A quiet stroll in a leafy park. A pause for thought over coffee and cigarettes. A documentary to change your life. The best song that you have ever heard. The simple pleasures. LA Pocock knows them and loves them. And he lives to share them. When Luke's not DJing Rooftop Parties, basement gigs, trams, or festival stages, he's bringing his latest musical discoveries to the world via weekly radio show Set It Out on Melbourne's Triple R FM. And when he's not immersed in music he's nurturing his love of the environment. This Summer you'll find LA Pocock in the green glades of Camp Nong, the fields of Meredith and at the summit of Sugar Mountain. Clubs are cool but nature is nicer. Let Luke take you there with this exclusive Feed The Forest Mix for THUMP.
LA Pocock: Because I consume so much music, people often ask for recommendations and as a broad range of music crosses my path I always ask what exactly they're looking for? 80% of the time it's "relaxing, chill, etc". We can all find banging mixes when we want to, so I thought I'd make this one extremely calming and om shanti om. It's also very much a prayer song to nature. Best consumed in the morning with green tea and lemon incense.THUMP: You're a champion of music but also a strong supporter and appreciator of nature - where does this interest stem from?
My obsession with nature and more particularly plants initially started with a radio documentary on the beneficial effects nature has on the brain chemically. The scientist interviewed spoke at great length about how when one finds themselves viewing nature, in a forest for example, this not only produces endorphins but also heightens physical and mental energy. The documentary went on to say this not need be an actual tree or forest but even an image of one would have the exact same effects. This rang true with me and was a complete paradigm shift - it also spurred on a favourite past time of mine entitled "Feed the Forest" where by often late at night on Facebook I post 30+ stock images of forests, jungles and ferns one at a time. So when my friends wake in the morning their feeds are clogged up with forests and no amount of scrolling can push nature (and subsequent endorphins) away. The concept of Feeding the Forest is far more multifaceted than this but seriously we'd be here all day. I suggest giving it a try, very cleansing with much reward for everyone.You've also recently started working with nature. What has this taught you, or helped clarify in your thinking about the earth and our relationship with it?
Working with nature has given me an immense appreciation for how much our earth is teeming with life, of all kinds, sizes, types, complexities, actually everywhere you look. It is the most amazing feeling to be continually aware of that fact and to know it more intimately. Also seeing as I spend half my time in clubs, bars and otherwise playing loud music, drinking booze, dancing all night and smoking up them sweet sweet ciggies; its given me balance. The Club and Nature: Yin and Yang. This club vs nature is also a very Melbourne DJ thing look below at these local bros loving foliage:
How do you relax? What are some lessons you can share about the art and science of true relaxation?
I relax in many different ways. More recently it's been astronomy, I find studying the cosmos extremely calming for so many different reasons. I'm actually just about to make a pilgrimage to an observatory in the South Australian desert which you can follow on my instagram. As to the art of it, all I can say is all good ideas come from a relaxed state.Find peace with Luke's Feed The Forest Mix, and find LA Pocock himself playling at Camp Nong, Sugar Mountain, Meredith, and a dancefloor near you
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THUMP: We are feeling very peaceful right now. How did you do that?
LA Pocock: Because I consume so much music, people often ask for recommendations and as a broad range of music crosses my path I always ask what exactly they're looking for? 80% of the time it's "relaxing, chill, etc". We can all find banging mixes when we want to, so I thought I'd make this one extremely calming and om shanti om. It's also very much a prayer song to nature. Best consumed in the morning with green tea and lemon incense.THUMP: You're a champion of music but also a strong supporter and appreciator of nature - where does this interest stem from?
My obsession with nature and more particularly plants initially started with a radio documentary on the beneficial effects nature has on the brain chemically. The scientist interviewed spoke at great length about how when one finds themselves viewing nature, in a forest for example, this not only produces endorphins but also heightens physical and mental energy. The documentary went on to say this not need be an actual tree or forest but even an image of one would have the exact same effects. This rang true with me and was a complete paradigm shift - it also spurred on a favourite past time of mine entitled "Feed the Forest" where by often late at night on Facebook I post 30+ stock images of forests, jungles and ferns one at a time. So when my friends wake in the morning their feeds are clogged up with forests and no amount of scrolling can push nature (and subsequent endorphins) away. The concept of Feeding the Forest is far more multifaceted than this but seriously we'd be here all day. I suggest giving it a try, very cleansing with much reward for everyone.You've also recently started working with nature. What has this taught you, or helped clarify in your thinking about the earth and our relationship with it?
Working with nature has given me an immense appreciation for how much our earth is teeming with life, of all kinds, sizes, types, complexities, actually everywhere you look. It is the most amazing feeling to be continually aware of that fact and to know it more intimately. Also seeing as I spend half my time in clubs, bars and otherwise playing loud music, drinking booze, dancing all night and smoking up them sweet sweet ciggies; its given me balance. The Club and Nature: Yin and Yang. This club vs nature is also a very Melbourne DJ thing look below at these local bros loving foliage:
I relax in many different ways. More recently it's been astronomy, I find studying the cosmos extremely calming for so many different reasons. I'm actually just about to make a pilgrimage to an observatory in the South Australian desert which you can follow on my instagram. As to the art of it, all I can say is all good ideas come from a relaxed state.Find peace with Luke's Feed The Forest Mix, and find LA Pocock himself playling at Camp Nong, Sugar Mountain, Meredith, and a dancefloor near you