On the ground floor of the Society of Arts and Technology last weekend, in a wide, red-lit room, techno artist Esme enraptured the audience with their unearthly mix.
On Jan. 18, Ral Parr, who plays under the pseudonym Esme, played a set for the rave Homegrown Harvest. They shared the decks with fellow DJ Esther Côté.
Parr is a third-year studio art major at Concordia University with an emphasis on painting. They began experimenting with music with their friends in the 4th grade but started playing in earnest when they were 18 years old, during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.
“When I started taking it seriously, […] it was because I was already engulfed and very interested in the concept of raving in general,” Parr said. “And I just wanted to be able to contribute to that.”
Initially, they learned from YouTube videos and playing with their friends. Shortly after, they began learning to mix vinyl.
“It was actually cheaper to get two turntables and a mixer than it was to get two CDJs [digital music player],” they said. “I also thought it would be a good opportunity to learn how to beatmatch by ear because turntables, they don’t have a display for the BPM.”
Esme is now regularly active in the Montreal rave scene. One of the latest shows they played was UTOPIA on Jan. 5 — the rave started at 2 p.m. and went until 11 p.m., which is unconventional for raves, according to Parr.
Parr mentioned Max Watts, who runs the record label Limited Network based out of Detroit, as a major inspiration when they began raving.
Watts plays in a style similar to techno legends such as Jeff Mills and Derrick May. This influence is clear in Parr’s music.
“I think witnessing that kind of sound that early kind of made me have a preference towards it,” they said.
Esme’s style is hypnotic. It is heavily reliant on the trance-like state electronica can induce. They use harsh sounds underneath the pulsing beat, creating a dissonant effect.
Celina Chalhoub, a 23-year-old visual artist and Concordia alumni, has been attending techno shows for four years.
She met Parr last winter and began attending some of their shows.
“After moving to Canada, I thought I wasn’t going to find good techno raves like I did in Lebanon,” she said. “Thankfully, I was wrong. Ral is one of the few ones I know here that actually knows how to mix. They actually have knowledge on classic techno and a bit of its history.”
Parr played their first show in Montreal with their childhood friend Raef Lawrence and the artist Splitshift on Aug. 30, 2022, at Barbossa. The event was run by Lawrence.
“He’s the reason I even came to Montreal in the first place,” Parr said of Lawrence. “Witnessing the scene up here and how wholesome it is compared to where I’m from and how prolific it is — I was just like, okay, I’m going to find out some way to get to Montreal.”