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Disco Music > Disco People Index > DJs / Remixers > Mike James
Mike James
Canadian Disco DJ (Born June 6, 1966)
For most of my life I lived in Hull, Quebec, across the river from Ottawa, Canada's capital city. There was a "strip" of clubs in Hull, Quebec, where all the party goers used to flow to. I started dj'ying in clubs here in 1983 @ the age of 17. Legal age being 18 to enter clubs I kept a low profile for the year :)
My first club was a chic discotheque located in downtown Hull, just across the river from Ottawa, it was named "La Boite" it was my first ever gig and it started off as a residency which lasted 3 years (1983-1986). This is where I got all my experience, as a club dj, learned how to control and please the crowd and created my own style. It was a very strange time music wise as disco was morphing and was now called dance music. Thankfully, there was plenty of good tracks being produced. Some of the songs I played throughout my residency there... "Let The Music Play" by Shannon, "Easy Love" by Vicki Benson, "Love Is Just A Game" by Peter Brown, "I'll Be Good" by Renee & Angela, to name a few...
In 1986 I left "La Boite" to work various other clubs in Hull; "Le Ruisseau" and "Shalimar" to name a few. I then obtained a residency at Hull new mega hotspot named "Chez Henri", the year was 1987. The club was located in a heritage building, renovated by 2 longtime club owners named Walter Grego and Denis Cayer, you could say this was our Paradise Garage, the minute you entered the club, you really felt at home. The staff was a big family and our clientele came from all over on a weekly basis, it was orchestrated mayhem :)
During my first stay @ "Chez Henri" I was broadcasted live on CFGO radio in Ottawa, every Friday. Songs I remember playing in that era... "Dancing In The Key Of Life" by Steve Arrington, "Sweet And Sexy Thing" by Rick James... I left "Chez Henri" for a year to finish up some education and returned from (1989-1991). It was the beginning of the "house music" era. I remember coming back to the club, sitting in the owner's very impressive office, sunk into his guest chair, he turned to me and said; "Mike, what do you know about house music ?", "we are completely renovating the club, adding a crazy sound kit and we need to get away from top 40 dance and head into the house music genre"... I nearly fell off my chair ! We already started feeling the vibe from chicago house in 1987 with J.R. Silk and the Chicago house wave but this was 1989 and there was a lot more happening in terms of "house music", so... we turned "Chez Henri" into a house music mecca, I am proud to say, we were the first in Canada's capital to bring that genre to the dance floor.
In 1991 I took a break from dj'ying again to go to college & university, taking more courses in broadcasting and journalism. I came back to dj'ying in 1995, obtained a residency at a club in Hull, Quebec named "Le Bop" where I shared the decks with 2 longtime dj friends "Davy John Pacheco" and "Marty Villeneuve", our format was 95% house music and we packed the club from Thursday to Sunday. Marty later became a very well known producer/remixer in the rave scene, Davy Pacheco still spins house music to this day.
In 1996 I also turned my interest to radio, I created and hosted "Underground FM" , "Sonar" and "Houseful Fridays" they were "house music" shows on CHU0-FM, 89.1 based out of Ottawa, Ontario.
I then started dj'ying in the "rave" scene. Here is the rest of the biography which defines my activities as of 1999...
In 1999 came the residency at "Illusions" (Ottawa, Canada) afterhours. In 2000, I teamed up with SERGE and KID SL as part of "Full Force" productions and headlined at all their major rave events "RADIOHYPE", "THRILLER"... Around the same time, I began hosting a night at "The Well" (Ottawa, Canada). People from the industry came to call it their home on Sundays.The focus of this night was to help new, fresh talent get a chance to be recognized. I also created a monthly fundraiser named "XVI Sundays @ The Well" in support of a local website keeping our "underground community" together.
In 2000, I was chosen to represent Ottawa at "Arrival" a major rave event in (Montreal, Canada). That same year, I opened for Commander Tom at "Paradise" (Montreal). That is where I met a dj that would become a close friend... (dj A.R.D) who hapened to be responsible for a key afterhours in Quebec City and owner of "Apocalyptics productions". As a result of this meeting of the minds, I became a resident at "Cube" afterhours in Quebec and also played most of the major raves held in that city ("Take Off", "Versus") to name a few.
In 2002 I joined forces with "Daylight" afterhours in Otttawa and managed with good promoting skills and local friend djs to keep a small afterhours club afloat and relevant for a period of 2 years. In 2002, perseverance finally brought me to "Sona" (Montreal) where I headlined in the main room. In 2003, the year began with a headlining slot at Ray Junior's mega rave event named "Apocalypse" (Montreal) where I opened for PUSH.
2004... Opened for DJ Preach @ the mega-rave Peace held in the Gatineau hills.
2005... I started a new daytime afterhours event named "Sundaze @ Acqua", in Ottawa (Ontario) focussing on new and upcoming talent, giving them a place to play and be heard.
After many years in the Hull/Ottawa region, I decided to move to Montreal in March of this year, I have taken another step back from dj'yng and promoting. With a new career here in Montreal and approaching 39 yrs of age this coming June, I think it's safe to say, this time, that I'm hangin' up the headphones for good :)
However, music will always be my passion, that, will never change !
Please feel free to link to this page by using this URL:
http://www.discomusic.com/people-more/4971_0_11_0_C/
COMMENTS ON Mike James
Wow, that bio really sums it all up!!! And for those of us who can read between the lines, it shows just how sucessful you are! Thanks for all the many nights and days upon days of great music! From house to hard trance to tech-house and acid techno...you have molded my music tastes and I will never forget you for it.
Thanks for being a friend and never forget....TRAVEL LIGHT~
*hugz&kisses*
Ashley~aka~The Enemy!
Full of different projects thru-out the years your now in Montreal! Hardly a city you want to quite down in.
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