DJ

I was lucky to have been raised by obsessive audiophiles that loved an extremely wide range of genres from jazz to classical, Motown and pop, classic rock to the early age of electronic, there was never a moment of silence growing up that wasn’t quickly filled with beautiful music of all kinds. I’ve had a record collection and turntable at my disposal since I was a toddler - the magic of applying a needle to a record to create sound was always a magical experience for me, and music and dance fuelled my entire existence ever since.

A veteran in the DJ game, I’ve been hittin the decks professionally since 1997, playing a vast range of styles over the years, making my debut in the Toronto rave scene, and playing at a variety of nightclubs, festivals, restaurants, bars, fashion shows, fundraisers, conventions, weddings, corporate events, trade shows, dance recitals, craft shows, private parties, in between bands during shows, and so many other kinds of events and venues across Ontario, even dipping into select parts of the U.S.

An avid vinyl selector, I still maintain a heavy use of vinyl, but I’ve recently added Serato to my arsenal during the pandemic as my current weapon of choice as am delving deeper into the digital landscape and am able to cultivate and cater to a wider range of musical genres and audiences.

A BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND…

As I grew up, I exclusively worked in record stores as a teen and eventually shifted into my professional television and film production career into the Much Music environment in the 299 Queen West building at CityTV at the end of the 90’s, maintaining close proximity to a music-centred environment, with a passion for the combination of audio and visual.

A few years later, as a student at the University of Toronto back in the early 2000’s, I produced my own style of trip hop and hosted a weekly 3 hour radio broadcast called “Back II Basics”, a show about the history of electronic music that ran for 5 years straight, patterning the format off of legendary music historian Alan Cross, who was always one of my biggest inspirations as I obsess over collecting and sharing knowledge of music’s fascinating origins. I was awarded the Atomic Turntable Award in 2005 from VIBE to celebrate that accomplishment as well as having consistently high listener rates. I also hosted “Showtime At The Dump” while attending U of T, which focused more on the evolution of Hip Hop, Trip Hop and the world of Breakbeat.

I am a founding member of the now retired female DJ squad The Diamond DJ Collective that performed in Hamilton for a number of years including my good friend and fellow veteran DJ Donna Lovejoy, and our good pal Kristin Archer of I Heart Hamilton, the host of a long-standing CFMU Radio program in Hamilton. We played everything from beer festivals to club nights, community events and more, and had a blast sharing in creating the vibe for so many wonderful occasions.

WORKSHOPS…

DJ Donna Lovejoy and I also founded the Women’s DJ Workshop, prior to the pandemic, which initially started as a one-off workshop at the Art Gallery of Hamilton’s Annex gallery and event space, and then moved to be located upstairs at DrDisc for a more regular rotation of semi-private tutoring, and even offered live nightclub workshops at Club Absinthe in Hamilton. We would facilitate instruction in vinyl DJing to anyone femme-identifying to create a safe and positive space to learn the basics of the history of DJing, technical skills in a friendly, unintimidating atmosphere, as well as providing an emphasis on safety as we definitely don’t have the same experience in the industry that cis hetero men do.

I still carry much of this instruction knowledge forward in my own workshops for both teens and femme-identifying individuals. I have taught workshops at the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery in Sarnia as part of the summer programming for teens and continue to partner with them annually, as well as offer occasional workshops for small groups at The Mule Spinner at The Cotton Factory in Hamilton. Stay tuned for more details on when I can drop the next workshop, so you can join in - or you can always contact me to see if I’m currently available to offer private lessons.

PREVIOUS RESIDENCIES…

I was a former resident DJ of the weekly Night Drive (later dubbed NoThrills) Saturdays @ Baltimore House in downtown Hamilton, alongside my DJ “brother” Dan Rivero (aka DJ Osito), as well as the monthly Trainwreck Tuesdays @ Che in Hess Village with my pals Zeek (IAMNOTADJ) & Garcia (DJ Coltrane) for many years until both locations closed.

I most recently had a monthly residency at the Casbah Lounge, every 3rd Thursday of the month with a Trip Hop series called Psyence Fiction, for over 2 years. I played all genres of Trip Hop (a jazzy downtempo sub-genre of Hip Hop) in a wide range, featuring underground tracks and rarities from around the globe in a chilled-out atmosphere, perfect for a relaxing end of the week hang before the weekend kicks off - it’s unfortunate it had to come to an end as we lost that venue as well. Lastly, I was also a monthly resident over the years on and off at The Mule on King William since their opening, for their “Tacos, Turntables & Tequila” nights on Fridays and Saturdays, featuring a rotating crew of the city’s top Hip Hop DJs from the DrDisc crew - my focus for those nights was primarily classic Hip Hop from the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s, dipping into the mainstream from time to time - and always had a total blast, eating my way through the delicious menu many times over.

CURRENT RESIDENCIES…

I am currently the official DJ for all Craftadian events, as well as being the annual resident DJ for Hamilton Fashion Week. I also regularly play all genres of 80’s classics at Electric Diner’s retro-themed restaurant at the Lister Block location for “Electric Vibes” Fridays, and love to create a fun atmosphere for their signature dance parties at their special events - notably Halloween, New Year’s Eve Prom and their Valentine’s Day Dance - as well as being their go-to DJ for any private functions.

I also remain a recurring resident of NoThrills All-Genre Dance Events, as well as a rotating resident of Fascination Dark Dance Events in various venues across the city - currently hosted at &ThenYou (formerly SousBas). I frequently also play seasonal events in downtown Elora for Cheeky Girl Group as their official DJ, and I am also available for weddings and special events at The Cotton Factory - if you’re booking one, don’t hesitate to put in a request for yours truly! Would love to assist in setting a great vibe for you and your guests.

ALWAYS READY TO PARTY AND MAKE A FUN TIME HAPPEN.
YOU WANNA BOOGIE? LET’S GET IT!

GENRES I SPECIALIZE & REVEL IN, INCLUDE…

Hip Hop | Trip Hop | DISCO | Funk | B-Boy anthems | House | French Touch | Electro | Vaporwave | New Wave Retro | Future Bass | SELECT EDM | Experimental & Old School Techno | 90’S Breaks | Drum N’ Bass | OLD SCHOOL JUNGLE | Motown | Classic Rock | 70’S-90’S Punk | Rockabilly | SURF ROCK | Indie Rock | Brit Pop | Grunge | 80’S & 90’S Metal | 80’S & 90’S Industrial | Darkwave & POST-PUNK |
60’s, 70’s, 80's and 90’s classics