That Was Then, This Is Now
Until the year 2000, music and vinyl had been an integral part of Risto and Pete's daily routines. However, by 2001 it would be weeks, sometimes even months, in between the precious spare moments that could be devoted to music and its appreciation. The years sped past, and as the responsibilities of adult life grew in intensity so did the disconnect with music.
Regrettably, Risto and Pete began to feel that spinning and vinyl were becoming things of the past.
Can You Feel It
Pete had just arrived back in Toronto from a work assignment in Montreal. On his last day in Montreal, Pete had the luxury of a few spare moments before the flight home, and so for the first time in years he ventured forth on that most rare of expeditions: vinyl hunting. Over the years Pete's thirst for vinyl had continued unabated but unsated, and so it happened that Pete found himself carting home more than 20 kilograms of vinyl. On his flight back to Toronto, Pete's luggage weighed more than he did.
Two days after arriving home Pete was presented with another unexpected opportunity: Geoff and Risto were on their way to Mike's house, to buy vinyl, for the first time in years. Here was a chance for Pete to dig through the crates, and fill some of the deeper holes in his record collection. Pete seized the opportunity, and set off to meet them.
At Mike's house, Geoff updated Pete and Risto on the latest news at
Soul Stream Networks
(SSN) internet radio. SSN had just been launched
by their good friend Adam "Suges"
Sugar, along with partners Martino Lozej and Marco Marquez.
Geoff was hosting a show on Soul Stream, and as
they made their way through crate after crate of house records,
speaking about internet radio, a sense of nostalgia and desire began
to develop in Pete. By the time Pete arrived home that night his
desire had grown into mania, and the next day Pete phoned Risto with
an idea. Pete wondered if Risto was interested in hosting a Garage
House show on SSN. They decided to meet up and
discuss the idea, and to find out if there was room
for such a show in the already extensive SSN lineup,
not to mention their busy lives.
New Dance Beat
From the beginning of their conversation the biggest problem was clear: time. Pete was busier than usual at work, between his recent promotion, and working his way through the onslaught of CFA exams. The situation was no better for Risto, having just started a new job, and with dragon boat about to enter full swing. With no spare time in sight, Pete and Risto had to determine what length of show they could reasonably support. After intense brainstorming, regarding the show format, where to record the show, what to do about a web site, and the finer points of post-production, Pete and Risto settled on a one hour show. One hour. This didn't sit well. They both sat quietly, knowing that half an hour each wasn't enough time on the decks. Finally, Pete reached over to their notes, scratched out "1 hour," and replaced it with "2 hours." Ah, the glory.
Now. A name. What to do about a name. Pete and
Risto browsed the SSN schedule, searching for
both an open time slot and an inspired name for
the show. A handful of prime slots remained
available, and one time slot in particular
stood out, Friday nights from 9 to 12.
Friday night had always been an important time for Pete
and Risto: during high school Friday night meant
the end of the school week, and the time leading up to
midnight was spent listening to House shows on the radio,
or House records in the basement. Pete and Risto
had already determined that the show would be
two hours in length, and so the time slot would
be 9 to 11, or 10 to 12. As they set out the
benefits of each time slot Pete made an observation
about the 10 to 12 slot: "I don't know, its
just something about midnight." There it was.
Consummate. Aesthetic. Risto replied:
"That's it. Right there. The name of the
show." Pete was puzzled, and responded:
"... hey? "
Risto answered: "Something About
Midnight. That's awesome."
They spoke to Adam that night, and the show was secured.
House For All
Special thanks to Adam, Marco, and Martino for bringing life to SSN, to Gus Douboulidis for the logo, and of course to Natalie and Natasha for their love and support.
