Montreal, Can

DJ Bliss Interview Jan 2005
Interviewed by Somsay.

The Interview

How long have you been djing for and how did you get started?

I started collecting records and playing parties at 14. When raves first started to emerge in the early 90s, I started playing out as a chillout Dj at after parties and collecting early UK breakbeat records.

My first real club residency was at an alternative bar where people wanted to hear all kinds of beats, from indie rock to house, to breaks and electro. It was the perfect gig to be musically creative. I did that gig for 3 years and learnt a lot from the experience.

I went from there to The Grill, which was the breakbeat night I co-founded with Dj T’cha. It gave me my first “big break”. The night was very successful and led to other bigger shows, such as opening for personal heroes like Afrika Bambaataa, The Streets and Dj Krush.

Describe your taste in breakbeat?

I’m very picky… I’m more interested in a good quality track then the flavor of the month.

In a nutshell I’d describe my taste in four words: Eclectic, moody, psychedelic and funky.

Do you find people are supportive of you because you are a Montreal dj?

Yes, Montreal djs have a very good reputation.

What do other djs think of you?

I don’t hang out with enough djs to know.

What do you think girls think of you?

I haven’t really conducted a poll…Most girls seem to like what I do...Some girls get really mad at me when I ignore them when I’m spinning or when I don’t play requests…

Do you believe breaks can be big one day or it will always be an underground
form of music here in Montreal?

Well a bit of both. It would be difficult for it to be as popular as hip hop or house in this city, for example, simply due to a lack of exposure.

The popularity of the music has gone through up and down throughout the years….in 2001 breaks were so popular we managed to get a front cover story on the Grill and Scissorkicks in the Hour…the year after it was harder because there was more of a spotlight on electro. So part of it really depends on what else is out there.

Successful local events have shown that there is enough people to a least fill a small to medium size venue with events featuring Djs that are virtually unknown locally, playing a genre is still very much unrepresented. And with the newer wave of breaks coming out right now, there is potential for the scene to grow.

What are you future plans for breakbeat?

Well I’m constantly looking to “push things forward”. The past couple of years I’ve been working on a blend of electro, rock and breaks on the Saturdays. It’s a direction I’m pretty excited about and I don’t really know anyone else who is doing it.

I’m also working on tracks with another producer and we’ve just completed our first E.P.

Who is your favourite breakbeat producer and why?

Currently I can’t get enough of Evil Nine. Excellent tracks, with a great blend of rock n’ roll elements and throbbing basslines. It’s the sound I’ve been the most interested in this past year.

I’ve also always really loved Depth Charge because he is a complete original. He builds all his own breaks from scratch and makes some of the grittiest music out there. He’s one of those producers I don’t get sick of.

Do you produce or plan on producing?

I do. I’ve been producing tracks with a friend of mine over the past year. We’ve just finished our first e.p.

Can you describe your current dj mix (the one for your interview)?

ApeSh!t is breakbeat mix I released featuring many of my favorite tracks from my night. I included some of the more hard to find bootlegs I have along with the heavyweights such as Freeland and the Plumps. It starts off ragga before building into a mish mash of nu breaks, electro and dirty house.
You must have your own bunch of dude-dj-girl groupies...whats goin on with
that?

Not really…most girls don’t really care that I’m a dj.

Where is your favourite place to dj so far?

Blizzarts

Any funny stories to tell about a past gig?

In the first club I worked at I nearly got beaten up by three rugby players because I wouldn’t play a request. They were really drunk and really aggressive. It was the last song of the night and I was going to play the breakbeat mix of the Orb while they wanted to hear U2. When they heard the “Little Fluffy Clouds” coming in they went apeshit. They tried to drag me out of the dj booth right in the middle of my mix and all I could think about was getting the mix right. So I completed my mix and jumped over the booth to get the bouncer while they were chasing me through the club…Everybody just stood there stunned…It was pretty surreal at the time, but pretty funny now…

How is the electro scene here in Montreal?

I don’t manage to get out enough to give a proper opinion. There seems to be quite a bit going on, especially production wise.

The saturday I do with Jordan Dare is still going strong as is rated as one of Montreal’s best club nights.

What does your dj studio consist of?

2 turntables, a mixer and a computer.

How many breakbeat records you have now in you personal collection?

All told I own nearly 5,000 records.

I’d say somewhere between 800 and a thousand of those are breaks, although I’ve probably bought at least ten times that amount over the last decade. I am very picky with what I hang on too as I believe in quality not quantity. I tend to cleanout my collection at least once a month and either sell or trade the excess records with other Djs for fresh material

Do you drink allot?

No…although people sometimes tell me I drink too much Coke

Ever have to puke while djing drunk?

No

Whats your favourite brew?

Tea

Where do you think breakbeat is going?

More song oriented tracks with a rock feel. Expect a lot of breakbeat bootleg mixes of popular 90s alternative classics. Right now the UK is ripe for a Brit Pop revival especially of the Manchester sounds, so expect a lot of psychedelic sounding stuff, with a funky “baggy” feel. Also acid sounds are becoming more and more present. The whole hip hop / breakbeat hybid thing will continue to thrive and the ragga and funk breaks will remain staple

What was your favourite dj gig and why?

Opening up for the Streets last summer. It was a blast. I dropped one of the best sets I’ve ever played for a packed Club Soda. It was one of those gigs that was just perfect from beginning to end. Pure bliss…

What other types of music do you listen to?

I listen to everything…lately a lot of rock, trip hop and early 90s house.

Did you ever go to a music school?

No

What advice can you offer to other aspiring djs?

Work hard and be patient

How long did it take you to learn to beat-match?

It took me a few months to acquire the basics, a good year before I could do flawless sets. Breakbeat music can be a tricky style to mix.

Are you ever nervous while djing?

Yes, all the time…I feed of it!

What projects are you currently working on?

Representing Montreal’s breaks scene in other cities, releasing my next mix cd and getting some tracks out.

What do you think of Canada?

Canada is the new cool.

What do you think of the US?

It’s a bit scary.

Who is your favourite dj and why?

Locally probably Ram, because he’s got really good tracks and excellent flow, although I don’t really get to hear him that much.

Jordan Dare’s another one of my favorites, because he’s been consistently solid both musically and technically over all the years I’ve heard him play.

Internationally I always really enjoy hearing Dj Scissorkicks who rocks the place like no other.

What do you think of these questions?

Pretty good

Words of wisdom: “To limit ourselves to only one form of music is to know only one part of our personality” (Romain Roland, French philosopher)

Web site links: www.djbliss.net