Contact music festival adds a little Whipped Cream on top
EDM LINEUP: Nanaimo artist joins stacked lineup to help erase the winter blahs
The two-day Contact Winter Music Festival couldn’t arrive at a better time. EDM fans are cold and hungry for a grand dance music spectacle as memories of the summer season’s events have long faded.
Massive bass bins booming throughout B.C. Place accompanied by a giant light show is exactly what Dr. Feelgood prescribed to lose the winter blahs.
As has been the case every year, the lineup is an impressive mix of legendary to local DJs spanning the whole spectrum of contemporary electronic music. Armin van Buuren is the headliner and up-and-coming locals will be dropping sets too. Also featured are Marshmello, Adventure Club, Carnage, Tchami, Rezz, Alan Walker, Mr. Carmack, Malaa, Cash Cash, Ekali, Destructo, Ghastly, Henry Fong, Tokimonsta, Say My Name, Falcons, Melvv and Parker.
Nanaimo’s Whipped Cream is an increasingly in-demand DJ on the local, national and international scene. She first attended Contact in 2012 when Deadmau5 played. This year she’s appearing both days.
She took time to answer a few questions.
Q: There is such an explosion of B.C.-based DJ talent lately that regional styles seem to be popping up. Do you think that your style represents a Vancouver Island vibe?
A: “My sound is a variation of a whole bunch of things because I grew up in Toronto listening to a lot of rap and R&B and my father always had stuff playing ranging from Led Zeppelin to Marvin Gaye. When I moved out here, my first show was a dubstep show with Nero. I think I’m into my own lane ranging from really heavy, dark bass to R&B, house and so forth. No limits.”
Your SoundCloud is all over the place in terms of what you are producing?
“I’m really trying to develop as an electronic producer rather than a specific kind of DJ. Splitting time between the Island and Los Angeles is giving me opportunities to do that. I am in an industry that is 95 per cent male, so I think it was probably harder starting out five years ago.” Has it improved since then? “I never want to have the conversation about how hard I had it compared to a man because there is a whole lot of positive going on with that five per cent growing and including incredible people like the Librarian doing everything. I’m where I’m at because of the hours put in and the sacrifices made to make my career move forward. It’s really exciting to be playing Contact.”
Does putting together a set for an event like this differ from other gigs?
“Totally because I’ve performed with a lot of the acts on the bill like Adventure Club and others. But I wasn’t booked as an opening act, I was booked as Whipped Cream. So I’m going to bring it all no matter what time I play. Keep the word evolution and evolving in mind because that is where my show is going, inspiring people to do what they do.” How did you wind up with the tag Whipped Cream?
“I was going to go with Caroline, which is my given name, but there were just too many songs with Caroline in them because guys just keep wanting to sing about us. One morning I just woke up with the words “whipped cream” in my mind and I thought, ‘This is the s---.’ Now the whole branded food names are all over the place and I certainly have one that could be hella branded, but I’m just letting the music get me known for now.”
Whipped Cream plays at the Lights All Night Festival in Dallas Dec. 29. It’s straight to the airport after she spins at Contact Winter Music Festival. Such is the DJ life.