THE DJ DIARY

Berries & Rollas
By: David "Ace"Cinelli of YM
Dave_Aiello@hotmail.com
 
I think Addy said it best...
 
'The easiest part about being a DJ is the actual DJing.' 
 
As I write this, I am sitting here at work (break time) writing my DJ Diary realizing just how right Addy is.  I am barely able to keep my head off my desk as the only thing saving me from falling into a deep coma is a caramel latte with lactose free milk I purchased at Timothy’s.  The toll of a hard weekend of going out and gigging usually catches up to me on Tuesday. Mondays are easy. Tuesdays.... are hard as hell. 
 
This weekend was interesting. Saturday was YM's RETURN to Acid Lounge in the Guvernment.  Our sets at this club are always fun because we get to play for eight hours and it becomes an adventure.

There are many hidden perks in DJing, like, the absolute pleasure of hearing people say, 'nuff said' or 'lovin' life' or 'le movement' or whatever random nonsense Makett, Larse or myself spit out in YM mailings. It's a mad cool feeling when people make YM shirts or come up to us saying they love our sound, our antics... they say their fans of YM.  Truth be told there is no such thing as YM fans, just YM friends.
 
As I listen to clients complain about this, that or the other I sit back on my break and appreciate everything that happened on the weekend. I reminisce about the good times we had. I let their screams and cries slip through my mind as I re-reply the Funkagenda remix of “Around the World” by Daft Punk in my head. God bless the weekend because if I didn't have it, I'd have to actually pay attention to this client’s nonsense. The music is our escape, it's our dream, it's our love...  but, it takes a hell of a toll.  The thing is, we can't stop or let up, how could we?  Why would we want to?  There’s so much competition in this city, in this scene. So much talent here in Toronto, we are so appreciative of what we have and in no means do we want to lose our spot. Being sick isn't an option, being tired isn't an option....hell being dead at this point, isn't an option.
 
I'll finish up this weeks writing with a little plug.... no matter if we're drained, tired, and exhausted.... if limbs are falling off, if Makett's cat runs away, if Larse has bronchitis or if we all spontaneously combust, we will be there!  Every gig, no matter what!  I can’t tell you whether it will be one of us, two of us or all of us. What I can is gurantee is YM will be there.  This week we get the honour of playing with our favorite Toronto residents (and future rulers of the universe) The Roaches in the first (and not the last) Blackberries and Rollers party at Lily’s. In the words of YM...”nuff said.”

I got the first DJ Diary under my wing, it should be smooth sailing from here (wait, do I even know how to sail?)  I hope one day I will play WMC or even SPACE in Miami, I hope one day YM will get an Ibiza booking or play in England, however, even if that does happen, nothing could be more special to me than playing Dance 2 Da Beat and dedicating it to the person responsible for me creating it, my mother.
 
My goal was simple, to play a set fully dedicated to my mother where each song had a deeper meaning then "just beats". I wanted my set to hit home not only for me but for everyone in attendance. If they didn't know what it felt like to lose a loved one the way I did, I wanted them to have sense of it after my set. I believe music is emotion. This thought pattern made me a HUGE fan of Nathan Barato because I feel he creates emotion in music. I wanted to emulate this, use what I've soaked in from numerous sets and do my best to make it my own.
 
I wanted it to be different and special.  I created a unique intro for my set. I asked my friend who creates internet radio show intros if he could help me with mine. We created a special opening with a pianoesque sequence with a Spanish horn and tuba to create a real tranquil yet calming experience.  We both recorded vocals in which I said, "Mom, I love you... I miss you."  He also added, "Dance 2 Da Beat and Ace Cinelli ... present this dedication.... for Celine Aiello... we miss you."  With the slight sound of seagulls “gawking”, which I never realized, were so calming yet eerie. Alas! We had our opener. 
 
During my Dance 2 Da Beat 3 event in June 2008 at Footwork Bar & Afterhours I was nervous but I had the support of an amazing audience, my girlfriend Milena and the support of my amazing friends. In the booth were the other two members of YM, Chris Larsen and Michael Terrazzano (in matching "F*CK Cancer" t-shirts), Nathan Barato, Jonathan Rinaldo, Carlo Lio all making it easier for me to not overlook a detail. For instance when I had the bass off for 30 seconds and didn't even notice! Oops!
 
I used a lot of meaningful tracks in my set; Gui Boratto – “Beautiful Life”, Red Carpet - "Alright" & "Tribalicious" remixed by Nathan Barato (thanks for helping me start D2DB), Moby - "Raining Again" & "Slipping Away". I dropped a lot of tracks hitting close to the heart, tracks  which helped me deal with my mom’s passing... in the end, I want everyone to know no matter what happens, remember the good times, let go of the bad... AND THANK YOU for continuing to help fight my mom’s battle, even if she's not here. Dance 2 Da Beat is about a scene coming together, not about "clubbers" but about friends.... and clearly, that's what friends are for, hence my closing track, Stevie Wonder - "That's What Friends Are For".

To everyone who was there that night, thank you for letting me share my sorrow, yet at the same time my joy. Thank you for showing me what the "scene" in Scenester stands for.