DJ KEEN aka SUBVERSE
"I like to look at my beats as concertos in which, for example,
Paco de Lucia rips a flamenco guitar riff, Otis Redding drops some vocals and Thelonius Monk hits some keys. Basically
a collabo that under normal circumstances would never happen."
It all started when a 17 year-old DJ Keen purchased a $400 Korg Dr. Sample on lay away from a downtown Toronto music
store. Although he had to return the product months later for not making payments, he had acquired an understanding of
beat making, a passion that developed into an obsession for him as the years passed.
Since Keen One's earliest days it was clear that music was his passion, however unlike other kids he was a bit of an
outcast in terms of what he listened to. While kids were kickin it to the New Kids On The Block and Kriss Kross, Keen
was digging into his dad's broad music collection including artists such as Nina Simone and ELP. His mother, an
Argentinean Latin music producer, also had a strong influence on his taste. She exposed him to musical giants such as
Chucho Valdes and NG la Banda. Having grown up with such a wide range of musical influences was very significant in
defining the DJ Keen sound.
It wasn't until high school that Keen found himself identifying with contemporary music. Hip Hop was emerging steadily
and an eager "Keen Wun" (name at the time) was doing everything possible to take part. He participated in freestyle
battles at lunchtime, co-oped at CIUT radio, and hosted a bunch of parties that he DJed at Toronto clubs, such as Tequila
Lounge and the Weave. Keen had his first taste for recording as an MC. At the age of 15 he would blaze blunts and drop
verses over famous instrumentals at his DJ buddies' houses. Despite being passionate about MCing it was production that
really drew him in. In his eyes it was the beat, the man behind the scene that really made a track.
A lot has happened since the days of the Korg Dr. Sample. Since then DJ Keen has set up a humble, yet dynamic studio in
his parents basement ("the spot") based predominantly on digital software recording. Although still MCing once in a while,
Keen has made beat making his prime focus allowing rugged up and comers such as Unknown Misery, Fatal Phonetics, and
Logical Ethix to lyrically bless his tracks. Keen's beats take their dynamic from the extensive musical insight he
acquired growing up. Generic soul samples are never an option for Keen, he prefers digging in to the obscurities of world
music and combining his samples with heavy bass lines and disturbing synth sounds. Though Keen was somewhat limited in
terms of the equipment used for his debut The Swirve Movement, the album nonetheless reflects the feel of his
music. Creating mood through beats is one of the prime focuses of this album. Considering that perspective is very
important to Keen not just musically, but as an individual, a wide variety of "moods are explored" in his tracks. The
Swirve Movement is a unique trip into Toronto's non-hype underground. The album is not trendy in anyway but simply
a reflection of life. After listening to this album once, one immediately appreciates the diversity of DJ Keen's
production. Keen, as an artist, is always learning and trying something new. This breaks him away from the redundancy of
underground production and makes it evident that he will develop into one of Toronto's leading forces of the hip hop game.
Swirve Productions
01. Brainwash (Intro)
02. Logical Ethix, Scamz, Kaotny, SubVerse - Fuck It
03. Logical Ethix, Lep The Impetious, Ozmoses, Unknown Mizery - Murda One Lyric
04. Unknown Mizery - Unbalanced
05. Fatal Phonetics - Arpa Arquistaka
06. Fatal Phonetics - Twisted Concepts
07. Screwz & SubVerse - All We Want
08. Fatal Phonetics ft. Claire - No Grudges
09. SubVerse - The Joy Ride
10. Logical Ethix, Kaotny - Stars Don't Shine
11. SubVerse - The Movement
12. System Down (Interlude)
13. Logical Ethix - Revolution
14. Fatal Phonetics ft. Claire - Underwater Turbulence
15. Unknown Mizery - Revolt
16. Fatal Phonetics - Quatro
17. Outro
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