Know Your DJ - ATTICUS

Interview

1. How did you get started in DJing? What’s your journey been like so far?

I started DJing when I was 12 and played wherever I could. The journey has been cool, to say the least. I began producing when I was 13 and started getting more gig opportunities as I became a better producer. I feel the biggest moments of my journey were really tied mainly to the records I made and how there weren’t as many producers in the local scene at the time when I stepped foot into it.

2. What genres do you usually play, and which ones are your personal favorites?

House and Tech House. I've always loved Tech House above other genres and still do. There is something about the scene of a steady beat and everyone grooving together that creates this intense energy and gets people locked in.

3. What does DJing mean to you? How would you describe the role and its responsibilities?

I often joke and say that what I love about DJing is I get to be on the aux for however many hours, lol. But that is honestly what I love about it. You are playing to the room, of course. It's up to you to get the people locked in, and it all comes down to what tracks you decide to play. The best DJ sets I've seen are the ones where my phone dies from using Shazam too much.

4. Who are some of your favorite producers right now, and why do they inspire you?

I’ve always been a big Chris Lake fan; he has the magic touch with everything he works on. Big into Cloonee as well—he helped bring Tech House to the front a bit more. One producer I've been digging for a while is Jake Bleu. He makes some of the best Tech House in the game right now, with the tastiest percussion and ear candy track after track.

5. If you could only play one track for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

If you were to ask me this 10 times, I'd probably give you a different answer every time because there is so much great music in existence, and of course, I don’t have a single favorite song because I can’t pick. But today I’d probably say "Triva Mango" by Johnny D. This is the kind of track I could listen to on a loop literally all day.

6. What’s the most bizarre situation you’ve encountered while DJing, and how did you handle it?

Nothing too crazy, honestly. My first kiss happened while I was DJing. Some girl came up, kissed me, and disappeared back into the crowd. Never saw her again. Felt pretty baller at the time, lol.

7. Can you share some of your favorite memories from past gigs?

My first kiss, hahaha. No, but I really loved my set at Future Forest this past year closing for Tony Romera. I’ve been listening to Tony Romera’s tracks since I was like 15, so to have that opportunity was unbelievable, and I played only my own music during that set. It felt great.

Also, opening for CID a couple of weeks ago in Halifax for the Magnetic World afterparty was wild! It was packed, the energy was tight, and I completely winged it with like 1,000 tracks on my USB, but no particular playlist prepared. I knew that even if I did prepare something, I'd go off course eventually (it happens every time, lol). It was one of the most fun sets I had ever played, starting with some super raw grooves and slowly building the energy up through Indie Dance and banging tech.

8. Have you ever had a set go completely wrong? How did you manage to bounce back?

I ejected the wrong USB once… at a festival. Laughed it off, but I’ve since learned to be extra careful, lol.

9. How do you stay connected with your audience and fans outside of your sets?

Just by seeing them out and about and chatting with them, I suppose. I’m really not a big social media guy, and I seldom upload personal content. I know that is really holding me back from growing in some ways, but I'm just here for the music and don’t really care much about appearing as an influencer or whatever. So yeah, my fans are my friends really—at least that's how I see it. I appreciate everyone who listens and am always down to strike up a conversation.

10. When you’re not behind the decks, what kind of music do you usually listen to? Any guilty pleasures?

Well, I listen to a lot of Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, Downtempo, Reggaeton, Jazz, and well, pretty much everything, lol. I don’t want to just say "I listen to everything," but it's the truth. I like discovering new music that has swagger to it and makes me feel good, which is probably why I listen to so much Jazz, haha.

11. What’s your current DJ setup? Any favorite tools or gear you swear by?

I currently have an XDJ-RX3 at home, and life has been so good, hahaha. I bought it back in April, and before then, I had only ever been using controllers with a laptop. Being able to get my laptop out of the equation and have a piece of gear that so closely resembles industry-standard equipment has been a game-changer for practicing. It's also great to have something to test my flash drives on before a gig, so I know for sure they will work, lol.

12. How do you go about discovering new tracks and shaping your sound?

Honestly, most of the new music I discover nowadays I either find in my Inflyte promos or through friends who show me. I basically shape my sound based on the vibe of records that I'm really into and my desire to make records that will complement those favorites in a DJ set.

13. If you could host your dream party anywhere in the world, where would it be, and what would the vibe be like?

Ultra Music Festival in Miami. Ultra has been my number one bucket-list festival since I started DJing, and growing up I'd watch the livestream all weekend every year. It would be a dream just to go there, but yeah, if I could host my dream party anywhere, it would definitely be my own stage at that festival. That's a BIG dream, though. And of course, the vibe would be House music all day and night long! :)

14. What’s something unexpected or surprising about you that fans wouldn’t guess?

I’m generally a pretty quiet person, and I live a pretty quiet life. I honestly love the balance of living a quiet life with weekends here and there where it gets a little louder ;)

15. Are you a cat or dog person?

Dog person for sure.

16. Favorite cuisine?

Pizza.

17. Favorite drink?

Moosehead Lager. I love beer, but Moosehead is my favorite. I grew up in the city it's based in, so I'd see it all over the place growing up. Also, fun fact: when I was 7 years old, my class went on a field trip to the Moosehead brewery. Hilarious, right? So yeah, I’ve been a longtime fan, lol.

18. Favorite place/travel location?

Tough to say. I love Toronto because the scene there is awesome and they have so many venues that I love. Same with Montreal. I love Florida because it is warm, haha—all the more reason why I need to get to Ultra Miami.

19. What advice would you give to someone just starting their journey as a DJ in today’s music industry?

Get yourself a controller and go nuts. Make sure you are having fun with it and make sure you love it. Connect with other people who share the passion and find opportunities to play together and share music.

20. What's something exciting or new that’s happening in your life that you can share with your audience?

I’m changing my sound up a bit in 2027. More groovy Tech House and minimal tech influence, less EDM-type sounds. I’m definitely leaning more into the dark club sound of House rather than the mainstage tech, but I still love everything. Just gonna get a little darker on the production side!