Q: What inspires your music making?
A: I've always been big into music, even though I never actually learned to play any instruments. My mom said she would put head phones on her pregnant belly to make me stop fussing in utero. So I particularly enjoy musics ability to completely change one's emotional state. A bad day can be ended simply by hearing certain notes arranged in a pleasant fashion. Or a good day can be soured by the opposite.
Q: What type of music do you play?
A: I play a type of music called 'Drum and Bass' or sometimes 'Jungle'. It started as Hip-Hop's answer to the House and Disco music that was so prevalent in the early 90s rave and club scene. Drum and Bass, at its core, is essentially just Hip-Hop beats running at double time to give a more punchy dancing feel to them. Since those early days however, it's now a genre that incorporates everything but rocking heavy metal to smooth light jazz. It's definitely this range of sounds and styles that drew me towards the genre.
Q: How long have you been DJ-ing
A: I've been playing records for about 4 years now, and doing studio productions for the past year.
Q: What's your influence? And your inspiration?
A: I'm definitely heavily influenced by a lot of the music that my mom listened to when I was growing up. Mostly old folk stuff like Paul Simon and anything with powerful female vocalists like Jan Arden or Tracey Chapman. So needless to say I never found commonality with any other kids on issues of music. When every one else was listening to Green Day, Metallica, and Blink 182, I was decidedly on a different musical path.
My inspiration today comes from all the new artists that show up in the scene on almost a weekly basis. Specifically the likes of two artists, one called 'Netsky' and another 'Bop'. Both are also extremely new to the scene having only shown up in the past year. While Netsky has taken the sounds and styles of artists that have come before him and put his own unique touch to it. Bop however, is championing a sound unlike anything anyone else is making anywhere. Both are amazing artists that I highly recommend looking into, even if you don't fancy yourself a fan of of electronic music.
Q: What's your favourite track (out there right now)?
A: My favourite track right now would have to be a remix of the 'Snow Patrol' song Open Your eyes, with 'Dj Marky and Bungle' on remix duties. The sound of this track is almost indescribable, combining equal parts powerful emotional male vocals with destructive bass lines and synths. I have found that anything with a recognizable vocal in it always works well on a dance floor. Even while dancing people want to be able to sing along, even if they don't know the words.
Q: What's your favourite track of all time?
A: This would definitely be the track Drowning by 'Cleveland Lounge' with a remix by 'AK1200'. This was one huge tune from back in 2000 made even larger by one of the pioneers of Drum and Bass. I recently had the pleasure of meeting Dave “AK1200” Minner, and was lucky enough to get my vinyl copy of the track signed by the one and only.
Q: How did you get into DJ-ing?
A: Well when I first started getting into the scene and collecting any and all music that could be classified as “electronc”. I found that most DJs I would go out and see weren't playing any of that music that I enjoyed. The stuff I was hearing was frankly giving the music I loved a bad name. Fitting into all the negative stereo types that are touted by the general public; too repetitive, no melodies, and just plain sounding bad. So I spent quite a few years locked away in my room with a pair of turn tables trying to make a go of it.
Q: What's the best memory you've got involving music?
A: Most of my good memories involve music, but if I had to pick just one it would be when I was having a conversation with a complete stranger about the local electronic music scene. He had mentioned a recent demo mix he had got his hands on, and how he'd had been listening to it on repeat ever since. So as it turns out it was actually one of my mixes that he'd been listening too. This was the first time the knowledge that my music was impacting people I didn't even know hit me full force.
Q: What's your latest mix/set and what inspired it?
A: My latest mix is the final installment in a four part seasonal series I worked on last year. I created a new mix for the beginning of each season, starting with spring and ending with winter. Each mix was meant to encapsulate a feeling associated with the given season. Spring was bouncy and up beat, Summer was kind of a joke mix of some of the most cheesy pop influence stuff I could find. Fall was very dark and moody, and then Winter was filled with melodic and smooth sounds. The intent was to have it be the musical accompaniment to sitting inside with some hot coco and watching the snow fall.
Q: What do you want people to get from listening to your sets?
A: I could be all deep and say that I want people to experience some sort of emotional connection with the music that I play. But in all seriousness I play dance music, so as long as I've got someone taping their feet or bobbing their head, my work is done.
Q: Are you working on anything right now?
A: I'm currently trying to get a full album of self produced tracks together. However with no formal music training and self teaching all the software, the learning curve has been pretty steep. The results so far have surprised even myself however, and I hope to have something final within a year.
Q: Where can your fans find your tunes, or where can they see you play?
A: Well you can become a fan on facebook pages under “Dezine”, all my recent mixes are update on there as well. If facebook isn't your thing I recently had the privilege of being asked to join the liquidfunk.ca website. This is a locally hosted, but world known site for Victoria and area Drum and Bass DJs. As for playing out, I can be seen usually once a month at Hush nightclub, dropping some of the most tear out tracks you've ever heard. If the club isn't your scene I can be found under Lyall's Place playing something with a smoother vibe at The Whitebird Lounge. [Dottie's note: And they have an amazing martini - The Geisha, that I highly recommend!]
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