Novem Life, Yo!

Dj, circuit bender, skater and artist, Novem resident Dj Demchuk sits down and chats with the Novem Crew:

How/When did your DJ career begin?

I put out my first mixtape back in ’99 when I was still in high school. I got suspended once for stuffing fliers in every locker. At the time I was living in North Carolina but I started DJing on the radio in 2001 playing freeform music for WZRD Chicago which is based out of Northeastern Illinois University. During that time at The Wizard I started DJing house parties and underground shows before working for a DJ company doin’ corporate gigs and downtown trendy bars. At the same time I started my own nights booking various venues and having bands play that I would meet while working for WZRD as Producer of the weekly live show, Thursday Night Live. Since then I’ve been doing a few weekly residencies and monthly events around the city like Modern Love and End Of The World Dance Party.

When did you get to Chicago and what do you like about it most?

I actually moved here the day after graduating high school. My whole family on both sides is from Chicago but my dad was a Marine so I lived on and off military bases in North Carolina, Virginia, and Florida before here. I love Chicago though. There’s a taste of everything here, which is what I really enjoyed while growing up throughout the southeast. Other military brats like me were from Hawaii, the Philippines, Alabama…you name it, the US probably has a base there. But Chicago is The Jungle…a cultural melting pot of styles.

Name three of your favorite DJ’s?

Battle DJs and cats that were banned from DMC like the whole ISP or A-Track blow my mind, but my favorites are all here at home. DJ Gant Man’s juke music is insane! Everyone can’t help but bounce to his tracks. LA*Jesus has a ton of grooved out remixes and his disco style is just funky. Danny Livewire and Abducted are producing incredible shit. So is Rand Sevilla but he’s staying out west now. And I could drop a list of Brazilian Funk DJ’s but this cat Pristine Blusters has been sending me some incredible baile booty beats and dubstep cuts lately that I can’t stop rotating.

Name three of your favorite MC’s?

Jeru Tha Damaga for all that crazy dialog lesson shit he used to drop with DJ Premier beats. And I love local Chicago shit like Pugs Atomz and Kid Static. And I love Kid Sister’s energy on tracks. Chicago is bringin’ all the hot shit now.

What is the perspective date that you will graduate and become DJ Demchuk M.D.?

Ah man…I’ve been taking an extensive break on graduate school for a little over a year now! I just got so wrapped up when I was DJing clubs and my own parties that I wasn’t ready to dedicate my time to getting a piece of paper. I was working for the university after getting my BA doing video production work and the graduate program was really geared more toward education. I’m a hands-on guy and I’d rather be making shit and doing shit than reading about it and telling other people about it, you know?

What is your most charished venue to date?

That’s such a hard question! I really love pretty much all the spaces I DJ at, whether they’re art galleries or loft spaces, chill bars or bangin’ clubs. I’ve done shit at museums in other states, I’ve played at a club in Mexico…been doin’ first Fridays at The Novem Store, and I’ve recently played under a bridge in Pilsen which was so crazy of a space. But I’m gonna drop my two favorites here because I really dig ‘em for different reasons. The spot I’ve played a few times now over the past few years is Motel Bar that really knows how to take care of the DJ: Amazing sound, perfect equipment, and a solo open-air DJ booth that overlooks the entire club. Their waitresses would constantly bring me drinks without even asking. Only times I’ve spun there is when I’ve had to cover for one of their residents, Scott Lucas from Local H. But the one that has impressed me most is Vertigo Sky Lounge which is on the rooftop of this 25 story hotel downtown. Incredible view…

What do you do when you’re not Djing?

Well, I have a side project that I’ve been doing for years now called Circuit Bending that I learned from Patrick McCarthy and a few others. Its taking kid’s electronic toys and cheap synths and amping them up by crossing their circuits to get all kinds of crazy sounds that it wasn’t originally programmed to make. I’ve done festivals, concerts, and taught classes on it myself at spots like The Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, and the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. I just love music and I can’t stop making Art. And tonight I’m feeling the aftermath of an evening skateboard session but I’m never gonna stop man, I’ve been skating now for over 20 years!

You’re doing a show and the promoter wants to get you a drink, what do you order?

I’d ask for a Pacifico if they got it but not too many I’ve been to actually carry it. It’s made down in Mazatlan, Mexico and it’s just a chill ass beer, you know? I spent some time down there and literally Coronas are fuckin’ shit compared to Pacifico…

Are there any tentative summer events that you want us to all know about? When, where, and what are they?

Oh yeah sure man, thanks! Well hey first I just wanna thank all the crew at Novem for havin’ me out at so many of their gigs man I swear you guys are like family seriously…
Right now I’m resident DJ for Modern Love every Tuesday at Liar’s Club but comin’ up I got invited to DJ at the Flaming Lips Pitchfork Afterparty at Cobra Lounge on July 19th and I’ve got a few dates booked In New York City in late August which I’m really excited about ‘cause I’ve never been to New York before. And I’ll be hosting JUKE Fest ’09 with Novem and The End Of The World Dance Party crew Eric Lab Rat, British Knights, and Micada on July 16th at Lava which is gonna be crazy as hell with all the Bang The Box Recordingz artists making everyone shake their asses. Hell you know I’m gonna be jukin’ right along with everybody else that’s what hosting is all about!