Anthony Augustine

Symptom Technologies - 15 Years of Party Rocking - Uptown Magazine

Original flyer from Symtom Technologies’ first party. From the archives of Art Podsiadlo.

If you are looking for an example of how Winnipeg’s electronic music scene has grown, changed and adapted over the years, look no further than Symptom Technologies. 
    
Founded in 1996 by siblings Heather and Cory Ash (joined later that year by Nathan Zahn), Symptom’s first party was held in the infamous Nutty Club warehouse space and would be the start of a 15-year run promoting electronic music events in the 204 — as well as out west in Banff during two years in the late ’90s. 
    
Today, Symptom Technologies is Winnipeg’s longest-running crew promoting electronic music; along with Zahn, Mich Pambrun, Craig Sisk, Mike Jasper, Derrol Bear and about a dozen long-time resident DJs round out the current collective. It has managed to survive in an industry that chews up and spits out promoters with alarming regularity.
    
“We never threw parties thinking that it was a business that would make us any money and, true to that attitude, we often lost money putting on events,” Zahn says over email. “That being said, we always wanted to create a space where we could flex our creative muscles in terms of the mood, setting, décor and overall vibe of the event.
    
“The other obvious driving force for us was that we really cared about this incredible music we were spinning and we wanted to share our take on techno — a sound that we felt deserved to be heard and that we knew that people would love if we provided it to them. We have never strived to play the most popular or trendy music and, as a result, we didn’t always have the biggest crowds in Winnipeg, but we always had the most dedicated attendees who appreciated our artistic outlook and sophisticated taste in music.”
    
From dark and dirty warehouses that helped establish Winnipeg’s burgeoning underground electronic scene to large-scale productions such as the Moons of Saturn in 2000 to more club-oriented events over the past few years, Symptom has been a key part of Winnipeg’s electronic music culture. Its involvement in creating the Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition with a few like-minded local DJs, producers, labels and artists may be one of the most important achievements of the artistically driven collective.
    
While the collective’s members have taken some body blows over the years  — and what promoter hasn’t? — they’ve never compromised their values. Money and profit is still not the driving force behind what they do. They may not throw as many parties as they used to, but their emphasis on quality, not quantity, has likely been a key factor in Symptom’s longevity. 
    
“We had many occasions where our shows happened less frequently as other parts of our lives took over, but there was never any idea of quitting,” Zahn says. “The passion for good music has really been a powerful force for us, especially now that we have teamed up with some talented people to put on the MEME festival.”
    
MEME may be one of Symptom Tech’s primary focuses now, but don’t expect the collective to burn out and fade away any time soon. Its members still intend to move the Symptom agenda forward.
    
“I turned 33 this year and I am inspired to see performers, both locally and around the world, who are producing and touring into their 40s and 50s,” Zahn says. “I don’t see why we won’t still be doing some kind of events and music-related productions for another 15-plus years.”

Top 5 Symptom Technologies parties over the years

1. The Nutty Club Series (1996)
2. Death Becomes Me @ Pantages Theatre with Matthew Dear (2002)
3. Ryan Elliot @ The Pyramid (2007)
4. Tiga @ The Pyramid (2002)
5. Maetrik @ The Academy (2007)

Honourable mentions: Rings of Saturn, Moons of Saturn, 20,000 Watts Under the Sea, Tommy Sunshine & Joey Youngman

SYMPTOM NYE
Dec. 31, The Cheer
Feat. Joe Silva, Nathan Zahn, Jereme Oliver, Sisk

Decentralized Dance Party - Uptown Magazine (Online Only)

Back in the early days of the Winnipeg electronic scene, it wasn’t uncommon for events to use a phone hotline directing you to a map check point that would eventually lead you to the party. There were several reasons for this. One, it helped keep the right mix of curious music lovers, dedicated ravers and people looking for a good time or new experience. It also helped add a level of mystery to events, because you never really knew what to expect.

Fast-forward 20 years and Vancouver party agitators Tom and Gary are still using some of those ideas for their Decentralized Dance Parties. While phone hotlines have been replaced by Twitter, Facebook and their mailing list, the duo’s roving, battered powered street dance parties have been building momentum across the country based on word-of-mouth, the strength of social media — and the very simple fact that it’s hard not to have fun when you have a bunch of like-minded people (usually in costume) gathered together for a semi-impromptu party with music that’s being blasted out of a bunch of synchronized, old-school ghetto blasters. (That the DJ is controlling the carefully curated playlists by a modified Nintendo Power Glove from the ’90s doesn’t hurt, either.)

“(Social media) seems to be one of the keys, but just the fact that it’s a free event that exists in the public realm and not an exclusive club is also a huge factor,” explains co-founder Gary over email. “The costume element also allows people to forgo their traditional identities and social roles and just get crazy together. That is something that is extremely rare in our culture and has proven infectious.”

Part social experiment and part celebration, the duo is back out on the road for a new stretch of parties. As of Sept. 8, they’ve raised over $10,000 using Kickstarter.com to help fund the western Canada portion of their Party Safari.

When Tom and Gary first dreamed up the idea of an open-source dance party, they weren’t entirely sure what to expect.

“It was always something we figured had the potential to spread worldwide, but the fact that it unfolded as a social experiment and was something that transcended all social/cultural/age boundaries was a definite surprise,” Gary says.

Set to make their second visit to Winnipeg on Sept.  13, the location of the start of their portable dance party won’t be announced until the day before the event through their various social media accounts and mailing list. The theme this time is Strictly Business, so if you see a bunch of people in suits, with office supplies and ghetto blasters having the time of their time at Portage and Main, it’s probably Tom, Gary and a few thousand of their new friends. 

So how have they managed to throw over 20 events without attracting the type of meatheads who only want to party, cause trouble, drink in public and thumb their nose at the authorities?

“Playing only fun party music and getting everyone in costume seems to do the trick,” Gary says. “We also released the Party Manifesto to further press the point. The Parties also self-regulate themselves, by attracting a huge number of positive, respectful people, any idiots are usually compelled to join in or fade away — a good vibe is infectious.” 

For more information on Tom and Gary’s DDPs, their manifesto and how you can prepare your own ghetto blaster for the party, visit www.decentralizeddanceparty.com.

DECENTRALIZED DANCE PARTY
Sept. 13, location TBA