In April, 21-year-old Wollongong DJ Jordan Quill performed and recorded the first DJ set played at Windang Island.

“It was the perfect spot," Jordan says. "There’s a beautiful spot at the very end where you can see a bit of the cliff, a bit of the ocean. It all worked out perfectly.”

The hour-long YouTube video features breathtaking views from the cliffs of Windang Island as the sun sets to the tune of Jordan’s mix.

“It was a big challenge, doing it at sunset, because it left no wiggle room for error – and the tides. But we wanted to showcase the natural beauty that we have here on the Australian coastline,” Jordan says.

Taking inspiration from the beauty of the South Coast, Jordan is a producer of tropical house music, a genre that grew in popularity in the 2010s, characterised by island-style beats and a sunny energetic tempo.

“That’s the sort of music I grew up listening to. I loved it so much and I think it really fits the scenery in some parts of the Illawarra,” he says.

“It’s a really nice vibe and that’s what I like to put in to my work. I always like to make it light and positive, even the songs that are less light, I still like to put a hopeful optimistic part to it.”

The genre ‘tropical house’ – or ‘trop house’ for short – was named by a 20-year-old Australian producer, Thomas Jack, in 2013. In the mid-to-late 2010s, the genre grew as artists like Kygo, Robin Schulz, Alex Adair and Sam Feldt began to go mainstream and feature at renowned house and EDM festivals Tomorrowland and Ultra.

“A lot of the famous producers that used to do it have moved on to other genres, but I want to keep it going. I think there’s still an audience for it,” Jordan says.

“It’s not very popular anymore, but I like to think I’m keeping it alive, and making sure that it doesn’t go completely forgotten.”

Jordan has been producing music for about five years, and DJing for the past year. His journey started during Covid lockdown, when he started playing with music software to occupy himself.

“I instantly fell in love with it and realised that it was what I was born to do all along,” Jordan says.

“I care a lot about music and it’s really shaped who I am – so I figured I'd do it myself, and hopefully give that same experience to other people.”

Nowadays, Jordan is a resident DJ at Club Windang. He also plays at local venues including Pepe’s On The Beach, Towradgi Beach Hotel, Mr Crown and The Grand Hotel.

“DJing is the bread and butter of every music producer – you need it to get your music out there, to make money and keep going,” he says.

Since his first DJ gig in January 2024, Jordan's passion has grown to be his only source of income, and pays for major projects such as his video on Windang Island. He is grateful to everyone who has helped him out along the way.

“My older brother, Jack, helped me with the drone footage, the video wouldn’t have been possible without him," Jordan says. "My dad helped me out with advice and selecting gear to be as portable as possible.

“I reached out to DJ Phikey, who does similar videos on YouTube and he gave me a lot of advice and was very kind and encouraging.”

Jordan’s producer friends, Qwill (Switzerland), Railow (Germany) and Pavis (UK), all made tracks that are included in the Windang Island set.

“I found that their songs worked really well in the set, and even just having their songs was helpful and really nice to have them involved.”

Jordan has plans for more videos around the Illawarra, as he works on his sixth album. The Windang Island video debuts his new track Take Us There, ahead of the album’s release.

“I’ve got quite a few things on the horizon that I’m looking forward to. I’ve got my first gig with Yours and Owls coming up. Which is a big step in my career,” he says.

Jordan is playing a set at Dicey Riley’s on 15 June, supported by Yours & Owls. In coming months, he is also teaming up with friends from the local area to start his very own record label, called Golden Skies Records. 

Keep up to date with Jordan on Facebook or Instagram @jordanquillmusic. Follow @goldenskiesrecords on Instagram, and RSVP to his show at Dicey Riley’s