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Music

Oh Canada

Representing Canada at the World Finals of the Red Bull Thre3style competition is a big change from how DJ Adam Doubleyou got his start behind the decks a decade ago.

“My first gigs were very low-key,” Doubleyou explains from his Quebec City home. “I’m originally from a small town in rural Quebec, so at first I was just playing at a bar for free drinks, mainly so that I could do it somewhere other than my bedroom.”

Dogged determination eventually led to DJ residencies and high-profile opening gigs for touring acts like ?uestlove and Felix Cartal. This is actually Doubleyou’s second crack at the Thre3style crown, after making the Canadian national finals in 2011.

“Competing in the finals was a career highlight for sure, but this world championship is a whole other level.”

Since his last Thre3style attempt, Doubleyou has become a part-time student, freeing up more time for practising. He’s also been rethinking the importance of showmanship behind the turntables.

“I’ve been of different minds about that over the years, but I do think it’s important to let the people know you’re there, you’re there for them and with them, and that you have one foot on the dance floor yourself.”

More important, though, are the tunes themselves. Doubleyou prides himself on a willingness to take chances, and on digging deep into his collection to find party-rocking surprises.

“You have to have a very broad database of music in your brain. You never know when a very obscure genre might be the key to unlocking the dance floor.”

Sometimes a song needs a little help to make it work in a club, so Doubleyou has been known to include personal re-edits in his sets. He’s slowly been moving into full-on production.

“It’s exciting, because when you’re DJing all the time, you inevitably have ideas for music that doesn’t exist yet. It’s really nice to have the tools and the know-how to make some of those ideas real.”

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