He's played at some of the biggest music events in Montreal including Igloofest and Picnik and has gone international, catering to events within Canada and internationally in cities like New York, Miami and Phoenix.
1. How do you balance your advertising and music careers all at once?
Honestly, I've been doing it for so long so I kind of got used to it. When I was in my last year of university, I used to go to work from 9am to 5pm and then I would go to university from 6pm to 9pm, and then I would go work at a club from 10pm to 3am. Like, sometimes it was three times a week. When I graduated I kind of needed to fill that void so instead of class I started working on producing and on top of that trying to fit in my hobbies like going to the gym, seeing friends, helping people to interviews.
2. What began your interest in music?
When I was a kid, I mean everyone liked Disney movies and I always loved the songs in the Disney movies. I used to record all my favorite tracks from all the different Disney cassette tapes and make them into one tape.
3. What are some of your favorite artists to date?
On a weekly basis my artists change but Cat's n Dogs I've always loved, Tom Flynn, Fran Fitzgerald, Kidnap Kid (I really like Kidnap Kid), and Duke Dumont. And then there are other artists like Kendrick Lamar.
4. When did you get your first big break?
I don't know if I'd call it my first 'big break' but at the time it was just the beginning so me and another DJ, Maher Daniel, were playing at this bar on Saint Laurent until closing time and when the bar closed, there were people on the street super happy, screaming my name for 15 minutes. I remember I took a video of it and sent it to my mom and she called me the next day crying. It was funny.
5. What was one of your best experiences as a DJ?
Definitely Picnik or Igloofest. Both of them are really good, especially Picnik. I think I really liked it because it's a place I always go to and I always said "I wish I could do this here" and I like it because Picnik doesn't have an image to a sound. You just play your sound. I knew it was sunny and I knew people just wanted to dance so I got to play House and HipHop and still make it sound good. The next day there were 300 more people that knew me and liked me, and no matter where I've played before, you'll never get that same reaction. Until today people come up to me and tell me "I heard you play at Picnik two years ago" so it's really nice to leave a mark.
DJ Moody Jones
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Spring Mixtape: Side B- The Showers from royaroar on 8tracks Radio.
1- "We Played Some Open Chords and Rejoiced, for the Earth Had Circled the Sun Yet Another Year" by A Winged Victory For The Sullen
From their self titled record, "A Winged Victory For The Sullen" (2011), a track that comes close to making your eyes as wet as outside. The piano notes tug at your heart while sitting behind the window looking out at the rain.
2- "The Rain" by The Swell Season
From the record "Strict Joy" (2009), a song for those who feel that with spring comes disappointment. The closeness of freedom can leave one feeling ill prepared when it comes to what use they will make of their summer. It is also for those who know that spring means having to say goodbye to school. Graduating can surely make one feel like they aren't ready to face the real world and leave behind all that they know.
3- "Lilies" by Bat For Lashes
From the record "The Haunted Man" (2012), a song that is just fits beautifully with the end of spring.
4- "Love Is A Place" by Metric
From the record "Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?" (2003), a track that within the first few lines all sentiments are known:
"There's spring in the air
They're sweeping the streets
Wind is a breeze
The sun becomes her he agrees
What's holding up her face?
Nothing but blue skies
Passage ways to windows
That don't close"
5- "Recover" by CHVCHES
From the record "Bones Of What You Believe" (2013), is a rather uplifting track that gathers our old winter flesh and places it with something shiny and new.
6- "Forever, Until" by Dog Bite
From the record "Velvet Changes" (2013), is a gorgeous song that just makes you feel like running. Why? Because the breeze is so warm and tingles your spin as it shuffles through your hair.
7- "Black Sands" by Bonobo
From the record " Black Sands" (2010) a track that brings us back to the reality that we need the rain. You can feel the rain drops with the finger picking going on in this track.
8- "Twins" by Gem Club
From the record "Breakers" (2011), a track that leaves you dreaming. Close your eyes…see the storm, then watch it break. Now the clouds roll out in flirtatious groups that float past the peaking sun. We are starting anew.
Be sure to check out Side A!
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Montreal’s huge metal music festival, known as Heavy MTL in past years, is now being renamed to Heavy Montreal. That’s not all the changes that the festival has undergone - it is also being rebranded to include more hard rock and punk bands.
Photo credit: www.heavymontreal.com
Headliners such as Metallica and Slayer are still targeting the core metal crowd. Metallica will be playing songs as requested by the audience, a rare opportunity for fans to hear their old favourites rather than new hits. Music acts such as The Offspring and Dropkick Murphys are two bands that would have been more suited for the Van’s Warped Tour, which showcases genres such as light rock and punk. Perhaps Heavy Montreal is attempting to attract a larger audience, rather than focusing solely on their niche. Luckily, there are still a number of hardcore and metal bands to keep loyal fans happy. Apocalyptica, a Finish instrumental metal band made up of three cellists, will be a refreshing experience for attendees.
Heavy Montreal will be taking place at Place Jean Drapeau, on August 9 and 10. There will also be shows in downtown Montreal on August 8 for the festival.
Weekend passes for both August 9 and 10 are currently on sale, for $175. The gold pass which gives access to an exclusive terrace at Jean Drapeau is $500. Single day tickets are not being sold yet.
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Montreal is a city bustling with life in its after hours. We’ve got an incredible variety of bars and clubs, many being unique in their own style and music. We have a large gay village, and a popular indie and hipster scene, but what most don’t know is there’s also an established punk/metal scene in Montreal. So where do these metalhead night owls spend their nights partying? How can you join them?
Here’s my top picks for where you can scream Metallica lyrics while sipping a beer.
Both a venue and bar, Katacombes is small, dimly-lit, and has a gothic punk atmosphere that can’t be found anywhere else. They’ve got shows nearly every 2-3 days, so you can almost always expect a cover charge, ranging from $5 to $10 for entry. There are a variety of events that take place there, such as after-show parties, late-night events for festivals, and album launches for local bands. Katacombes plays metal, hardcore, punk, rock and occasionally a splash of indie. It has a real grungy, dirty feel to it. The place is condensed and intimate in size, which can be a lot of fun when there’s a live band. If you want a taste of Montreal-based metal bands, this is where you’ll hear them. The bartenders are friendly and easy to chat with. Once my friend and I befriended one of them, and we hung out there until the sun came up!
Located in the Latin Quarter, Cafe Chaos has been around since 1995 and has established itself as a popular metal and rock ’n roll bar in Montreal. It's small but has two floors. The lower section has tables, chairs, and a bar. Upstairs there’s a small stage for shows. The crowd is mostly young adults in the punk or metal scene, but there is also the occasional older biker with a long beard (be wary). Loud music, live bands, and cheap drinks can be found here in abundance. It’s best to go to Cafe Chaos when there’s a show, otherwise there really isn’t much of a crowd. The music sticks to the metal and rock theme, so you won’t be hearing any dubstep, electronica or pop here!
Photo credit: Google Street View
#2 CROBAR
Address: 1221 Crescent
Photo credit: Elise Favis
Crobar is a little hole in the wall that can be found down on Crescent. The atmosphere at Crobar is sketchy and grungy, with graffiti-filled bathroom walls and eclectic christmas lights strung on doorways. The bar has two floors: the lower part with a stage and bar, and the second floor with a pool table, balcony and bar that is only open during shows.
Photo credit: Elise Favis
The second floor has an assortment of comfortable sofas and a stereo which you can use to plug in your phone or iPod, so you can listen to your own soundtrack. Crobar tends to be dead, which is its downside. In comparison, when there’s a show there can be 100 or more crowding around the stage, moshing and screaming along. A cover charge is to be expected when there’s a show, usually no more than $5.
Photo credit: Elise Favis
As for drinks, they provide a pitcher of hemp beer for only $10. Shots are around $4 and mixed drinks between $6 and $7.
If you’re planning an event with a large group, Crobar is a fantastic, grungy option. There's a high chance you'll have that second floor all to yourself, so it's a great location for a large group. It’s located in the heart of the city and attracts students too, due to its near proximity to Concordia University.
#1 FOUFOUNES ELECTRIQUES
Address: 87 Ste Catherine Est
Photo credit: Elise Favis
There’s no doubt about it - Foufounes Electriques is the top spot in the city for rock and metal lovers. Every night has its own theme with different music:
Tuesdays - 90’s punk
Thursdays - Top 40 radio, hip hop, dubstep, pop
Fridays - Punk, hardcore, electronica, rock, metal
Saturdays - Metal, punk, dubstep, hardcore
At Foufounes Electriques, there are three floors. There is the bottom floor, with a bar and coat check. If you want to go upstairs however, you’ll need to pay the cover charge, usually no more than $4 to $8 depending which night you attend. On the second floor, there is another bar, a smoker’s terrace, and a large dance floor with a stage. When there is no show, anyone is allowed to go dance on the stage, which can be incredibly fun. Mosh pits are extremely common at Foufounes - if you’re dancing in the centre of the dance floor, watch out or jump into the insanity of bashing into one another. The third and last floor also has a bar, but it’s mostly known for it’s balcony-like design, where you can look down and overlook the dance floor beneath you.
Photo credit: Elise Favis
Personally, I enjoy Saturdays best because it’s the most crowded night and the dance floor is insane. The music is mostly metal and rock, so this is the night where all the metal heads mosh it out. To top it off, Saturday is the only time that Foufounes Electriques offers $1 beer! Shots aren’t much more, at $2.50, and mixed drinks will only cost you between $4 and $5. It’s cheap drinks galore with booming metal music around you. It’s a place where you can let loose and scream out lyrics with a hundred or more others as intoxicated as you are. What more could you ask for?
Some of these songs are for the words but most are really for the emotions they evoke. They are sounds of spring that we are all so desperately needing, that is why the first half of the tape is filled with a yearning and an overcast gloom while the second half of the tape is a hopeful shower that brings our gloom back to life.
Just before the trees are graced with the buds of new leaves, it is inevitable that we must go through the melting process first. This, in Montreal, isn’t always such a lovely thing. The snow melting on the ground is brown while little bits of garbage and lost garments of clothing appear everywhere. Here is to the dirty sludge that brings us through to something beautiful.
1- "Far Away" by All India Radio
From the record "Fall" (2008), this track twinkles like the glistening water rolling off melting snow mounds. A beautiful soundtrack for a sunny early spring day. The title and first line really captures what some hearts feel about summer approaching.
2- "The Icicle Melts" by The Cranberries
From the record "No Need To Argue" (1994), this track is self explanatory with its title. Again, here we feel the slow trickling sensation with the lead guitar riff.
3- "What Makes A Man?" by City and Colour
From the record "Bring Me Your Love" (2008), this track is for those tough spring days where the frigid air finds it way back for a day or two after having been teased with warmth. The mood and lyrics capture this frosty day.
4- "How To Bring A Blush To The Snow" by Cocteau Twins
From the record "Victorialand" (1986), this song is dazy and dreamy with a slight chilling undertone. This is here for the grey days that cling close to your bones but you know it soon will be over.
5- "Don't Lose The Faith" by The Dears
From the record "No Cities Left" (2003), we again are faced with the bitter-sweetness of the season. This is surely a hopeful tune that is trying hard to scare away the grey.
6- "What Remains" by Foals
From the record "Total Life Forever" (2010), a track that, for a change, encompasses the delicate beauty of the world melting around us. We will be left with buds and green when we see "what remains" after the slush passes.
7- "Ghost Towns" by Radical Face
From the record "Family Tree" (2011), the warmth is really starting to kick in at this point and this track holds the joy we have been holding deep inside for months. By the time the chorus comes around you feel absolutely free and excited for all that is new.
8- "Spring Again" By Sun Devoured Earth
From the record "The Sunshine Always Fades" (2011), this track really should not be explained…put on your headphones with this track playing and step out the door into the beauty of the day.
Be sure to check out Side B!
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Ladies and gentlemen, the moment you have all been waiting for...
After keeping Osheaga keeners in suspense for five days, the official 2014 lineup was posted today. Rather than have people wait to buy their tickets at a later date, which was normally the case, the three-day passes were on sale right away with the announcement.
Outkast is creating much excitement for the festival since the group has not been to Montreal since their before their 7 year hiatus. The group decided to reunite and play at many different festivals around the world this year with 2014 being their 20th anniversary.
(Courtesy of Outkasts Vevo Youtube Channel)
Another big name to make it to the lineup is the Acrtic Monkeys. Though these boys make their way to Montreal every few years, there is nothing quite like getting a bit crazy in the open summer air while "Brianstorm" is performed.
(Coutesey of The Arctic Monkey's Vevo Youtube page)
The race was on last thursday night when Osheaga released their “Lineup Scavenger Hunt Image” on their official site. Over the weekend people had a chance to figure out what bands will be playing in this year’s festival by figuring out the hidden clues in the image.
On top of being able to have a sneak peak of what artists will be playing, fans were allowed to make lineup guesses in order to be entered in a contest to win a pair of three day passes.
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Karl Bagusat, or DJ Charloon, was born and raised in Tussling, Germany - a town not too far from Munich. He self-taught himself into learning piano and guitar at just 12 years old and is starting to make a name for himself. Not only does Charloon produce and mix his tracks, but he also is highly skilled in Graphic and Art Design. His cover artworks are all specially designed by him. He has traveled the world for top of the line internships at major Graphic Design companies in cities like New York and Berlin. The list does not stop, Charloon is now working on creating his own T-Shirt line that showcases his artwork.
When you listen to his tracks, you'll notice acoustic sounds and computer generated sounds - that's because he combines the two when producing his music. Although he has only played at locally, he hopes to expand into other parts of Europe to see his music and graphic design career launch.
This DJ is one to watch out for!
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