A week of electronic music at the Raven Haven

Oxyvox, consisting of Isaac Smeele, Marc Burns and Sam Watkinson, perform December 26 at The Raven Haven, during the first of three electronic shows in the coming week. 

By Tyler Clarke, editor of Cutbanks - the Prince George Cultural Magazine

Improvised dance music was the item of choice for fans of dance music, December 26, when DJ Walko (Sam Watkinson) unveiled the tunes with local electo group Oxyvox, consisting of Isaac Smeele on drums and Mark Burns on keyboards.

The Boxing Day evening’s danceable fun kicked off a trio of electronic music shows, with the first taking place at the intimate Raven Haven venue next to Sassafras Savouries on George Street downtown. With Smeele behind the drums, Burns behind the keyboards and electronic equipment, and Watkinson behind another set of electronics, the trio faced a daunting amount of equipment. Although the trio of musicians were playing other people’s music, they added their flair to it with a layer of musicianship mixed within the songs, creating a sound uniquely their own.

“This thing is exactly how the artist wants it to go along,” Watkinson said of their largely improvised style of music. Another challenge, he added, is to make the songs blend together seamlessly into one long song, which can be a challenging task at times.

The mixing of songs is Watkinson’s forte, and includes the mixing of various software. One inspirational figure to Watkinson is DJ TSO, a person he refers to as the best DJ in the world. Watkinson met his idol in Vancouver a while back and had sign the laptop he currently uses to DJ.

This was the trio’s first time performing together in public, although Smeele said that he hopes it won’t be the last. One aspiration currently on the horizon is to play the Generator downtown, as soon as they hit the legal drinking age of 19.

Two subsequent similar electronic shows are to take place within this week. On December 30, DJ Walko (Sam Watkinson) will present a show titled Electrolicious.  The show is to also take place from 8:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. at the Raven Haven, next to Sassafras Savouries on 421 George Street. Admission is $10 at the door.

Mark Burns is hosting the week’s final electronic music show January 2. Also at The Raven Haven, doors will open at 7:30 p.m., with records spinning by 8 p.m. Doors will close at midnight. Burns promises a “rave-style” dance party.