Now or Never Opening Night Party featuring Moritz von Oswald + Sleep D + Kia
Announcing the Now or Never opening night party. A free winter rave, live at Fed Square.
Moritz von Oswald plays live in the heart of the CBD. The German electronic music pioneer is known for shaping the evolution of the sound across decades. One half of Basic Channel and Maurizio and operating iconic music labels Main Street and Rhythm & Sound, Moritz von Oswald is one of the most influential producers in electronic music of the last three decades.
Joining the line-up are local party diamonds, Sleep D, whose sound deftly shifts between energetic techno and hazy, hypnotic prog excursions, capable of turning any dance floor into a full rave workout. Rounding out the party is Kia, another Narrm-based DJ, known for transporting dancers into a world of deep rhythms and psychedelic textures with forward-thinking selections that draw you in.
This one’s set to be a stone-cold classic.
Set Times
5.45pm–6pm: Welcome to Country and address from Lord Mayor
6pm–8pm: Moritz von Oswald
8pm–9pm: Sleep D
9pm–10.30pm: Kia
Moritz von Oswald, legendary master of electronic experimentalism and technical exactitude, has an unassailable place in the modern history of forward-thinking music.
A classically trained percussionist, von Oswald has been part of 80s avant-garde group Palais Schaumburg, the jazz-electro group The Moritz von Oswald Trio, and founded studio Dubplates & Mastering, which set the benchmark for mastering precision in electronic music.
He’s collaborated with Thomas Fehlmann, Juan Atkins, and Mark Ernestus in projects such as 2MB, 3MB, and the seminal Basic Channel. With Carl Craig, he’s reinterpreted classical pieces by Ravel and Mussorgsky through a modern electronic lens, and he’s laid down the blueprints for techno, minimal, and dub-inflected soundscapes that continue to resonate within the genre and beyond.
A leading figure in Berlin’s electronic scene, von Oswald’s work, both as a musician and a mastering engineer, has been pivotal in shaping the sonic contours of the electronic music genre.
Sonic explorers, label heads, pillars of the Melbourne underground, Sleep D explore the rave unconscious – driving rhythms, hypnotic bass, worlds of echo and the hazy bliss of the morning after.
Childhood friends with Iraqi and Maltese lineage, the duo and their coveted Butter Sessions label have ushered in a new era, sensibility and productivity to the city that raised them.
Kia is a DJ, curator, and label boss with a gift for weaving atmospheric, psychedelic sounds that create immersive, pulsating worlds.
Based in Naarm/ Melbourne, she helms indie electro labels Animalia and Cirrus, platforms that champion organic and kaleidoscopic shades of electronic music.
Known for her context-driven approach, Kia adapts effortlessly to any moment, from sunrise sets to dark, intimate dancefloors.
Her community-driven ethos fosters a global network of forward-thinking talent, while her celebrated sets – like those at Sustain Release and her award-winning Dekmantel mix – reflect creative honesty and adventurous energy. In 2025, she holds residencies at Berlin’s Climate of Fear and New York’s Nowadays Club, cementing her place as a rising star in electronic music.
Presented in partnership with City of Melbourne.