The Vibe Makers: Three Canadian DJs Talk About Their Craft; the Good, Bad and Ugly During the Pandemic
With the provincial lockdowns that followed every season, social settings were forced to shut down as their social currency of human interaction was seen as an instrument for the transmittable virus of COVID-19. However, the dichotomy of human interaction was also seen as a vessel for normality, social order and humanity. For DJs across Canada, the closure of clubs, event spaces and party venues made it clear that human interaction before, during and after sets maintained irreplaceable vibes. The laughter, dancing, bodies taking up space, drinks spilling, nudges, grasps of waists, talking over music, feeling the music, masking any responsibilities or emotions with beats that ring out loud––all of these actions, thoughts and feelings are now limited or empty. Legal restrictions bring restrictions to the way people interact in these settings and therefore ruin the excitement of meeting new people, having a deep conversation with the bartender or pushing the headache of Monday’s responsibilities to the back of your mind. I talked to three DJs across Canada to learn more about their efforts to make sense of the post-pandemic world that is layered with vaccine passports, reformed social scenes and a deadly virus.
G L O W Z I | @glowzi
Photo: Myriam-Menard
Gloria-Sherryl Francois is a multidisciplinary artist and DJ based inTiohtià:ke/ Montreal. DJing is one of the many artistic realms they have discovered thanks to their community and curiosity. Their favourite genres to play depends on variables like the temperature and their feelings in interpersonal relationships. Currently, they enjoy broken beat, Detroit house, Chicago house, gqom, amapiano and jazz.
Who or what inspired you to become a DJ?
So a very good friend of mine, Djavan, upon viewing The Get Down, became very interested in learning how to DJ with vinyl. Following the viewing of this series, he decided to buy the entire DJ set for vinyl DJing: two turntables, a mixer and a table that had the storage included to put the vinyl in. He would DJ at these themed parties, and I used to attend these events and send music his way. At some point, he told me, “You should try it, I can teach you the basics.” He was aware of my love of music. My phone would constantly be full because I downloaded so much music on it. I didn’t even have pictures just to make sure that the entire storage would be taken up by my music. I had the same problem on my desktop, just to give you a sense of how much music I was downloading and of how much music I’d like to discover. I believed the universe was with me because, as I was learning the basics, an acquaintance of mine was selling a vinyl DJing kit for $500. For two turntables plus a mixer, $500 is very cheap because normally, you will find only one turntable at over $1,000, even if it’s on second-hand initiatives such as marketplace or Kijiji. Thanks to my mom's interest in my journey, I was able to purchase the kit because she basically gifted it to me.
How has the pandemic changed or adjusted your work as a DJ?
During the lockdowns in Quebec and across Canada, the clubs were completely closed. There was no soft reopening, nothing for a year and a half. I did not have any revenue, so I was on CRB (formerly CERB). However, I am a multidisciplinary artist, so while there was nothing coming in under my DJ side, I still had some gigs in graphic design and illustration that enabled me to sustain myself. I believe that the lockdown and the ongoing pandemic were a valuable reminder of how important real-life settings are. When the lockdown happened everything was digitized, you could work and study from home. At first, it seemed possible to do everything online, yet two weeks later, people understood that some things are not meant to be online. People, including myself, knew that nightlife is part of that. I remember DJing at a Zoom event and feeling so sad when the event closed because the Zoom panel closed and I was already in my room. I wasn't hearing people asking about the after. I wasn’t smelling weed or cigarettes. I wasn't hearing the chatter of the club. During the set, I was not feeling the sub in my body. I was not seeing people dance in front of me; I was seeing people pixelated through my small laptop screen. It was a strong reminder for me that the beauty of nightlife does not solely reside in what the DJs are doing with the music but also in everything that comes with the interactions and feeling the sub in your body. I was aware of it before, but it just reminded me of how beautiful and sacred the simple fact of being in a space and sharing music with other people can be and that no technology whatsoever can reproduce this thing. Pretty early on, I stopped doing online events because I felt like it made me miss the club and raves even more. The nightlife simply cannot be digitized.
How are parties and events different now compared to before the pandemic?
Dancing is not allowed yet in clubs in the city I work in. I DJed recently at Datcha, and I hadn't been to this space in more than a year. I was excited to be back, to hear the music very loud and to be in a club setting. Although I had a lot of fun, I could feel people's frustration about the fact that they were not allowed to dance in the club. To ensure that people don't dance, they put tables on the dance floor. At some point during my set, people did stand up to dance, and the staff, due to the legislation in place, had to tell them to sit down. Even with the implementation of the VaxiCode and the fact that more than 70% of Canadians are double-vaxxed, we still cannot dance in clubs. There is also a maximum number of people who can come in. Prior to the pandemic, you used to see clubs packed. There's a restricted number of people who can have access to the same spaces that used to host up to three times the number of people they're hosting now. Now, there's of course an anxiety that comes with partying because you never know who could have COVID in the crowd. You have your mask on, but other people take theirs down when they’re drinking. Interestingly, settings that are outside parties are different in the sense that people are not taking for granted the experience of clubbing as much as they were prior to the pandemic. I recently DJed for a festival, and the scene was outside. The day was beautiful; it was a nice temperature. As I was Djing, I saw people crying while they were dancing. Maybe it was the music, but I have a feeling that it was way more than that. It was about being surrounded by people also dancing, having fun, screaming and sweating out; it was about people connecting to one another. There was this sense of pleasure but also of urgency to enjoy the present moment as much as possible because there's no guarantee that we'll be able to do it tomorrow. I am also not taking DJing for granted.
Talk us through the feelings that surfaced when you DJed for your first in-person event during the pandemic?
It was an outdoor event for the opening of MUTEK 2021. This night was incredible. It was a Tuesday evening in late August, prior to the implementation of the VaxiCode. I was stressed and excited before the set. Once the set started and I saw people dancing, I absolutely cried. I did that even before the pandemic. I have been crying behind the DJ booth just because I'm always so grateful and happy to facilitate a moment for people to let go of their worries and just enjoy the current moment.
What do you hope DJing in the future would look like and what experiences should consist of?
I believe that the future, the past and the present are elements that feed into each other. So to describe the future, we'll have to look at what's happening now. DJing is still about creating spaces where people give and take space. It's about making spaces where people dance, unwind and put their struggles and thoughts on pause for one or two hours. I hope DJing still remains something that Black people have access to easily. I hope that DJing will remain a craft that brings people together––one that makes people dance together, meet each other, become friends, become lovers, get married, anything. I hope the dance floor will remain a space for beautiful connections. I hope DJing will be taught to other people in a similar fashion that it has been taught to me. I hope that DJing will remain about creating spaces, safer spaces for people who look like me, for people who need spaces to simply be. I also hope that I will be able to occupy the space that Djavan, DJ TLM and all the people who have helped me learn and love DJing occupy. I hope DJing will be about love, community, Blackness, Africans and Afro-descendant folks being together, sharing, uplifting and protecting the culture as well.
KILLA KELS | @killaxkels
Killa Kels is a DJ from the west end of Toronto known as “Little Jamaica,” which spans from Eglinton West Avenue and Allen Road all the way to Eglinton and Black Creek. She has moved along the strip throughout her life, and her family still resides there. There are several initiatives currently working on revitalizing the area, as it has been grossly neglected over decades and is in danger of being gentrified. Her favourite genres to play are mainly hip hop, R&B (her first love) and dancehall. As she has grown as a DJ, music lover and traveller, she’s been exposed to many genres and music fusions that she includes in her sets today (e.g., Afro-fusion, Latin-fusion, lo-fi mash-ups, and EDM).
Who or what inspired you to become a DJ?
I've always loved music and wanted to somehow be a part of the industry, though I was unsure of where my place was. It wasn't until I started going to parties after high school, seeing DJs in their element and the effect they had on the moods of people in the room, that I knew that was how I wanted to integrate myself. I would go out and the DJ would be my sole focus––the songs they chose, the order in which they played them, and the creativity that went into their performance captured me.
How did you channel unknown feelings during the pandemic into something positive?
At first, it was rough––that feeling of the unknown and not being able to plan any part of your life. I had to adjust to remote learning with my son, and I wasn't able to travel, go to the gym, see friends or do much of what I was used to before. Quickly, I realised I had taken a lot for granted prior to the lockdown, and so I focused more on gratitude. The pandemic really was a much-needed break for me, which is not something everyone could say. With clubs, restaurants or any event of any kind being non-existent, I was able to stop, recharge and realign with what I was doing. I reassessed the kind of people I wanted in my life, the kinds I don't, and how I wanted to move forward as a better mother, DJ and person overall. I did a couple online streaming gigs, practiced meditation more and was able to move during the pandemic, so I was extremely grateful to still be so blessed during such a time.
How are parties and events different now compared to before the pandemic?
Parties and events feel a bit more exclusive now. People want to go out and enjoy themselves; however, the capacity restrictions and social distancing made it a bit harder for people to find places to enjoy themselves without breaking their budget or making reservations weeks in advance during unprecedented times. There are far fewer people in the room, and you can't even stand or dance in most venues, so for a DJ playing to a room full of seated guests, you can see the difficulty in that. You also can't gauge people's comfortability––they might be physically outside but are freaking out mentally inside because people are still afraid of COVID.
How did you feel when you DJed your first in-person party or event? Walk me through that.
I was sooooooooo happy! I think my friends and I were randomly screaming, "we outside!" the entire time. Just seeing people in person again, in the sun, dressed up, enjoying themselves after so long––it felt so good, it was almost unreal!
How do people interact with each other at events and parties, considering COVID?
It really depends on the person. Obviously, everyone has different situations––one might live with or frequently visit someone with a weaker immune system––so now there might be more questions asked or disclaimers before an event, like “are you vaxxed?”. I also think some people might've forgotten how to be social since the lockdown, or might be experiencing some kind of PTSD or loss since then, so it's a lot to consider when socializing again. For the most part, I think the majority who are out and about again just want to enjoy life and experience some kind of normalcy.
Did you have any challenges with being social or being around people again?
Not really, but I treasure my alone time more, and I've slowed down a bit since the lockdown. I was so used to a fast-paced lifestyle––always around people, always having to hustle. It was always "what's next?". I'd like to slow down a bit more and not feel so bad about it.
Where do you see the future of DJing, especially with our new normal?
DJing is such a unique career and surprisingly fairly untapped––considering that it’s part of not only the music industry but also tech––that I can see it going in so many directions. It's almost shocking that it took a lockdown for people to actively seek out DJs to bring that vibe virtually to their homes. Whatever is in our future, I do hope that people respect DJs a bit more, especially as creatives and as a necessity and benefit to any event.
DJ FTP | @dj.ftp
DJ FTP is a bedroom and club DJ from Toronto. His DJ name stands for “For the People” and originated during an event at Ryerson. His friend would support him at events and, at the sound of a new track, would come up to his space and let him know, genuinely, “You’re really a DJ for the people.” The name stuck, and people took a liking to it. His favourite genres are hip hop, R&B, dancehall, Afrobeats and open formats that capture a vibe people like and vibe to in the moment. He believes DJing is about capturing a vibe and making sure everyone has the best time possible.
Where did your passion for DJing originate?
My dad was a dancehall and Soca DJ, and just seeing him as I was growing up working on his CDJs and having a large music library, I aspired to do that and make people happy with music. When I turned 10 years old, my mom got me a DJ controller for my birthday. Ever since then, I've just been working, trying to learn different transitions, sound effects and how to mesh different styles of music together.
How did you remix your craft during the pandemic? What outlets helped you maintain your creativity?
The pandemic had a massive effect on how I did my DJing because when you can't do shows out, you kind of have to be creative and find different ways to have that same output. I would do things like twitch streaming or posting mixes online. During the pandemic, I actually had my first live radio set on Vibe 105.5, which was super exciting. I've never been on FM radio. Also, the pandemic gave me a lot of time and space to experiment with different things like music production. Even though I couldn't necessarily be out and DJing at clubs, I ended up putting a lot of work into my production and learning different styles of music. It was just really about trying to not feel stuck and honing my skills in different areas. But at the end of the day, we were all stuck inside for over a year and a half, and you never want to lose what really made you want to join this industry in the first place.
Describe the post-pandemic scene at clubs and events, especially with layers of safety like vaccinations and vaccine passports?
Since the lockdown finished, it's been crazy at some of these parties. I never would have thought that a week after we left the grey zone that pretty much everyone would be out and about. King Street’s popping, the clubs that I go to are completely packed, and lines are running down the block. I really do like to appreciate everyone coming out and just trying to have fun again and escape the world that we have outside right now. Especially the workers at the places that do these events, you are appreciated. Shout out to all my fam at Regulars. All of these places where I've been DJing are doing vaccine passports, which I think has a lot of people more willing to go out and have a good time. I do notice now that many people are much more confident in interacting with people, especially in the club. Fewer people are wearing masks inside because they know that everyone's fully vaccinated when they're inside the club. I also feel like a lot of DJs like us had to learn how to DJ again. We had to learn how to hop on the mic and get a crowd going. We had to learn how to keep the energy up high. We had to learn how to continue to network with people at these events and venues.
Where do you see the future of DJing, especially with our new normal?
I feel like soon we're gonna have a DJ renaissance. So many people stayed inside and became bedroom DJs during the COVID pandemic. They are going to be honing their craft, starting to go out more and DJing at clubs. I'm excited to see where these new people start to take the DJing craft. Lately, I’ve seen many club and venue owners starting to respect the DJ more and protect and take care of them. We're the ones that control the vibe. We're the trendsetters. We're the tastemakers. We're the ones that create the environment that makes people want to let loose, have fun and forget about what they're thinking or dealing with at home. They just come out and have a good time.