by RAF KATIGBAK

Pierre Lussier, director of Montreal's Jour de la Terre, remembers the good old days. "I come from the beginning of the raves in Montreal. Back in 1995, before commercial tie-ins like Bal en Blanc and Molson Dry, there was a vibe that was much more Earth-conscious," he says. "Recently I went to the Winter Music Conference in Miami and saw DJ Liquid Todd give a talk about music as a tool for social change. I then realized what I had to do."

Lussier's vision was to bring two of his passions, environmental awareness and late-night dance parties, together under one event, and thus E=MC2 was born. With the help of DJ and artistic director Robert de la Gauthier, the event will feature five hours of non-stop, top-notch DJs, VJs and live acts including Akufen, the Mole, Aurora Borealis and de la Gauthier himself. "It's a great event for environmentally conscious people who don't normally get exposed to electronic music," explains the veteran DJ star, "and also for clubbers, who will have the chance to get involved and learn what they can do to help the world. People will raise funds and have a great time dancing as well."

Beyond being a straight-ahead fundraiser, E=MC2 is also a dance-o-thon where, instead of buying a ticket, participants are encouraged to get a pledge form from a participating outlet and have their friends pledge to sponsor them for every hour danced, thereby covering the cost of entry (the proceeds of which will go to Montreal community-based initiatives like urban re-greening and hazardous waste collection).

In the future, de la Gauthier and Lussier plan to expand their vision to include a special compilation CD and tandem parties linked to cities around the world. "When everyone does the same thing in Montreal, New York and Beijing," he says, "whether they're Christian, Buddhists, hippies or whatever, it's a beautiful thing. It's people working together to do something, to create something positive, and that's also what the dancefloor is all about."

E=MC2, with Robert de la Gauthier, Akufen, Mighty Kat and more, at the SAT on Friday, April 22, 10 p.m., $25, more info at www.emc2mtl.com

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