G.O.DCast #3 DJ RABBYT

DJ RABBYT///Q&A///CERTIFIED FUNKY

DOWNLOAD G.O.DCAST EPISODE 3 HERE

So Kristy tell G.O.D a little bit about yourself? Where are you from where have you been where are you going!!

I'm from Calgary, born and raised.  I used to be a punk drummer, my first Idol was Travis Barker from Blink-182.  I learned every beat he ever played.  After a short stint in university with a band called Open To Closure I opened myself up to other bands.  I played and toured with The Smoking Pistols which was an eclectic mix of country, punk and electronic influence.  After I moved away from that group I was open to anything.  In 2010 my friend dragged me across the country to see a Bassnectar show, I had no idea who he was.  It was a tough choice but I gave up the drums for the decks because of that show alone.  Less than a week later I joined a mobile DJ company and learned how to play on real turntables and how to read a crowd. 250 shows and 2 Shambhala's later I am finally finding myself among the crowd I truly love to be with who have accepted me for who I am.  I plan to give back to the community that changed my life by trying to influence others to love themselves for who they are and to work hard to achieve their dreams.

We really dig your dj name and we're wondering what "rabbit hole" you pulled that from and why do you use a Y instead of an I?

I knew I had to have a spirit hood for Shambhala.  Before I ever went there I spent a couple weeks working on making my own hood.  I didn't really care for rabbits but the universe guided me to that creation.  The hood became the biggest social ice-breaker of my life.  Rabbits slowly became my 'thing'.  I even have a wild rabbit that lives outside my apartment that I regularly feed.  As for the Y, it has to do with the gender issue.  Typically many names that are the same are spelled differently based on gender and Y is often used to feminize names.  Considering that Rabbit is a the name of a seasoned DJ in the USA, I had to pick something different that still related to rabbits.  I really got lucky that changing a single letter made the name unique. 

We have heard you refer to your musical style as "fractal funk". Now being a Shambhala veteran, I have a pretty good grasp on what that means but for those that dont why dont, can you enlighten us all?

Well my musical roots have always come from the typical rock legends of the past; The Beatles, Hendrix, Pink Floyd and a large variety of disco, protest and funk tunes.  My goal with my style is to incorporate a modern level of electronic production layered with acapellas and remixes of all the tunes I used to listen to on a daily basis.  I believe this gives my sound a well rounded pleasure to any audience since there are many different levels of which you can appreciate the music; there is something for everyone.  My head is always banging to a mid tempo range of music so I stick to that for the majority of my sets.  My favorite Tempo is 111bpm.

 

What is your dream gig?

Shambhala would be an absolute dream come true, but I think playing Red Rocks Amphitheater would be totally out of this world as well.

What are some of the trials and tribulations you face as a gender bending DJ?

To be honest I haven't had any troubles with my gender bending nature, even outside of DJing.  I am insanely lucky for that, so many people are faced with violence and anger when gender norms are challenged.  If anything my outfits and makeup have influenced my career in a positive way.  People will constantly recognize me on the street and at shows because of the impact it makes on the performance as a whole.  I am still in the very early stages of transition from male to female but I have been able to pass as a female in most of my social encounters, which is my ultimate goal.

Girls On Decks is a huge supporter of the LGBTQ community so what took you so long to get involved with us?

I actually didn't realize how involved the Girls On Decks were in the LGBTQ scene until after I played the International Women's Day event.  It was a long standing goal of mine to become a part of the collective but I didn't want to pull that trigger too early, in case I wasn't viewed as a true female.  Luckily Girls On Decks threw up an open invitation for the IWD show and I decided now was the time to throw my cards on the table.  There was absolutely no question of my gender and the Girls On Decks have become my go-to place for complete and total acceptance of my transgender nature. It truly means the world to me.

AND YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO US KRISTI!

What are your summer plans? Festivals no doubt and if so, which one are you most looking forward too?

This summer I look forward to hopefully securing a spot at Fozzy Fest.  The Mad Hatter Music Festival is already in my books.  Last year I was a headliner at the Mad Hatter and was asked to play the following night at another stage, coincidentally called The Rabbit Hole.  Other than that I hope to begin producing my own funky remixes and expanding the deck that I play on with a clip trigger pad for a more intricate live mix.

I hear you like to play dress-up when you DJ! What's your favorite outfit to strut in!

My outfits are mostly hand made, so all of them have a lot of sentimental value.  My latest outfit is my current favorite.  I wear rabbit faux fur leggings and a pink tutu that was made for me by a good friend.  A pink corset is trimmed with rabbit faux fur that wraps around my chest.  I'm using a new pink glitter for makeup and inch long eyelashes.  For the first time this outfit does not include the hood that started the rabbit name.

Is it true that you have made DJing a full time job? Do you do weddings?

Yes, DJing is currently a full time job for me.  I play about 3-4 shows a week which can range from school dances and corporate events to weddings.  Sometimes you can even find me at The Bay downtown playing for 8 hours straight to promote their monthly gala.  The heavy seasons are Christmas (as corporate events skyrocket in number) and graduation season.  The company I work for plays 9 out of the 11 biggest high schools in town.  Unfortunately I don't get to play my usual funky music but working in this way has honed my crowd reading skills and given me a confidence on stage that would have taken years to acquire if I had been solely pursuing the club scene.

Top 5 tracks at the moment: GO!

1. Woke Up This Morning - Alabama 3

2. Move Your Feet - Junior Senior

3. I Love It - Icono Pop

4. Rock DJ - Robbie Williams

5. Hot Like Dimes - Pretty Lights

Who would you love to play a show alongside?

Hands down, Bobby C Sound TV.  He has been the most inspiring funk DJ I have ever heard.  Much of the way I play stylistically and musically has grown from dissecting his sets.  His song selection has heavily influenced my choice to often play original music that flows into remixes of the same track.

WHOSTAKNOW

Alanis or Stevie:  I assume you mean Nicks but I'm going with Stevie Wonder!
Ice cube or Ice T:  Sweetened Iced Tea (HAHA)
Chocolate or vVnilla: Both, in a wicked swirl on a cone.
CDJS or VINYL:  CDJs all the way!
Walk or Bike: Bike for sure.
Vancouver or Edmonton:  Vancouver, so many huge acts to see there
Coffee or Tea: Tea
Real book or E-book:  Books on tape!
Superman or Superwoman: Superwoman!

MIX TRACKLISTING:
1. Little Green Bag - The George Baker Selection
2. Little Green Bag Remix - Felix The DJ (The George Baker Selection)
3. Take It Back - Gramatik
4. Porn Funk - Stickybuds and Mr. Bill
5. Foxy Lady Remix - Shaka (Jimi Hendrix)
6. Get Lucky Remix - WBBL (Daft Punk)
7. Rock DJ - Robbie Williams
8. Move Your Feet - Junior Senior
9. Move Your Feet Remix - The Funk Hunters (Junior Senior)
10. Don't Hold Back Remix - Defunk (Opiuo)
11. Baby I Got Your Money Remix - Stickybuds (ODB)
12. On My Radio Remix - Stickybuds (Sun)
13. Turn Up The Stereo Remix - The Funk Hunters (Delhi 2 Dublin)
14. Forever Lost - Pretty Lights
15. Bass Now Remix - Timothy Wisdom (Stickybuds)
16. Handy Man - Bobby C Sound TV
17. Junky Maggie - Irish Steph
18. I Get Around Remix - The Captain (The Beach Boys)
19. Itchycoo Park Remix - Dancefloor Outlaws (Small Faces)
20. Woke Up This Morning - Alabama 3
21. My Eyes - Nero
22. I'm Still Standing Remix - Funkanomics (Elton John)
23. Mas Que Nada Remix - Slynk (Sergio Mendes)
24. Mrs. Robinson Remix - Jazz.K.Lipa (Simon and Garfunkel)
25. Paper Planes Remix - Bassnectar (M.I.A.)
26. Dream On Remix - Defunk (Aerosmith)

DJ Rabby is the latest and greatest addition to the Girls on Decks Roster! 
Connect with her here:
http://soundcloud.com/djrabbyt
http://www.mixcloud.com/DJ_Rabbit/
http://www.facebook.com/Laganthropy