Red light, green light

>> The bumpy road to Maues' new mix CD Intersections

By KRISTA

 Chalk one up for the other team. Local renegade (girl) DJ Maues is set to launch her first mix CD, Intersections, on Montreal's Haute Couture imprint. The disc features tracks by the likes of Omni Trio, Amon Tobin and Phoneheads. I sat with her and discussed the ins and outs of politics and making it on your own in Montreal.

 Mirror: So how did this CD come about?

 Maues: I was approached by Martin Dumais, who was considering starting up a drum & bass sub-label to his Haute Couture label. We did the mix CD project together, but he has since decided not to do another label, so this will be released on Haute Couture.

 M: Did you come up with the title for the CD? What is its significance?

 Maues: Well, I'm very eclectic when I mix and I had a hard time picking one direction to go in and one style, like whether it was going to be all Bukem tracks or harder or experimental. In the end I chose a bit from everywhere, so the styles are all crossing one another. Mixing is like an intersection, with the tracks flowing in and out, and drum & bass for me in very much driving music, road music. It's a very urban sound.

 M: The Montreal music scene has its cliques and drum & bass is one that's pretty tight, so how do you see yourself fitting into it now that you've been working in it for a few years?

 Maues: That's a delicate question. When I first came onto the scene I was a freak for experimental sounds like Autechre and Aphex Twin. I was so naive and in such a rush to play that I was playing anything, and trying to start up all these nights. It took me a while to realize that there were politics to adhere to, people who felt I should pay my dues first, and that maybe if I was a little less overzealous I would encounter a little less resistance.

 M: I guess initially you must have found it a bit difficult to integrate yourself.

 Maues: The first time I found myself in front of what I saw as all the big established DJs like XL, Jordan Dare, Double A & Twist, yourself, it felt like a wall and I think I was a bit paranoid. Anytime I felt that there were politics to deal with I retreated. But now there are so many people involved in the scene and it's growing all the time, and we can't all be friends all the time.

 M: True enough. Things would probably be a bit boring if everyone was complacent. As cheesy as it sounds, your art is something you should be passionate about.

 Maues: And there are so many levels to a person's character. Some people you can't work with, but then you meet other people with whom you're on exactly the same level. Like Soundshaper [Maues' partner at Blizzarts on Saturday nights], who's my musical guru. We have so many similar ideas and working with him in the studio is so easy. He helped produce and did the mastering for my CD, and has been such an inspiration for everything I do. :

 

CD launch at Jingxi, with Maues and DJs Tricky Pat and Patti from Vermont, Soundshaper and Hectic, on Tuesday March 14, 10pm, $4