Signal to Noise : Tastemakers & The Politics of Cultural Momentum

Isis Graham (Versions Patio Parties)

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Isis Graham (Versions Patio Parties)

Esette (Isis Graham) has been part of Calgary’s electronic music community since the late 1990s. Through projects such as Versions, now in its thirteenth year, AEMCON, Studio Social, Substation Recordings, Girls on Decks, and the Alberta Electronic Music Conference, along with residencies at influential clubs like Habitat Living Sound and The HiFi Club, she has been involved in many of the spaces, events, and conversations that shaped Calgary’s dance music culture.

As a DJ, Esette has performed across Canada and internationally, including appearances at Bass Coast, Shambhala, WMC, Decibel, MEMETIC, Think!Festival in Germany, and the Amsterdam Dance Event. Her sets center on house music, drawing from a wide range of musical influences with a focus on groove, depth, and careful selection, sometimes incorporating selections from her vinyl collection.

Alongside her DJ work, she has released more than thirty tracks and remixes over the years and currently works for Meitner Audio, a world-renowned electronics manufacturer in the hi-fi audio space.

Gabby Yu aka Trexx (Controller Club)

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Gabby Yu aka Trexx (Controller Club)

Controller Club was founded in 2021 with the mission to make a supportive and inclusive space for beginner DJs to explore and learn. Gabby Yu first came through the CC doors as a beginner DJ herself. Her early experiences with CC shaped her belief that profound growth can come from openness, passion, and shared learning. Her goal is to create a space where newcomers feel comfortable asking questions and where more experienced DJs are encouraged to share what they know. For her, it is not just about technical skills, but about building real connections that keep people engaged and inspired. Now, as Director of Controller Club, she guides the club with a dedicated team of volunteers and mentors, ensuring the club grows into a hub for creativity and collaboration

PAYE4PREZ (GENREFLUID, Deep Down Inside)

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PAYE4PREZ (GENREFLUID, Deep Down Inside)

PAYE4PREZ is a multifaceted DJ merging the high-energy futurism of house and African electronic music with a splash of Y2K hip-hop and pop nostalgia. She’s played notable festival like Badlands, Boiler Room, and Chasing Summer where heavy genre b(l)ending edits and searing electronic tracks are interwoven with crowd favourites.

Her eclectic palette was inspired by an upbringing in Ivory Coast and Tunisia, then refined by the underground queer communities in Canada where her DJ journey began. These influences converge in each PAYE4PREZ set, exuding the dynamic flow of a music lover’s phone on shuffle. This essence became the basis of Genre Fluid, an event series co-founded and her residency for Blueprint’s Deep Down Inside. 

Panhandle Slim (Clubhaus)

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Panhandle Slim (Clubhaus)

Vinyl enthusiast, Club curator, Soundsystem Constructor, Audio Nerd.

Ryan Tram (BUMP)

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Moderator

Ryan Tram (BUMP)

Ryan Tram is a creative professional based in Mohkinstsis (Calgary). He has worked in varying capacities between the arts, music, and hospitality. Currently, Ryan works for the BUMP Festival Arts Society as the Festival and Events Manager as well as the BNA as an Operations Lead. A large part of his work involves delivering accessible Arts and Culture programming as well as operational work in the non-profit/charity space. In 2018, after finishing an undergraduate degree in Community Design at Dalhousie University, he returned to Calgary with an interest in urban development and creative industries. Calgary’s growing arts and culture space continues to have a big impact on his career and often provides inspiration in unconventional ways.