Remembering... Digital City

Too bad this thing didn't last forever, because I'm telling you man, it was a BLAST.

I don't know who had the idea, in late 2002, to try an electro weekly on a FRIDAY NIGHT at Unity II. I still remember staring at the flyers and telling myself it was probably a joke. Apparently not.

So we got our friends Soundshaper & Philgood on the musical flip, sharing DJ duties, and some hired dancers were supposed to spread the party, as if they needed them. It still was a nice touch; my friend Sarah, when she got tired of dancing, got off her cube and started feeding complimentary vodka shooters to the wildest partygoers.

Musically, the boys had to remain calm. They probably had certain guidelines to follow, and these guidelines must have included "not too hard" because what they played always stayed within the realm of electro-pop, which is a mighty good thing if you want my advice. Some signature songs of the night were E-Man's "Animal Skin", The One's "Superstar (dub)", and sometimes some drunk special requests from yours truly.

I'll always remember my birthday night on Jan. 4th 2003, when all the gifts I received were gin-tonics or other toxic beverages. I would end up the night kicking recycling bins all the way east on Ste-Catherine, but that's another story. I ended up so drunk I told Phil that it was my birthday and gave him several choice cuts to play to celebrate it. Believe it or not, he played 'em ALL. There I was on the floor, almost dying, because of Fat Phase's "It"s Magic (Kiko Remix)", probably my favorite song back then, when I heard the beginning The Twins' "Face to Face (DJ Naughty Remix)" thrown in the mix. I could have kissed the guy !

There was one constant through all these Fridays : the clash between Philgood's & Soundshaper's selection. Whenever I would hear a "questionable" track, I'd raise my head and see Soundshaper playin' it. And whenever I'd be like all "Whoah, this shit is good !" it'd be Philgood behind the decks. No offense, SS, but I always liked your mixing skills better than the tracks you selected !

Eventually the night became crowded with weirdos, never the same people every week, and Unity II pulled the plug at the beginning of 2003. It was some kind of lost, because since then, apart from the Parking's weekly Overdose night, no club in the Village has offered anything else than generic or progressive house.

I'll still always remember these Friday nights with a warm, fuzzy feeling, and I salute all the friends I met there.