Angus Robinson, CA

Release Records, Moneyshot Recordings

Angus Robinson Interview October 2003
Interviewed by Somsay

Angus Robinson Profile

Age: 25

Height: 6’2

Weight: 160 (I’m a skinny mofo!)

Average heart beat per minute: 1.5

Fingernail lengths: Depends on the time of the year

Bed time: What’s that?

Colour of hair: Depends on the time of the year

Favourite Pop Song: I have no idea what’s going on in pop music…

Records: Changes every week!

Band: Pink Floyd

Models: Naomi Campbell

Monsters: Sharks!


The Interview

What's up Angus?
Chillin… taking a breather from work! Respect for getting this site together. I’m sure it’ll turn out well for you!

How long have you been DJing for?
I got into DJing when I was a wee lad, of only 19 years… ok, I got into it a bit late compared to some of the big boys in Canada, but I’ve now been spinning for close to 6 years now. It feels like much more though.

How did you first start and get into DJing?
By accident, really… my roommate in first year university had decks. I started foolin around, and it all just fell into place from there.

What made you decide to spin breakbeat?
A few reasons actually… First and foremost, because the music is so diverse. There’s so much room for creativity with breaks, unlike other more monotonous forms of electronic music. Also, because it’s the funkiest form of music I’ve ever heard. …And also because I saw a huge opportunity – not many DJs were playing the music at the time, but whenever a DJ played breaks, the crowd would go off, and many of the people had no idea what breaks were. I wanted to educate the masses!

Where are you DJing now?
Mostly one-offs here and there (System Soundbar, Element, and a few others), but I just got a new residency for Focus Saturdays at The Guvernment, easily Toronto’s biggest nightclub complex. The breaks room is in Charlie’s, one of the many rooms in the superclub. It’s just what Toronto needs… I’m pretty excited about it!

How many records do you have in your collection?
Somewhere between 1500 and 2000 at the moment. I’m a bit mad when it comes to collecting vinyl and picking up new tunes. But that’s to be expected seeing as I work in a record store(Release Records).

Do your neighbours mind your DJing noise?
I seem to have terrible luck with noise complaints… not so much now, but when I was in university. Neighbours called the cops a few times, and in first year I was one noise complaint away from getting kicked out of residence! Go loud or go home!

Does DJing get you girls’ phone numbers?
No, but I’ve had a few panties thrown at me in my day.

Have you ever gone out with a groupie girl that you met while DJing?
Yeah, but only the ones who toss panties at me.

Can you give us a little bit of information and tell us what the current scene for breaks in Toronto is like?
The scene in Toronto’s pretty good right now. There are a ton of DJs, most of which just started spinning in the last 2 years, and there are a lot of budding producers who will be taking the breaks world by storm soon enough. Within the last year, we’ve had new labels such as DSV, Womp, and Pure Phunk start up, all of which are doing very well on the international market. As far as the crowds go, it’s up and down, but it’s like that in any city really. The folks in Toronto who like breaks, REALLY like their breaks, which is always nice.

What is your flavour of breaks nowadays?
Hmm… it’s hard to pinpoint a style, but I’d have to say nu-country. It’s a genre I started myself. It hasn’t really taken off yet though… kidding aside, I’m well into the housey breaks vibe right now – what I like to call chunky funk.

Are there still a lot of weird ravers in the current Toronto scene?
I’m sure there are, but not at breaks jams… well, at least not the 19+ jams.

Do weird ravers like breaks?
My theory is that everyone likes breaks, but they just might not know it yet. You’d be surprised how many people there are who like electronic music and who know what house and techno are, but have no clue what breaks are.

Would you touch their pants?
Only if they are pink and furry.

Were you a raver?
Oh yeah. I raved it up back in the day. Nothing like those happy hardcore kids… but I used to go to my fair share of raves.

Do you produce?
Not yet, but I am going to be working with a very talented producer from Toronto by the name of Pronobozo – www.pronobozo.com - very soon to hammer out some tunes. In the new year, I will be launching a new label which I am pretty excited about. Can’t reveal any info until everything’s finalized, however.

What’s up with Release Records? How is the vinyl selling business going in Toronto?
In Toronto? It’s decent, but we don’t really focus on the Toronto market at all. We sell online all over the world. Sales in Toronto (like everywhere else) have gone down, mainly due to downloading (and other factors), so we’ve looked to branch out a bit.

I know of 2 record shops that went bankrupt in the last few years in Toronto... When these shops went bust, did Release Records make a gain of the vinyl market share?
A little bit, but again, the Toronto market is so small compared to the rest of the world. We don’t really consider the other Toronto shops to be our competition. We’re competing with other online shops like Satellite, Vinyl Addiction, etc.

What is your background?
Well, I have always been into music. I play piano, guitar, bass guitar, and I used to sing in a choir when I was young. So, I’ve got a pretty good handle on things. My educational background is in Business, specifically e-commerce & marketing (which ties into what I do for www.releaserecords.com).

What was your best DJ gig ever and why?
Hmm… that’s a tough on. I’d probably have to say at Evolution in Victoria, BC a few years back (when I was DJing under the name Madhatter). It was a small venue, but it was rammed (probably around 300 people or so). I’ve played much bigger gigs before, but this one was definitely the most fun. The crowd was up for anything, and by the end of the night, there was not one person who wasn’t bustin a move on the dancefloor… now that’s what it’s all about!

What was your worst DJ gig ever and why?
Played in Sarnia, Ont once, and the club had Numark decks… I realized just how good the Technics 1200s are! I was trainwrecking all over the place.

How big is the breaks scene in Toronto now?
It fluctuates. The biggest crowd that we could probably draw for an all breaks jam is 1000, which is pretty good! If we’re talking a weekly, with all locals, 200-300 is about average. I’d like it to be much bigger. I’m working on it!

How is the vibe in the breaks community there?
The vibe is wicked… it’s all about quality, not quantity. We’re all really friendly, and just out for a good time. There’s also not too much in the way of drugs in the breaks scene either which is nice. For the most part, we’re all responsible peeps who are just well into our music.

Do you see it expanding?
It’s really hard to say. The scene has shrunk a bit from what it was a few years ago, as is the same with every North American city, really. We’re going to have to find a way of expanding the scene, because I’m a firm believer in the notion that when an entity ceases to grow, it dies. And I won’t let it die, god dammit!

What does Canada need in your opinion to make the breaks scene bigger?
Canada needs more event promoters! And not just 19+ events, but all ages events. If kids have no opportunity to get into the music, we’re not going to have any 19+ breaks fans. As well, we just need more people pushing the music in all the cities, exposing their friends to the music. It’s all about spreading the love.

Who is your favourite breakbeat DJ and why?
I’d have to say Adam Freeland. He’s always innovating and bringing something new to the table, which is what I try to do as well. He creates trends rather than following them. Plus he’s got mad skills.

Do you know whats going on with Florida nowadays?
Same old same old, really… not too into the Florida sound at all.

Your opinion what is the definition of a breakbeat?
Anything that isn’t a standard 4 on the floor beat. There’s a lot of room for freedom, which is what makes breaks so interesting!

Tell us about your DJ mix that you have submitted for this site?
The DJ mix is definitely on the funky side of breaks. It’s aimed at the dancefloor, that’s for sure. It’s basically a collection of my favourite tunes from the last 6 months… there’s also a few exclusives which may never come out. Since I’m in contact with labels and producers abroad quite often, I get a lot of promos and CDRs mailed to me, which is always nice ;)

Who are you favourite breakbeat producers right now and why?
BLIM, Friendly, Plump DJs, Andy Page, Breakneck, Rennie Pilgrem & Elite Force. I’m probably missing a few, but those are the ones who come to mind. Why? I just like their tunes! …plus they paid me to say that.

What did you think of Montreal when you last came here?
I was in Montreal last year (Oct 2002) for Broken Wednesdays (RIP). It was great! The best part about Montreal is the 3AM last call. You guys don’t know how lucky you are.

What do you think of Vancouver?
Vancouver’s my home away from home. I could easily see myself living there. The scene is wicked down there (at least whenever I’ve been). I’d consider moving there for the weather, if not the bud. ;)

What's are you favourite white labels?
I could tell you, but I’d have to kill you.

Have you been to Europe to personally experience their breaks scene?
I have been to Europe, but the last time I was there, I was only 12 and there was no scene.

What places have you gone to so far because of your DJing?
I’ve been all over Canada, and I’ve played a couple shows in the states too… but nothing exotic. However, on Nov 15, I will be playing in Taiwan which I’m pretty excited about! I’ve never been to Asia, let alone played there.

What other forms of music do you enjoy listening to?
I’m not entirely a breaks snob. I do like other forms of music, such as experimental, techno, house, progressive, dnb, trip hop, funk, and just about anything else that kicks ass.

What does your DJ studio consist of?
2 Technics 1200s, a Gemini mixer (forget the model number, but it’s a good one), and a Pioneer CDJ 1000 (I take it everywhere I play).

How long did it take you to learn to beat match?
A couple days. I’m a quick learner.

What are you using to record your DJ sets?
I use my computer, which runs Cool Edit Pro. I’m not a fan of Sound Forge.

Are you a PC user?
Oh yeah! I can’t stand Macs.

Tell us a funny story about furry-Toronto-raver pants.
I’m happy to say that I’ve never had an experience with raver pants! What is it with all these raver pants questions? Do you have a fun fir fetish or something?? ;)

Breakbeat is commercial and huge in Australia, do you think that we can be as dope as they are?
Yeah, I think it’s possible, but it’s a much different mentality here in North America.

Do you like the Australian producers?
Yeah! There are some amazing producers from Australia – Smithmonger, Price Cuts, Andy Page, Friendly. There are a lot of Australian records in my collection.

Is Release records the only place to buy breaks in Toronto now?
No, there are a few other stores who carry breaks, but we get everything a month or two before them so it’s really hard for them to compete.

Whats up with the breakbeat weeklies in Toronoto? Are they still kickin every week?
Yeah, there are some good weeklies goin here. There’s Wednesdays at 254 (very small, but no cover. Never been, but I hear it’s decent); Activate Wednesdays at Element (this is a great night… cheap drinks, and good vibes. I’m playing there on Nov 5); There’s Out of Hand at System Soundbar in the back room (Big League Chu and Dave Saddler are the residents. It’s good times, but kinda small. I’m playing there on Nov 7). And then there’s a new night that I was talking about earier – Focus Saturdays at The Guvernment. This will be huge! I expect very good things. Residents are D-Monic, Dave Saddler, and myself.

Do yours parents like your breaks?
They’re pretty open-minded… I think they’re trying to like breaks, but I don’t think they understand.

What are you future aspirations?
To climb Mount Everest.

Your words of wisdom to new upcoming breaks DJs?
Carpet bomb your city with demos. Promote yourself professionally… don’t come across to promoters as being a party kid, but rather someone who has a vested interest in the music and the scene. Also, do something that sets you aside from the rest of the pack. And if all else fails, throw your own events and book yourself!

Any parting words?
A few shameless plugs for ya - I’m in the process of putting up my new website – www.angusrobinson.ca. It should be up by the end of Nov, hopefully! Tons of mixes available for download. Definitely worth a check out. As well, I have an internet radio show on www.protonradio.com called Futurized Radio which airs every Monday night (9-11 EST). Check it out for the best that breaks have to offer. Shouts out to the Toronto crew – Chu, Saddler, D-Monic, Willar, Robb, Electrician, and anyone else I’m forgetting… and big shouts out to the rest of the Canadian breaks posse – Soda (Vancouver), Pete Emes (Calgary), Lestat (Winnipeg), Somsay, D-Kai & Melon (Montreal), Melting Man (London) and anyone else I might have missed. You guys are making it happen!