Australia’s Largest Christian News Site

In partnership with Australian Christian Records, The Daily Declaration shares a monthly Christian music column featuring the official OZ 5 Top Tunes chart, artist stories, new releases, upcoming music events, and local Christian music news. If you have something to contribute, send it to news@ozchristianrecords.com.au.

Recommended New Releases:

• Chelsea La Rosa – Stay (NSW) #CinematicPop
• Tim Finch – The Little I Have (QLD) #Worship
• Amity Gilmour – LOUD (NSW) #PopRock
• Victor Claye – Love Like This [Album] (SA) #HipHop

More local Christian releases on our Australian Christian Pop Spotify Playlists.

Upcoming Shows:

• Paideia Jam, Oct 7 (NSW)
• Freedom Music Festival (Canberra), Oct 9-11 (ACT) *postponed
• Heart Song Festival, Oct 31 (SA)
• Krosswerdz KW Summit, November 6-8 (SA)
• Revelare! Vol. 2, Nov 7 (QLD)
• Freedom Music Festival (Eumundi), Nov 13-15 (QLD)

September Oz 5 Chart:

1. MIRACLE – FOR KING & COUNTRY
2. What If I Told You? – For King & Country
3. The Only One That Matters – Ethan Beer
4. Feels Like Coming Home – Daniel Hagen
5. Here Comes The Day – Justin Michael

*Compiled by TCM based on Australian Christian radio airplay from the preceding month.

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tyDi: The Prodigal DJ Returns

DJ, composer and trance music icon, Tyson Illingworth aka tyDi shares his testimony in coming (back) to Christ in this exclusive interview with Aaron Duff from Australian Christian Records.

From chart-topping success to scoring music for Hollywood blockbusters, Queenslander Tyson Illingworth (tyDi) has witnessed firsthand the incredible highs of stardom in the music industry.

Bursting onto the scene as a teenager, tyDi immediately went on to consistently be voted one of the best djs in the world. Recognised as the best in Australia in 2008-09 and five years in the prestigious DJ Mag’s Global Top 100 poll. Likewise, tyDi’s productions saw him become one of Australia’s most successful music exports with multiple charting albums; notably including his 2011 release Shooting Stars reaching #1 on the iTunes Dance music chart in the US, Australia and around the world.

Having reached the pinnacle of worldly success, the last few years have been a whirlwind of a different kind.

Deep valleys of despair, a lack of fulfilment, and a major health concern led Tyson through a season of soul-searching and questioning his lifestyle and even life’s purpose.

This all came to a point on one of the final days of 2025, where Tyson made a stand and shared the following post on his socials:

As someone who has been listening to tyDi for many years (yes, I have the CDs) and a follower of his socials, I had been witnessing from afar some of the changes happening in his life over a period of a few years. I had the feeling he was questioning his life, and considering his faith. I soon found out Tyson’s journey to faith is far from your standard testimony.

Attending a Lutheran school and raised in a loving family by his Christian mother and unbelieving father, Tyson was well aware of the key tenets of Christianity, but there were parts he didn’t quite believe in; from talking snakes, all the way to why would God send his son to earth to die? There were a lot of unanswered questions.

God was always there for Tyson, though, and looking back, a key moment in his life came at 15 years old.

“I was onstage preparing to dj at the big Christian music festival Easterfest in Toowoomba. I probably shouldn’t have been performing there as while I had stated I was a Christian in my artist application, a lot of things in the Bible seemed too fantastical for me.

But here I was, a young kid in a big, empty tent 15 minutes before my time slot, and the only other person on the floor was my dear Grandma. I was so nervous as this was one of my first ever gigs. So I prayed.

I said ‘God, if you’re real and fill this room up with people, I will dedicate my dj career to serving you’.

It took just a minute or two. Then the tent was packed. We all had a great time and that gig in front of a huge crowd became the kickstart that got me dj’ing at other gigs all across Australia and launching my career.”

Tyson onstage in 2008 soon after ‘that’ Easterfest gig.

On Top of the World?

At 17, Tyson was signed by the King of Trance, Armin van Buuren, to his Armada label, and was in hot demand dj-ing around the world, working with big-name artists, and even mixing CDs for Ministry of Sound.

Shining in the spotlight with a busy lifestyle, Tyson found himself quickly forgetting his promise to God. He began reading books on science and evolution from the new atheist movement, soon emulating those authors like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and others; actively seeking out debate to prove that God does not exist.

Simultaneously, he was, in his own words, “leading a very hedonistic lifestyle, chasing girls and partying. I wasn’t morally corrupt. I was just comfortable being mediocre — comfortable enough to mistake pleasure for purpose.”

Losing his relationship with God, Tyson felt ‘soulless’ outside of music — it was all that he lived for. Inwardly, though, Tyson somehow still knew he remained loved for who he was by all his Christian family and friends.

Tyson is a familiar name on the global EDM circuit, and using his platform to make a bold stand for Jesus.

Falling on Dark Times

After well over a decade of shows and touring the world, it took COVID to bring a stop to the international dj-ing circuit, leaving Tyson to return home to Queensland. In what is now a well-publicised case, Tyson had a severe reaction to the COVID vaccine and woke up the day after the jab unable to move his legs, and his arms not much better.

Then came the verbal attacks.

With the vaccines quickly becoming a controversial topic across Australia, Tyson was accused of being a liar, a drug-taker and suffered multiple attacks on his character.

According to Tyson, “I lost everybody. And I think that’s what God does sometimes. I needed to lose absolutely everything; it was just the most awful thing.”

Tyson was literally down on his knees, and he found himself praying to the same God he prayed to in the big Easterfest tent for healing, and he had what he describes as a supernatural experience.

“I was in my darkest moment, down on my knees and absolutely praying. In my vision, I was thrown into another world. It wasn’t hell, but it was dark, and I could hear screams — it was a very horrible place.

I had spent my whole life demanding evidence of God, and in my prayer, I had asked to see if heaven was real. Instead, I was given a little taste of where I was otherwise heading.

At that exact time, both of my two phones (in real life) stopped working. There was no signal, and I couldn’t contact anyone.

I then found myself in a different place. It was lonely, empty, and there was no love there. It was horrendous. I was there for a while, and I couldn’t contact anyone because my phones weren’t working.

It was a strange, supernatural experience and looking back, I feel I got a taste of being in a place absent of God. I know people will call me crazy, but it doesn’t matter — it was enough to give this (previous) atheist evidence that ‘oops I’ve been wrong the whole time.”

The Covid vaccine marked a turning point, breaking Tyson down and leading him to consider his earlier promise to God.

It was through this experience that Tyson was completely healed and was able to move his arms and legs and walk again.

Sharing further, “Even though nobody else is likely to believe me, I was grateful to God for the evidence and promised God that I was not going to let Him down again.”

God did answer prayer, and Tyson considers himself a walking miracle in that his body is back to where it once was.

So Tyson had found God, or maybe God had found him. In any case, Tyson made a decision then to not be a lukewarm Christian, but to research and learn as much as he could about Jesus’ teachings.

At the same time, Tyson also felt a sense of shame for his past life, where he had blasphemed against God and likely also led people astray. It was in response to this that Tyson posted his 29 December apology.

One month later, he followed it up with a considered question to his fans, asking them if they too have been deceived by evil and urging them to make the right choice.

Moving Forward with Christ

This year, Tyson has made some immediate changes in his life. In wanting to clean up his spirit, he’s dead sober for now and not making a point of going clubbing every weekend.

On his music plans, he has had a comeback year and been playing at some massive festivals in America with releases on some big labels.

“I want to focus on the music being positive now. Some of my past work was a bit dark, and while I’m not trying to be cheesy or write everything with a worship element, I want to be inspiring and share the new direction that’s in my heart.”

The Christian EDM Scene

Interestingly, going back to the very start of tyDi’s music career around Easterfest time, there are two other electronic artists he was making remixes for and collaborating with. One was Andy Hunter, who has essentially become the godfather of Christian EDM (CEDM) with crossover success in the secular scene — particularly with placements in blockbuster films and video games.

The other was Topher Jones, who, like Tyson, has since been on his own journey to faith, and after a successful secular career has ‘blown up’ around the world as ‘Rave Jesus’, and is supporting other Christian EDM artists like Australia’s own AndyG in what is becoming a burgeoning scene.

Tyson reflects on his friendship with Topher,

“Topher’s still a friend of mine, and we’ve been texting about doing things together. I’m very proud of what he’s doing. I’ve always known him as Topher Jones, but seeing him as Rave Jesus worshipping God through EDM is pretty awesome.”

I think what he and others are doing in the CEDM scene is very much needed and an inspiration.”

New Music

tyDi is working on new music and has notably returned to his trance roots with his latest single for Dreamstate Records, ‘Meet Me In A Dreamstate’, which is very melodic with a relentless beat and nearly classifies as techno.

Tyson also runs his own record label, Rebel Hearts Records, and has more music and collaborations to come.

 

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A post shared by TYDI (@tydi)

Follow:

tyDi

Website:                       www.tydicomposer.com

Instagram:                    @tyDi

Spotify:                         @tyDi

YouTube:                      @tyDiTV

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This interview transcript has been edited for the sake of clarity and readability.

Images courtesy of Tyson Illingworth & Scott Sanders

Republished with thanks to Australian Christian Records.