Toronto's DJ Mike Gleeson

First times don’t always hurt. July 24th Dizzy special guest DJ Mike Gleeson from Toronto, spun for the first time in Montreal, effectively putting an end to his "Montreal virgin" status.

Mike spins regularly throughout Canada and the United States, and has a monthly residency at Footwork, Toronto (www.footworbar.com).

Best known for his bumpin house sets and admittedly highly influenced by the Chicago House sound, today Mike spins all kinds of house but maintains that diverse feel to his sets, incorporating any kind of music that is interesting or unusual.

Mike has always had a keen interest in all kinds of music, having spun everything from hip-hop, to house, funk, and pop music. But it was the electronic music of the early nineties that caught his ear. Inspired by DJ mix tapes of the day, by 1995 he had progressed to Dj-ing himself. “From the very start I’ve spun pretty much anything I’ve liked the sound of. Especially early on, with so many different kinds of parties and crowds I was playing to, it was important to be diverse.”

Did you enjoy your first set in Montreal at Dizzy?

I had a great time at Dizzy. It’s always good to play in other cities, and in Montreal I've always found the people to be very enthusiastic dancers, which is a great thing for a dj. Everyone I spoke with was very friendly, including the staff. The club Academy itself is just about the right size for that kind of party and it has a good sound system!

It was fun playing with Mighty Kat as we have similar styles but musically are a bit different, and that always helps with creativity. It opens you up to taking the music in different directions, maybe trying things or being inspired to do things you might not think of just playing alone.

Diversity in music is something you say is important and something you bring in your sets. What else do you want people to take from your sets?

When I first started djing I was spinning pretty much everything - hip hop, house, pop, whatever, and though I do spin almost exclusively house these days I try to keep the feel of it varied, to keep people on their toes. I've always thought that the best dj’s made me want to move but also made me think a bit, incorporating unusual stuff or techniques. It’s very much the Chicago way of djing; anything goes as long as it makes sense.

So what I'm hoping people get out of my sets is a kind of unique experience that is a lot of fun but also memorable. How that works is different for every person, which is why the diversity is important.

You caught the DJ bug in the early nineties. How did that happen?

Mainly through listening to mix tapes. I was just blown away by how the djs could kind of weave these tunes so well together. This was back when hearing a dj on the radio or even hearing dance music in general was not a common occurrence. Today dance music is much more ubiquitous, so I'm sure that that had an impact on me as well, just how different and exciting it all sounded
to most of my everyday music experiences.

What can we look forward to from DJ Mike Gleeson - new productions, a cross-country tour, a new album?

I'm getting into production now but I can sometimes be a bit of a perfectionist, so I won't get anything out there until I'm very satisfied with it. Quality over quantity and all that. Djing-wise I'd like to get out to Western Canada for a bit. Over the years for one reason or another I've had gigs lined up there and they've fallen through or I couldn't make it work in my schedule, etc. but I'd really like
that to happen. Just a question of logistics!

Peoples roles change or get redefined over time. What's is your philosophy on what it means to be a DJ today?
Being a dj is a very malleable thing these days, there's an increasing amount of automation and software used in djing these days that it’s sometimes hard to differentiate where the music stops being a producer's work and starts becoming a dj mix. Of course it’s both, and with the advent
of more powerful computer programs and tools it is going to continue in that direction.

That said there's a very real problem at the moment of really boring "live shows" that involve a lot of mouse clicking and what appears to be little more than someone checking their email. Naturally they're actually mixing in the computer but it can be so incredibly dull to watch that its a little
depressing, especially when you have some dj's actually programming their entire night in advance. That's just poor.

Some people say that it really shouldn't matter, that the music is the thing, but part of a dj's performance is interacting with the crowd, even if its only to the extent that they observe the crowd and judge their track selection accordingly. People like to know that there is a human connection
with the dj because it personalizes the experience. Anytime you have a dj with their face stuck to a computer screen, it lessens that personal aspect of things.

All this live performance stuff is improving, but it’s all about balance. As long as you have some kind of interaction with a crowd and you're mixing different songs together to create a personal experience for everyone, that's djing to me.

Want more Mike? Visit his website www.djmikegleeson.com .