Artist Interview: RENE LAVICE for SIM NYE

– Interview by Sarah Alexys Y –

Although recently gaining lots of attention, Rene LaVice has been an active member in the Toronto Drum and Bass scene since 2009. With his talent and help from Canadian Veterans such as Gremlinz and John Rolodex, LaVice began to push out work that has been getting him noticed. In August of this year, he has blown up in popularity since signing exclusively with Ram Records. His Ram Records debut, ‘Headlock,’ was released on the ‘Dimensions 5’ EP and its often been a favourite to get crowds moving on the dance floor this year. Just finishing up his Debut European tour, he is now back in his hometown to countdown to the new year with us at Soul in Motion’s annual New Years Eve bash – Come Together 2013.

SARAH: I remember meeting you for the first time in the cold outside of Sound Academy. I told you, you were on my iPod and you were so stoked. How does it feel to be played across the world on both iPods and dancefloors at clubs?

RENE LAVICE: It feels fantastic. I’m always thrilled when someone tells me they’re listening to one of my songs. When you’ve worked so hard on something its just nice to see people enjoying it. I don’t think its something I’ll get tired of any time soon, haha!

SARAH: What got you into producing and spinning drum and bass?

RENE: I kind of got myself into it… It sort of became an outlet for an overall desire to make things. I don’t really know why, but I think I originally gravitated toward drum and bass because of the sheer amount of diversity of the music. There are so many different directions it can go, there’s a lot of freedom there. It’s got an urban feel to it, like hip hop. That kind of thing appeals to me having grown up in a big city… It’s also challenging to make something that sounds good. I like the challenge involved.

SARAH: You are also a filmmaker, do you get to put a lot of creative input into your music videos?

RENE: Yeah for the video for headlock I was like “yo can u put a big yellow UKF logo in the middle of the screen?” And they were like “dude! That’s exactly what we were thinking too!” And then I was like “nooooo wayyyy!” And then I got high…

I haven’t made any videos for my own stuff yet though, I’ve only made videos for other artists and other stuff. When it comes to videos for my own music I think it would be cool to work with some filmmakers who exclusively do film and music videos. Getting other perspectives on what other people see in the music can bring a cool dimension to the work as a whole.

SARAH: One of my favourite mixes from you is your Big Shot Guest Mix featuring such artists as Noisia, TC, and other fellow Ram artists. Why did you name the mix “Caffeine, Sunscreen, and Broken Equipment?”

RENE: Big miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiix! Thanks, I’m stoked you liked it. The title just sort of reflects what was powering me at the time I put the mix together. It was music festival time in the summer which means reeking of sunscreen as you walk around in the blazing heat whilst guzzling caffinated drinks because you were in the studio all night and aren’t used to being up during the day…… and my tech 12s and mixer were in terrible condition (and still are) so it was a frustrating experience just to get the damn thing recorded. I also don’t really edit myself when I name things, I just kind of blurt something out, so yeah, that explains that. turtle.

SARAH: What advice can you give to aspiring musicians who want to make it in the industry?

RENE: Remember to take breaks and take care of your health. I’m notorious for not sleeping for days pulling studio sessions that last way longer than they should. This kind of thing might allow you to make a lot of music but in the end it takes a toll on your health, and you’re not any good as a music producer/DJ if you’re dead.

SARAH: What can fans expect from you in the new year?

RENE: There’s this new trend starting up called animal-trap, I think it’s pretty cool. All the kids are getting into it. I think it’s going to be bigger than dubstep and trap music combined. keep on the lookout for the animal-trap mixtape that should be dropping sometime in the next few months. dat shit cray.

– Interview by Sarah Alexys Y –