James St Bass is Always up for "a gig I haven't done yet”
In this profile series, Revry is highlighting authentic contributors to the queer media and entertainment community. We ask questions to find out who they are and where they are going in the future. The questions remain the same but the answers tell their unique story. It’s time to explore and celebrate true representation beyond the limits of Hollywood.
Fans of electronic music and community radio in Toronto know that James St Bass has been spreading the gospel of beats and bass since he first hit the decks at the groundbreaking Boom Boom Room on Toronto's Queen street west IN 1988. Appearances in DJ booths across the city soon followed, opening and guesting in well known downtown clubs like GO GO, the Big Bop, Limelight, Oz, the guvernment, and more. James' radio show, the original Hardrive show, ran on local community radio station CIUT 89.5 fm from 1990-1999 and appearances at the early raves like 23 Hop/ EXODUS, Sykosis, Delerium, Nitrous/ Atlantis, Chemistry, Destiny and regular Majic Mondays - all thru the 90's, JSB was OUT there, flinging records and championing the sounds of acid house, bass heavy hardcore and proto-jungle, disco themed nights, and lot of big room tribal house sounds across the city's diverse queer clubs and warehouse parties. Compelled to share the sounds of all his favorite records, James also served up the dance music lovers from the retail fronts of the legendary Play de record in the early 90's to HMV's superstore at the end of the decade. The 2000's saw James move into post secondary education and work across several leading colleges and universities, while still showing out for fun local lounges, benefits and book launches, where classics from the 90's might meet his latest thrift shop records. James remains routed in all things vinyl and bass loving communities.
Watch James St Bass in the premiere episode of OutRave available February 5th only on Revry
What are you best known for?
Flinging rekkids and creative use of language! takin fotos in cuba, a lazy and Attitudinous cat, and spending too much time reading astrology and occult esoteric books and biographies of artists I admire - also: deck gardening!
When was the first time you DJ’d?
Have to say, early Boys Nites Out at the boom boom room. Playing hard acid trax in with Italo house and anthems was THE joy of the late 80's and very early 90's
What are you working on that no one knows about yet?
Ideally, a memoir dreamscape book of my times and travels in Cuba - possibly with fotos, more likely with cartoon drawings, but it's still project in development.
