Interview with Sentinel
- Rukh
- Jul 1
- 3 min read
Few acts have risen through Australia's electronic music scene as quickly as Sentinel. The Melbourne-based trio have built a reputation for crafting high-impact dance records that blur the lines between progressive house, festival anthems and melodic electronic music, earning support from some of the biggest names in the industry, including Alesso.
Their latest single, 'Bring The House Down', continues that upward trajectory, capturing the euphoric energy that has become synonymous with their sound. Fresh from their first North American tour supporting Alesso and with more international dates already under their belt, Sentinel are entering a new chapter as their global profile continues to grow.
We caught up with the trio to discuss the story behind 'Bring The House Down', their collaborative approach in the studio, the evolution of Australia's dance music scene, and what's still to come in a year packed with new music and ambitious plans.
'Bring The House Down' feels built for festival mainstages. What was the first idea that sparked the record?
"It started with a really simple bass line that we could hear emanating from Mike's studio. We just kept hearing it over and over again through the walls.
We spent weeks trying to tighten it up. Then we found a sick sample to match and after enough time we realised we had something special and had to put this one out."
What's been the most memorable crowd reaction to 'Bring The House Down' so far?
"Our favourite live response was probably during the recent Venice Beach popup when we played together with Alesso for his OneRepublic collaboration release party. It was an honour to close out the night and was so fun because it felt like a house party, just with way more friends than we can usually fit into our house."
As a trio, how do you divide responsibilities in the studio? Has that workflow changed over the years?
"It’s different for every song. Thankfully. modern technology has made collaboration so easy that it can take so many forms. We can be in the studio together or a lot of times we can just be sharing versions and songs and melodies and ideas and chords with one another via a very busy group chat."
You recently made your US debut supporting Alesso in San Francisco. What stood out about that experience?
"What an insane first show on US soil. That was the biggest indoor venue we’ve ever played. It was a shock to the system. It was crazy watching the crowd just grow and grow and grow, and especially crazy to see how many people knew the words to the songs we’ve been making for many years."
When you're building a live set, what's more important: telling a story or keeping the energy at its peak?
"It depends almost entirely on your role. As a headliner, you should build your set however you like. In our recent sets with Alesso across the US, it’s our job to warm up the dance floor. So, it’s more important to cultivate the energy and gradually build things in a way that serves the whole night and not just our own interests."
Australian producers are gaining more global recognition than ever. Why do you think that's happening now?
"There’s definitely something in the water in Australia. I think we’re just cultivating such an amazing dance music culture in Australia in so many different genres from EDM, to trance to house music, to tech house to ambient electronic. We seem to just have all the bases covered and we’re striving to help do our bit for the country on the global stage in our own lane."
What can fans expect this year? Are there any collaborations, big shows or an EP on the way?
"We’re just wrapping our first North American run and ending the run in Sweden for the very first time, so we’re going to go home with all of this new inspiration to work on the next chapter of Sentinel music.
We have some crazy collaborations and edits that are planned for this year and beyond. We won’t say too much and spoil any of the surprises now but rest assured there’s a lot on the way for everyone following our journey."
