People of Ibiza: BLOND:ISH

“I came to Ibiza a long time ago - I must have been about sixteen. Someone I knew from Montreal got some money to start a party here and they blew it all in one summer. That was my first year DJing and getting my education in places like Circoloco. I quickly learned that everything here is about energy. If you come with the right intentions, Ibizagives back to you. It’s like a relationship. Some people get spat out, others fall in love and never leave. We have decided to have our baby here because of the island’s holistic side. I’m a Libra, so everything’s about balance. I’m playing every week at friend’s parties, including Pacha. I love playing there, and I’m especially looking forward to taking over one of Solomun’s nights with BenSterling. They have really figured out the perfect DJ booth setup. I will be playing at Marco Carola’s Music On, both at the club and Destino—those parties are always crazy. Then, I also have a house in nature, super quiet. That’s what I love about Ibiza. I don’t really party anymore. I need to recharge. I try to find moments of presence or at least not being on my phone even when I’m walking through airports. Once there’s awareness through meditation or breathwork, you realise when you need them. My wife and I have a joke about me not taking days off, because if I do, I’ll get really creative and start a new business. There are no days off in BLOND:ISH world. My environmental activism comes from my being intuitive and noticing when things are out of balance. The moment that sparked Bye Bye Plastic - my initiative to eliminate single-use plastics in the music industry - happened in Brazil. I was playing a set in this lush jungle and as the sun rose I saw a mountain of plastic water bottles put aside. It didn’t make sense to me, that’s not part of the cyclical loop of nature. I started doing the math, realising that I knew people in the music industry and could make a difference. My background in computer science and algorithmic thinking has helped me to effectively connect the dots to create impactful change. Now, we’re partnering with festivals to reduce the environmental footprint. My dad was obsessed with reel-to-reel tapes, recording vinyl onto them. He was a DJ and he didn’t even know it. My parents frequently threw parties at home so I definitely got the culture from them. The intention with my music is always the same: how can we positively affect a wider audience? I’m a house DJ but my goals are much larger. I wrote an album in the past year and some of the music goes towards pop or it goes wider because the message with my music is much, much deeper. It’s been an exploration and the beautiful thing about music is that it is endlessly explorable because sound is everywhere. Every cell in our body is a resonant frequency and everything in this universe is frequency. My message is of positivity and possibility. We do a party called ‘Abracadabra’ which means to create your own reality. I truly believe that the words we use shape our world. Instead of saying “if,” I say “when.” It’s a subtle shift, but it has transformed my outlook and, in turn, my life. I’m here just to convey these subtle subconscious shifts that potentially could change the course of humanity.”