It was a very pleasant surprise when I received a facebook message yesterday not only saying that Montreal DIM MAK dj and producer Felix Cartal was playing in Edinburgh as part of his 'Popular Music' tour but also that it was free. It's suprising that a producer as talented as Cartal would play a venue like Sneaky Pete's but his popularity was obviously considerable as he packed out the tiny venue.
I am always hesitant about a dj that mixes from Ableton Live, he certainly got everyone in the mood but in contrast to the quality of the music he produces I have to say I was slightly disappointed. It definitely leaves you ambivalent and you go to bed feeling as though you have been somewhat cheated, a band actually plays their instruments the least a dj could do is properly mix.
I managed to catch a quick chat with him afterwards but unfortunately I was too drunk to record the interview which I expect wasn't particularly good anyway. One thing that did strike me though was how young he was. At 23 and looking relatively fresh faced he has already seen a substantial amount of success being signed to Steve Aoki's label and releasing a quality album which has been dropped in the sets of some of the biggest names in House music.
All in all despite how much I admire the artist I feel he should definitely stick to producing rather then delving into the djing side of things unless he actually learns to mix.
'Popular Music' is out now on DIM MAK Records
