Orkestrated and Danny Grant, pioneers of a new era of music, prove community trumps corporate in historic venue sellout.
Orkestrated sold out the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in 48 hours without spending a cent on traditional marketing; it’s another victory for the duo dubbed the ‘Godfathers of Melbourne Sound’.
When retired nightclub owner Danny Grant started telling stories about Melbourne’s underground music scene on TikTok, he never expected millions of views would translate into one of the most remarkable venue sellouts in Australian and Melbourne music history.
Between 2008 and 2020, Orkestrated helped pioneer what became known as the Melbourne Sound, a genre that emerged from the city’s 24-hour club scene and influenced artists like Will Sparks, Dom Dolla and Timmy Trumpet.
In this remarkable interview, I spoke to Danny about how it felt to become the creators of an epic new movement, and why the recent sold-out show is a reflection of our city’s deep loyalty to dance.
Orkestrated returns
- Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne
- Saturday 17 January, 2026
- Sold out
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Grant, who operates under the Danny Rants brand, sparked a cultural movement that saw pioneering electronic act Orkestrated sell 13,000 tickets to Sidney Myer Music Bowl in just 48 hours.
Grant’s journey began simply enough. “I would tell stories at the company I started after leaving the club industry post-covid,” he explains. “A young girl who works for me told me about a new feature on TikTok where you could tell stories for 20 minutes.”
Within days, his content accumulated millions of views across the country, with one story about Melbourne’s unique sound particularly resonating with audiences.
“In 2008, I would often head to one of the bigger nightclubs like Metro, Prince or QBH and, after they shut the doors, me and the other club rats would scamper down to Two Floors Up (TFU) on Waratah Lane to listen to a new genre that was getting some legs called Electro. This club became the breeding ground of something super special; the Melbourne sound,” Danny tells me.
Working from venues like TFU on Waratah Lane, they created a distinctive style that combined electro with RnB and hip hop elements, tagging their tracks with audio signatures that made them instantly recognisable to Melbourne’s club community.
“As that style began, a new phenomenon started; traditional DJs now had access to cracked versions of producer software like fruity loops or Abelton. As a way to differentiate themself, they would make edit and bootlegs with electro songs and trending RNB or hip hop songs. This caught serious momentum and began a new wave of local superstars.
“Orkestrated were at the front of the pack. They began making originals using the same model as before, but began to tag with audio over their songs saying ‘Orkestrated’ which meant any club rat out past 5am knew who they were.
“This sound that was uniquely Melbourne began to mutate, and within months it was the only thing being played in these tiny basements and rundown nightclubs over the city. The term was coined by the locals when asked to explain it: ‘The Melbourne Sound’.
“The story begins in the underground and ends on the world stage, but the reason Orkestrated are the ‘Godfathers of Melbourne’ is they were the trailblazers who took the first steps so others could walk with a sound that inspired a generation.”
I asked Orkestrated’s Adam Bartas if the duo realised at the time that their Melbourne Sound was influencing major artists (like Will Sparks, Dom Dolla, Timmy Trumpet) or if the recognition was felt only in hindsight.
“At the time, we honestly had no idea,” recalls Bartas.
“So hearing people say those things now is really special.
“It’s funny, we can still remember meeting the younger versions of all those names you mentioned, and to see where they are today is absolutely mind-blowing. The fact that the Melbourne sound is now recognised worldwide, how cool is that?”
Looking back at Melbourne’s club scene from 2008-2020, what do you think made that era so special, and how does it feel to be considered the godfathers of that movement?
“It’s hard to pinpoint exactly, but for us, what made that era so special was the fact that we were doing things differently. Early on, the only place you could hear our style of music was at TFU.”
“We had an exclusivity deal at TFU and, because of that, the same faces kept coming back week after week. It created this family atmosphere where even if someone came alone, they knew they’d still have a great night.”
“Another thing that made that era so special was the ‘us against them’ mentality, due to the initial pushback from other groups when the sound first exploded.
“The punters weren’t just into the music; they were fiercely protective of it and the venues that championed it.
“That kind of passion and loyalty is the reason the sound grew the way it did. It’s why we always say we’ve got the best fans in the world, they’ve shown up for us time and time again, and they’re still doing it today.
“Being considered the godfathers of that movement is incredibly humbling and something we’re very proud of. At the same time, we know there were so many other DJs and producers pushing the sound and flying the flag alongside us, so we could never claim the credit alone.”
When Grant posted about Orkestrated’s influence and retirement, the response was immediate and overwhelming.
A petition calling for their reunion gathered 25,000 signatures within weeks, filled with passionate stories from fans about how the music shaped their lives.
“We had stories of people meeting and marrying, people’s first experience hearing the sound and falling in love with it,” Grant says.
Converting online support into ticket sales proved the true test. Grant admits he ‘slept like shit all weekend’ before the Monday launch, uncertain how petition signatures would translate to actual purchases.
“I legitimately thought we may do 7000 for the full show,” he reveals.
Instead, 7000 tickets sold in the first 20 minutes, with the venue completely selling out by Tuesday evening.
“It’s honestly always been a dream of mine since I was a young lad as a punter and becoming a promoter, to sell out the bowl,” says Grant.
“That space means so much to me and, in my opinion, is the cultural heart of our city so, to achieve that with some old friends pushing a sound we created I honestly can’t put it into words. And I am a man of many words.
For Orkestrated, watching their legacy resonate so powerfully came as a surprise.
“Honestly, Danny Grant could sell water to fish; it’s amazing,” Bartas laughs.
“To be real with you, the whole experience has been humbling. We’ve always made it a priority to support young artists coming up, and nothing makes us happier than seeing them succeed.”
Grant believes the success demonstrates how community-driven promotion can succeed where traditional marketing fails.
“We created a community, I am a big believer in music at its core is community,” he explains.
“I think in the early days of events, especially in dance music, there was story and community.
“Raves, bush doofs, nightclubs powered by whispers and conversation through the 90s and 00s. All i did was bring that back in a digital form, these days there are a lot of big corporations booking artists and cookie-cutter events and concepts. It lacks the ethos that made things like the Melbourne Sound and its rise possible in the first place. I think what we have done shows people will still invest in local talent, if the story is rich and exciting.
“I think the reason Orkestrated coming back out of retirement has been so well received is that they speak for a time, that isn’t just special for our city but was special for the world.
“It was a sound that made a city dance. And I think it shows this city still wants to dance, and people are proving that.”
With festivals folding nationwide and venue closures mounting, the Orkestrated reunion offers a blueprint for how local artists can thrive through authentic storytelling and fan engagement rather than corporate backing.
“Honestly, we still haven’t fully wrapped our heads around the fact that we’re playing a sold-out show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. It’s such an iconic venue, usually reserved for world-renowned acts, not a couple of local lads from the South-East suburbs of Melbourne,” Orkestrated’s Adam Bartas tells me.
“Of course, the energy will be completely different to those intimate club nights that built our reputation, but the heart of what we do won’t change.
“Our set will still be curated with the same mentality as if we were in a packed underground basement, that’s always been our style, and we’re not about to change it now.”
Orkestrated will perform at the Sydney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday 17 January, 2026.
