The DJ name Room 303 comes from the Toronto apartment where TJ Train and former partner Brad Meritt first conceived the idea for the duo in 2010. Since then, they have decided to embark on different paths, with TJ choosing to continue producing under Room 303. After signing his first record to the UK's Love Not Money Records in 2011, TJ has worked with several other labels such as On the Prowl Records, Suruba Records, and Subtrak Recordings. We got a chance to sit down with Room 303 to discuss his background, musical influences, some dream gigs and collaborations, and what he has in store for the future.
For people who don’t already know you, can you tell us a little about yourself? I was born and raised in Toronto and starting loving music at a very young age. When I was about 14 I started really listening to electronic music. Back in those days, Lil Louis, DJ Sneak, Masters at Work and Frankie Knuckles were some of the artists that really influenced the type of electronic music I listened to.
As I got older, I sort of veered off the house tip and started listening to a lot of indie and older rock/blues I opened my ears to as many different types of music genres that I could. I was constantly searching for that next sound. In retrospect, this was a special learning period for me - I was able to really listen and understand many different styles of music and appreciate them in their own special way.
It really wasn’t until around 4 or 5 years ago that a friend bought me a pair of turntables and I really started to dabble in DJing and the making of music. I started DJing local house parties here and there and eventually thought, hey, this could actually be something I could pursue. It was around that time that a few local guys really started to make some international headlines – I had seen them play locally a bunch of times but they had just exploded and were in just about every mix I had listened to. They are now known as Art Department. It was the first time I thought to myself – hmm, making music and having the opportunity for people around the world to dance to your music is a real, tangible possibility. They really gave me the push I needed to venture out on my own.
How did you first get into electronic music? There was an old club in my neighborhood called Club Energy that I started going to at around 16. They would bring in some bigger names from time to time and this is really where I started listening to electronic music religiously. The vibe was always right, the people amazing and the music of course made every Saturday night there special. I was hooked from then on.
Your bio says that your music has “a deep connection to many genres.” What are some of your musical influences? Where to start... Legendary artists like Led Zeppelin – I mean Robert Plant’s voice and Jimmy Page’s incredible guitar skills – and the way they would just vibe together on stage! If you haven’t watched Led Zepplin’s “How The West Was Won” DVD, you should – this was my gateway drug into classic rock. From there it was Jimmi Hendrix, The Doors, Prince and the list goes on..
I’d also have to say that the The Strokes/Interpol were pretty big influences. I love just about everything those guys put out! They were able to meld rock with different genre’s and make their own unique song instead of sticking to the same old formula that everyone else was trying to replicate.
In terms of Electronic music, I grew up listening to people like Lil Louis, Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx, DJ Sneak and Armand Van Helden way back in the day.
More recently, I’d have to say Art Department. These guys have, over the span of a year or two since forming, quickly become one of the best electronic music duos on the planet. They’re a huge influence for me because they made me, and I’m sure many other people in Toronto/Canada, believe it is possible to make it doing something you just love to do, and make it a career out of it that takes you around the world.
I could spend a really long time answering this question so I’ll stop here.
What has been the most gratifying moment so far in your career? So far it has to be my latest release on On The Prowl Records. This release was my first solo record and also my first vinyl. It’s an interesting back story that’s perhaps for another time but I should send a huge thanks to Sean Roman for his massive support on this release and Jacques Renault / Marco Cabral for their support on making this happen. It’s really a great feeling hanging your first record on the wall!
Is the stuff you play now what you’ve always played or has your style evolved over time? I believe it has evolved for sure. When I first started out, I would play more of the well-known stuff, stuff that I could easily find in mixes, hear other people playing in clubs or music that I had been collecting up until then. Now I spend much more time digging through old and new music, melding them together and really finding those special tracks that I get really excited about and can’t wait to play out. I think as a DJ and producer, while everyone should stride for their own unique sound that separates you from other artists, it’s equally important to evolve, refine and learn from everything you do.
You’ve been playing a lot in Toronto, where you’re from. What has that been like? Amazing. Toronto is an absolutely incredible city. I really don’t know of another city in North America that has as many quality events happening on a weekly basis than Toronto. I’ve been watching a lot of the local DJs here for many years and now having the chance to play alongside the likes of My Favourite Robot, Nitin, Jeff Button, Rafwat and Chorniy and others has been a real privilege.
From the legendary Footwork Bar to events like Electric Island, Modern Love Affair, Digital Dreams etc, being able to attend and even play at events like this in your very own city – incredible and special.
What are some of your dream gigs? Dream gigs? A dream gig for me would be playing at one of the big festivals around the world - that’s sort of the pinnacle for me. DEMF, The BPM Festival, Exit Festival, Movement Festival, Sonar - there are so many great festivals around the world and I completely dig the outdoor nature of most of them. Day events usually trump most night events for me.
Of course places like Berghain/Panorama Bar, Warung, Space and other legendary spots are on my list too.
What record labels do you hope to work with in the future? I’m completely in love with the stuff Life and Death and Innervisions are doing. Their sound is special – I think what they’re doing is really exciting and I would love to one day work with both labels.
I also really love what My Favourite Robot and No19 are doing – both Toronto based labels and the stuff they’ve been putting out over the last few years has been quality for sure.
Who would you like to collaborate with? Tornado Wallace. I know this sort of came out of nowhere but I love what this cat puts out! The way he builds his songs, the sounds that he comes up with and the quality of every release he puts out, I would absolutely love to work with him.
Henrik Schwarz is also on this list. I watched and read a few interviews about Henrik and he sort of started off as I did. No musical background, I've never played an instrument in my life so there’s an obvious huge learning curve. I admire Henrik for what he’s accomplished so far from having absolutely no experience prior.
Of course, someone that really showed me much of what I understand today about music, Sean Roman, is always someone I enjoy collaborating with. He really is a master when it comes to building a good rhythm and having it flow incredibly well throughout an entire track.
Can you tell us a little about how you decided to approach the exclusive mix you made for Pulse? The podcast I created for Pulse is a mix own current releases, some unreleased stuff and music that I’m playing out from time to time. I also threw in a few songs that I’ve had on my playlist for years. The approach was just to play stuff I’m currently enjoying. Hope you guys enjoy it!
What else is on the horizon for Room 303? On the Room 303 side, I have a few records that will be coming out later on this year that I’m wrapping up and I also have a some remixes that I’m working on.
I’ve also started a side project with good friend Pavel Gorin who’s another fantastic Toronto DJ. Night Vision is our group name and we’ve been getting a really great response since we formed the group a little while back. We’ve been playing some really incredible events in Toronto with upcoming events around Canada and (hopefully) beyond. We’re also working on a record that we hope to have finished later on this year.
Night Vision Media is also something I’ve had going from an events perspective with my longtime friend Leta Forbister. We started throwing parties under the Night Vision brand a few years ago and we’ve had some really incredible nights. More recently we did a boat cruise out in Vancouver with Sean Roman and Leta doing a fantastic job of putting together one of the best summer parties down there. I will continue to grow the Night Vision brand on both the events side and DJ/producing side with some pretty special people and see where it takes us!
