Guilty Detaches From the Internet With Vinyl Records, But He's No Purist

There are certain qualities a DJ must possess in order to achieve a solid reputation in their local scene. Among those are an unbridled passion for the music they play, a certain indifference towards the ever-changing mainstream trends in dance music, and an uncompromising commitment to connect with those on the dancefloor. In Montreal, local DJ and Producer Kris Guilty has all three.

A native of the city, Guilty has been a pillar of its local scene for many years now. His appreciation for music and all the revelry that comes with it began while growing up with his Portuguese family. "The Portuguese community, the Italian community, the Greek community here. Everyone, they fucking party," says Guilty. "My first interactions with parties weren't at clubs or bars or cool shit I saw online. It was in the basements of churches with my family and falling asleep beneath a table at a reunion hall." An exposure to different, and somewhat ancient, types of music in this atmosphere made a lasting impression on Guilty. "My wanting to get into DJing came from that more than anything."

Known in Montreal for his versatility behind the decks, Guilty's selections are sophisticated. "Some people get too involved with a particular name or genre," he remarks. "I don't really think about the type of music; I just got into what I liked and I think that helped." His disregard for genre conventions shows in his sets, which consistently blur the lines of house, funk, disco, soul and everything punchier in between. "I'm not a purist, I'll play music as long as it sounds good. If it sounds good then it's going to feel good."

Guilty's eclectic approach also stems from his propensity to spin on vinyl and his deep appreciation for the medium. "Because I have records, it allows me to be detached from the internet," he says. "It allows me to physically have something. I like that." He believes spinning vinyl to be essential for his continual development as a DJ. By carrying a limited selection of high-intensity records to gigs, he challenges himself to find a way of mixing that makes the calmer tracks in his arsenal become even more powerful. When successful, "it's as if the energy rides on into the next [calmer] track, and people really trip out." Trip out in a good way, of course.

That sort of self-assessment in his mixing is what makes Guilty so interesting to listen to. Through mixing, he seeks to balance out the many different vibes and styles conjured up in his sets. He also takes risks, which can be immensely more fun to watch and listen to than some of the cookie-cutter DJing prevalent today. "It doesn't mean specifically about being on point," he explains, "but, rather, the right moment to cut or drop a song, the right moment to mix a song, the right moment to just give up when the mix isn't good. Not just, drop, drop, drop. Not like that 'shoes-in-the-dryer' type shit."

There were certainly no sounds of shoes-in-the-dryer at the Week-ends du Monde' Edition of Piknic Electronik, presented by THUMP on Marti Gras weekend. Guilty opened up the main stage for legendary Chicagoan Chez Daimer and A-Sided and Made to Play label boss Jesse Rose. Guilty was especially amped to be on the bill with Rose, who gave him the chance to open at Watergate while traveling Berlin back in early 2012. "That's one of the craziest experiences I've ever had," he recalls. Playing alongside him again at Piknic, good vibes flowed freely and Piknic buckets sloshed full with sangria.

"You want people to vibe," says Guilty. "People aren't going to dance right away necessarily, but you do want people to dance so you're like, 'Oh man, what am I going to do?' It takes a little while to figure it out." His blend of laid-back soulful vibes, thumping house heaters and space-y overlays, however, soon set the perfect tone for the rest of the day, and had the entire dance floor moving and shaking by his set's end.

While he is serious about his craft, Guilty is humble in his ambitions and relishes his position as a mainstay local DJ in his city. "Montreal and some of the shit we can get away with, it's awesome." He recalls a New Years Eve party he threw alongside fellow Montreal DJs Lexis and Bowly back in 2011. "We got this warehouse and we actually had half of Piknic Electronik's sound system in there that I had rented. Yeah, that was crazy."

But what stems into the future? "I'm gonna make you fucking dance," he says. "This nightlife shit? This going out and partying? It's good for you. It's good for you and that's why it exists."

Guilty is on SoundCloud.

Alex is on Twitter.