RTRFM will be bidding farewell to one of its longstanding presenters Dart on Wednesday afternoon.
The DJ has been a part of the station for over 24 years and has a global following for his Wednesday edition of the Full Frequency dance program where he focuses on drum and bass sounds.
Dart’s final show airs from 3pm to 5pm on Wednesday 16th July. You can tune in on your radio or online, and the show will be available for restream via the RTRFM website for a few weeks.
Dart made an appearance on the station’s Breakfast program on Monday sharing with host Pam Bolland why he was stepping away after so many years behind the mike and the turntables.
Dart shared that he first began presenting on the long running Rhythm Trippin program, which back in the early 2000s aired from 2am until 6am on a Sunday morning.
One day, I happened to be off work at the time, I got a call about 2:30pm with someone saying ‘Could you fill in on Full Frequency today?'” Dart recalled.
With the show due to start in 30 minutes he faced a rush to get to the station and start spinning some tunes.
“I made the hot dash across the city with a crate of records and jumped in and did my first ever show in the day time.” he said.
The presenter recalled how the station had changed significantly over the years, back when he first started there were no DJ decks in the studio and presenters had to bring their own equipment in with them.
Dart’s love of RTRFM began long before he was air, he began listening as a teenager when he was in high school. The community station being one of the few places where underground dance music was pushed to the forefront.
“I used to listen to Beats Per Minute, and also Auditory Spiral, and Looney Tunes.” he recalled. “We used to stay up and listen to Colin Bridges, and Seamus who used to do Auditory Spiral on Sunday nights.
“Colin would play all kinds of amazing things, there was one crazy techno tune that had bagpipes on it. We just knew it as the bagpipe song, we’d record it on to tape and then listen to the tapes as you drove around in your car.” Dart shared.
When Dart began studying at UWA he became involved in the station, which back then was still located o the grounds of the university. He also shared he was at the very first outing of the station’s iconic In the Pines fundraising concert.
Alongside Dart’s time on the station the local Perth drum and bass scene has grown, and he’s been along for the whole journey, highlighting the latest sounds and classic cuts.
While he won’t be on air every Wednesday afternoon after today, Dart says he’ll still be part of the wider RTRFM family, and continue DJing around town regularly.
“Full Frequency on Wednesday will change, but I am but a leaf on the RTRFM tree.” Dart said. “I will still fall into the RTR garden.”
Tune in to RTRFM from 3pm for Dart’s final show.
OUTinPerth co-editor is a former employee of RTRFM and a current volunteer presenter on the station.
