| URBAN GROOVE FEATURE
Cutline: No longer concerned with just being "the bestest" – DJ Cary Chang will spin a mixed format at NYLA
Intended as a multi-dancefloor nightclub, NYLA is a new venue on 1st Street S.W. that will showcase a range of musical styles – from Latin music and Top 40 to standard house music.
While it might be a potential cure for the lagging scene on 1st Street (NYLA is setting up shop in the space formerly held by The Bermuda Triangle and Daddy Rox), there’s one resident DJ that thinks it will also go a lot further toward helping Calgary get its clubfoot back on.
Cary Chang will be the Saturday night resident in Manhattan’s, the basement portion of NYLA, and for him the idea behind the club is simply to provide a venue with diverse atmospheres.
Chang is currently coming off a bit of a DJ high, having opened for several biggie DJs at Gold Club series events. He’s come a long way from his successful weekly event at Cherry two years ago. Back then, he played a bevy of trance – now, he’s rethinking the plotlines for a night out on his dancefloor. He says at Manhattan’s he’s looking to play a mixed format, focusing on pushing a groove, getting the room to interact and providing an atmosphere that isn’t focused on the DJ.
Drawing from the experience of his ups and downs, Chang believes he’s now better able to manage a modest night, rather than trying to live up to the hype of being, as he calls it, "the bestest."
"I just want to provide a story – week in and week out – not be the trance DJ guy with the latest and greatest records, but just a guy that plays house and trance and old-school. But (do) it my way."
That way was best revealed when he played to a packed house at Whiskey after a no-show by John Digweed last month – the next day, local message boards lit up, extolling the virtues of the native son.
Despite his current wave of success, long-term accolades have evaded Chang. The fact is, like many local DJs, he’s had more nights of toil than those that have blossomed into something special. Will that change with NYLA, and specifically with his room, Manhattan’s?
"I think what they’ve done is make the room more conducive for lounging – the dancefloor is better concealed, so it takes away the pressure of starting the night with a bang. I’ve learned atmosphere really plays a part in all of this dance music, and the atmosphere isn’t just the music but it’s everything working together."
More pressing for him is the idea that NYLA has the alchemical formula necessary to lure trend-savvy nightclubbers to the venue for a night out of dancing and drinking. With any number of nightlife options available, what will set NYLA apart?
"Low hype. We haven’t said it’s the best thing Calgary has ever seen – we didn’t want to promote it as the be all and end all of nightlife. It’s modest, clean and nice to be in – the rest people will just have to decide themselves." |
