From bedroom production and anonymous online aliases to packed dancefloors and a growing catalogue of electronic music, Perth artist Belac is entering a new chapter. We caught up with the 23-year-old producer on the ground at BIGSOUND 2026 to talk nostalgia, finding his sound, stepping into the live world and why he’s ready to finally get out of his room.
Futuremag: For anyone discovering Belac for the first time at BIGSOUND, how would you describe the world you’re creating?
Belac: I guess it’s kind of nostalgic house. I’m trying to make something like Burial meets house music. I want it to be danceable, but also a bit ambient at the same time, and strike a balance between those two things.
Futuremag: Your sound has evolved quite a bit since you first started the project. What did Bellac look and sound like when you began?
Belac: When I started, I was making a lot of Memphis trap sort of beats. Then, almost by accident, I started making house music again, because that’s what I originally started making music for. I got back into it and it became more successful, so I kind of just stuck with it.
Over time it’s changed. The aesthetic is definitely different too. I look at some of the photos I took years ago and kind of cringe at them, but I guess that just shows you’ve grown.
Futuremag: You’ve spoken before about anonymity becoming less possible as people began recognising your music. Is there still a distinction between Caleb and Belac?
Belac: I think there is still sort of a distinction. I probably act a lot more chill than I do online. In real life I’m probably a lot more chill and less crazy and neurotic.
Bellac is a lot less serious. I definitely still wish I’d remained anonymous, though. I would have preferred that. I should have thought of some sort of gimmick to stay anonymous, like Deadmau5 or something, but I was too lazy to think of one. I just kept showing my face and now I kind of can’t go back.
Futuremag: There’s a really funny, tongue-in-cheek side to your online presence, but you’ve also been developing your production skills since you were 12. How do you balance the two?
Bellac: I try not to take myself too seriously, but I also recognise that I’m actually promoting my music and I seriously care about it.
I try to make the music serious. The music’s not a joke. Maybe some people think it is, but the music is serious. I just try to keep the promo side and everything surrounding the music a bit tongue-in-cheek.
If I kept everything super serious and earnest, I think it would be a little bit too much.
Futuremag: Do you think people sometimes underestimate how seriously you take the music because of the humour?
Bellac: 100%. People still don’t really get it. Even in my real life, people think it’s a bit of a joke, and then when I explain that I actually take it somewhat seriously, they’re a bit startled.
I think Perth has a lot to do with that. It can feel quite isolating, especially musically. I don’t really attend music things and I’m not really part of a local music scene. There’s not as much social legitimacy around music here compared to places like Sydney or the eastern states.
Futuremag: Do you feel like being based in Perth has shaped your ambitions as an artist?
Bellac: Definitely. Perth is a great place to grow up, but musically it can feel a bit behind the times. It was only until recently that WA music really found out that I existed.
I also don’t really represent Perth that much. A lot of people actually think I’m English, Dutch or American, so some of that is probably my fault. But I definitely feel like I’ve outgrown Perth a little bit.
Futuremag: BIGSOUND brings artists from all over Australia together in one place. What does an event like that mean to an artist coming from Perth?
Bellac: I think it’s really important because Perth can feel like an island. It’s expensive to get to and from, and that makes it harder to connect with what’s happening elsewhere.
Events where everyone comes together are really valuable because you suddenly have all these music people in one place. It’s something I haven’t really experienced that much.
Futuremag: Your music has a strong nostalgic quality, particularly around early-2000s and early-2010s electronic music. What draws you to that era?
Bellac: Nostalgia, mostly. I also feel like music from back then was really earnest. A lot of artists today seem like they’re trying to make music without making it look like they’re making music. Back then it felt more like, if it sounds good, play it.
I also love a lot of the production choices from that time. There were really simple four-on-the-floor beats and I like those a lot.
Futuremag: But you’re only 23, so you didn’t actually experience a lot of that club culture firsthand. Is the nostalgia more about the era itself or the internet’s version of it?
Bellac: If I’m being honest, probably the internet version. I’m 23, so I wouldn’t have been clubbing in the early 2010s.
It’s what I’ve seen online, what I’ve heard from the music and what I imagine it was like. It’s probably a romanticised view of what it actually sounded like. I was never at a club in 2009, but I’m going to guess what it sounded like and try to take a stab at it.
Futuremag: You’ve cited a pretty eclectic range of influences. Who are some of the artists who have unexpectedly shaped Belac?
Bellac: LUCKI is probably one of my biggest influences. I borrow a lot from the style of melodies he uses. It’s very spaced-out and repetitive.
For my older music, DJ Screw was a big influence too. He used to slow down and chop and screw songs, and I borrowed a lot from that for my older music. For the newer stuff, there’s a lot more EDM influence, but occasionally there are weirder things like LUCKI.
Futuremag: You only started DJing relatively recently, despite having been producing music for years. What do you love about bringing Belac into a live setting?
Bellac: I just like spinning my own tunes and seeing people recognise them. I hear them online, but I don’t really get to hear them in real life too often, so it’s good to see people’s reactions.
I played a show in Sydney recently and when I dropped Be With Me 2009, people were going crazy. I don’t normally get that kind of reaction, so it was really cool.
I actually never had any intention of playing my music live when I started making it. I only started DJing last year because my manager brought it up and said it might be fun. Now I really enjoy dropping songs that people know and seeing their reaction.
And seeing people dance to it is pretty fun as well.
Futuremag: What are you most looking forward to about taking Belac into the BIGSOUND environment?
Bellac: Just getting out of my room, really. I’ve spent so much time making music by myself that getting out and playing it for people is really exciting.
It’s cool to see people actually connect with something that you’ve spent so much time making.
Futuremag: You’ve also got a pretty analytical background, having studied physics. Does that side of your brain ever influence the way you make music?
Bellac: It definitely comes in sometimes, but music is more of an escape from that side of me. I do like being really particular about things sometimes, but when it comes to music I’ll pretty much just freehand it.
During my degree I had to spend all day being super particular about every single detail. You can’t get anything wrong for several pages. Then you go and make music and you can do a million things wrong and it’s honestly kind of fun.
It’s a bit of a rebellion. It’s a good break from being analytical.
Futuremag: What can people expect from Belac over the next year?
Bellac: More music. A lot more music. Probably a lot more live stuff too.
You’ll probably see a lot more of me outside of my room, which is fun. I’ve basically been locking myself in the studio for the last year or so, so there’s loads of music in the bank.
There’ll be a lot more music to listen to.