Dem: Tell us about your first experience as a DJ at a
club, and what motivated you to become a DJ.
Darktide: I first had a chance to DJ at the Velvet Underground with DJ
Lazarus. I had mentioned to him that I was interested in giving it a try, and
he graciously set aside the first hour or so of a Sunday night so that I (and
my partner at Future Pop Radio, DJ Void) could give it a try. From that point
on I was hooked - I found it to be a great experience and I appreciate every
chance I've been given to do it. Though I'm still relatively inexperienced in
the field, I think I bring a good young perspective to DJing and the people in
the community have been very gracious in giving me opportunities to demonstrate
my love for the craft.
Dem: Your main focus currently is Future Pop
Radio? Tell us more about that and why we should listen.
Darktide: Future Pop Radio is a website which streams online music to
it's listeners. The site itself offers a variety of theme-based shows, ensuring
that anyone who drops by will find something to suit their fancy. Underground
electronic music is at home at Future Pop Radio, being showcased in the form of
everything from industrial/noize to synthpop to trance. What makes Future Pop
Radio different from most other online radio sites out there is that variety -
even if you don't like a certain genre of music you'll have plenty of options
at Future Pop Radio. Extensive archiving means you need never miss a show, and
with more features being added as our listener-base grows visitors are sure to
enjoy their stay.
Dem: What one off events or regular nights have
you done in the past?
Darktide:
1. guest spot with DJ Lazarus @ the Velvet Underground (Apr 7/2002)
2. Synthpopgoestheworld music festival (Jul 1/2002)
3. guest spot with DJ Trauma @ the Velvet Underground (Jul 10/2002)
4. guest spot with DJ Bolt @ the Vatikan (Aug 2&3/2002)
5. Haujobb/Hocico/Terrorfakt show @ the Reverb (Nov 4/2002)
Dem: Name your personal top 5 bands and tell us
why you like them.
Darktide:
1. Mechanical Horizon - great combination of ebm and synthpop
2. Run Level Zero - energetic ebm meant for the dancefloor
3. Iris - laid back synthpop with many danceable tracks
4. Negative Format - ebm mixed with trance=dance, dance, dance
5. E-Craft - loads of great harsh electro-industrial sounds
Dem: What bands do people most request?
Darktide:
1. Fiction 8
2. Silke Bischoff
3. VNV Nation
4. KMFDM
5. Wumpscut
Dem: What bands do you wish people would request
more?
Darktide:
1. Mechanical Horizon
2. Culture Kultuer
3. Solitary Experiments
4. De/Vision
5. State of the Union
Dem: In your opinion, what are the best and the
worst parts of being a DJ?
Darktide: The best part of being a DJ is that you get to expose people
to music they might not otherwise have a chance to listen to. It's a great
feeling to play a song by some rare band and see the dancefloor packed - and
it's even better when people come and ask about the song and you just know that
they'll go out ASAP, buy the cd, and support the artist. The worst part of
being a DJ is that you have precious few opportunities to play those kinds of
songs - unfortunately people go to a club expecting to hear certain songs and
those have a tendency to fill the evening. But that's what's great about DJing
at Future Pop Radio - I can spin just about anything I want and listeners get a
chance to find stuff they like without the pressure of going out on an empty
dancefloor (just because people don't recognize the song).
Dem: Do you still see yourself doing this in 5
years?
Darktide: 5 years? I hope to be around a lot longer than that... :)
Dem: How do you feel about the current state of
the scene in Toronto, and where do you see it going?
Darktide: I think the 'scene' in Toronto is progressing slowly, but
surely. Though it can sometimes be a bit aggravating to hear the same certain
songs played at no matter what club you go to, there are a lot of great DJs in
Toronto who have grown adept at mixing those club hits with lesser known (but
no less appealing) tracks. There are also many great people in Toronto willing
to support the 'scene' - doing everything from organizing concerts/shows to
attending the various club nights. So while it may seem we're not on the
'cutting edge' when compared to cities in the U.S.A. or Europe, there remains a
lot of variety in the music played around Toronto as well as in those who are a
part of the community.
Dem: Anything else you'd like to add?
Darktide: I'd like to send a big 'thank you' to everyone in the scene
who's supported me so far (including but not limited to DJ Lazarus, DJ Trauma,
DJ Bolt, Toronto-Goth.com, & DJ Antithesis).
interview by Dem on
February 25th 2003
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