A week ago my mate LOTEK and I had the pleasure of seeing BURNS and DEADMAU5 when they were in Winnipeg. While the opening disc jockey warmed things up I asked the promoter if I could say hi to Burns and thank him for the guestlist spot. I didn’t make arrangements for an interview so I didn’t bother bringing anything to record the chat but as it turned out, I really wish I did. The 23-year-old remained refreshingly candid, and his personality reflected a casualness normally reserved for close friends This was the first correspondence I’ve had with Burns personally, but by the time he had to go downstairs it felt as though we had a number of previous encounters. The conversation drifted from his upcoming album, to remix work (that can’t be mentioned on these pages…yet), to the current state of djing and clubbing, how Deadmau5 wanted to Burns to tour with him, and how his working relationship with his label, 21-12 and LINUS LOVES formed.
Burns has also been extra busy in the studio turning out mixes for Ladyhawke, Frankmusik and Jack Splash feat Missy Elliot with amazing results. I hope to be able share some of them soon for now here’s what I can give you, followed by a review of the show.
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MP3: Burns – In My Eyes (His Majesty Andre remix)
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MP3: The Toxic Avenger – Toxic is Dead (Burns remix)
Give Burns love from somewhere like beatport.
REPUBLIC is, without a doubt, the best sounding club in this city – another reason this show kept its appeal despite falling on a Tuesday. The early week show didn’t stop hundreds of people from getting their party on, many of whom did it with their jaws clenched and pupils dilated so it became quite clear early on that this night would be a bit bonkers. By the time Burns made his way to the stage the venue had filled up nicely – something I hadn’t seen in a long time.
A little while earlier Burns noticed the opening dj laying down some really heavy material which we both thought was odd for how early it was. We discussed flow and etiquette and came to the same conclusion. For better or worse, djs can and will play anything they want now. While there are still some who plan the direction and track list for the entire set, Burns confessed that at most he would select a track to open with and go into a set with a direction in mind, but nothing was ever concrete. Picking up on this, Burns opened with some housey material that sparkled with a little 80s glitz, playing some of his own tunes and remixes. He kept the dancefloor moving with a dynamic set that flowed from nu disco to indie-dance-whathaveyou, and ended by preparing the crowd for Deadmau5, laying into some heavy thunder. One point to note too – Burns isn’t a laptop dj. He played a flawless set entirely on CDJs.
Before I knew it, Burns was done and sound technicians had moved his gear to make room for Deadmau5. I was ready to go, but stuck around to see what was going to happen.
When Deadmau5 started, the crowd went bananas. He immediately gave them what the wanted to hear but I thought it was a bit odd that he played hit after hit to open things up. He did it well, using Ableton (I think) and a Native Instruments Maschine and a Lemur by Jazz Mutant. His Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger bootleg was the first track I heard by the Canadian so I was happy to hear it as it was intended to be played, loud.
I really wasn’t that into it though so I left. (Plus there’s the fact that I have a demanding day job that needed my full capabilities at 8:00 in the morning that pulled at my conscious.) I heard afterward from a number of people that Deadmau5 kind of blew his load early with the heavier material and progressed into a bit of a techno set. That would have been great to see, although for this old man it wasn’t suitable for a Tuesday night.
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MP3: Deadmau5 & MC Flipside vs Kool and the Gang – Jungle Friend (Mark Starr’s Jungle Boogie Beatz Mashup)
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MP3: Daft Punk – Harder Better Faster Stronger (Deadmau5 edit)
