WHO Local DJ Mikey Apples not only spends his time digging up obscure tracks, but looking for little-known bands and artists. For the past six years, the promoter and manager has helped bring The Presets, MSTRKRFT, Xiu Xiu, Glass Candy, Chromatics, Crystal Castles, James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem, Shit Robot, Psychic Ills, Ariel Pink, Chinese Stars and many others to Toronto. All of these acts have helped define a new fashion and electro-funk sound, inside our city’s much-loved, sweaty, small venues. Speaking of which, Mikey cut his teeth as a DJ at EAT! in Kensington Market in ’01, and in ‘04, he and his then-roommate Jamie Sin started “Shack Up” every Thursday at The Queenshead. These days, while promoting and playing monthly events including Hot Blood and LIES, Mikey Apples has also been managing various acts since hosting Crystal Castles’ early Toronto shows, helping them assemble a live show and touring internationally with them in ‘07. With two debut DJ mixes on the way, Mikey Apples is currently collaborating with fellow local Steve Yanko on some disco and boogie re-edits for an offshoot of Yanko’s Truffle Music label.

WHAT “Disco oddities, house not house, bastard funk, NoRave,” lists Mikey Apples, who’s inspired by “anything broken, missing a few notes or what sounds like an artist stepping out of his regular comfort zone to create a signature sound.”

WHERE LIES with Crystal Castles, Nov. 28 at Wrongbar (1279 Queen W).
   
FAVOURITE RECORD OF ALL TIME “Cherchez La Femme” by Dr. Buzzard’s Savannah Band.

FAVOURITE RECORD RIGHT NOW Nite Jewel, “What Did He Say” (Italians Do It Better).

FAVOURITE WEBSITE RIGHT NOW  http://baddaymagazine.com  “[It’s] an awesome local effort, and when I pull the site up it says ‘Have a Bad Day’ on my browser title.”

WHAT IS YOUR MOST SURREAL OR WEIRDEST DJING EXPERIENCE? “[It was] in Limerick, Ireland after a Crystal Castles show, DJing in near-darkness on busted equipment to a bunch of sweat-drenched locals on counterfeit Ecstasy who kept threatening me if I didn’t ‘keep this feeling going.’”

DIGITAL OR ANALOG? “Why not both? Edits need to be played on CD, but vinyl does sound better on a properly tuned system — no contest.”

WHAT IS VITAL TO YOUR DAILY ROUTINE? “Not fit for print.”

WHAT IS THE LAST GREAT FILM YOU SAW? "The Shining."

WHAT ACTOR WOULD PLAY YOU IN A BIOPIC? “Ed Norton, maybe?”

WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? “Let’s Talk About Love: A Journey to the End of Taste by Carl Wilson.