Melbourne-born and London-based DJ and producer Carina Lawrence has spent more than a decade refining a sound that blends melodic house, tribal rhythms, and deep emotional storytelling. Whether performing at iconic venues like Fabric, Printworks, and Drumsheds or major festivals including Anjunadeep Explorations and Junction 2, Lawrence has built a reputation for crafting immersive sets that feel as cinematic as they are danceable. We spoke with Carina about artistic identity, vulnerability on the dancefloor, and the power of creating unforgettable shared experiences.
Q: Your sets feel incredibly cinematic and emotionally immersive rather than purely functional for the dancefloor. When you’re building a set, are you thinking more like a storyteller than a DJ?
Carina Lawrence: A DJ and storyteller should be one and the same. I really believe the role of a DJ is to take the audience on a journey, into a place or feeling they may not have experienced before. From the very beginning, that’s something I’ve always tried to do when I play.
Whether they recognize the songs or not, they need to be along for the ride. Dancefloor functionality is a given, but the true art is giving people that experience, partnered with a captivating narrative.
Q: You’ve described your sound as melodic and tribal-infused. What draws you to rhythm-heavy, transportive music rather than colder or more minimal electronic styles?
Carina Lawrence: I wouldn’t say I only play melodic music. Every track has its time and place, and they all need to work together to tell the story.
I try to mix melodic and tribal-infused sounds and build towards those moments of release or euphoria. But sometimes a less melodic, more groove-focused track actually helps highlight those melodic moments when they arrive. It gives those payoffs more meaning.
A set needs movement. It can’t just be the same thing over and over again.
Q: Moving from Melbourne to London inevitably changes your relationship with nightlife and music culture. How has living between those two worlds shaped your artistic identity?
Carina Lawrence: There’s definitely more freedom in London when it comes to music. There’s a greater license to play exactly what you want rather than feeling constrained by expectations.
Living in a city like London, there’s so much variety and more opportunity to find exactly where you belong. At the same time, there’s this feeling that there’s no limit to what you can achieve.
Starting my journey in Melbourne taught me patience. It gave me a great education in adaptability and being ready for any moment. Holding residencies there allowed me to develop DJing as an art form.
The Melbourne scene is incredibly tight-knit, and it taught me the importance of community. Without community and supporting one another, you don’t get very far.
Q: Tracks like “No Quit” and “Love Language” balance emotional depth with club energy. Do you see vulnerability and escapism as connected experiences in dance music?
Carina Lawrence: Absolutely. People come to dance music for a shared experience. You want them to feel vulnerable, let their guard down, and trust the DJ. That’s when escapism can happen.
I think they are deeply connected, and DJs have a responsibility to create art that facilitates those moments. The magic dancefloor experiences people remember years later come from that combination of openness and connection.
Q: Your music has received support from figures like Sasha, John Digweed, and Yotto. What did that validation mean to you after spending more than a decade refining your craft?
Carina Lawrence: It was an incredible feeling. Honestly, I couldn’t quite believe it at first.
To have some of the biggest names in electronic music supporting your work is surreal. It gave me a huge sense of pride after years of working away and dreaming about those kinds of moments.
More than anything, it lit a fire inside me and made me want to keep pushing forward. Receiving that support on my first release was really special, and it’s motivated me ever since.
Q: You’ve played everywhere from Printworks and Fabric to Anjunadeep Explorations. How does your energy shift between intimate underground spaces and massive festival environments?
Carina Lawrence: Festivals tend to require a more immediate impact. People are there to party, and there are so many stages and artists competing for attention that you need to grab them right away.
The sets are usually shorter too, so the energy has to be strong from the beginning.
Club settings, especially intimate clubs, are my favorite because they give you time. You can slowly build energy, introduce multiple shifts in mood, and really create a complete story. That’s where I feel most connected to the art of DJing.
Q: There’s often a spiritual or communal undertone to melodic electronic music. What kind of emotional connection are you hoping people leave with after one of your sets?
Carina Lawrence: I’m always trying to create an emotional connection. I don’t want my sets to feel disposable.
I want people to feel like they’ve experienced something meaningful. Something they can look back on and remember exactly where they were, who they were with, and how they felt in that moment.
If someone leaves with a memory that’s stayed with them long after the music stopped, then I’ve done my job.
Q: Many of your performances are built around gradual tension and release. What fascinates you about that emotional arc?
Carina Lawrence: I think life itself is built around tension and release. We work hard, we struggle, we wait, and then eventually we experience those moments of joy, relief, or connection.
Music mirrors that beautifully. If you give people the payoff too early, it doesn’t mean as much. The anticipation is part of the experience. Building towards those euphoric moments is what makes them so powerful.
Q: Dance music often gets reduced to functionality or escapism, but your work feels much more emotional. What do you think people misunderstand about electronic music as an art form?
Carina Lawrence: People sometimes underestimate how emotional electronic music can be.
Without lyrics, you’re communicating through rhythm, melody, texture, and energy. It can be incredibly expressive and incredibly human. Some of the most emotional moments I’ve experienced in music have happened on dancefloors.
Q: After more than a decade behind the decks and now as a producer, what continues to inspire you to keep evolving?
Carina Lawrence: Curiosity. There’s always more music to discover, more sounds to explore, and more ways to connect with people.
That’s what keeps it exciting. Every set is different. Every crowd is different. Every release teaches you something new.
The moment you think you’ve figured it all out is probably the moment you stop growing.
