ーCould you share the thoughts and ideas behind this mix?
As you can tell, I was kind of all over the place with different genres. It’s connected to my radio show, “Genre is a construct,” so there are basically no real boundaries. I just go wherever the flow takes me. Today, I went from jazz to soul, disco, a bit of house, and drum and bass. I played quite a wide range of music.
—Is there a track you played today that you'd especially like to introduce?
One I really enjoyed playing was this record, Archie Bell & The Drells’ “Don’t Let Love Get You Down.” And the other one was the last record I played, Steve Alexander’s “Isometric 1.” It’s very jazzy, and it’s got that drum and bass in the background. So I figured I’d end the set with something like this. All of these records are ones I found in Tokyo. I picked them up while digging during my stay.
— What made you choose the records you bought in Japan this time?
Sometimes I look at the label, sometimes the artist, and sometimes it depends on which section of the store I’m digging in. Some of these records I bought with my friend Tomoya-san. He’s also a very well-known record collector in Tokyo, and he gave me some recommendations.Some of the records he recommended while I was digging at Disk Union were actually ones I played today.
— What kind of records do you usually buy?
Right now, I’m mostly into funk and soul. I also really like chill dub music. But when I’m looking for something more dancey, I sometimes venture into house and drum and bass as well. Right now, I’m especially into funk and soul.
— We heard that you’re studying sushi. Alongside DJing, what got you interested in sushi?
First of all, I love fish. And number two, I think sushi is a very disciplined culinary art form.So I was really intrigued by the idea of coming all the way to Tokyo and learning from some of the best people here.I wanted to learn how to be more disciplined when I’m cooking, how to follow certain instructions, and also how to be more delicate when I’m cooking.I think sushi is really interesting. To me, it’s almost like art rather than just cooking a meal. That’s what really made me want to come here and learn.
— Do you want to open a restaurant in Canada one day?
We’ll see. Hopefully, I will one day. But more than anything, I want to incorporate what I’ve learned through sushi school into my general culinary life. So even if I’m making Italian food, I want to incorporate some of the things I learned at sushi school into that as well.
— This is a really important question. What’s your favorite sushi?
Serious sushi, not California rolls. [Laughs] Yesterday, I went to an “omakase” run by a former student, and he made me a flounder nigiri. I forget the name in Japanese, but I recently learned how to fillet a flounder. The nigiri was really, really soft. It almost melted in my mouth. I think it was one of the best pieces of sushi I’ve ever had. So I think that would be my favorite one right now.
— Alright, let’s get back to DJing after all that sushi talk. (Laughs) What’s your impression of vinyl culture in Japan?
Before I came to Tokyo this time, I honestly didn’t really know what to expect. But once I got here, I noticed how many people are actually buying vinyl. I think vinyl in general is getting more popular again today. But from what I’ve seen, I feel like people in Japan really love the old classics, more so than a lot of the new, hyper-dancey stuff. A lot of people love jazz too, which I love. But there’s a huge learning curve there, and there’s so much to discover. I also noticed that a lot of people in Tokyo buy CDs as well. There’s actually a huge CD culture here. So I think it’s been really interesting to see what kind of records people buy in Tokyo compared to the kind of records people are always buying back in Montreal. Digging in Tokyo isn’t completely different from Montreal, but it’s also not quite the same in many ways. What I’ve especially noticed is that people here really put the time and effort into finding cool, rare, or even unique sounds when they’re digging.
— What kind of music is popular in Montreal?
I think Montreal has become really into boogie, disco, and house over the last five years or so. It used to be a big techno city, at least six or seven years ago. But now we have a lot of cool DJs in Montreal, and a lot of really cool parties that are focused on sound system culture. They really put a lot of effort into the sound itself. In terms of the vibe, it’s basically anything that makes you want to dance and keeps you from being on your phone in the club. I think that’s a really good thing about Montreal. I’d say that’s the general vibe of the music scene there right now.
Are there any clubs in Montreal you’d recommend?
Montreal is the home to one of the most of popular club “Stereo” Those who love good sound and electronic music will know Stereo. They are know to have one of the best sound systems in North America. My favourite place to listen and play in Montreal is San Soleil. It is a very small speakeasy in Chinatown that serves dinner and cocktails until 10:30 pm. When you first walk in, it will remind you of a classic japanese jazz kissa. You can start the evening with some sake and sashimi and leave the place at 3 am once it transitions into a dance floor completely.The sound is what hold the entire place together. It houses a 600 pound Klipsch Tower Speaker.
ーWhat kind of mindset is important to you as a DJ?
You know I started Djing back in university and its been close to 10 years now. I got into it because I felt that every club I went to at the time, played the same kind of music and was the same vibe. It was not music focused at all. I was really into Soundcloud at the time and was discovering some crazy cool music and mixes. So I used my friends mini mixer and virtual dj to play at house parties and then clubs. My mindset has always been to play something the dancers in front of you have not heard before. Introduce them to something new and once in a while throw something familiar to keep them moving. I had the pleasure of listening and watching Theo Parrish dj a few times now, and the first time I saw him it really cemented the idea in my brain - Do not limit yourself with genre’s and music style. Music is universal and as DJs its our job to create a unique experience for them and do the record justice when playing it.
ーWhat plans do you have for 2026?
DJing is a hobby that I plan on keeping and expanding for the rest of my life. I would like to keep learning, discovering new music, artists, labels, djs etc moving forward. I want to play more parties and grow my radio show by introducing DJs I love. Besides DJing, I plan on exploring my culinary side by applying what I learnt here in Sushi Academy, exploring my love for indian and middle eastern cuisine, and creating a fusion. The more I think about it, its kind of similar to putting together a DJ mix.
ーLastly, how was your experience DJing at ELLA RECORDS today?
At first, I was a little bit nervous. There were so many cameras, so I was kind of like, “What am I doing?” [Laughs] But then I kind of got into the flow. I always try to start slow and build up from there, so overall, it was a really great experience. I also got to listen to these records for the first time together with everyone else. So it felt more like a listening experience than a DJ set. I’d say it felt more like a listening session than a proper DJ mix.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience.
