For years, legendary Toronto DJ Spex Da Boss has been celebrating his birthday with a special live party. Seeing as how the coronavirus pandemic has made such an event impossible to pull off in real life, he's decided to gather a global group of DJs and throw a massive party online.
The event is called Aries Affair — Spexdemic Edition, and it takes place on Saturday, April 3. This year's celebration is presented by Wray & Nephew Canada. Speaking with Exclaim!, Spex, promises "straight vibez with over 14 hours of some of the world's greatest DJ's playing the best in reggae and soca, with a splash of R&B, hip-hop and Afrobeat. It's also an official coming out party for my partnership with Wray & Nephew Canada which I'm very excited about."
He's not wrong. In addition to Spex himself, the impressive lineup for the event includes the likes of BBC 1Xtra's world-renowned Seani B, Germany's Warrior Sound, NYC's Kevin Crown, Manchester's Littlerock Movements, the Bay Area's DJ Shortkut, Montreal's DJ Star Q and the Toronto all-star line-up of DJ Epik, DJ Ron C, D'Bandit, Chris Dubbs, Dr. Jay and King Turbo.
Moving a nightclub event to the digital sphere has not been without its challenges. As Spex explains, "It's a whole new world as things move fully online. Booking and working with a long list of busy world renowned DJs, finalizing the schedule with different time zones, creating an online atmosphere/club vibe, sorting out the technology side of the event, working with several different partners and making sure everyone is pleased.... It's a journey, but a welcomed one in the name of the music, the culture and constant growth. We gotta keep going."
The massive Spex Birthday Aries Affair will kick off at 11 a.m. on April 3 and run well into the night. Make sure you're ready to go by following Spex on his official Twitch account. After all, he's streaming four nights a week outside of the birthday bash, and it's proving to be a major win for keeping the club energy alive during the pandemic.
"People can still enjoy the music and party atmosphere by engaging in the online chats and being part of the DJs' community," he says. "You can watch, dance, and vibe out to your favourite music from the comfort of your own home, on your TV, tablet, desktop, in your car or on your phone. No need to dress up, line up outside or at the bar! Most of all you get to party for free!"
Get in the spirit, pour yourself a Wray & Ting and prepare for Aries Affair – The Spexdemic Edition by listening to the playlist below, where you'll also find a schedule for the big event.
