PROFILE: DJ Michael Terzian aka Sinister
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Sinister in the mix!
NAME
DJ Michael Terzian (aka Sinister) of the Nu Bang Clan.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR NICKNAME ‘SINISTER’?
I used to MC back in the days, during my adolescence. Rap Music was integral in developing my musical palate. One Friday night, in the fall of 1987, I walked into a high school dance with my posse, carrying a 12″ copy of “Move The Crowd” by Eric B & Rakim, hoping the DJ would let me rock the mic to the instrumental. Near the end of the night, a couple of young Jamaican MC’s hit the stage and were super nice on the MIC, which prompted me to approach the mobile DJ and let it be known that I could spit as well. I was pretty timid. I grabbed the mic, but before I could say one word, a fraction of a massive Jamaican contingent started booing, with one particular kid standing out from the rest. Half the boos disappeared when that dope Eric B beat dropped, as I eased into my rap. A minute into the song, I had mostly everyone bobbing their heads, and the boos were no longer. The ‘coup de grace’ came near the end of my last verse, when I pointed my finger at the hater while simultaneously saying “sucker”, which was part of my rap. The crowd lit up, and the kid seemed embarrassed, but when the song ended he came up to me and shook my hand. We actually became friends, and that Jamaican contingent looked at me in a new light from that point on! One of my crew members uttered how ‘sinister’ the rap was! That’s how my little stage name was coined. I used ‘Sinister T’ for several years, but I subsequently dropped the ‘T’.
Later on, when I became a House DJ, I just couldn’t let go of the name, since so many people in Montreal had known me only as Sinister.
BEST THING ABOUT BEING A DJ?
Reciprocating positive energy between myself and the dancers. This completely fuels my DJ sets.
And getting promos of course….
WORST THING ABOUT BEING A DJ?
Takes a whole lot of time, energy & dedication to remain ‘on the ball’, and stay up-to-date with the latest releases. This especially holds true in this new mp3/online era, where you must sift through so much more music, seeing that most producers have no qualms in releasing sub-par productions. Therefore, lots of time spent sampling music in front of a computer, when I could be going for evening jogs or having ice cream with females!!!
WHY DO YOU DJ?
Although the masses don’t have the faculties to let music seep into their spirit and allow its’ power to affirm their lives (and that’s ok!), the select few who are susceptible to musical healing, are the chosen souls that I consistently seek out. To be a DJ affords me the opportunity to connect with & move these people in a divine way.
This was my calling in Life. This is how my story is told. Through Music.
Sinister & DJ Romain.
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE SOULFUL SOUND?
Let me break this down…
When I used to listen to Rap, I was always drawn by tough lyrics, combined with beats showcasing hints of good, wholesome music (ie: Jazz, Motown & Funk).
In the same light, the dichotomy of Soulful House Music has always attracted me. It’s soulful, yet gritty. Raw, yet classy. Avant-garde, yet street. Church-like, yet monstruous.
The combination of these two polar opposites feeds not only my tenacious male persona, but my intangible inner-spirit.
AMBITIONS YET TO ACCOMPLISH AS A DJ?
I’ve always wanted to play a marathon set on a monster system. Like 15 hours…
Several years ago, I was seriously considering to topple the Guiness World Record for non-stop deejaying, which was at the time, about 45 hours. But then, a local Montreal DJ shattered the record, which I think now stands at almost 70 hours. I possibly have the stamina for 45, but not 70 hours!
MUSICAL INFLUENCES & PREFERENCES?
Public Enemy, Ron Trent, Djivan Gasparyan, Wayne Gardiner, Dwele, Robert Glasper, Kerri Chandler, Tom Moulton, Jill Scott, 2Pac, St-Germain, Fela Kuti, Miles Davis, Basic Channel/Maurizio, Brian Eno, Glenn Underground, Eddie Palmieri, Sade, Blaze, Oumou Sangare, Lonnie ‘Liston’ Smith, D’Angelo, Joe Claussell, Stevie Wonder
HOW CAN FANS STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOU?
www.nubangclan.com
www.myspace.com/djmichaelterzian
Salvation From Sin: the Orthodox Sessions (Mondays 8pm-1am EST on MotionFM.com)
WHAT CAN FANS EXPECT WHEN THEY COME TO SEE YOU LIVE?
I bring a batch of roughly 400 records to almost every local gig. It takes me almost a full day to prepare, and pick out my best records for that moment. So you better believe that by the time I get to the event, I’m like a thoroughbred horse ready to bounce out of the gate at the Kentucky Derby! So, expect to dance feverishly. I play my sets as if it were my last. And if you connect with me on the dancefloor, you’ll probably get a free mix CD or two, as well……
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