Team Brisk Streamer Of The Week: DJ Moases

Vancouver, Canada is our destination this week as pay a visit to Drum & Bass supremo, DJ Moases for the low down. Read on…

Where are you from and where are you living now?

I reside in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; respectfully acknowledging that we live and work on the traditional and unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

How did you come up with your DJ name?
Moases was a nickname in high school due to my last name being Moase, so eventually it re-emerged as my dj name.

What’s your equipment list?

Headphones: Pioneer HDJ X10
Controller: Pioneer DDJ RZX
Streaming PC: Acer Predator Helios 300
Cameras: Go Pro 9 & Logitech C920

Where did your musical journey begin?

Attending shows and festivals and just being a part of as many musical events as I could, simply for the passion of the music. Opening for Phibes, Royal Blood, Whitness and Dj Surgeon in Squamish here in our local vicinity. The first bit of inspiration to do music began with being a constant listener and
the person in my friends groups who always had what everyone described as the best selections, finding all the songs no one knew about. Once I attended my first shows and festivals, I caught the bug to want to learn the craft and culture so that I could in turn contribute back into it and become a part of it all.

What made you decide to take up DJing?

Well as I mentioned, a mix of being inspired and wanting to give back to the community and culture. I never needed anything when going out to shows or fests other than the music. The experience fills me with joy and energy in the purest way. Being able to fully commit to digging into my musical passions with djing became a path of doing what I love and desire. Being able to share the best possible performances I could with friends and passionate music lovers alike spoke to me, and I’m proud to do it full time these days.

What are some of your interests/hobbies/passions outside of streaming/DJing?

I snowboard a ton during the winter months which has become a big passion of mine over the past three years as well. I include the content I film during those adventures in my streams. Being where I am location wise, I am super blessed to have three local mountains to ride nearby, and Whistler Blackcomb being a pretty short distance from me as well.

I hope to keep leveling up and growing in the sport as well with ambitions to do some more really gnarly free riding! I also take part in dance meets and communities, being a shuffler for years now. I integrate my flow arts into both of those activities as well, doing LED staffing and fire staffing for the last few years. I also get some meditation from keeping and maintaining aquascapes.

When did you start streaming on Twitch?

My first random stream would have been about 2 years ago but frankly I didn’t actually stream until about February 2021.

Is there anything you really hope to accomplish in your life, whether it be related to music or not?

I hope to inspire others to explore new ideas or start their own journey and to build a community people feel at home within. I want to contribute more to the culture than I take from it, with original works and creations, as well as supporting others genuinely.

I have ambitions to do more music production, live music creation, and enhance myself as an artist. Hoping to play all the festivals and places that have inspired me along the way.

Who are some of your favourite streamers? Why?

Team Brisk members are a pretty awesome crew from Brisk himself all the way to the newer members. I enjoy El Hornet, DJ Qbert, The Funk Hunters, John B, a large chunk of the Drum & Bass community, and honestly so many that I feel bad for not naming them all, but the list would be massive.

What is your favourite genre to play? Why?

Drum and bass, it’s my lifeblood so to say and has changed my life in so many positive ways. I take a passionate approach to understanding the culture, and contributing to it when and where I can.

What are some of the most memorable events you’ve participated in or streamed?

We have had so many memorable moments this past year and a bit that I wouldn’t know where to begin. Locally, it was really cool to play a closing slot at the Red Room here in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. That has been an aspiration of mine for a good number of years as a patron there and enjoying what they do. Winning 3 Breakbeat awards was a fun event last year as well. All the marathon sets I’ve done, going for up to 28 hours at a time, standing and djing the whole time with incredibly awesome people encouraging and enjoying the experience I put forth during them. I did over 2000 hours djing on stream this past year and every memory has been one I hold dear.

What does Team Brisk mean to you?

It means community and like minded people who are passionate about the same things and more, even if our genres aren’t the same. It’s nice to be in a group where so many people appreciate the hard work of maintaining a team network, contributing to it, and making this a place where we all support eachother.

What’s your favourite thing about DJing on Twitch?

The fact that it flipped the industry on it’s head at the start of the lockdowns etc. It’s been nice to see so many people building up their communities and as a result, building up and maintaining the culture behind each of our genres and for music in general. I’d also say the ability to interact and support back and forth with artists that I’ve looked up to that contribute a lot to the culture is a pretty cool
part of twitch. I feel twitch helped to bridge the gap between people with “fame” and those who were newer to it all. It creates a common ground for people with similar passions and I think that is absolutely beautiful!

What is a challenge you’ve faced as a DJ/streamer?

There’s definitely a few there. Occasionally dealing with streamers/djs/viewers who hold some toxic mindsets, that gate keep and project their own insecurities and issues onto you and try to bring you down. As an empathic person, that’s been a hard one at times. The other biggest challenge is being the sole person at the end of the day that’s in charge of my growth and scheduling, as well as rolling along with life and how it pans out. I care deeply about making a positive contribution to the culture, and supporting others in it as well.

It’s hard as an over analytical person not to constantly beat myself up and compare and think that I am failing or not doing enough. I am known for being pretty hard on myself in pursuit of perfectionism. Some days that can be a heavier weight than others. Streaming is not always kind to you as a streamer, lending itself akin to a mental roller coaster; but I wouldn’t trade it for anything as the positive experiences far overpower the others!

Do you have any special projects, streams or events you would like to tell us about?

Well I just streamed my 5k follower mark celebration last week and that was incredible to say the least. I plan to do a couple new series of streams such as the remix battles, smol handimonium and some other games with some special additions and shenanigans in mind. I also play my first international headline booking this year which is pretty exciting.

Is there anyone you’d like to shout out and/or thank?

I’d like to thank all the people who supported me since the start, there’s way too many to name but I hope they know how much I cherish it all. Thankful to have the people that I do in my life that elevate me and keep me motivated. I’d like to thank Brisk for putting this together and finding ways to bring the team closer together. Nice to see a team leader who is actively engaging in their team and bringing
together so many people! The amount of talent and awesomeness in Team Brisk is astounding. Big shout out to Dnbeadz for being an awesome partner and support for myself as well.

Give us your links!

https://linktr.ee/moases