Mini Interview with DJ Mossa

DJ Mossa, well rested and likely well tanned, having returned from his month long vacations at Mexico's Playa del Carmen, will the master of the turntables this Tuesday at Dizzy (Academy Club, Mtl.). No stranger to the electronic music scene with local performances at Piknik Electronik and MUTEK, Mossa's been dropping beats throughout North America and Europe. Armed with 10 years of classical music training under his belt and the delicate dance of running his label Complot (www.complot.ca), he’s doing what he can to keep the Montreal electronic scene on its head.

How did you get introduced to the world of Electronica and Dj-ing?

I’ve been a musician since I was 5 years old and never stopped since. Whatever the instrument (voice, piano, guitar, computer, water...), it is part of my daily living. There are a lot of similarities between playing the piano and composing techno tracks on a pc.But also playing in bands was a blessing and made me think about how to put together all the instruments and elements together. Making techno/house/electronic/bleepy music is just another way of expressing myself. Composing has been a very instinctive thing, especially with my latest band.

There are very few DJ's like yourself, who can successfully bring colour and depth to the "blippy - static - tec" sounds that you incorporate in your music. How do you describe your sound and do you consider it a "hard sell”?

I’m always trying to have fun, explore and shake my inspiration to create music. The same intention is found in everything I do, particularly in design. New ideas and concepts come along the way sometimes but I also think that a style is starting to establish itself. As for Dj-ing, it’s something else. I never play my records and tend to mix things up quite more. There are so many great artists out there, whatever the style.

What nurtured or inspired your deconstructionist appetite in music?

Because of a punk/hard core background, I see my computer as a guitar and my mouse as a distortion pedal...I try to use my pc the same way, with the same intention. Trying to stay away from pop structures and catchy tunes gave me the opportunity to explore other areas in electronic music; putting some personality and a twist into my material is necessary. I'll soon be ready for pop music....

Tell me about Complot Records and what is coming for the label?

We founded Complot before even knowing about the difficulties of releasing music. It really was a buzz between friends, a project with a vague idea behind. Complot is always trying to bring new ways of making electronic music and propose unusual collaborations. It’s hard to develop new concepts but very challenging. After a break, we are back in action, working with great artists and also building new projects, like DJ orchestra; you can see the video on the website (www.complot.ca).

Check out more of Mossa:
www.myspace.com/mossamusic

By La_Gazelle
www.myspace.com/gazelle_aj