Ovi M is like that new guy in school who walks in and steals the cool kids’ flex with no one minding one bit. His flow is smooth, cool, and not overbearing.
Many people I’ve encountered on a Ovi dancefloor have had nothing but praise for his hardened yet vibrant techno sound and intense vibration.
Much like Carlo Lio, deadmau5 and Sydney Blu, Ovi, I suspect, will be Canada’s next export. I feel it in my musical bones. There’s a sound, a quality, a bite that tells me so. Unless he drops out of music or slows his roll, prove me wrong three to five years from now, or sooner.
1. You were born in Romania; at what age did you come to Toronto?
I came to Canada at the age of four so I’m basically a Canuck.
2. Before you were a professional DJ what did you do?
I was a student and I also worked at ABC Euro Delicatessen, my families deli, in Scarborough. I still work there now throughout the week. The schnitzel is amazing.
3. How did you get into DJing? Where was your first gig?
Quite a long story, but to make it short: My cousins were into house music long before I even knew what it was. In fact, my oldest cousin was actually a dancer on Electric Circus back in the day so I would watch the show every Friday. At the age of 15 they took me out to some clubs. Eventually I got into The Guvernment with a fake ID and fell in love with the music.
After going almost every weekend, I started to actually listen to the art of mixing tracks together and came to the conclusion that “I can do that!” So, I saved up, bought some Techniques, a mixer and some wax.
My first gig was actually in the Orange Room at The Guvernment on a Friday night about 7 years ago. It was a private party but I still had a blast.
4. What would you say was the one gig where you realized you were paying your dues?
Well, when you want to make a name for yourself, you tend to take free gigs here and there; it’s just part of the scene. When I became a part of INK, it was great because I finally started to get paid better for the gigs. Once I was there, I became a part of the hierarchy and had to play the shitty time slots for a long time until I proved myself and slowly started to move up the ranks. So truthfully, to answer your question it wasn’t just one gig, there were plenty but I would do it all again in a heartbeat to get to where I am today.
5. “Bucket List” was released in 2011. Do you have a bucket list? Care to share a few items on this list?
I think everyone should have a bucket list. Without goals you have nothing to strive for. One of my goals was to play in the main room of The Guvernment and I did that twice this year. It was a huge accomplishment for me.
In regards to productions, I also set goals for labels that I want to be on or artists that I would like to work with. There are plenty more on that list that I want to accomplish.
6. Speaking of titles, the titles of your productions include: Occasions, Toronto Black, Mr. Needy, Get Away, and What Is Techno. Where do you get your titles from?
I find naming a track a lot harder than it is to make one! Some track names are a reflection of something that happened to me that day or that week. Whereas some track names come from something someone said. Most recently I’ve started naming tracks from the way they make me feel or what I envision as I listen to them. And of course some are named from the vocal stabs or phrases that are in them. Lastly my fiancée, Lisa Marie, interferes and names some of them for me.
7. Your play is techno, what is it about this genre you like?
I played various genres before I singled in on techno, such as tech-house, house and tribal. I loved playing them all, but after some time it all sounded the same. With techno there are so many ways you can make it and play it. It’s simple yet at the same time so complex. It’s pure. No fluff! The baselines and rides in some of these tracks give me goose bumps even when I play them over and over.
Techno has an emotional attachment to it. Once it reels you in you’ll be lost forever in its hold, nothing ever sounds quite the same as it used to.
8. Tell our readers what monster tunes of yours have been supported by artists such as Dubfire, Marco Carlo, Gary Beck, Erphun, Subfractal, Paco Osuna, and Danny Tenaglia?
Marco Carola played my track “Pre-Dawn” out on Datagroove at Footwork when I was there and it was quite the feeling. In addition, Dubfire played “The Bobble Head” on the same release. Erphun from Brood Audio has been playing a majority of my new tracks including some unreleased and Gary Beck has been doing the same.
Subfractal have been gracious enough to give their support on a lot of my tracks in the past year, same with Paco Osuna and Danny Tenaglia. Right now there are too many tracks to mention but keep an eye out on the next releases (in 2013).
9. How does it feel to be added to the roster of the highly respected North American techno booking agency, Re-Konstrukt?
That was another thing that I knocked of my “Bucket List”. I jumped out of my seat when I read the email. It was really something that I was striving for. Yes, it’s a booking agency but it caters to only techno DJs so I definitely joined the right team.
10. Favourite DJ booth and why?
My favourite DJ booth is definitely at Footwork. It’s at the right height so you can see the crowd and truly interact with them. The monitors are just right; a lot of space to move around and the sound tech is at your beck and call when you need him.
11. What can we look forward to from you in 2013?
Hopefully a lot more out of city and out of country gigs. I have some surprises on the production front that have just been confirmed and this will include some more things to check off my “Bucket List”.
12. If I were to toss you on a deserted island what three items would you bring with you and why?
My Macbook with unlimited battery life: Entertainment. The full seasons of Top gear: More entertainment. A Satellite phone: in case I get bored and need rescuing.
LINKS:
Ovi M’s Website
Soundcloud
Twitter
Facebook
An interview by EDM TOR Guest Contributor: Miss Raquel
