SCENE QUESTIONS
Questions With…DJ Ryan Kruger and organizer of WEMF
Interview by Miss Raquel
What was your inspiration for organizing WEMF?
“It was 1995 and our 2nd anniversary was coming up. We had been reading a lot about the 24 outdoor festivals in Europe and wanted to try something similar in order to make our mark in Toronto. We figured that getting people out to the boonies may take a whole weekend camping experience so that’s what we did… Seems crazy now but somehow it worked – although we likely would not have been kicked out of so many towns in the early days if we’d only gone one night!”
How do you feel about Canada having limited festivals of this kind?
“The fact that they are limited is what makes them special. If there were 5 main Burning Man events a year or 3 Ultra Music Festival’s, what would be the big deal? The fact that WEMF is a date on the calendar that thousand’s of people plan around for a year is what allows it to be such a big part of people’s lives and memories.”
What got you into DJing and why?
“I might be the exception to the rule in that I only got into DJing because I threw parties and not the other way around. It was about two years after we started Destiny and I ended up with hundreds of promo records sitting in my basement from all the DJ’s we had booked. I had to get a turntable to play them on, and well, the rest is history I suppose!”
If you could do one thing for Canada’s EMS what would it be and why?
“Depends if you mean Emergency Medical Services or Electronic Musie Scene! I’ll assume the latter although I deal with both being a promoter. If there is one thing I could do I would get sponsors involved. If it wasn’t for the love of the music there would be no WEMF. Financially it’s hard to make it happen every year and sponsorship would really allow us to go in a lot of new and exciting directions. The goal is not to get rich but rather to expand our format and offer even more to our dedicated fans!”
What is it you love/like about the EMS as a whole? Dislike? Why?
“Nothing major but they do make a mess! WEMF always looks like a bomb went off in a garbage dump when people leave so if people could be a bit more environmentally conscious it would really make me happy.”
How long does it take to organize an event such as WEMF?
“A long time. We usually start planning in the fall and get into serious hours by February. From then on it’s a full time thing for a number of people right through July.”
What other festivals have you been to or would like to go to and why?
“I’ve been to a lot of events around the world in my time. In the US I’ve been to Burning Man multiple times, Ultra, Electric Daisy Carnival, DEMF, and likely 20 more I can’t recall. Internationally I’ve been to the Full Moon Party in Thailand, various events across Europe and the UK and then Shambala, Radar, Virgin Fest, Cutting Edge and pretty much everything that has ever happened in Ontario.”
What can we expect for WEMF 2008?
“Ask me after Burning Man – its vacation time! Haha. Bottom line is that the festival will continue to be a combination of old and new. Familiar and foreign. What makes it unique is that it feels like home but is constantly evolving!”
What can we expect from you as a DJ for the rest of this year and into next?
“I was at the Silverwaters Festival Aug 18, 2007, Vegas and Burning Man for a week at the end of August and then a lot of local events here in the city through to our annual Halloween event at The Docks. (D666).”
You have been in this business a long time, what has been your biggest lesson learned so far?
“Don’t take things too seriously. Its dance music – its fun – and its not going to change the world! I’ve always tried to have a good time doing a job I enjoy. The minute it’s not fun anymore I’m gone. This is not to say there haven’t been bumps along the way but as long as enough people like our vision of a good time, we’ll be around to provide that good time.”
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