Behind the DJ Booth: DJ Vilify

Posted by Danielle Lands in FringeBlog on February 25, 2013

As my friend told me when I mentioned that I secretly wanted to be a DJ, “everyone secretly wants to be a DJ.” However, most of us end up traveling to the Plateau, Mile End, St-Henri and the like, simply to enjoy the DJs Montreal has to offer, have some drinks and dance up a storm with our friends on a Saturday night.

Many of us know a few DJs and have a notion what they do. But let’s be honest, most of us have no clue what that is apart from playing with turntables. Behind the DJ Booth will explore the quirky, upbeat, vibrant, at-times frustrating and, frankly, fascinating lives of DJs.

This series is about Montreal DJs and where they will be playing. So hopefully, between midterms, finals and term papers, you’ll have a chance to squeeze in some performances.

We start with DJ Vilify, aka Jenny Carmichael. She is one of the few female DJs around and spins at the weekly drum ‘n’ bass night, every Wednesday at the Belmont. DJ Vilify grew up in Toronto, surrounded by many genres of music since her mother plays the violin and her father sings opera. However, by her mid-teens, DJ Vilify was introduced to the world of drum ‘n’ bass, and hasn’t looked back since.

Her musical influence varies from Marilyn Manson to DJ Premier to Louis Armstrong, and this variety comes out during her performances. With a BA in International Development, she has many possibilities, but has been fortunate enough to thrive off of DJ-ing. She said she “truly feels like [she is] living the dream.”

With an assorted music taste, DJ Vilify combines tracks which are received openly by her vibrant audiences.

For this year, DJ Vilify already has many gigs lined up, both in Montreal and out of town.

“The year is already off to a great start,” she said. “I’m very optimistic about where it is heading.”

She aims to eventually perform in Japan, and from the looks of her full schedule, her goal is likely not far off.

DJ Vilify mixes hip hop with drum ‘n’ bass and dubstep undertones, skipping out on the overly-heavy and slow bass that tends to make you feel like your appendix is about to burst.

Her animated personality and “eclectic style” will carry her up the echelon of the DJ world, hopefully not too far from Montreal. You can catch her every Wednesday at the Belmont for Bass Drive Wednesdays. This upcoming Wednesday, the Belmont is celebrating the 4th Year Anniversary of their drum ‘n’ bass night, with DJ Vilify at the head and a performance by KOAN SOUND.

DJ Vilify samples

Belmont website