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Good luck to all!

Contest searches for best resident DJ in Canada; winner to be crowned in May
TORONTO (CP) – Like mad scientists in dark laboratories, nightclub DJs across the country are experimenting with tunes to get the body moving as they take part in a Canada-wide competition.
“Hopefully it will expose Canadian talent internationally a bit more,” Mark Oliver, a Toronto-based DJ, said of the contest.
“We’re already doing well on the international scene but I think it can actually help Canadians appreciate what we have on our own doorstep.”
The Smirnoff Vinyl Warriors showdown opened in October, inviting resident DJs – DJs who have contracts at clubs – to submit one original mix.
The tunes are played every Saturday night on the University of Toronto radio station CIUT and posted online at www.mysmirnoff.ca.
Listeners vote for their favourite mix online or through text messaging until Feb. 28. They must be of legal drinking age to do so.
The judges will ultimately narrow the top 10 vote-getters down to three finalists who will spin their stuff at a Toronto event in May.
“It’s going to be tough,” says Oliver, a contest judge. “A lot of these resident DJs have been playing for at least 10 years.”
Oliver says selection of music, spinning style and stage presence will be considered in choosing a winner.
“I’ll be looking at the crowd and if no one’s dancing then obviously they’re going to lose points,” he explains.
“I’m sure if there are certain tracks that are played and the crowd starts screaming then that’s going to be a big plus for that DJ.”
Oliver looks forward to hearing the different spinning styles.
“You go to certain towns, say London, Ont., for example, and the clubs there might be more into break-beats and techno. And then you come to Toronto and those scenes aren’t really as big on a whole,” he explains.
Oliver says the U.K. dominates the electronic music scene but Canada isn’t too far behind. He also says the industry itself has come a long way.
“For a long time DJ’s were sort of frowned upon. When I started playing … it was almost like DJ’s were not viewed as real musicians.”
A date and location for the final spinoff has yet to be determined.