If you haven’t heard of Timekode, consider yourself out of touch with the Ottawa dance party scene. This monthly soul dance party has become an Ottawa institution with a regional reputation, even attracting been-there-seen-that partiers from Montreal and Toronto. Apartment613 recently sat down with Alexandre Mattar, aka DJ Zattar of Timekode, to discuss funky beats, mysterious Abyssinian spices and the third Friday of every month.
Timekode began in 2005 in response to a gap in Ottawa’s music scene. There were no places playing the music Zattar and his roommate, fellow Timekode founder DJ Pho, wanted to hear or where dusk to dawn dancing was on the menu. With an apartment full of records and experience DJing with Disorganized and other groups around town, Pho and Zattar decided to take over Cafe Nostalgica the second Tuesday of every month. The name Timekode comes from a modification of the word timecode; the technical name of the blank vinyl record that DJs use as a physical interface to mix digital tracks. The name was especially fitting since, like its name sake, Timekode mixes old and new into a distinctly original sound.
When summer threatened to break up the group, Zattar suggested a new time and venue, which led to a second incarnation of the party as new DJs joined the roster: DJ Memetic, Eric R, IshferBrains and Adam White. It also began the group’s ongoing partnership with the Eri Cafe, an Eritrean restaurant and community center located off the beaten path on Somerset near Preston, and its owner Neguse Tsegai. The arrangement has proved to be a win-win for both the DJs and the cafe.
“The Eri feels like someone’s basement rec room, plus it has this great smell from what Neguse calls “mysterious abyssinian spices.” It also has a checkerboard dance floor and a great layout. Often you find that relationship with venues are a bit tense, but we get along great with Neguse.”
Timekode has invested in Eri’s sound system and paid for a few giant fans to cool off the revelers. These improvements, plus the relationship with Neguse, means that the group won’t be looking for different accommodations any time soon, even though the popularity of the event has snowballed in recent years.
“It’s funny to think that Timekode has grown from a small dance party mostly for my friends to something large enough to be considered mainstream.”
Success means that advertising is no longer really necessary, in fact they are trying to down play the show in order to reduce congestion. However Timekode’s popularity has given Zattar et al. the chance to collaborate with internationally known DJs. A highlight for Zattar was when Dam-Funk, a renowned L.A. DJ came to play at the Eri last September.
“We’ve been able to attract these great DJs through connections with promoters and DJs in Ottawa and Montreal. People higher up on the music chain will help us out by asking us if we want to share acts who will be playing in TO or Montreal.”
The result is that Ottawa, once bypassed by better-known DJs, is now attracting more and more international talent. Zattar feels that the event has also helped the neighborhood as a whole by making it a destination for a broad spectrum of people.
“The great thing about Timekode is that it attracts people from a lot of different circles, people of different ages and social groups who wouldn’t normally party together.”
Timekode itself has attracted others in the Ottawa music community, leading to several offshoots and collaborations. Zattar has DJed with Spins and Needles, a local music/crafting event, as well as the Soul Jazz Orchestra. In addition, Zattar is working on a couple of other projects, including the House of Paint, Ottawa’s annual hip hop block party. He has also started a new night at the Mercury Lounge with Trevor Walker.
“It’s such an honour to be working with Trevor, an Ottawa Institution who I’ve looked up to for a long time. Trevor’s got a bit of an older following, and it’s cool to see the generations mixing.”
So whatever age you are, come down and sweat it out with Zattar and his crew at the Eri the third Friday of the month or at Mercury Lounge the first Thursday of every month.
