By Jennifer Finjan
When I think of Chris McKean’s (aka DJ irGO) contribution to the Toronto house music scene, it begins in the early 2000’s. While the masses were humping and bumping at mainstream Top 40 clubs; an eclectic underground house-music scene was emerging under their unsuspecting noses.
Pure house music lovers were turning up at NASA Dance Pub and clubs like Element and System Sound Bar to support house music, and to experience the thrill of knowing everyone around them was there for the same reason. The DJs were the boys-next-door (and the occasional girl) with a real love and respect for house music and its fans. That’s where I first saw irGO spin. What stood out to me then and now, is his love and legitimate understanding of house music in its purist form. Not only does he enjoy being behind the decks, he is a true supporter of the house-music scene, and has fostered so many other DJ’s to get out there and spread the house music gospel.
To this day, a great vibe is guaranteed if irGO is behind the decks. Not only does IrGO continue to gain an impressive fan base, he has many friends and supporters that have, and will continue to follow him throughout his career.
irGO has had the opportunity to perform at events hosting Steve Lawler, John Creamer, Stephane K, David Morales, Satoshi Tomiie, and Hector Romero, to name a few.
What music did you listen to when you were young?
My musical roots stem from rock and roll, jazz, reggae, and…well….even Celtic. I was an 80’s child so I was pretty much exposed to whatever my parents liked. The Guess, Who, The Beatles, Psychedelic Furs, and Duran Duran, to name a few. Not to mention Triumph and Def Leppard as I began to get into my teens. I guess the Celtic music came from the British side of my parent’s family. Oh yeah…..I also played the recorder as a child, and participated in an air-band in the basement of our house. How could I forget that?!
How did you first get in the electronic music business?
LOL….here goes. I lived in Guelph for about 6 years, and finally left once school was complete. A handful of friends had moved to the west end of Toronto (High Park), so I joined them. That was in about 1998. We started frequenting Industry Night Club around the time that Armand Van Helden’s “You Don’t Know Me” became a hit. Well, we were all hooked. Eventually, buying mixed tapes and CD’s just wasn’t enough for me. I ended up buying all of my equipment in early 2000 at a place on St. Clair Ave. West. LOL from a guy that would only accept cash for the equipment! How sketchy is that?! But I did it. The rest is history I guess. The past nine years have involved a lot of very hard work. It’s totally been worth it though. I wouldn’t give up those experiences for anything! P.S. I still have my original Technics 1200MK2’s, and they’re in amazing shape.
Where did the name Irgo come from?
Many have asked this of me. I usually get “What the hell is an Irgo?” LOL. I actually don’t like to tell many people this. A few know, and that’s as far as I’ll take it. It’s just unique and has stuck over the years I guess. I’m just happy I’ve been able to keep it, as many dj’s tend to change their names over the years.
Tell me about your first dj gig?
It was actually fantastic!! I used to party a lot at NASA (Queen St. W), and once I got into spinning records, I approached the two owners about dropping some tunes on a Wednesday night. They agreed, and we had a blast! Thank God the owners had some savvy on the sound system as it was very user-friendly. Thursdays were a little painful though. I didn’t think far ahead enough to take that day off. Man….silly me.
How would you best describe your sound?
It’s house music. Period! I love it. I try not to cloud over my taste in music with trying to find some obscure mid-genre that maybe someone has never heard of. I love house music, and that’s what I play.
Has your sound changed over the years?
Like many dj’s, it’s taken years to develop this sound. It’s actually still evolving. Just ask my friends! It’s a really hard thing to do (classify yourself as playing one genre of music). The popularity of genres changes so much, and it’s easy to drift between them. I’ll admit I did it over the years, but in the past few, I’ve really concentrated on being unique. I remember listening to an interview with Paolo Mojo one year and wondering why he said that he NEVER listens to other people’s sets and performances. I was like, “then how the hell is the guy gonna get any tracks?!” Well I learned that was actually a really creative thing to do. Now I don’t really go out to events much anymore, with the hopes of maintaining my own sound.
What are you up to these days? Any exciting projects?
Man….where to start. Well, I’m trying to brand all of my events with the house genre. It’s tough though. I’ve been fortunate to develop relationships with great people over the years. They’ve helped me with my branding by providing the proper venues, dj’s, and of course, the PEOPLE with whom to party!! The people make or break the vibe man. So, on that note, we just finished a party with Jimpster (Freerange Records – UK) on November 7th at Footwork Bar & Afterhours. The vibe was amazing as we pounded the place with house music. So our plans from here are to continue with this calibre of music, and build our brand moving into 2010. I can’t elaborate on any events right now as they’re still in the works.
What artists do you admire and have any had a strong influence on you?
Jimpster, Shur-I-Kan, Scope, Milton Jackson, Manuel Tur, Luke Fair, Max Graham, DJ Yellow……man the list goes on over the years. I loved Peace Division before they went all tech-weird-minimal.
What are you listening to now?
Right now the sounds coming out of the Freerange Records, Urbantorque, Mild Pitch, and Tsuba labels are just amazing!! They’re pushing the sort of underground house sound that just resonates with me right now.
Can you recall a particularly memorable set/night?
Ummm, yeah! This past November 7th that we did with Jimpster. I had an early set, which allowed me to do some great mixing of classic house tracks with new. Track of the night for me was: Zwicker “Dragonfly feat. Billy Oden (Soultourist rmx)”. Jimpster took the evening to an entirely different level. He was having so much fun with the crowd that he was dancing with hands in the air on several occasions. He really knew how to entertain Footwork on the 7th. I won’t forget that event as long as I live.
Where would you like to spin that you haven’t already?
I’d like to spin in Chicago sometime. When I think about how much of the house music roots are from that scene, it gives me goose bumps. I’d love to play in a 400-500 person venue there where everyone’s inhibitions and expectations are thrown off the dance floor. That would be a true club experience that I would cherish forever.
What do you think the future holds for electronic music in Toronto?
That’s actually a really hard question to answer. Toronto’s scene is an ever-evolving entity. I see two things happening to Toronto’s scene in the upcoming years:
- The mainstream will continue to follow the “hot” genre of the moment. That seems to be what makes clubs money. Although I can’t wait to see what happens when Happy Hardcore becomes the mainstream. LOL!!!!
- An underground movement will really start to (re)generate momentum. Events that aren’t mainstream and are more about the music and vibe will garner more recognition, and really take Toronto by storm in the 100 – 200 person capacity venues. I hope I can contribute to this.
Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
Locally, I’ll continue to work with Raquel Richards and Scenester Magazine. We’re going on about a 3-year working relationship and it seems to be working well. I hope to expand my relationship with groups such as BringTheBeats. We have a similar love for music!
Internationally, I’ll continue to work with producers from labels that push that underground house scene. It needs more work here in Toronto, and I hope I can be a primary contributor to it. The future in Toronto is going to be very exciting.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
Eat, sleep, drink beer, and spend as much time relaxing with my wife, Jen.