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Internationnal DJ displays mind bending act
Mike Relm, superstar DJ from San Francisco, is back in Whistler on Sunday (Feb. 26) for a show at Garfinkel’s. The last time he was here, tickets sold out, so get yours early and don’t miss Relm’s unique video/audio synch show.
Relm, who has been touring steadily since November, said he first added the visual element to his show mostly as a way to fill up the stage.
“When I was starting out opening for other acts I didn’t want to be onstage by myself so I starting matching tracks to different visuals, then DVJ technology came out and it gave me complete control,” he said.
DVJ is a combination of CD jog and DVD technology developed by Pioneer Electronics, which allows for the manipulation of visuals similar to the way DJs manipulate audio tracks.
Relm said once he got a hold of that technology his show took on a whole different dimension.
“My act isn’t a music show; it’s a lot of different elements that get compounded by their relation to each other. Sometimes people watching the visuals and listening to the audio don’t think they match, at first, but then they see and hear it in a different way,” said Relm.
He said while there is a theme to his shows, always expect the unexpected — “It’s like a scary movie; they’re not always just scary. Sometimes they make you laugh.”
Relm admits that when he was starting out, his shows were a mess as he worked hard to find a distinctive voice. Now he combines skillfully crafted shows with a certain amount of free form.
“As I build the visuals and the music, I like to keep things somewhat open and give myself the freedom to add elements into a specific set, which keeps it interesting for me and people who come to the show.”
Currently he is working on his first album of original material, something he had always hoped to do but didn’t necessarily expect.
“As an artist, that’s huge to have an audience that will buy your music. A few years ago it wasn’t always like that but now the response I have been getting at my live shows feels really good. Either I’m really lucky or I’m not hearing anything negative.”
Relm said of all the touring he has done, Whistler remains one of his favourite stops. “The last time I was there people took me out after the show. I don’t normally party after a show but there I had a great time and was out till 6 a.m. I think that says a lot about Whistler people. They know how to be friends.”
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