NCV Feature of the Month

Issue #5 – DJ Mini & Overdose
Written by Deliz

Over the past three years, Overdose at Le Parking, has been one of the best electronic dance music weeklies in the city. ‘Les Jeudis Electro’ has become a ritual amongst party people in the gay village as well as anyone looking for a good time and an energized dance floor to bounce in. If you’ve ever been to the club located on Amherst and Ste. Catherine, you’ve noticed that people go there for one thing, one thing that might entail many smaller things, but that all come together to spell out P-A-R-T-Y. The dark sweaty corners, the hands-in-the-air dance floor, and the line-ups at the washroom all symbolize what Parking is about, but it won’t provide an answer as to why the night is such a success. For one thing, the cover charge is rarely over $5 and if it is, there’s a guest DJ playing the main room. Drinks are also at an unbeatable price when compared to clubs of the same magnitude, so that’s probably why the majority of people have a sly grin on their face. The one factor that plays the biggest role in the success of Overdose is the music and the person behind the decks. DJ Mini has been the resident DJ since taking over from Frigid’s sudden departure over three years ago, and she’s brought the night to a whole other level:

“…Part of the success is due to constant promotion, as well as all the guests I invite, cheap cover charge, cheap drinks, the staff, etc. I try to keep everybody happy by having big name guests, a lot of live sets, a lot of first time guests in Canada, etc. It also helps keep the night alive in the long run…”

It’s been six years since Mini started her DJing career. At the beginning she would practice playing CDs before opening hours at Blue Dog, mixing TripHop, Drum n’ Bass and noisy experimental music. She later discovered the styles of electro, a genre encompassing everything she liked about every other style out there. Soon followed a Saturday night residency at Blizzarts that gave listeners a taste of her newfound sound and allowed her to record her first mix CD live:

“…the starting point (of my career) is when I began playing at Blizzarts and decided to make a live demo set. I distributed it everywhere I went and the response was definitely greater than I was expecting. I sold out of them really quick, and the media got their hands on it and reviewed it as one of the top mix CDs of the year. I really wasn't expecting so much hype around it, but even now I still get asked to make more...”

The hype spread to Parking where Thursday night resident, DJ Frigid, was leaving the club and a replacement was in need. They wanted to continue with Overdose’s electro theme and who else could fit the description better than DJ Mini. With a successful night at Blizzarts and a highly credited Mix CD going around the city, she was an obvious choice to take over the residency. Her knowledge in promotions and bookings were put to the test and to this date, she hasn’t disappointed. This year alone, Laurent Garnier, Misstress Barbara, Smash TV, Ellen Allien, Hakan Lidbo, Tiga, and Jake Fairley, to name a handful, have banged the beats at Parking, all at a generous cover charge that never exceeded $10.

The move to Parking over three years ago has played a huge role in the development of Mini’s career. Aria, one of Montreal’s most popular after hour clubs, hired her as a bi-weekly resident, and the trendy Bily Kun did the same giving her a Sunday night slot. What might prove to be the most valuable asset through Parking is the exposure to international artists that come through the city and the club. With Mini’s first album, Audio Hygiene, about to be released in October, Overdose is the perfect outlet for her music. An album that’s been in production for the last two years, the end is finally near with a celebratory date to mark the release on October 12. This will be another turning point in Mini’s career, one that will no doubt lead to the next level of an already promising DJ career.



DJ Mini Q & A Interview:

What are your goals for the future as 'Mini the DJ' and 'Mini the producer'?

I would like to travel more outside of Canada, and definitely start being known for my own productions more and more... But hey, all musicians wish for the same thing!

If you had one piece of advice to give a DJ just starting out, what would it be?

I think I would tell them to believe and take chances… To be strong, to create their own thing, otherwise they won't get anywhere. I would tell them to always put music first and not let politics get to them. I would tell them to promote the best they can, and make sure they are surrounded with people who truly believe in them, and to start something with those people.

Overdose has been Montreal's 'electro' hotspot for the last couple of years, but as every DJ knows, what's popular one day might not work the next. Do you see Overdose being solely an electro night in the future, and what other styles of music do you see working?

I don't even know if the style is electro anymore! All I can say is that I stopped putting the music I've been playing there into one box, and I'm having more and more fun playing anything I like there… I’m still trying to make people discover new styles, new crossovers, etc. I do have my sound though, but I don't stop myself from buying a record because it's house or techno… I just buy what I feel grooves, what creates motion and feelings.

What's more important in a DJ set: track selection, technically sound,
or tricks/turntablism?

I think everything that you mentioned! One of the things I consider important is creating the main 'ambiance', putting people in a mood and also being able to EQ, which is essential to keep people dancing or listening at least. With electronic music you have to be able to do that otherwise the music can lack personality. Tricks are cool too, if you can do it right, but personally I focus on the track selection unless I'm really on fire and start using tools. It's hard with electro to do too many tricks, mainly because every song has a melody, and a pop song like structure, and so playing two records at the same time for too long is much more of a challenge.

Which format do you prefer when it comes to playing music: Vinyl, CDs,
Laptop, or a mixed setup of gear and audio formats?

I love vinyl for the touch, the sound and the cover art (sleeves). I also bring some CD's, as back up, and also for exclusive tracks that were not put out on vinyl. They are also very easy to carry and allow you to bring more songs, in case you can think of something you didn't bring on vinyl. I don't do laptop, too static for me, and I would feel like I’m looking at a screen instead of a crowd! I like using tools as well, when they are available, where I play the cycloop they have at Parking. I wish I could have more tools, but they are not always easy to set-up...And with the amount of stuff I carry on Thursdays I must say I like to keep it simpler and focus on the music selection.



Upcoming Dates at Overdose not to be missed:

Jordan Dare on September 28
DJ Mini’s Audio Hygiene Release party on October 12
Adam Beyer on October 26