Kasey Riot: “Suddenly understood the DJ high”

Kacey Riot first gig
In July 2017 Canadian DJ/producer Kasey Riot told me about her DJ debut. “I was incredibly nervous about messing up.”

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In July 2017 Canadian house and techno DJ/producer Kasey Riot told me about her DJ debut in Vancouver. She remembers how scared she was. “I was incredibly nervous about messing up.

“I was nineteen when I had my first performance in a proper club. Until this point, I had just been DJing house parties either I or my friends threw. The name of the venue was Canvas, situated in Vancouver (CAN). During the day it was a pretty sophisticated lounge and art gallery by day, and at night it turned into club with mostly House DJs.” 

Track order

“Before the gig I was incredibly nervous about messing up and embarrassing myself at my first performance, so for weeks beforehand I meticulously planned out my set, from the order of tracks to exactly when and how I would mix them. I practiced this set over and over again in my bedroom every day leading up to the show.”
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Looking sharp

“It was a pretty artsy well-dressed crowd that I played for. There was definitely a dress code so people were looking sharp. A few of my friends came down for my first show. They were all excited about skipping the line and getting in for free at this posh place. It was quite a big deal back then as we all just turned the legal age recently.”
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Fuck-ups

“The beginning was very nerve-racking as I was trying to be hyper focused, so I wouldn’t accidentally stop the music or train wreck. I probably looked like I wasn’t enjoying myself at all at first, but after making it through the first hour with no major fuck-ups I started to relax more and got into the groove.”

Control of the dance floor

“Once I started to notice the crowd dancing and enjoying themselves, it put me in a completely different mood. I started feeding off their energy and was dancing behind the decks. My transitions felt effortless and it was an amazing moment to feel like you had control of your first big dance floor.” 
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DJ high

“I was extremely happy that I got through the whole thing with no mistakes or embarrassments. At that moment I understood the high that other DJs talked about and I was instantly addicted.” 
“Then and there, I learned that the best way to make your set go well, is to try to relax. From the moment I stopped obsessing over something bad happening, everything started to fall into place. It taught me that the crowd is feeding off your energy as well, so try to give what you want to get back.” 

This interview with Kasey Riot is originally published on DJMag.nl in July 2017.

Who is Kasey Riot?

Born and bred in Vancouver’s underground rave scene, Kasey Riot’s been serving warehouses, clubs and festivals generous helpings of house & techno for the better part of the last decade across Canada, the US, Europe and releasing a steady stream of music on labels like Play Records, Layer 909, Wet Trax, East Van Digital, TK Records & Leonizer.

In 2012 Kasey Riot shifted her focus to developing her production sound and released her first independent single ‘Pussy’s Mine’. After several free releases online, Wet Trax Records signed her first label release in 2015, a remix of Melleefresh & Boy Pussy’s ‘Naughty Girl’. During her first move to London in 2017 Kasey Riot wrote her debut EP ‘Don’t Stop’ which came out on her hometown label East Van Digital and shortly after, Torsten Kanzler signed ‘Subterrane’ to TKR, a two track acid/techno release featuring remixes by Phutek and the label boss himself. 2019 brought a deeper sound with her remix of La Fraicheur & Leonard De Leonard’s pulsing new single ‘Murky’. These days Kasey Riot’s productions range from slamming techno to melodic vibey house showcasing her versatile production sound.

2018 saw Kasey Riot back in London UK for a few years where she toured all over Europe playing at clubs like Ministry Of Sound, EGG, Kit Kat Club, Melkweg and more. She also had the pleasure of playing her hometown’s Bass Coast Festival in 2019, fulfilling a dream of hers and also propelling her further into the festival scene. Kasey Riot also throws elusive warehouse party Hotline which showcases up and coming marginalized underground DJs. This is also where her sound truly evolved to include elements of house, techno, breaks, acid, trance & garage with a dash of bass, staying true to her West Coast roots.

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