{"id":1156,"date":"2015-01-13T02:38:27","date_gmt":"2015-01-13T02:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/heart-beats.ca\/HDB\/?p=1156"},"modified":"2015-01-26T19:46:41","modified_gmt":"2015-01-26T19:46:41","slug":"refining-max","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/heart-beats.ca\/HDB\/refining-max\/","title":{"rendered":"Refining Max"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know what’s weird about going to parties in my thirties? DJs are still playing songs that I was dancing to in my teens. And don’t get me wrong. I love those classic jams. I love “Hypnotize,” “No Diggity,” “Fantasy (O.D.B. Remix)” and “Love Like This” etc. as much as the next Nineties Kid. And on the rare chance I DJ, I will likely even play one of these songs\u2014<\/span>because they bring us joy.<\/p>\n

But sometimes, hearing these songs make me feel like I’m in a timewarp on the dance floor, as though I never grew up and will always be seeking pleasure from the past. I worry that despite aging, my preferences are ultimately rooted in nostalgia.<\/p>\n

Maybe this is why when a DJ plays the occasional ~hot track~ I haven’t heard before, it is\u00a0so memorable. Maybe this is why, every time I think of Max Mohenu, I think of\u00a0this song<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The first time I met Max Mohenu was at Anni Spadafora’s epic TO party\u00a0Get It Got It Good.<\/em>\u00a0I was on the dance floor when the above song came on, and when I looked up, behind the DJ booth, was this beautiful, towering\u00a0man I had never seen before. I went over to shyly introduce myself, and to see if I could sneak a read of the track\u00a0title off his laptop.<\/p>\n

Since then, Max has become someone I crush\u00a0on (I MEAN),\u00a0have\u00a0collaborated with<\/a>\u00a0and have so much respect for, for many of the reasons discussed below.<\/p>\n

\"Processed<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Is there a connection between your love for music and how you dress?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Now that I\u2019m older, I can definitely see how all my different music phases growing up influenced my clothing. When I was a baby, my dad either had me in suits or something out of an old school 90\u2019s video. It\u2019s funny going through old photos and seeing all the different things I used to wear. My earliest memory of really embracing my love for fashion and music was in Grade 10 Career Studies class when I did my final assignment on wanting to be a hip hop stylist. I had a bristol board, a business plan, names of designers. It was really cute and embarrassing. To be honest, I never really considered myself a stylish guy. I\u2019ve always liked style, but I didn\u2019t realize I had it until about 4-5 years ago haha! One time I was just wearing a pair of slacks and a shirt to go to the corner store and get an Arizona Green Tea and this street style dude would not leave me alone.<\/p>\n

I remember thinking to myself after that experience that either these people are absolutely insane or I\u2019m just really good at dressing without giving a fuck.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

After 8 years in the city, I\u2019m guessing it\u2019s probably the latter.<\/p>\n

\"Processed<\/a><\/p>\n

How long have you been DJing? How did you learn?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My first DJ set was in 2009 with my friend Brendan Arnot at a party called \u201cDown Low\u201d at 751. It was an \u201cR. Kelly-themed\u201d dance party, which I guess is kind of cheesy, but we had fun and people seem to enjoy it for the most part. I DJed off my iTunes when I first started out, but after a few gigs I got a proper DJ program and started messing around with that. I never really learned how to DJ. I just sort of went for it and hoped for the best. I pride myself on knowing a fair bit about different types of music, which I think is really important if you want to be a DJ, regardless of your skills or experience. If you can do some basic beat matching and a smooth mix, having good selections is often enough to get you through a night. No fancy tricks needed! Just have fun.<\/p>\n

You have introduced me to songs and artists I have never heard of before (as I frantically SHAZAM on the dance floor). Where do you find new music?<\/strong><\/p>\n

After high school, I really got into checking out blogs on a regular basis. I\u2019m always in record stores, scrolling through Soundcloud and Bandcamp looking for new artists. I love finding shit that people have never heard or that one B-side nobody paid attention too. People love classics and guilty pleasures, but the real dance floor gold are those tracks that people don\u2019t know at all because it sparks conversation, which I\u2019m game for most of the time.<\/p>\n

\"Processed<\/a>\"Processed<\/a><\/p>\n

What are your ultimate top 5 favourite jams to play?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Really tough call! There\u2019s so many songs and I\u2019ve DJed so many different parties and styles of music. Some of my favorite parties to DJ are\u00a0Cub Camp<\/em>,\u00a0TRADE<\/em>, and\u00a0HER<\/em>. When I play those parties, I spin a lot of house, disco, re-edits, and electronic music. Fave tracks at those parties are:<\/p>\n