Being bogged down with fourth-year university commitments, a part-time job as a teaching assistant during the school year, and a full-time summer job at a local radio station hasn’t stopped Toronto DJ Aleksandra from spinning her way to the top. In the seven years the high-scoring student has been DJing, she’s played all the major cities across Ontario and landed a coveted residency inside the Acid Lounge & The Gallery at The Guvernment. Also making her way onto more bills at Footwork, The Boom Boom Room and Hotel Boutique with her increasingly tech-influenced house sets, Aleksandra is becoming well-known for her party programming, smooth transitions and on-deck creativity and adapts her sound to any venue setting whether it is deep house, electro, tech house or techno.
Formerly tagged Reckless Girl, Aleksandra always had an interest in music. Both her parents are professional musicians with master’s degrees in music, so it was only natural she pursue it in some way. She bought turntables when she was 16, but had no intention of playing out — until one night in 2002 at Revolution Nightclub’s Purple Room in Waterloo, which snowballed into numerous repeat offers for gigs. Like any upstart, so much of getting known relies on stellar self-promotion. So when Aleksandra isn’t gigging, promoting or updating her website, she’s squeezing in studio time with her brother Jake Chec where they have recently produced their peak time electro tune, aptly titled “Sibling Rivalry.”
Aleksandra’s recent success includes opening for international DJs Steve Porter (twice) and Hatiras, teaming up with her manager Sasha to throw the widely popular “Insomnia” parties, and landing a sponsorship from Scandal House Designs; a high-end urban clothing label for women. In addition to her hard work on and off the decks, Aleksandra continues her journey seeking new sounds and venues ready to showcase her talent and inspire a new and growing generation of clubbers around the world.
So how did it all begin?
My older brother introduced me to house music around age 15 and I fell in love. I would play on his turntables when I would visit him in Toronto and bought my own at age 16 as a hobby. Growing up and going to school in Stratford Ontario; I found myself to be the only person heavily interested in house music. A friend gave me the opportunity to spin at the Purple Room (Revolution Nightclub) in Waterloo Ontario. I was hesitant at first but accepted. It basically snowballed from there. I had no intention of playing out when I began — I didn’t want to. But now I can’t imagine my life any other way :) .
Where did the name come from?
I first went by the alias “Reckless Girl” for five years. The name came from the amazing track by The Beginerz and a nick-name. I decided to go by my first name “Aleksandra” almost two years ago.
Did the Djing, Production, Promoting come 1st?
Djing, Promoting, Production. My first track I worked on with my brother Jake Chec will be released on beatport Jan 30 under the 4Play Trax label. The track is titled “Sibling Rivalry.”
Who’s throwing the best parties at the moment?
Really loving what Footwork in Toronto is doing; Also, the Guvernment is always pumping out the syckest international and local Djs.
Which other countries have you played/put parties on?
Just Canada so far; although I have some potential international gigs brewing… ;)
What was the first event you ever played at?
First event I played at was at the Purple Room in Waterloo.
What’s the best event you’ve played at?
Wow there are too many.. being a versatile DJ I find myself playing many different parties and venues with different sounds. Really enjoyed opening for Steve Porter at Footwork in 2008 (this set was actually recorded and can be downloaded on my website www.djaleksandra.com). Also love playing peak time slots at The Gallery and Acid Lounge inside The Guvernment, any Insomnia parties my manager Sasha puts on. In addition, my first boat cruise “The Hot Boat Cruise” in 2008 with Hatiras (boat cruises ROCK!), and Joy Supperclub in Kingston Ontario is always a jackin’ good time!
What was your first record you bought?
LOL.. the first records I ever got were cheesy/brutal ones my brother and his roommate would get from record pools and didn’t want. They ranged from euro to progressive to house; even breaks. But I didn’t care.. I just wanted to play and learn. I probably had a lot more records than people usually do when starting out.. although quality > quantity, at that time, it was a good stepping stone for learning.
Out of all the tunes you have, which one never fails?
Daniele Papini — Church of Nonsense
What’s you favourite tune of all time?
Gotta love The Beginerz — Reckless Girl :P
When all the partying is over how do you like to chill out?
Go home, chill out. Maybe play a ‘lil Mario Kart wii and kick Richard’s ass :P and get some needed sleep.
What’s is your real name if you use an alias and how old are you?
Aleksandra; 22.
Where do you live?
Toronto, Canada
How big is your vinyl collection? What do you think of CDJ’s?
Pretty small… I gave away a lot of my vinyl when I sold my turntables. I think CDJs are great and I am all about technology. It also makes for a much lighter DJ bag :P
Funniest thing that ever happened at an event?
When someone threw a $10 ‘tip’ on the mixer, and when my parents came to a gig and even came into the DJ booth!
Other DJs you rate?
On an international level, Danny Howells does some amazing things behind the decks. Locally, Toronto has sooo many amazing Djs to offer and look up to… Manzone & Strong, Mark Oliver, The Roaches (Nathan Barato/Carlo Lio), Deko-ze, MC Flipside, The Junkies, Jake Chec, Adam K.. ahhhh the list goes on and on!
What do you do outside of the dance music scene?
Go to university for Business Management/International Business and work as a Teaching Assistant.
What advice would you give to up and coming DJs?
Don’t rush it — it takes a lot of patience and time practicing. Give yourself about a year before playing out in public. You want to leave a good impression; the crowd won’t know (or care) about your history.
When you play is it a pre planned set?
Nah, you never know what the crowd will be like or when it will start getting busy (i.e. playing an 11–1 timeslot). However sometimes I have a few tracks I like to play together.
Anything else you want to say?
Just to clear things up, I play techno, tech house, deep house and electro; all depends on the venue, timeslot and city. However, my recent sound has been heavily geared towards a more techy-vibe.
How do you see the scene 5 years from now?
Tough question since the scene is changing so rapidly now.. Maybe prog will make a big return and we’ll probably see a lot more laptop djs.
If you had a time machine what year would you go back to and why?
I’m enjoying the present, it’s a gift; thanks =).
Who’s your favorite cartoon character?
Um, teenage mutant ninja turtles.
Any shouts you would like to make?
Would like to say thank you to Richard for always being there for me; you’re my biggest fan. Thanks to Sasha my manager; I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. To Jake my brother, my parents; for all the guidance. To The Guvernment and its affiliates. To all my friends; and mostly to all my fans and supporters that come to my gigs, send me messages, emails, post on my wall or my group; your support is always greatly appreciated and taken to heart. Without you I’d be playing to a big empty room =).
NEW!! Aleksandra on the Executive Mix (Dec 2008) — TECHNO MIX
Aleksandra’s facebook (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=4726553322 )
Aleksandra’s official website (http://djaleksandra.com/ )
Download Aleksandra’s mixes here (http://djaleksandra.com/downloads.html )
Aleksandra’s myspace (http://www.myspace.com/aleksandradj )
