Have you ever walked into a club and got hit in the face really hard with a continuous play of top 40 hits all night long? You ask yourself, did I just pay money to hear some guy, who they call the DJ, playing tracks identical to what was playing on the radio? I've been in that situation so many times, and it usually includes flashbacks of high school parties where the DJ is comprised of a laptop, speakers, and a playlist. At least that didn't cost me anything.

I needed something more than just what was being offered at so many clubs—DJs' that could spin the hell out of a track; DJs' that could make a track so raw and ruthless that it cut you to the very core, then fill the air with a fierce pounding beat made up of pure exhilaration. Luckily I found what I was looking for when I submerged myself in the culture of electronic music. Fast-forward 5 years, and while I'm pretty content, I still craved that extra ummph. Maybe that was what led me to Feed Me on Halloween night—I ended up finding that extra something in MarX & Sh▲pe.

MarX & Sh▲pe are Vancouverites Ira Grunwell and Michael Dandurand. If you haven't heard of those names, chances are you will in the near future. And if you have, then you know why I needed a little MarX & Sh▲pe in my life.

You don't necessarily get the constructive criticism that you need to push yourself that extra step. You can get lazy so it's good to have that second opinion.

Michael Dandurand

A musical match made in heaven, all it took was an ex-roommate to get evicted and a possible homeless Mike to bring these two together. Mike had been spinning for about 4 years prior to moving in with Ira. "I wouldn't even be doing this if it weren't for Mike. He was the one that got me hooked on electronic music and got me into DJing."

With acts like MSTRKRFT, Crookers, Tribes of Zebras, and Flosstradamus, it seems like two heads are better than one. So what's the appeal? Ira explains: "Some people are very self sufficient and like to have all the control. You have one person that focuses a lot on the production and somebody else focuses on building the sets. It takes some pressure off, so one person can start pumping out all the music and the other person is getting everything ready for the show. When you're doing it all by yourself you might not be able to handle everything."

As Mike puts it, "if you can compliment each other well, it works out. You don't necessarily get the constructive criticism that you need to push yourself that extra step. You can get lazy so it's good to have that second opinion, especially from someone who is experienced. We feed each other off pretty well. If someone is making something half assed and they aren't aware of it because they've been doing it for so long, the other guy will be like, hey, take a step back, let me jump in."

It's definitely a challenge putting together the set, but a lot of fun when you like a bunch of different genres. You really have to get your hands dirty and dig deep.

There's a lot to be said about these guys. Their first gig as an act together was opener for Feed Me. After that they opened for JKF from MSTRKRFT. No big deal right? It's not just their amazingly crafted sets that are bringing attention their way; it's their ability to command a room with their love for what they do. You can see it in their live shows. For them it's all about the people: "Nothing is better than watching. It's like conducting an audience. You're controlling how they are going to feel," Mike explains.

Ira Grunwell

They understand what it means to put on a show. "You're building suspense and getting the audience worked up and people are going crazy and they're wondering what's going to come and then you drop it and boom—everyone's head explodes. It's so satisfying to see people's faces, seeing people's reactions to things." Ira puts things into perspective: "Some DJs are flaccid and they stand there and don't seem to interact too much. It's a huge difference when you see a DJ go all crazy. The crowd get's hyped on the DJ and the DJ gets hyped on the crowd. It bounces back and forth."

With twice the brainpower and creativity, Mike reveals to me that the process behind putting on a show is really quite simple: "We just wing it. iTunes playlist. Shuffle the songs. We use an iPod shuffle and shake it." Is it really that simple? Something tells me that Mike was just pulling my leg. "You want to cater to the type of crowd that will be there. DJing is about being versatile. But you also want to show your own colours as well. That's one of the exciting things for opening up for a lot of these bigger acts. It's definitely a challenge putting together the set, but a lot of fun when you like a bunch of different genres. You really have to get your hands dirty and dig deep. "

Nothing is better than watching. It's like conducting an audience. You're controlling how they are going to feel.

And dig deep they have. If there's one thing I noticed about Mike and Ira, it's their hunger to do something more with their music. It seems that the words complacent and static do not exist in their vocabulary. Their drive to find new styles and influences to incorporate into their music have set them apart from many others in their field. "We've recently got into Moombahton," Ira says. "It's a cool genre to be in. There are so many things you can do with it."

Getting to where these guys are now hasn't been an easy ride, especially in Vancouver, where the market is saturated with people after the same goal: to make a name for themselves. "I've been spinning for about 4 years now, and I have had the odd show here and there," says Mike. "It was mainly more of a hobby, having fun, putting together tapes and doing house parties. In terms of actually getting spots at certain clubs, if you don't know somebody it's going to be a long time because you're battling some guy who is literally just a playlist DJ."

Ira expands on this: "You can get away with having the worst mixing skills, but it's all about who you know it seems. You can't really go around asking to play at this club or that club. They don't know who you are." Mike is on the same page: "That show really paid off. It's about the relationships you build with other people."

It's a huge difference when you see a DJ go all crazy. The crowd get's hyped on the DJ and the DJ gets hyped on the crowd. It bounces back and forth.

"That show" Mike is referring to is the night they opened for Feed Me on Halloween. The guys are still trying to wrap their minds around that. "We had too much fun that night. We had so much support from our friends. They all came early to watch us. It was just amazing to see that."

What I love most about the electronic culture is the uninhibited nature it brings—everyone is there to have a good time, regardless of sex, gender, or colour. You meet people from all walks of life, all wanting to loose themselves in the music. "It's like a family in there. Everyone is happy and it's like a community in some clubs. That's the type of crowd we want to draw—more positive and good energy." That shouldn't be too hard for them. Their music is nothing but positive vibrations.

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Jocelyn Gan is a graduate of English and Communications from SFU. She loves all animals, but her heart is cat shaped. She hopes to release her cat fashion line in the near future.