Dexter Crowe (@dextercrowe) makes his Circle of Life debut with Secret, landing July 3, 2026, and the release fits neatly into the kind of melodic, groove-led club music that has made him a familiar presence in Montreal’s underground. Australian-born and now based in the city, Crowe has built close ties with the local collective scene and Stereo, and that context is damn important here because Secret feels built for the kind of room where subtle movement can do a lot of the work.
The original centers on a melodic bassline that runs through the full track, with pads, textures, and a recurring rhythmic lead giving the record its shape.
Bodaishin’s remix pulls the track into deeper club territory while keeping the emotional center of the original intact. The drums feel more direct, the rhythmic foundation pushes harder, and the added plucks and percussive melodic details give the remix a sharper dancefloor focus. Together, the two versions show how one central idea can hold its identity across different production choices without losing the feel that made it work in the first place.
In the interview below, Crowe talks about streaming, algorithmic discovery, DJ charts, Bandcamp digging, and the way taste develops when music is constantly being surfaced from every direction. His answers are refreshingly simple at points: he plays what resonates, looks back through old playlists when prepping for longer sets, and sees taste as something connected to whatever is happening internally at that stage of life.
It is a great reminder that modern DJ culture gives artists endless tools for discovery, though the actual filter still has to come from the person choosing the record.
Interview With Dexter Crowe
Has streaming expanded your taste in unexpected ways, or clarified what you were already drawn to?
Hard to say. Probably yes to both. I feel like no matter what tools or platforms you have available, your taste will naturally evolve and change.
I think mostly, streaming has been a super easy and effective discovery tool. You can find so much music in a style you already know you like and want more of, and when you come across a track that feels different and intriguing, you can dive deeper into that thread with one click.
There are so many platforms for discovering music now, both streaming platforms and stores. For DJing, I do most of my digging on Bandcamp and through DJ charts on Beatport and Traxsource, but for simple listening at home and on the road, I really enjoy discovering new music through streaming.
In your view, are platforms shaping global taste, or surfacing patterns that were already forming?
Honestly, that is also a hard one for me to answer. I would say algorithms are of course putting trending music in front of people in ways that kind of funnel things toward them, which I suppose is shaping taste. But you could also say that about radio, MTV, and things that came before. I think it is all an evolution.
I do feel that people are being presented with a wider variety of music now than ever before. Maybe it is just a bit more mindless listening now, but even with that, I think people who love music seek out new sounds and dive into new threads when they are excited by something, streaming or not.
If anything, there are more people doing that for themselves now than ever before because of streaming.
How do you stay intentional about your selections when trends move so quickly online?
That one is simple. I really just select music that resonates and that I like. I do not think much more about it than that, honestly.
Maybe I might hold off on playing a track if I feel I have played it too many times in a short period, or if I have heard it played all around too many times. Otherwise, I just select and play the music I like at any given time.
Have you ever reviewed your crates and noticed how closely they mirrored the current moment? What did that tell you?
Yeah, I always go back and look through old playlists when prepping for long sets. I always end up finding gems to bring back, but I also notice tracks that had their moment at that time and no longer feel connected to what I like to play or listen to.
What practices help you stay connected to your own sense of taste beyond algorithmic recommendations?
I cannot really say I have any, to be honest with you. I think it is just about being true to who I am in all aspects of my life.
The evolution in my taste in music is mostly a reflection of whatever is going on inside.
Do you see a generational shift in how younger DJs develop their ear in a streaming-first era?
I would say social media, shorter song formats, and attention spans have probably had some effect on the way younger DJs play and develop their ear.
It feels like the general shift is toward people seeking that viral moment more than building a story. But I believe there will always be those real ones who connect to the heart of music, dance, and rave culture, and build their sensibility through that connection.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
