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Ever wondered who exactly was behind your favourite show on CJLO? CJLO 1690 AM presents DJ Spotlight, a brand new series aiming to connect the station's DJs to the public. All the DJs answer the same fixed questions—meaning it's up to them to make their answers worth your while. This week, we introduce you Mike Vo, or DJ Mister Vee, host of Beats from the East.

As it is the case with many of CJLO's DJs, I came to the station in order to introduce diversity and new ideas. I was tired of the lack of variety available on Montreal's radio waves as well as their lack of creativity. There are too many generic cookie-cutter radio shows that feature identical playlists (Anglophone and Francophone stations alike). I joined CJLO in order to help counter this.

I have no Communications degree, however I have a lifelong experience in discovering new music and trying to find the “next big thing”. I also had the privilege of growing up watching Arsenio Hall, “Mean” Gene Okerlund, Fab 5 Freddy, Jesse "The Body" Ventura, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, and other amazing entertainers who were really great with the mic.

What is your show on CJLO?

Since 2009, Beats from the East has been bringing you some of the best urban music from Far-East Asian communities worldwide: soul, R&B, hip-hop, funk, electro, acid jazz, reggae... yes, Asian reggae exists! Examples of artists that we continue to play include: Dumbfoundead, Traphik, D-Pryde, Lil Crazed, Masia One, Kero One, Lyrics Born, Paul Kim, M-flo, Jay Park, 71 Raw, Epik High, Baiyu, Suboi, Megan Lee, Miss Ko, Notorious MSG, and, of course, JIN!

What’s the best thing about hosting your show?

When interviewing the artists, I get to ask them questions that are often outside-the-box, as opposed to the usual perfunctory questions. They appreciate it (usually, haha).

What was the first LP/cassette that you bought with your own money?

Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 on cassette… Wow… good ol’ days! I still have it, by the way.

Which album has left the greatest impact on you?

Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814.

Best show of your life?

Paul McCartney (at the Bell Center) tied with Public Enemy (at the Metropolis, now the MTELUS).

…What about the worst?

50 Cent (at the Bell Center).

What do you collect?

CDs (I still love hard copies of my favorite music), hockey paraphernalia, and T-shirts (I'm a T-shirt junkie).

Favourite food?

Poutine (I'm from Montreal… can't help it!).

Any famous last words?

“If you like it, buy it!” Great music is still alive and readily available. However, if you don't support it, your favorite artists will no longer be able to continue making it!

FRIDAYS = CHART DAYS!!

Above is CJLO's weekly TOP 30 from November 14th to 20th. Our charts are compiled from actual airplay on our airwaves, broadcasted on 1690 AM in Montreal and its surrounding areas, as well as live via our website at CJLO.com

Montreal Locals: The Barr Brothers, Technical Kidman, Gutser, Smokes and Tshizimba

Canadian: Beliefs, Counterparts, Alvvays, Odonis Odonis, Mauno, Tough Age, Partner, Teenager, King Khan, METZ, The Rural Alberta Advantage

Ever wondered who exactly was behind your favourite show on CJLO? CJLO 1690 AM presents DJ Spotlight, a brand new series aiming to connect the station's DJs to the public. All the DJs answer the same fixed questions—meaning it's up to them to make their answers worth your while. This week, we introduce you Gordon Weekes, host of Anatomy of Caribbean Music and World Beat News.

I started at CJLO about 10 years ago on Caribbean Callaloo, then started Anatomy of Caribbean Music and World Beat News sometime after—can’t remember when.

What is your show on CJLO?

AOCM is a show that examines the origins and the evolution of Caribbean music. I did not want to just play music, but wanted my listeners to understand where the music comes from, how it evolves, what is its relationship with other genres of music. I saw that there was a need to spotlight Canadian artists in the World Beat genres, hence World Beat News.

What’s the best thing about hosting your show?

Satisfaction that I am informing my listeners about the music that I am playing.

What was the first LP/cassette that you bought with your own money?

Can’t remember.

Which album has left the greatest impact on you?

Any Bob Marley album.

Best show of your life?

Stevie Wonder Live at the Montreal International Jazz Festival for free! But I have to mention Tarrus Riley, Duane Stephenson, and Dean Fraser on the same show—epic.

…What about the worst?

There is always something good about every show.

What do you collect?

Watches and Single malt Scotch.

Favourite food?

Paleau.

Any famous last words?

Always do what makes you happy!

When Flying Lotus took the stage at MTELUS Thursday night, he brought the crowd into his own world. The LA-native producer, rapper and filmmaker has given birth to a wave of copycats, but his undeniable sound has never been replicated. Those unfamiliar with his music have trouble categorizing Lotus’s sound, and fans find it impossible. He is often labeled as experimental electronic, fusion jazz, psychedelic, and a wave of other genres, but there is no one label that truly pegs him down.

The show on Thursday was a testament to just that, with Flylo swinging between the sweeping, ethereal chants on “Your Potential//The Beyond” to his crowd-favorite Flylo-brand house track “Do The Astral Plane”. Throughout the set, he remained mostly behind a reflective, moonrock-looking podium of a DJ booth. He came out to rap for tracks like the aggressive, ignorant “Shake Weight” off of his pseudo-rap Captain Murphy outfit. His live vocal presence was powerful and air-tight. Not many DJs that can rap their asses off live. The crowd went nuts; this was a huge highlight.

The main feature on the ticket was the 3-D screen. This was a first for Flying Lotus on a tour, which garnered him a lot of attention leading up to it, since he hasn’t dropped an album since You’re Dead in 2015. The visuals for each show on the tour are improvised by a video team in a way that is unique every night. The 3-D was dazzling, and at its best brought the music into a higher place.

However, at times the abstract, 3-D rendered visuals came off as generic, amounting to something like a visualizer that moved to the beat. There were moments in Flylo’s set, between heavy hitters like “Dead Man’s Tetris” and “Never Catch Me” when it went into sort of a lull; Flylo would play deep cuts that were more downbeat and introspective, to which he sometimes lost the crowd. It felt like he wanted to put a focus more on the visuals, which were only captivating when they weren’t repetitive.

The first time I saw Flylo was in 2013 in Vancouver, and the following year at the Pemberton Music Festival in BC, when he used to have another form of 3-D that didn’t involve glasses but a transparent screen in front of him and one behind him, creating composite images that achieved a similar effect. Visuals have always been a major ingredient in Flying Lotus’ live sets, and here they were powerful—but sometimes overpowering. Watching the crowd wild out to “Shake Weight” in 3-D glasses was a treat, though.

Ultimately, what makes Flying Lotus’ sets so engaging is his undeniable commitment to showmanship. As Flylo swung from DJ-ing to rapping, from fusion jazz to trap, he made the crowd feel like they were part of his own celestial realm, and he was a stellar host.