Christoph Maitland/Monday Magazine contributor
Leading up to his July 19 performance at Lucky Bar, house and techno artist Rennie Foster says it’s a great time to be immersed in the Canadian music scene.
He explains his reasoning.
“With my art and my label, everything is coming together. In the past when I was making records there wasn’t the infrastructure here to grow and realize my vision, so I moved to a more futuristic place in Tokyo,” he says.
But that has all changed since he moved back. Tastes have grown and electronic music has flourished here. “I’ve come back and people are more in tune with the sound I’m playing – the futuristic house sound, underground techno sound. I’m selling more music on my RF label in Canada. I’m playing more shows in Canada.”
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A busy summer touring schedule lays testament to Foster’s growing audience nationwide. With shows in Calgary and Saskatoon this month, playing the MEME Festival in Winnipeg and holding residency in Vancouver at Gorg-O-Mish after hours, his music is exciting dance floors in more places than ever before.
Still, you can hear his current mood when he talks about performing for the first time at B.C.’s mega music festival, Shambhala, near Nelson, Aug. 9-12. Warming up for house music legend Doc Martin at the festival’s Living Room venue, Foster is understandably “hyped!”
He maintains a special relationship with another city, the epicenter of techno, Detroit. While performing a show in Victoria he befriended prolific Detroit DJ Derrick “Drivetrain” Thompson. After passing Derrick his demos, “Monochasm” became his first release on acclaimed techno and deep house imprint Soiree Records. Foster has gone on to release music with around 10 different labels from the Detroit area including techno forefather Derrick May’s imprint Transmat and even put out a 45 RPM vinyl on White Stripes frontman, Jack White’s imprint!
A native of Victoria, this is where it all began for Foster.
“When I don’t have a place to play in Victoria I’m not happy,” he says. “I’m excited for this show at Lucky Bar. Victoria always holds a special place in my heart. People come up to me every show here and say I’ve been coming to see you play since I was 16!”
No wonder, Foster says his first DJ performance was playing an art gallery near Bastion Square in 1992. From there he went on to pioneer one of Victoria’s first ever house nights and release his first vinyl original, House Work.
Today he’s in a good place. With his Lucky Bar series aptly titled “Houseworx,” it seems things have come full circle and it’s great to bring the music home.
Christoph Maitland is a local DJ who will be hosting Foster’s night at Lucky Bar.
editor@mondaymag.com
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