Blowing his own horn Top DJ Neill MacLeod makes it look easy
Sexy Taurus Neill MacLeod
is the local DJ I received the most emails and comments
about in the last year. Though he’s slowly built up a fan base since
his arrival in Toronto in 2000, he reached a zenith this past fall.
For me, it’s very clear that fab readers have crowned Neill
MacLeod the DJ of the Year 2007.
He doesn’t mind all the attention.“People are friendly and some
are shy so I do find myself meeting quite a few people and introducing
myself to those who seem a little shy.” says MacLeod.
MacLeod, 31, was born in England and came to Canada when he was
four years old, mostly growing up in Hawkesbury (half way between
Ottawa and Montreal). In Ottawa, he got his Bachelor of Music, which
qualifies him to teach music. Though he can play piano, woodwinds
and all the brass instruments, his major was trumpet. After three
years in the Canadian Army reserve (okay, stop drooling), he landed
in Toronto where his day job is in a Mac computer store, a gig that
has taught him a lot about music-production software.
“One of my more memorable club experiences,” says MacLeod, “was
in Montreal for Pride where I played trumpet in-between sets at
Aria. It was a packed room as I stepped out onto one of the speaker
stacks and played my edit of “Stupid Disco” with one heck of a crazy
trumpet solo. I’ll never forget the expressions on people’s faces
when they looked up and saw a live musician belting out some tunes
at the peak of the evening.” He’d love to do it again, incorporating
keyboards and live samples into the mix.
Certainly MacLeod’s expertise in music and live sets has him standing
apart in the DJ world and should help him to break into the US.
He’s already on the remix/producer path with much help from his
close friend Canadian A-List DJ Stephan Grondin.
“We had a chance to work together one night when I was listening
to his remix of ‘I Try,’” says MacLeod. “As the track was playing,
I just started playing some strings in the background and we quickly
looked at each other, said ‘Hit record’ and we came up with a stringed/orchestra
version which left us speechless.”
His sound is very uplifting but there’s a sexiness that sets him
apart.
“I’m always mixing in the playful beats,” says MacLeod. “There’s
almost always a dirty, driving bass to build up momentum and from
there I throw in a vocal, some progressive and almost always fun
sexy tribal beats to bring the night in a new or unexpected direction.”
(Expect a lot of dirty sounds when he plays the closing party at
Steve Buczek’s Beef Dip party in Puerto Vallarta
on Sat. Feb. 2. www.beefdip.com)
Though he’s a playful guy, MacLeod’s serious about music. He feels
producers and singers deserve more respect in this age when more
and more people are downloading music illegally.
“Remember [when you’re downloading] that there were hours upon hours,
soul and heart put into each track. Without these people, we wouldn’t
have music to enjoy,” he says. With MacLeod’s passion for music,
it’s no wonder he has steadily gained the hearts of clubbers from
Toronto to Montreal. “If the staff is having fun, the crowd is smiling
and ready to dance and be playful, the DJ is getting waves of energy
and cheers and the energy is up, then the vibe is going to be unbelievable.”
