Courtesy of Scott Harry

There’s a lot of mystique behind 84.85 – something members Jay Jolliffe and Colin Maciver are proud of. With no defined genre, or categorized venue, and with a name that easily confuses most people, it’s no wonder that this band is causing quite the stir. But we’ve decided to mix it up a bit, and ask Jay about this unique approach, as well as what his thoughts are on DJing in Toronto. Is it all just about the huge headphones and head-bobbing?

Jay: Simply put, 84.85 is a rap group that’s heavily influenced by house and techno. It’s a hard band to categorize really because it’s evolved from house music into more of a hip-hop sound. We like to create music that makes people want to get up and dance and go nuts.

Pony: Where does the name come from? Do the numbers have a specific meaning behind them?

Jay: The short story is that it’s the birthdays of my partner and I put together. We had another member (here’s where the long story comes in) who was born in Lebanon, and the hospital he was born in was blown up during the civil war. Once he moved to Canada, he found out his grandfather had lost his passport (also the hospital records were burned) so the customs people accidentally wrote down 1985 when he was in fact born in 1984. That would be the deeper, more complex meaning behind us but you can make it of it what you will.

Pony: Well, now that the name is cleared up, let’s talk music. You have 6 remixes on your song Breakin’ my Back. Why did you decide to do that?

Jay: It’s interesting eh? We have a lot of friends now making music; Alias, Syntonics, Bomberman, and with each remix we try and cater to a new style and feel.

Pony: Whereabouts have you played in Toronto?

Courtesy of 84.85

Jay: Over the past year, we’ve played everywhere from house parties to clubs like the Reverb, Wrongbar, Sneaky Dees, and the Drake (who’ve been a huge support for us). We try and pick our venues carefully as well as try to get out of town more often, but our favourite has to be the Drake because of their sound system and the crowds that go there – they’re all really cool and down to earth which makes a big difference.

Pony: So, for those of us who don’t understand DJing, what equipment is involved in order to generate a great sound?

Jay: Really, you just need two turn tables and a microphone. It’s a hip-hop cliché, I know, but that’s really all there is to it.

Pony: It doesn’t look like that from the crowd!

Jay: Haha, and a laptop I guess… After the launch of our mix-tape though we’ll be expanding into more of a live show. I’ll be taking on more roles like pad-drumming, etc.

Pony: That sounds exciting! So what would you say constitutes a great DJ?

Jay: People will laugh at me when I say this but I think selection first and foremost, as well as the transition between songs – a seamless transition where you don’t even notice a new song is playing. If you’re hired as a DJ, you’re being hired to entertain people with music. Not to promote bar sales. If you can take the attention off of yourself and put it towards the people there and making them get up and dance instead of simply watch you spin – then you know you’re doing your job well.

Pony: You’ve got a new album coming out soon. What’s going to be on it that we haven’t seen yet?

Courtesy of Carl Heindl

Jay: The new stuff is strictly going to be rap. It’s a little bit darker, a little more thumping; we’re a year older now so we’re a little more jaded and a little more bitter. But also quite confident and comfortable with our music.

Pony: And the dynamic between you and Colin is working well I presume?

Jay: Very well. It’s been 5 years now. We’re best friends which is great because we’re so open with each other. We have those I-wanna-kill-you moments but it always ends up working out for the best. Like with our music, we do a lot of back and forth which can lead to some competitive behaviour between us. He’ll write something I really, truly love, but I’ll want to top that – like “fuck that, I’m going to produce a beat that you’ll love!” It sounds weird, and unhealthy, but we love it. Together, we’ll also get competitive with other DJs, but in reality we love their work and look up to them for inspiration.

Pony: Who do you look up to?

Jay: Ninjasonik is great, and Thunderheist from Toronto. They’re the original band for electro-rap really – it would be hard to ever be better than them. Times New Roman, Styrofoam World, there’s too many to name! I’m really inspired by what’s going on in Toronto, I think our music scene is really cutting edge. There’s a lot going on here and it’s an exciting time.

Courtesy of 84.85

XoXo
– The Cowgirls