1. Please describe the history of
Wefunk Radio. (name, first shows, how
did you know each other etc.)
DS: We started WEFUNK Radio back in 1996. At that time Professor Groove and I were both
students at McGill University and volunteered at its radio station CKUT 90.3
FM. We were randomly paired up by the
station to do a 15-minute training show.
At that time he was into funk and I was into hip-hop. We figured it would be cool to do a show that
exposes the connection between those two genres. CKUT accepted our show proposal and we’ve
been doing WEFUNK ever since!
PG: "WEFUNK" was a name that I picked
from a classic Parliament track ("P.Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)").
The song starts off with George Clinton talking like an old-school radio disc
jockey, and he introduces a mythical radio station called WEFUNK that only
plays real funky music. So that was a perfect starting point for us! My mission
is to dig deep into the full spectrum of funk and funky music, and DJ Static
does the same with hip hop. Together we also show the links where hip hop is
influenced by funk, soul and jazz, because the music stayed connected during
different generations.
2. What are you doing beside the
Wefunk?
DS: I love that question because I
have a double life like a comic book super hero! When I’m not doing music, I am an accountant
by profession.
PG: My “day job” is doing research
at a university. One of the main topics I'm working on is how the brain
processes sounds and music. It's really fascinating work for a DJ!
3. How do you prepare your shows?
(selection, guests, etc.)
DS: Research is key to doing a good show. As a
weekly show, we need a lot of new material to keep the content fresh without
repeating tracks. Back in the early days of WEFUNK I used to freestyle a lot of
my sets. Now I plan ahead and approach
each week’s sets more like I do a mixtape.
PG: Yeah, preparing for WEFUNK shows involves a
lot of listening to music during the week, so I can find fresh tracks to play.
It's a never-ending exploration, digging online and through my old vinyl to
find new gems. We often feature guest DJs on the show too. These are usually people
that we know really well, who can stay true to the WEFUNK funk or hip hop sound
but also bring something special and unique in their musical selection.
4. Are you involved in other elements
of Hip-hop culture beside DJing?
DS: DJ’ing is my main focus. The WEFUNK sound has always found a natural
niche in the bboy community, so we are quite connected to that scene and the
street dance scene in general. I personally really enjoy making music in the
context of a band, as the DJ among MC’s, singers, and live musicians.
5. Are there any good Canadian artists
that you would recommend?
DS: Many! In Montreal there is my
old band Nomadic Massive, Kalmunity Vibe Collective, Loes, Narcicyst, Lotus,
Karma…. Another dope MC you might have heard on WEFUNK is MC Abdominal. I also
like Saukrates, Rascalz, Moka Only, D-sisive, and Sikh Knowledge. Masia One and
Eternia are definitely putting women on the map in Canada and beyond. Marco
Polo is emerging as a go-to producer for a lot of underground hip-hop. As far as DJs go, Skratch Bastid is one of my
favorites. Very talented also is Tony
Ezzy, whose style defies easy definition!
6. You have a great review of music
through all these years. Where do you consider music will get in a few
years? And what do you think about the
present Hip-hop scene?
DS: Compared to earlier times, it is
now easier to produce and market music independently, without going through the
major labels. I think this opens up a
lot of possibilities for good music to be heard.
7. Did you have an opportunity to work
with some famous artists?
DS: There have been a few occasions
when we’ve crossed paths with artists who were a big influence on us, like Hank
Shocklee (Public Enemy), DJ Cash Money (DMC World Champ 1988) and DJ Lord Jazz
(Lords of the Underground). It is very inspiring when people like these tell us
they know and like what we do!
8. Tell a few words about your records
collection. (Favorite LPs, artists, white ravens, novelties, interesting
stories) It seems like you know and posses all the Hip-hop and funk songs:)
PG: I've always tried to keep my
vinyl collection "All killer / No filler", so it's packed mostly with
music that I know I can play for dancefloors. I guess it's because I started
collecting vinyl at the same time as I started DJing in clubs. I've never had
an extreme collector mindset, chasing after full catalogues or high priced holy
grails. Instead, I have a lot of records I bought because I was really excited
to play them out at shows — and now when I flip through my crates each one
brings back good memories. For WEFUNK, where often I'm playing either really
rare tracks or brand new releases, I'm content with playing digital tracks when
it's necessary. My main mission is to share and spread good music, and to do
that all I need is to be able to play it — the format isn't so important.
What's important is that people can hear it!
9. We can hardly find some West Coast
rap among your shows. Why?
DS: Even though I grew up on the West Coast, my
ear was always drawn more to the New York sound, especially during the Golden
Era. I liked the hard drums and raw funk samples. But my taste in music has broadened out a lot
since then. Now I can appreciate the smoother, more laidback funk that you find
in West Coast rap.
10. Do you think it is possible to have
your own style at playing records? Have you noticed any fashion among DJs?
(playing certain records etc.)
PG: Different DJs definitely have
different styles of playing. When I listen to another DJ sometimes I'm
listening just as much to HOW they're playing as WHAT they're playing. Songs
are the vocabulary, but a talented DJ knows how to put those songs together so
they tell a musical story that makes sense — themes, climaxes, plot twists,
etc. Crowds can feel when sets are put together well, because the music fits
together and builds the energy in the room. But there's a million ways to
accomplish that (and a billion ways to do it wrong!), so that's where
individual DJ style is important.
11. When did you decide to do live shows
around world? Tell briefly about touring. How did you feel in Poland?
DS: We started going on tours when
promoters started inviting us! All that
started around 2004 and has been growing stronger ever since.
PG: We're really happy with the
amazing response we get from crowds around the world. It's such a gratifying
experience to travel to new places and share the music we love with thousands
of people. Poland is a really cool place for us to play because everybody at
the show is there to party! Even the first time we played, when there wasn't a
huge crowd, it was a crazy experience. Maybe it's the vodka, I don't know! Now
we're starting to build a strong fanbase in Poland, and it has definitely
become one of my favorite countries to DJ. I think there's something special
about Eastern Europe, because we've had some great shows in Romania too. We're
ready to explore more of the area, so promoters please get in touch!
12. Wefunk plans for the future? Will
Wefunk remain the same – raw and original?
DS: Most definitely! 16 years and still going strong.
PG: WEFUNK has evolved over the
years, but we've always stayed true to what we do best: playing great music,
finding the best new releases, never forgetting classic sounds, and digging
deep into rare treats. That's never going to stop!
13. A word of advice for young DJs.
DS: I think a lot of young DJ’s fall
into one of two extremes. Either they
just played for themselves and are completely blind to their audience, or they
just aim to please the crowd but don’t have a sound to call their own. You need a balance. And to DJ’s starting out on Serato, try to
train yourselves to use your ears. Just
because two waveforms are lined up visually doesn’t mean the mix sounds good!
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