FFAR
If you’ve spent time scrolling Instagram Reels or dancing at Wellington clubs, there’s a good chance you’ve come across FFAR (Raff Mchunt). Whether it’s his signature bucket hat or his classic sign-off (“Thanks mate!”) the Mount Maunganui-raised DJ and producer has quietly built a recognisable presence both online and on stage.
Now based in Wellington and studying Commercial Music (Industry) at Massey University, FFAR (pronounced “far”) is hard at work curating his vibe, which he describes as emotional tech house. “I definitely love a big piano riff. And I have been experimenting a little bit with a faster tempo. Like tech house is usually around like 128bpm. I’ve been going up to 140 and 145, experimenting with some of that faster stuff.”
Raff tells me that is biggest musical influences have been James Hype, and more recently John Summit. “I absolutely love his sound. I’ve kind of followed his lead with where my stuff’s going now.”
Although Raff feels that being at university in Wellington hasn’t changed his sound much (“I get most of my inspiration from social media”) living here has helped him grow as an artist. “It’s been really cool to get to network and meet all these like-minded people. That’s why I moved from the Mount.”
Making a Start
His journey into DJing started in 2022, thanks to his dad (an old-school vinyl DJ!) who bought a DDJ 400 controller to get back into it. “I just started mucking around with it,” FFAR says. “Then I’d do little get-togethers with mates… they’d bring a massive speaker and we’d make Mum annoyed.” After upgrading to a DDJ 1000, things escalated. Raff went onto play a DJ set at his high school ball, and just kept going from there.
Since then, FFAR has ticked off some major local milestones, including sets at Rhythm & Vines and Mardi Gras via George FM. One of his most memorable performances was in the George FM Chiller at Rhythm & Vines in the middle of a massive thunderstorm. “We managed to pull like 40 people into this sheltered area while it was pouring. That one was cool.”
While festivals have been a highlight, he’s still chasing his ultimate goal: a full FFAR set on the R&V main stage. “That’s the dream. I’ve always been thinking about that one,” he says.
Instagram and Personal Brand
Outside of gigs, FFAR built up a dedicated following through daily vlogs leading into Rhythm & Vines, often popping up on people’s For You Pages. He kept them going for over 150 days straight. “At some point it just became routine. It was part of my lifestyle,” he says. The idea started with a challenge alongside fellow DJ Broder Beats, but FFAR carried it on far beyond the original goal. “There’d be the odd one that hit 50K views. You get a bunch of new followers. It helped build the brand.”
That brand is unmistakable: bucket hat, white t-shirt, square sunnies, and his warm “Thanks mate” outro, borrowed from Jason Hoyt on Radio Hauraki’s The Big Show. “I barely listen to the music, just the podcast version. It’s just them having a yarn. Jason always says ‘Thanks mate’, so I started saying it too.”
What’s Next?
While he’s put a pause on the daily vlogs (“I was running out of ideas!”) he’s not looking at slowing down. Things might be chill at the moment, but Raff is looking forward with anticipation to another busy summer. “Same as last year, it’s quiet at the start, but summer will come around and things will pick up,” he says. “It’s kind of nice, actually.”
And when they do pick up, you can bet you’ll hear that familiar outro; “Thanks mate.”
You can find FFAR on Instagram @ffar_nz
