Mctwist gets a Highlight spot with http://www.breakbeat.ca/! Big ups!!!!

We catch up with a hardworking DJ/Producer from cow town…Calgary! See whats up with McTwist!

McTwist
[IHM Canada, Breakz R Boss Records, The-lost-Art.com, Nubreaks.com]
http://www.facebook.com/pages/McTwist/171349796258822
www.soundcloud.com/mctwist
www.the-lost-art.com
www.NuBreaks.com

McTwist  Since early 1999, McTwist has evolved a sound over the years to one distinctly his own. His musical background has allowed him to pick up djing easily and he is taking his gift and running with it.  He has held residencies all over Calgary and most recently a monthly event named “Pistol Whip” with one of the best female djs Calgary has to offer, Molly-Fi and has played shows over all over North America. He has djed along side the likes of The Freestylers, Deekline, DJ Dan, Donald Glaude, Aphrodite, A-Track, Robb G and many others.
This guy sure knows how to make your booty shake. Having been a very big part of the Calgary music scene, he has been able to help pave the way for the newcomers on the rise.For the past 6 years, Ryan (McTwist) has hosted an internet radio show on www.NuBreaks.com which has now also expanded to www.the-lost-art.com. This show is broadcast all over the planet and has recently received recognition from the world breakbeat community by being nominated for Best Radio Show in the 2011 Breakspoll awards. His work in the studio has produced several of his own releases and remixes on Breakz R Boss records, Crux Records and Rapid Fire Records. McTwist is constantly working on new material and has new music coming out all the time. Things are about to blow up and you will want to be near this cat when they do.

Discography

Fuck 2008 mix – McTwist [Rapid Fire Records] 2008
Trace – Eviction (McTwist Remix) [Audio Planet] 2010
Cops – Mightyfools (McTwist Remix) [Crux Records] 2009
Rockin’ it Funky – McTwist (Original mix) [ Breakz R Boss Records] 2010
Something from Nothing – McTwist (Original Mix) [Breakz R Boss Records] 2010
*Coming soon
Even the Score – MstrWolf (McTwist remix) [Breakz R Boss Records] 2012
Funky Business EP – McTwist [Breakz R Boss Records]2012

Mc Twist Interview

Big up yourself dude! Please tell our Breakbeat.ca readers all about your current releases or any interesting projects your are into at the moment.
(McTwist): At current, I am working on some fresh beats of my own and doing some remixes for the Breakz R Boss crew. I am doing a radio show on The-lost-art.com and NuBreaks.com on Sundays from 12 – 2pm (MST). All this is keepin me hella busy. Playing shows all over Calgary and working on setting up a US tour which is still in the infant stages. So working on all this is keeping me super busy but the time in the lab and the results are what makes it all worth while. I have a 3 disk mix I am working on that will be available soon. Should be out by the end of summer.

Is DJ (McTwist) your real name?
(McTwist): Nah man, my real name isn’t McTwist.

Did you get allot of A’s in school? And what do you think of your school system?
(McTwist): I was quite the Bart Simpson of school. Under achiever, that made moderate grades but had I actually applied myself, I would have done way better.

Describe your taste in music (what kind of music do you /play/produce)?
(McTwist): It’s all about the breakbeats!!! Anything broken is the way to go. I do love a good chunky funky house tune though. I am currently making some seriously funky breaks and some really deep soulful stuff. When I am rockin beats though I range from hip hop to drum n bass and house to breaks. So I play quite a bit of different beats.

I love your funky fresh breaks! What are you using to produce nowadays?
(McTwist): I am currently using Ableton to produce.

When did you start to get into breaks and how?
(McTwist): I have been into breaks for at least 12 years but what really turned me onto them was when I saw Dj Volume play at an outdoor party I was at Canada 2000. I happened to be into trance at the time but man when he rocked the sickest breaks mix of better off alone, I was hooked. I had no idea music could make me feel so good until I was rippin it up to the funkiest of the breaks.

Do you mainly Produce than dj?
(McTwist): You know Djing is where my heart is. I am so tired of seeing these guys who are awesome producers that come out to play a show and can’t put 2 tunes together. When you can produce sick beats and play them well out, then you are the man/woman.

Are you a nerd?
(McTwist): I wouldn’t call myself a nerd, I like to geek out on my pc and make fresh tunes and what not but I am not a full fledged nerd.

What is one of your biggest inspirations to help you make your fresh tunes?
(McTwist): Inspiration comes from your surroundings, within and the people that motivate you. Stefan Roussin, the owner of Breakz R Boss is a huge inspiration because he is the one that pushes my lazy ass to make the dopest beats. Other than him, its what I feel and what I love to do. Its and expression of me and I am inspired to show people who I am.

Where is you favorite place to play so far?
(McTwist): My favourite place that I have played so far has to be my house right now. There hasn’t been too many places that I have played that have been so amazing that I really remembered it. I think Hifi, opening for Deekline is one place, Republik opening for The Freestylers was another good one.

What’s the craziest thing that ever happened to you while djing?
(McTwist): Well I have to admit that some crazy stuff happens to every dj and I am sure that the power going out in the whole venue during your set is not uncommon but that’s pretty crazy. I did however have 3 girls dancing in the dj booth with me on their friend’s birthday which was pretty fun. Nothing too crazy like getting flashed or a bj while I was playing lol. This wasn’t while I was playing but because of what I was doing, I was nominated for the Breakspoll award for Best Radio show.

What do you do to get out of writers block or are you always inspired to produce your music?
(McTwist): I am definitely not always inspired to make tunes. I get into a rut where I dj lots and work on that and then I go back to producing. It comes in waves. I always strive to get better at everything so I try not to settle into doing one thing all the time.

Did you ever enter any DJ contests?
(McTwist): Yes I have. I soon realized that dj competitions other than DMC are strictly biased opinions and whoever has the most friends that are in town and can come down to the show that night.

How are your ears now? Are they in good condition?
(McTwist): My Ears are great. I recently purchased some custom ear plugs for when I go to shows. Saves the ears for sure. You don’t go home with the ringing for days in your head.

Whats up with your current mixes?
(McTwist): Every weekend I record my radio shows that I do and they go everywhere. From hip hop all the way to DnB. My next set of mixes are going to be a 95-120 bpm hip hop set, a sick DnB set and one crazy breaks set. So I am currently working on 3 mixes right now.

List some of your favorite breakbeat producers (past/present):
((McTwist)):Keith Mackenzie, Dj Fixx, B.L.I.M, Rennie Pilgrem, Plump Djs, Stanton Warriors, Rel-1, Breakage, Loadstar, The Ghetto Funk Crew, Icey, Sharaz, Kaleidoscope djs to name a few. There are so many producers that have made an impact on my sound that its hard to name them all.

Are there any upcoming collaborations you’d like to let us in on?
(McTwist): Currently I have been working with Mistr Wolf on a remix of their upcoming track Even the Score. Its gonna be sick. The original is a deep dub tune and I change it up and rip the breaks right into it.

Any future projects or bits of info you would like readers to know of?
(McTwist): Just stay tuned to Breakz r Boss and keep and eye out for McTwist cause things are leaking out here and there and you will wanna hear what’s going on. I can’t give you all the info, that’s no fun. Check out CEMF. I’ll be rocking that show on the main stage reppin my crew.

Do you play strictly one genre of music sometimes or do you mix in other genres all the time?
(McTwist): I love to mix and match. Rock some sick house beats in a breaks set and just bounce around with stuff. Whatever feels good and is making people dance I guess.

Did you ever go to a music school or take classes to learn an instrument and if so do you think it makes your djing any better?
(McTwist): I used to be a drummer in my junior high band. I think it helps with knowing tempos and drops and time. I find it helps when learning to scratch and drum beats.

What do your parents think of your music and did they ever come see you at a gig?
(McTwist): My Dad comes out all the time. He supports me in whatever it is that I am doing. Its pretty sweet.

Do you have any advice for aspiring Producers?
(McTwist): If you can, find someone to give you a little tutorial when you are just starting. I know when Dj Fixx gave me one, man it changed everything. Helped me out so much to see what cool stuff I can do with the program I was using. Stay true to the sound that is in your heart. Don’t let anyone tell you to change who you are and what you love. Make music for you and not for the masses. Make the masses love what you love.

How do you react to illegal downloads of your fabulous tunes?
(McTwist): If my music is good enough for people to want to steal it, I think I am doing pretty darn good. People will buy the tunes that are out and we have steps in place to ensure illegal downloads are at a minimum. But if you like the beats that much, hit me up and maybe I’ll just give em to you. All you gotta do is ask sometimes.

List some of your favorite electronic producers (past/present):
(McTwist): Moby, Icey, Ferry Corsten, Snap!, The KLF, Stereo MCs

What does your studio consist of?
(McTwist): Tech 12’s, a sick Ecler hak 380 mixer, some speakers, some wires an amp and a computer. I have a Korg Micro X to boot which is a nice little toy.

What are you using to produce nowadays? Logic audio? Live ? Cubase?
((McTwist): Mainly I am using ableton and many VSTs and my imagination.

Any weed in your studio? Or are you guys straight clean?
(McTwist): No weed, just beers and a clear mind.

What would be your dream track to legally remix?
(McTwist): Wow what a hard question. I am not too sure that I know. There is a couple MJ tunes that would be cool. I think I would like to remix Game Master though. Super sick trance tune that if it had a sick break would be so good.

What do you think is happening arround the world, are you gonna be ok in 2012?
(McTwist): Of course I am gonna be fine. Media makes everything to be so dire in the world. All you see is what is wrong. Never anything good. There is an evolutionary process that is occurring right now. The world started, it will live and then it will recreate itself.

If you were stranded on an island and had a portable record player with
enough batteries to play one last track,,,which track would you choose to
listen to?
(McTwist): Breakin’ off Alone – Breaks remix of Better off alone.

Tell us some words of wisdom that you live by?
(McTwist): Don’t let people make decisions for you. You have your own brain, use it. – If it aint broke, fix it! – Stay true to yourself and Everything Happens for a reason.

Shout outs?
(McTwist): Dad, Dancing Queen Jamie, Stefan Roussin and the Breakz R Boss Crew, The Lost Art and NuBreaks crews.