All Crews International: Canada Part 2

When Jungle Drum & Bass crept out of UK clubs and raves out into the rest of the world, Canada was one of it’s first homes-from-home.

Turns out it still is! In this All Crews International we get stuck into Canadian JDB… in Toronto and beyond! Read on for Part 2.

J.F.Killah, British Columbia

You’re a member of both SHAHdjs & DnB Girls. Please tell our readers about both…

SHAHdjs is based out of Vancouver, BC, and is a collective of myself and some homies who met way back in 2006 at a weekly open decks night at Anza club. We would all go down there and rinse Jungle and DnB vinyl on Saturday nights and since there weren’t many DnB shows going on at the time, we decided to start throwing our own. We hosted a monthly DnB night for years at Backstage Lounge until losing the venue, and now we mostly just play club nights and festivals together with an occasional one off show. DnB Girls is a collective of female DnB artists consisting of DJs, producers, MCs, vocalists, and instrumentalists spanning across Canada and the US, which I’ve been a part of since its inception in 2009. We aim to provide a platform of growth and inspiration for each other and other female DnB artists. Currently we host a podcast featuring our own members as well as guest artists, and recently released our first compilation!

Who are some producers that you’re rinsin in your sets?

There are so many but here are some that have been on the rinse as of late. Alix Perez, Cesco, Molecular, DLR, Sully, Quadrant & Iris, Levrige, Particle, Teej, Alibi, Genic, Satl, S.P.Y., Umbra, Whiney, John Rolodex, Marcus Visionary, Visages, Monty, Anile, Arcetype, Myth, Calyx, NC-17, Alyness, Break, Philth, QZB, Submarine, Waeys, Unglued, Anais, Black Barrell, Serum, Kings of the Rollers, J:Kenzo, Loxy & Resound, Lenzman, Bladerunner, DJ Hybrid, Phase, Zero T, The Sauce. It goes on haha. As you can probably tell from this list I definitely play lots of sub-genres, but I veer toward the darker, heavier vibes with the occasional sprinkling of deep liquid.

Tell us about the DNB/Jungle where you’re located in Canada…

Currently I’m located on Vancouver Island not far from Victoria, BC. There’s not a massive DnB scene here, but there are definitely a handful of heads and promoters that are doing occasional shows (shoutout Mind Garden, Dubversified, Full Spec, & Breaking Waves). Vancouver also isn’t too far away and has a lot more DnB headliners coming through than Victoria. I definitely feel like there is a resurgence of jungle and DnB happening which is very exciting! I’ve noticed I’m hearing it more and more in multi-genre sets which definitely wasn’t always the norm and I’m loving it 🙂

Find J.F.Killah on Instagram, Soundcloud

Hydra & DJ Capro, Toronto

Tell our All Crews readers about Juncture Music…

Juncture Music is an indie label in Toronto focusing on the range of music between techno and breakbeat hardcore / jungle. Wendy and myself initially set it up to release the music she was making and eventually we signed a few other artists including GlassBox (TO.), Night On Wish Mountain (OTT), CNTRL Machine and Parts Project (MTL) We also had a weekly Twitch show on Fridays for a couple years involving a number of our friends who DJ including c64, GlassBox, DJ Clear, Ms Melody, Lajwah, Oblio, Snips, and K2.

What other DJs in Toronto do you get excited to play with at an event?

In terms of Jungle, we lean towards the deeper side of things. Frankie Gunns and Rumbleton are some of our favorite locals. For techno I’d have to say Acote, or any project Andre ER is involved in, hearing him perform as Ébony at Mutek in Montreal last year was pretty amazing.

In addition to your love for Jungle Drum & Bass, what are some other interests that you’re passionate about?

Wendy has been developing her skills as a potter over the last couple years and has started taking commissions. As for myself, I’ve just designed and built my first pinball/arcade cabinet, which is a rabbit hole of an interest I wasn’t expecting to find myself in.

Find Juncture Music on Soundcloud, Bandcamp

 

Remedy, Toronto

Please tell our readers about how you got into Jungle Drum & Bass?

The first time I heard Drum & Bass, I was sitting in my friend’s car when he threw on a mixtape, grinning like he was about to change my life. I nodded along, thinking, Alright, this is cool, but I didn’t fully get it, yet. It wasn’t until I felt it in person, with bass shaking my chest and rolling through my body, that I understood the raw power of this music. My queer friends and chosen family were the ones who first introduced me to the rave scene, a space that felt safe, welcoming, and completely freeing. I started out at happy hardcore events, but the Jungle/DNB rooms kept calling me in, their darker, deeper rhythms pulling me into something I couldn’t quite explain. Then came Return to the Temple of Boom at The Docks, a Futuresound event featuring Mampi Swift and Shabba D. The smoke, the pounding bass, the hypnotizing MC, I felt like I had been transported to another planet. I danced until the lights came on, completely lost in the energy of the music and the crowd. That night, I knew I had found my home and my soul music.

Who are some producers that you’re rinsing in your sets?

Oh wow, this is always a tough question to answer because we’re living in a golden era for DNB and Jungle, there’s so much incredible music at our fingertips if you take the time to dig. It’s hard to keep up, but there are always a few go-to artists I know I can rely on. I play a wide spectrum of DNB, pulling influences from all over, and my selections are often guided by emotion and energy in the moment. I love reading the crowd, feeling the atmosphere, and crafting a set that flows naturally. That said, some names that have been staples in my recent sets include Visages, YAANO, Shy FX, Serum, Enei, [Ivy], Bredren, DJ Zinc, Unglued, Pola & Bryson, Monrroe, Goddard, GEST, Rueben, Euphonique, QZB, Waeys, Kanine, Anaïs, Geostatic, Camo & Krooked, Simula, and Solah. Each of these artists brings something unique to the table, whether it’s deep, rolling basslines, crisp drum work, or soulful melodies. Honestly, my selections are always evolving, there’s just too much fire out there to stay in one lane!

When did you know that you wanted to make DJing a significant part of your life?

Like most DJs, I’ve been obsessed with music for as long as I can remember, making mixtapes, mix CDs, even music video compilations to share with friends. Music was always a part of my life, whether it was through dance, choir, playing an instrument, or the sounds of my parents blasting music through the house. It wasn’t until I went to a rave at the Ontario Science Centre (RIP) that everything clicked. DJ Vaneska was on stage, rocking the decks with incredible energy, and I was mesmerized by the way she moved the crowd. At that moment, I thought, I can do that. I want to do that. I am going to do that. Soon after, I bought my first pair of Technics 1200s and records, locked myself in my bedroom, and spent two years practicing before ever taking a gig. From that point on, DJing wasn’t just something I wanted to do, it was something I needed to do.

Find Remedy on Instagram, Soundcloud

 

DOLLFACE, Ottawa

Tell our All Crews audience all about Camo Sessions In Ottawa.

I’ve been consistently representing our beloved scene for over two decades. Skip to the present and my crew and I have been the driving force behind Ottawa’s thriving underground jungle brand, The Camo Sessions, revolutionizing the city’s jungle scene in just one year.

Find DOLL FACE on Instagram

 

DJ Clear, Toronto

Tell our All Crews readers about your label, Sweet Sensi…

The label had started out as a natural extension of myself and my promoting partner at the time David Jabba’s efforts promoting Jungle events in Toronto, Canada. The North American Ragga Jungle Movement at the time was really exploding and Toronto specifically was and still is a huge stronghold for this sound. We loved all of the classic amen jungle and everything else adjacent, it just made sense to get a vinyl release out through our connections at the time. Initially the idea was to release music that was timeless ‘lightning in a bottle’ tunes. In retrospect I think we just wanted to jump in headfirst. The label has since evolved, moving from jump-up ragga to a more deeper, old skool and drumfunk sound.

Tell us about your Jungletrain show…

Jazz Loon Radio is a collaboration between myself and GlassBox. The show is split into two hours so we can both play each week or cover the other hour if one dj can’t make it. We both have been active members of the Jungle Train Chat Room community for a very long time and have been big supporters of the diverse and cutting edge Jungle and DnB that all of the insanely talented DJs at Jungle Train have been fostering. Ian (GlassBox) and I feel like we fit in quite well. Having a back catalogue and an active record label really helped bring a unique sound to Jungle Train. Additionally, during the lockdown GlassBox and I launched a sister label to Sweet Sensi Records ‘I’m Sorry Jon’ which is currently a digital-only label focusing on hardcore and jungle techno and darker sounds. We like featuring stuff from both labels and GlassBox usually has some dubplates to showcase. Also, I usually try to play dubs from some of my friends and demos when people submit them as well.

When signing tracks to your label, Sweet Sensi, what elements do you look for in tracks?

Like I was saying before, I’m looking for something unique and special so that years from now people will remember it when digging in their own collection. Sweet Sensi has yet to put out a release that was digital-only outside of the ISJ Catalogue, so releasing music on vinyl still to this day means we have to be picky and extremely deliberate in our tracks that we put out. This doesn’t always translate well to sales. The cost of purchasing vinyl vs. the cost of living has really challenged the vinyl market for labels and we have really noticed the drop in sales. I don’t shy away from challenging tunes and I would rather look back on my releases and be proud of every single tune that came out. Some labels release throw-away tracks and would rather pump out literal garbage! Yeah it sounds hot at the moment but will people still play that stuff in 10, 20 or 30 years time? I bet no. But if you make something special, people will come back to it and remember you as long as they are interested in the music!

Don’t get me wrong, there are labels that put out 2-3 records, vinyl, every month (Future Retro, Deep Jungle to name a few) and I love their output! I would kill to have that release schedule. Running the label ostensibly by myself means financing it and doing all of the labour involved, manufacturing in The Netherlands means a lot of time lining everything up.

Finding good music is actually the easiest part!

But I digress. Aside from unique and special tunes, another thing I look for is artists who either submit tunes that are essentially complete and incredible or, if it needs fine-tuning, opening to direction. A track might have amazing elements but if it’s not ready for release, then changes must happen.

Find DJ Clear on: Instagram, bandcamp

 

Sabola, Montreal

I’m familiar with your productions as Sabola and your release on Future Retro, you also produce under the monikers of Solitary Dancer & Gunnera, please tell our readers about them too…

Some of my first solo releases were with a house project called Iron Galaxy. Sabola was an alias I had as a kid, and when I wanted to start making music on my own again, I thought I’d revive it. The hope is to have one alias under which I can release a variety of productions. I’m hopeful it won’t just confuse people when I release a Jungle/DnB record followed by some melodic IDM stuff. Gunnera was me playing guitar and singing into my laptop mic when I didn’t have access to my studio during the pandemic. Solitary Dancer is a project I do with my good friend Anthony. It’s been an outlet for electro, dub, techno, and experimental stuff. We’ve scored for film and have recently done music for a couple of fashion brands.

You and Anthony, scored the SS25 runway show for Adidas, give us the details of this proud moment…

Yeah, we did SS25 for Adidas Y-3 back in June and just recently presented FW25 for them in January. They got in touch last spring asking if we were still together because we hadn’t released anything since 2020. We had just started getting back into the studio, and it was a fun framework to work fast and complete a project. The team at Y-3 is wonderful to work with. All the different creative departments and Matière Noire, who do the lighting and scenography, made the show look beautiful. We’re releasing each season as a limited 12″, and after we complete SS26, there should be a culminating project that ties the three shows together. I don’t want to jinx it, so I’ll hold off on any details.

Since you’re a multigenre producer, please describe the music scene in Montreal…

I have to admit I’m a bit of a studio hermit, but I think the music scene in Montreal has always been a draw for creative people in Canada. Montreal has been one of our more affordable big cities, but it hasn’t been immune to rising costs of living. My rent at one point was $200/month, and people were throwing shows in old textile factories for next to nothing. All of those spaces now hold tech companies or have become condos. However, there are collectives throwing sound systems in trucks and setting them up in public or smaller spaces every weekend. There are crews like XO Noire and Homegrown Harvest that put on shows with higher production values. Mutek is a large experimental music festival that just had its 25th anniversary. Piknic Électronik is nearing 25 years and is basically a giant DJ festival every weekend from May until October. Watching Shift Radio live streams or listening to N10.as radio, you realize how many people are DJing and/or making music in the city. Many of my friends release music, run labels, venues and record stores, so it’s great to be in a city surrounded by so many creative people.

Find Sabola on Bandcamp, Instagram and Soundcloud

 

Ghaleon, Toronto

I see reels of some of the tracks you produce and you have a lot of hardware, what do you use to produce?

Essentially it’s a mix of outboard, with 2 or 3 Amiga 1200’s at the forefront! The PC is only involved to capture the songs digitally. With each amiga having 2 mono outs, up to 3 A1200’s are synced together through midi. Basslines are handled by an Akai S950. All these outputs are sent to the mixing board, which is a Yamaha PM2000. Any channel that I want a stereo effect on is sent to an Eventide H3000, Lexicon PCM60 or PCM70, or Ensoniq DP4. Drums get flavoured with some compression, either Valley People Dynamite, DBX 162, or Drawmer 1960. The main 2 bus off the mixing board is sent through A revox PR99 tape machine to fatten things up even further.

Take our readers through your process of putting together a track.

For me, inspiration for a track usually comes from a sample I like. It could be a pad, drum break, or some cool fx thing. I’ll find complimentary sounds and make a little folder of breaks, pads, fx, and vocals. After playing around with some ideas, I’ll lay down the drums and bass first. From then on, it’s just going off the vibe of what the sounds are giving me. Rough arrangement first, and then go back later on to tighten things up and do quality control. Arrangement is very important I think, so that’s usually the part that takes the longest for me!

Where can people check out your music?

I post my music wherever it gets heard! Very interested in getting my music on wax these days.

Find Ghaleon on Youtube, Instagram and Soundcloud