Smalltown DJs bring First Chair Last Call to Traverse tonight

Smalltown DJs (Calgary) are headlining alongside Sabo (Los Angeles) and Christain Martin (San Francsico) this Thursday at the Traverse on the first stop of the Mountain Magic Tour.

Smalltown DJs is a Canadian house music duo made up of Mike Grimes and Pete Emes. Their shared passion for DJ decks and “fun maximization” has allowed them to make music together for the past 15 years. Grimes and Emes have been a constant in the underground Canadian electronic music scene and have had their hands in a lot of different projects – from a record label, a record store and clothing line to the Hifi Club (a staple in the Calgary nightlife). What’s their key to success? “Make lists!” Emes says. Below Emes further dishes about music sharing in 2015 and getting a grant from MuchFACT.

A familiar scene

RM: This is round two of Mountain Magic Tour. What made it so good last year? What’s it like touring with Sabo and Christian Martin?

PE: It’s actually round three! This tour is a blast for us because the mountain crowds are awesome, but also because musically we get to do something a little different with Sabo & Christian. They are two of our favorite DJs so I love seeing what they are going to do each night.

RM: How did you first meet Sabo and Christian?

PE: We met Christian at Soundwave on Vancouver Island a few years ago, and Sabo originally in New York when he worked at Turntable Lab.  Christian is the only one on Dirtybird (such a great label), but we’ve done a release on Sabo’s label Sol Selectas in the past so we’ve worked together in that capacity.

Keeping it going

RM: 10 years ago you started a weekly Thursday night called Hai Karate, which is now hosted at the Hifi Club. How do you keep the momentum going?

PE: I think by keeping the music fresh and bringing in guests that we love. Because Calgary is a bit secluded it’s awesome to be able to bring our favorite producers and DJs through town. Also, the Hifi Club motto is “In Music We Trust.”

Music sharing in 2015

RM: What is your preferred way to share music in 2015? Live shows? SoundCloud? The radio?

PE: SoundCloud is okay but since they have been cracking down on copyright stuff it’s difficult to post mixes and bootlegs, which is a big part of our output along with original production. Live shows are the best environment because you can vibe with the crowd and get into it together.

RM: I heard someone is going to start pressing records in Calgary. Will what affect how Smalltown DJs puts out music?

PE: We used to press a bunch of vinyl and maybe we will get back into it. It’s more just for fun than anything else. I assure you it’s not a moneymaker.

Collaborations on the horizon

RM: It looks like you’ve just put out remixes with Lambo and Grandtheft. What’s the process like for you? How do you decide who to work with?

PE: Those guys are the best. We like to work with people when we are into their music and if they are cool and nice. We usually sit down in the studio together as opposed to working over email. I think it’s better that way. It’s really fun to sit down and hammer out a tune with friends then be able to play it at a show. Collaborative creation is really fun.

Hitting milestones

RM: You just made a music video for your track See Thru. Will you make more videos?

PE: I hope so. That one was done through MuchFACT. The Canadian government is awesome for supporting the arts and music. If they didn’t it would be difficult for independent acts to afford videos.

RM: You guys had some major accomplishments in 2014 including your track, See Thru, released on Fool’s Gold and now you’re sitting at number 6 on the Mixcloud house chart. What’s next?

PE: We have a bunch of releases planned! Next up is a remix for Worthy and one for Humans.  We have a couple originals ready to go after that. Check us out on Facebook or SoundCloud.

https://soundcloud.com/christianmartin/christian-martin-at-the-1

This tour will have a dual focus – to get people stoked about house music and to stoke people up about snowboarding and skiing. Get down to the show at Traverse Nightclub on Thursday, Feb. 12 for your chance at giveaways from industry sponsors.