Moonstarr is indeed one busy cat. If he’s not busy on the phone holding things down on the biz side for his label Public Transit Recordings, the man’s hunkered down behind closed doors over his synths, drum machines, and samplers to bang out some killer beats. Moonstarr cites such diverse influences as 4 Hero, DJ Premier, and Underground Resistance. Everything he touches carries imprints of deep techno, jazz, hip hop, bossa, and broken beat, resulting in tracks that step far into the future. And it’s not like people haven’t noticed. Ever since Moon’s dropped the now-classic Dupont EP, he’s received love for his work the world over.

People like Jazzanova, Recloose, Ivana Santilli, Rednose Distrikt, Mad Matts and others have called up the studio red phone for remixes that have charted from San Francisco to Tokyo, London to Hamburg, and all points in between. Big name DJs like Gilles Peterson, Mr. Scruff (one of my personal favourites, actually — check out “Get A Move On”), Rainer Truby, and DJ Spinna have mashed out many-a dancefloor with some Moonstarr niceness. He’s rocked parties all over the planet for fans in the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, across Canada, and the USA. In the works is a full-length album to be released in the near future (with proceeds going to charity) as well as many more remixes and great new music on Public Transit Recordings.

DJ Pump is one of Canada’s best kept secrets. Also, coincidentally, one of Canada’s Best Kept Secret’s. He really redefines Turntablism and what it means to be a party DJ by focusing heavily on the overall musical composition when he’s mixing, scratching, and creating beat juggles or blending beats. His worldwide performances have earned him tonnes of respect amongst his peers as one of the most funkiest and versatile DJs around.

DJ Pump is one of the few Calgary bred DJs to receive global recognition from many of the world’s most elite hip-hop/versatile DJ’s. To this day he is the only Calgarian to represent Canada in the DMC World Championships.

He’s on the move lately, setting up tours all across Canada. If you’re interested in checking out DJ Pump, take a look at his upcoming show list:

01 Aug 2008 22:00 SHINE VANCOUVER, British Columbia
03 Aug 2008 22:00 Muskoka Party Muskoka, Ontario
09 Aug 2008 22:00 w/ Q-BERT, SHORTKUT & HEDSPIN @ PYRAMID WINNIPEG, Manitoba
16 Aug 2008 22:00 w/ Eh Team! DJs Vernon, British Columbia
22 Aug 2008 22:00 w/ Eh Team! DJs @ Oceandrive St. Eustache, Quebec
11 Sep 2008 22:00 TBA SAN FRANCISCO, California
12 Sep 2008 22:00 TBA SAN FRANCISCO, California
14 Sep 2008 15:00 LIVE STOCK BLOCK PARTY – GASTOWN VANCOUVER, British Columbia

One of Ottawa’s longest running DJs, Trevor Walker, made the front page of the Ottawa XPress today and boy, does he deserve it!

He’s been blending beats in Ottawa’s top nightspots since the late ’80s, witnessing the birth of new wave, acid jazz, Hip-Hop, House and Techno from the disc jockey’s pulpit.

His credentials are rock solid; he can hardly remember the details.

“The timeline messes me up, it’s really hard to remember exactly when everything happened,” says the 38-year-old Walker, chuckling. “It’s kind of a blur for me.”

From his involvement in Canada’s premier breakdance crew (Canadian Floor Masters) during the early ’80s to his current residency at Ottawa’s much-vaunted Mercury Lounge, Walker has had a remarkably long tenure at the heart of the local music scene. As a teenage b-boy (known as Tricky T) he wore red and white tights while performing as one of the original Canadian Floor Masters. Founded and mentored by Steve Leafloor (a.k.a. Buddha), the Floor Masters were no flash in the pan: This crew continues to perform throughout North America, while founder Leafloor uses hip-hop as a pivot point for helping youth at risk, especially in Inuit communities across the North.

Even in the early days the Floor Masters were unique. They once opened for James Brown and, on another occasion, were scrutinized by KGB bodyguards during a private performance for Russia’s Kirov Ballet at the National Arts Centre. “The Russian ballet was really crazy. I wasn’t that aware of it but those [KGB] dudes were hanging out all around us. But James Brown was much larger than life,” recalls Walker. “He had a huge head and looked like a lion in a way. A short guy with a really big head.”

After meeting drinking age requirements during the infamous Hull nightclubbing scene of the late ’80s, Walker began to attend venues that were willing to experiment with their playlists. Clubs like Zinc and Chez Henri were touchpoints. “I loved Zinc,” says Walker, “it was the only place to go and hear underground music. It was the first place to play The Smiths, The Cure, new wave, House and Hip-Hop music, for example. It was a pretty groundbreaking club in a lot of ways.

“At the time, there was nowhere to get that kind of music. You could hear it on a CKCU radio show by Elorius Kane, but that was the only place. I began to collect what I could and got a break one night when the DJ was too trashed to play.”

From 1988 onwards, Walker began to quickly build a list of steady gigs. As hip-hop and various forms of electronic music began to develop into the ’90s, Walker found himself at the vanguard of a blossoming movement. “Hip-hop was the same tempo as house or disco at that time,” he adds. “It was fresh, groundbreaking, revolutionary music.”

“The music was always the draw. Kids nowadays don’t know the whole story. If kids understood, for example, how house music and techno is part of hip-hop, there would be so much more cohesion,” he stresses.

A long list of club residencies followed Walker’s first gigs. Names like Off Limits, Channel Zero, The White Room, The Well and Atomic stand out in time, figuring prominently in Walker’s recollection.

“But it was The Well that was the really cool gig for a long time,” Walker indicates. “For me, the spirit of Zinc came back. It started off as live and organic music with funk, Afrobeat and acid jazz – it was crazy. It was probably some of the most brilliant years DJing. We used to get a really diverse crowd, in age and background. That’s what the Mercury has now.”

Walker’s residency at the Mercury Lounge continues to the present day. One of the few clubs left operating in a truly “old-school” manner, Mercury Lounge remains one of Ottawa’s most popular clubs, packing its loft-style space with crowds seeking soulful dance music.

“I think it’s great. If anything, things have gotten better over the years. As the Internet has grown and people have more access to music, people are more knowledgeable and it shows. I think the young generation these days knows more about underground music than ever before.”

As a testament to his continuing popularity, Walker has been booked to play one of Ottawa’s hottest events: Timekode. Set in an Eritrean café on west Somerset and scheduled for the last Friday of each month, Timekode is dedicated to soulful music of every type. Alex Mattar (a.k.a. DJ Zattar) is one of the founders.

“Way before I had the vision for Timekode, I remember going to The Well in ‘96/97,” recalls Mattar. “I just remember entering this place, seeing all this red light and hearing some incredible Brazilian rhythms. Turns out that it was Trevor playing. I was just a teenager but it felt like having my eyes opened to a different world almost. He’s been a big inspiration for Timekode and the mentality of playing records that are not limited to one style.”

“I’ve always been a dancer at heart. I know what makes me dance and that seems to translate to most people,” reveals Walker. “It’s kind of cool because I did the dance research first and then started playing the records. When you look back, it seems like the path was laid out ahead of time, but you don’t notice it until you look back.”

You can check Trevor Walker out at the following venues:

@ Timekode Eri Café (953 Somerset West) July 18

@ Mercury Lounge Ongoing Thursday and Saturday residencies

Avant Chord (aka dj Cheeba due to his free-spirited and relaxed attitude towards life) hails from Canada and resides in Toronto. He has been a very active individual in the Toronto hip-hop community since 1996, which stems from his tremendous passion for the culture as a whole (graffiti, breakdancing, emceeing and dj-ing and now producing) and every genre that has inspired the music from funk, soul to samba. His ear for rare, soulful music originated from break dancing to the music of legendary funk artists such as James Brown, Booker T and the MG’s, Bob James and The Blackbyrds back in his high school era. During this time, he was introduced by a friend to some musical instruments that would seal the deal for his love for manipulation of music, a pair of Tech 12’s and a Gemini mixer. He grazed his fingers, for the first time, to a spinning record on a turntable platter and the rest is history. Since then, his love for hiphop and everything soulful has gone from playing them and now recently has evolved into creating them.

Over this past year, Avant Chord has worked steadily to create an impressive portfolio of music – producing tracks with the mindset of crafting soundscapes with longevity and versatility. Notorious for incorporating obscure samples and infusing his own brand of raw soul with a musical edge, his signature is having the ability to reinvent his musicality through each track – deeply layered and diversified with a unique flavour. As an artist, his love for making music is only one part of the equation, the other is being able to share his talent and creativity on a global level.

With the release of their first album What We Have in January of 2006, METHODOLOGY joined the revolution to bring true Soul, R&B, and Funk back to the live stage. With approximately 50 independently produced shows across Canada in 2006, METHODOLOGY has grown into one of the foremost underground Live Soul acts in the country. In 2006 they were nominated for ‘Best Live Performance” and “Best R&B Group” at the Toronto Independent Music Awards, and were honoured to be nominated for “Group of the Year” at the Soultracks Awards in the USA (running against the likes of The Brand New Heavies, Amel Larrieux, Omar, and many other signed acts).
Through online distribution, internet and satellite radio, campus radio, and music publications, METHODOLOGY has developed a world-wide following. Sites like Myspace have exposed METHODOLOGY’s music to an international audience. Mixes of METHODOLOGY’s music are being spun by renowned DJ’s in the U.K, U.S.A., and Europe. With thousands of hours of airplay on radio and in clubs, METHODOLOGY’s music is now widely recognized in countries they have never even been to.

Formed in late 2003, METHODOLOGY are five individual artists that found a blessed connection together, and formed a unit to create and perform some intense, original music. With KAMIL spearheading the group on Vocals, JAMIE laying down the live beats on the Drums, MARTYN churning out thick riffs & rhythms on Guitar, STEFAN’s sweet fingers on the Keyboards, and DAN laying down the bass on the heavy tip, METHODOLOGY is a band that focuses on great music with great musicianship. Now with the frequent addition of the vocal talents of JANELLE, METHODOLOGY often rocks the live stage with six dynamic members. Their music has been called; ‘a perfect mixture of Soul, Hip Hop, and Funk’. The band has been described as; ‘Imagine Jamiroquai, Stevie Wonder & Prince all rolled into one fantastically melodic groove band’. The music is straight from the soul, steeped in the flavours of Hip-Hop, R&B, Funk and Pop.

2007 and 2008 has proved to be busy years for the band as they delved into work on their second and now highly anticipated album titled “THE REPRISAL”. A four-song EP featuring hot tracks from the new record has been released ahead of schedule to wet the increasing appetites of METHODOLOGY’s followers. With a fiercely growing large fan base and demand for new matieral, “THE REPRISAL” is is nearing completion and is currently slated for official release in the Summer of 2008.

Upcoming Shows

24 Jul 2008 14:00 Beaches International Jazz Festival Toronto
25 Jul 2008 14:00 Beaches International Jazz Festival Toronto
26 Jul 2008 14:00 Beaches International Jazz Festival Toronto
16 Aug 2008 22:00 Montreal Funk Fest! Montreal

Alright friends, let’s be honest with each other here. Just in case it somehow wasn’t painfully obvious, here’s a big secret from me to you: my knowledge of hip-hop? Sorely, sorely lacking. That being said, today’s profile is of my newest favourite hip hop artist: Abdominal and he’s… awesome! A text from TCR editor to myself stating “Abdominal. Good artist. Canadian?” was enough to get me very curious about this guy. Abdominal? I thought. Yep – Abdominal. When I spoke to the man himself, he had this to say:

‘Abdominal’ came about ‘cuz years ago I was doing 1 of my 1st shows & I lifted my shirt up to wipe the sweat from my face…a random girl in the crowd yelled out, “nice abs!”, & my friends started jokingly calling me Abs afterwards. Kinda just stuck from there.

Abdominal (Andy Bernstein) grew up in Toronto, Ontario where he formed his first rap crew with DJ Serious and Scott C. called Rushholme and right away they started recording tracks. A chance meeting in 1998 with DJ Fase led to them teaming up as Abs & Fase.

They began recording and released the limited single ‘Vinyl Frontier’. This drew the attention of DJ Format and led to a collaboration. Abdominal’s raps became a standout feature on DJ Format’s first album Music For the Mature B-Boy, released in 2003. From 2003 to 2005 they toured as part of Jurassic 5’s European tour while in 2004 Abs and Fase released an album called Flowtation Device. Abdominal also appeared on DJ Format’s second album, If You Can’t Join ‘Em… Beat ‘Em, in 2005, alongside fellow Canadian rapper, D-Sisive.

His first solo album, Escape From The Pigeon Hole, was released in May 2007 in the United Kingdom by Antidote Records and features collaborations with DJ Format, Cut Chemist, DJ Fase, DJ Serious, Notes to Self, Circle Research, Young Einstein from hip-hop group Ugly Duckling and jazz musician Elizabeth Shepherd.

Aside from being a recording artist, Abdominal also appears regularly at the Supermarket Club in Toronto hosting Do Right Saturdays alongside DJ Fase and others from the Toronto hip hop scene.

In June 2007, Abdominal toured the UK with DJ Fase. During their performance at the Jazz Café in London, Abdominal & DJ Fase were joined by DJ Format onstage for a version of Format’s song, “Ill Culinary Behaviour”.

His song “Pedal Pusher”, co-written with Rodney Pleasant, won the 2007 Echo Songwriting Prize, awarded for the best song in Canadian independent music by the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada.

His latest collaboration with UK duo Jellybass was on a track called ‘Transatlantic’ (March 2008) and is available for your listening pleasure -and mine- on his Myspace page.

If you’re a newcomer to the hip hop scene like I am, take it from me – Abdominal is well worth a listen.

Look out, Canada – he’s setting up to give you a work out!

(heh, get it?)

Singer-songwriter Layah Jane is a hearty young musician with a mission. With soulful vocals and a poetic, articulate tongue, Layah’s sound recalls Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones and Ani Difranco, with a resonance all her own.
Both piano and guitar became tools for writing and accompaniment as Layah began to create and perform original material at the age of thirteen. Since the completion of her first demo in 2000, Layah has been invited to play countless shows and festival showcases including the Rochester International Jazz Festival, Winterfolk Festival, North by Northeast Music Festival, Toronto Indie Music Week, Toronto City Roots Festival, the Ottawa Folk Festival, and New Music West. Following the release of her debut album Grievance and Gratitude (Grace Note Records, 2005), Layah won a CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award, a Toronto Independent Music Award for “Best Jazz” and nomination for “Best Live Acoustic Act”, and a nomination for an American Independent Music Award in the “Folk/Singer-Songwriter” category. Her song “Reverence and Ridicule” won the political category in the Ontario Council of Folk Festival’s 2005 songwriting competition. Recently Layah received a 2007 Ontario Independent Music Award (Best Folk), and nominations for two 2007 Toronto Independent Music Awards (Best Folk and Best Female Fronted Band). Layah’s new EP Patience (Grace Note Records, 2007) was produced by Oliver Johnson (Ivana Santilli, Esthero), and was musically blessed by drummers Davide Direnzo (Holly Cole, Jacksoul), Ben Riley (Bruce Cockburn) and Lyle Molzan (Jann Arden), bassist Marc Rogers (K’naan, Philosopher Kings), and percussionist Dave Gouveia (Amanda Marshall, Ivana Santilli). Both Provincial and Federal grant programs continue to recognize Layah’s musicianship and support her projects, through the Ontario Arts Council, and FACTOR. The Grievance and Gratitude Remixes (Grace Note Records, 2005) took the folk song seeds planted on Layah’s debut recording Grievance and Gratitude, and grew them into flowers that bloom compellingly in colours of breakbeat, trip-hop, hip-hop, rock, sam

ba, and reggae. The tracks were produced by a diverse and well-respected tribe of remixers. Layah Jane has been seen and heard as a live and recorded back-up vocalist for a range of artists making folk, funk, soul, and hip-hop music in the Toronto area. Over the past ten years, she has also appeared as a lead and back-up vocalist on various commercials and Juno-nominated albums. In the realm of television and radio, Layah’s songs have been licensed for Global TV’s “Blue Murder”, and ESPN’s primetime drama “Tilt”. Layah appeared on Toronto 1’s late night entertainment TV show, “The Toronto Show” in 2003, and on Calgary’s A Channel’s “Wired” in 2005. Through regular college and CBC radio play, as well as a fortunate invitation to be the voice of the Dove Real Beauty/Self Esteem Fund’s 2006 “True Colors” TV Campaign, listeners all over the world are being introduced to Layah Jane through the airwaves. Morphing from singer-songwriter to DJ, Layah co-founded the Move Collective, a Toronto dance jam that spread west to Calgary and east to Halifax. Voted Best Non-smoking Dance Event in Toronto by Now Magazine in 2003, rotating DJs pack dance floors each week. Armed with new tunes that are as organically rich and sonically intimate as ever, Layah completed a Summer/Fall 2007 tour of ON, QC, NY, VT, MA, NC, and TX, and is currently preparing for a Spring 2008 cross-Canada tour, in support of her highly anticipated sophomore full-length recording, “Brightness & Bravery”. Layah Jane is a spirited and natural performer who receives enthusiastic support wherever she plays. When she takes the stage we are transported to a place where emotion is raw, reflection is deep, and revolution is not only possible, but necessary.

Grab all of her albums from CD Baby!

25 May 2008 20:00 The Slice Bar and Grill Lethbridge, AB
4 Jun 2008 20:00 Healey’s – Toronto Ind. Music Award “Best Live Act” Competition Toronto, ON
7 Jun 2008 20:00 Moonshine Cafe Oakville, ON
20 Jun 2008 20:00 House Concert Peterborough, ON
28 Jun 2008 18:30 Toronto City Roots Festival Toronto, ON
1 Jul 2008 20:00 Good Sounds Good Showcase – Supermarket Toronto, ON
12 Jul 2008 20:00 Knox Acoustic Cafe – with Brian Macmillan Owen Sound, ON
1 Aug 2008 20:00 Blue Skies Music Fest – with Brian Macmillan Clarendon, ON
2 Aug 2008 20:00 Blue Skies Music Fest – with Brian Macmillan Clarendon, ON
3 Aug 2008 20:00 Blue Skies Music Fest – with Brian Macmillan Clarendon, ON
5 Sep 2008 19:30 Hugh Foster Hall – “Just Milton Folks” Series with Brian Macmillan Milton, ON
6 Sep 2008 20:00 House Concert Waterloo, ON
13 Sep 2008 20:00 Elk Mountain House Concert Series Asheville, NC
14 Sep 2008 8:00 Jubilee Community Asheville, NC
20 Sep 2008 20:00 Salem Art Works Salem, NY
22 Sep 2008 20:00 Dryden Community Center Cafe Dryden, NY
23 Oct 2008 20:00 Ontario Council of Folk Festivals Conference Ottawa, ON
24 Oct 2008 20:00 Ontario Council of Folk Festivals Conference Ottawa
25 Oct 2008 20:00 Ontario Council of Folk Festivals Conference Ottawa, ON
26 Oct 2008 20:00 Ontario Council of Folk Festivals Conference Ottawa, ON
29 Oct 2008 20:00 The Bees Knees Morrisville, Vermont
28 Mar 2009 20:00 Perth House Concert Series Perth, ON
25 Jul 2009 20:00 Knox Acoustic Cafe Owen Sound, ON

Taylor McFerrin is redefining the one-man show. Combining his skills as a producer and performer, Taylor is making music heads around the world take notice as he seamlessly builds songs from scratch with his ambitious solo project. Fender Rhodes, synthesizers, samples, vocals and beatboxing are meshed together in his Brooklyn bedroom studio as Taylor builds from his roots in ‘60s soul to his vision of future hip-hop.

Thriving on a solid fan base through MySpace and the online hip-hop community, Taylor has gained considerable popularity and captivated audiences at some of the most legendary venues in New York City. In addition to his US performances, Taylor also toured internationally with the Yohimbe Brothers in 2005. Taylor performed in Italy, Austria, Brazil, Argentina and everywhere in between. MTV took notice of Taylor’s skills as a producer and used his beats to promote the 2005 Video Music Awards.

The release of Taylor’s first EP, Broken Vibes has gained international attention, thanks to the title track, “Broken Vibes,” which debuted on Benji B’s BBC Radio show. Since then, “Broken Vibes” has been on heavy rotation on Gilles Peterson BBC World Wide Radio. Fusing his beatboxing skills with broken drums and melodic keys, Taylor creates a style of sound that is both unique and modern. The EP also features several other original tracks that flex his exceptional abilities as a producer, musician and beatboxer. With sounds ranging from R&B to hip-hop to Brazilian, Taylor keeps the buzz on high for his debut full-length album with his undeniably intriguing solo project.

If you’re in Ottawa, make sure to come check him out TONIGHT at the Mercury Lounge at 10pm!

16 May 2008 22:00 Mercury Lounge w/Lance Baptiste Ottawa, ON
17 May 2008 23:00 FOOTWORK BAR w/Mr. V Toronto, ON
19 Jun 2008 20:00 Celebrate Brooklyn w/Medeski Martin & Wood Brooklyn, NY

Upcoming shows:
26 Mar 2008 20:00 Shelbourne Pool South Beach, Florida
29 Mar 2008 20:00 Ultra Music Festival Miami, Florida
11 Apr 2008 20:00 Stereo Montreal, Quebec

As we wait for The Reds to drop their highly anticipated Odd Angle Music debut, Enemy At The Gates, it seems like these harbingers of Ottawa’s hip hop revolution have decided to give some of their loyal fans a little something to whet their appetites. Now, normally I would say that a mixtape’s rarity alone is worth the price of admission, but this one’s really packed with dynamite. Join The Party drops some straight heat over some sweet semi-stripped down ill beats, skilled blending, and some dark samples. A few shout-outs remind the audience that while this isn’t a real album, if we like what we’re hearing, we’ve got lots to look forward to from these crowd captivators.

Enemy At The Gates – the debut release from Teddy KGB’s own Odd Angle Music label, will be released on March 27th at Babylon Nightclub. It’s sure to be a party, so if you plan on being in the area, be sure to check them out!

27 Mar 2008 10:00pm Babylon Nightclub Ottawa, Ontario

Bambi Blue