike has really brought that into focus again, and it has been both grounding and uplifting. I’m a big fan of both of their own music, so it’s really exciting to see how they work and learn from them.

MIKE: I’ve only collaborated a handful of times prior to this project, and I never grew up playing in bands or anything like that, so it’s been a big learning curve for me. Performing live on stage as a trio, riffing off each other and being receptive in that way is such an art form in and of itself.

I feel in such a short space of time I’ve already learnt so much and realised that in order for us to be interesting to watch as a live act, it’s important to really think about this aspect. It’s been really refreshing to get out from being behind the computer and start jamming on some gear. Even learning, on a technical level, about sending MIDI to different pieces of kit is all new terrain for me, and Katie has helped with that.

KATIE: The first record; the collaborative process was largely online, aside from some original jams between me and Mike in Perth. At one point, finishing the record, we were all living in different cities, sending stuff back and forth.

‘24/7 Heaven’, we actually worked on most of it together at the same time. We spent a few days in Italy in 2025 bringing together demos and forming new music for the EP.

MIKE: We never really sat down and established any in-depth manifesto with ‘24/7 Heaven’, other than that, we wanted to keep pushing our sound forward. I think on a subconscious level, we all knew there was a lot more we could develop from Pillow Talk, sonically. We had only just scratched the surface, so we were all really eager to step back into that world and see how much further we could take it.

MARIA: I recorded most of the trickpony material literally in bed— to the point I had to lie down on the floor to record the vocals for No/Direction when we were finally in a studio setting together.

So, I guess it’s only natural that the vocals have this soft, whispered sensuality to them. I was so inspired when Katie and Mike sent the first demo (whilst lying in bed) that I just reached for a mic and started recording then and there.

MARIA: I generally wear my heart on my sleeve, and I try to live by that same ethos when it comes to writing lyrics. I’m not really trying to reinvent the wheel, but I also don’t think much about what’s expected vocally in terms of genre… I just try to let it flow naturally.

I feel like I have to write from a place of genuine, raw emotion or else it just sounds phony ~which it probably would if I made a conscious effort to really emulate what’s already out there. Sometimes it’ll be about a specific person or experience, but more often it’ll be a medley of moments and feelings all woven into one tapestry. Also, deep down I’m just a pop girly ~ so, I love a good hook!

MARIA: Definitely. My notes app tends to be scribbled full of phrases and half-finished lyrics, but it never really comes together until I have a track to lay it all out on. I need the music for it to take shape. And it has never come to me as easily as it has, hearing what Katie and Mike have cooked up.

Usually, they’ll send me a loop or a track, and I’ll record in reaction to that, and we’ll all arrange it together. Occasionally, if I have a more fully formed idea, I’ll record a track, hand it over to them so they can work their magic and trickponify it.

KATIE: Haa! Totally, my contributions to trickpony all stem from deep-seated influences, and a lot of the sounds and musical concepts I'm drawn to usually come through in whatever I'm working on.

I try to keep Roza music super varied to avoid being pigeonholed, but trickpony is like laser-focused on a realm of music that I love.

KATIE: Yep, I think over 10 years now. To be honest, it makes a lot of sense to me; I used to play jazz guitar before I made electronic music, and then I was performing in groups and bands. Collaborating is personally so important, and this project scratches a lot of itches in terms of feeling fulfilled musically.

MIKE: That’s nice of you to say! It’s definitely been crazy to watch how far the music has travelled. Seeing people connect with it and then hearing similar moods and textures popping up in different places has been really affirming. At this point, it feels less like a resurgence and more like a shared sensitivity in the air, where a lot of people have been reaching for slower, more inward-facing music.

I’m really grateful to have a presence in this community both through trickpony and my solo work - it feels a bit like having access to a secret portal that allows you to meet some really amazing people around the world.

MIKE: Being closer to Katie and Maria definitely played a part, primarily it was about me moving closer to friends, collaborators, and scenes I’d been engaging with from afar for years and facing up to leading a more creative/artistic life across the board.. Trickpony was definitely part of that equation.

Whilst I knew that we were able to write music remotely, part of me wondered just how much further we could take things collaboratively if we were in closer proximity. As Katie mentioned, last year we booked a week in Italy to catch up and write music and it was amazing what we were able to get done in such a short space of time, being in the same room together.

MARIA: I definitely feel like bringing our synergy to the physical realm, with our little bandcamp in Italy, after years of remote collaboration– really sealed the deal with trickpony and the second record. The seeds might have been planted earlier, but that’s where the record really took its shape…

KATIE: I definitely was a bit apprehensive; just wondering if people would be down for the change of pace and adjustment to how they might absorb a set, but it was a great reminder to let go of these anxieties and preconceived notions. Of course, not everyone there is going to be vibing a switch up; but loads might be! I think just being confident in the music is the best way forward, and keeping an open mind.

MIKE: The friendship and the ability to learn from each other is always something that feels incredibly fulfilling. It’s helped me grow a lot with my own artistry. On a more earnest level, it’s also just great to have somebody to share the experience of touring with, it feels more real or something.

Those moments can pass by really quickly when you’re doing it by yourself, but when I’m on stage with Katie and Maria, it affords me a moment to step outside of myself and take it all in.

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Jack Colquhoun is Mixmag ANZ's Managing Editor. Find him on Instagram.