Music

NEXT ON DECK: DJ Stikman

by Marcus Laflamme

The EDM scene in Canada is finally getting some worldwide recognition, and with Bud Light Sensation just around the corner, Bud Light has handpicked some up-and-coming DJs from across the country to join the party revolution. To get ready for the most insane party of the year, we’re profiling these fourteen rising DJs in the Canadian EDM scene, and if you visit BudLight.ca, you can vote for your favourite. Every time you vote, you’ll be entered for a chance to win a pair of daily drawn general admission tickets to Bud Light Sensation. Additionally, the winning DJ will receive two VIP tickets with travel, accommodations, and ten tickets for their entourage.

DJ Stikman

Saskatoon native DJ Stikman spins high energy electro house from the prairies, while taking cues from the genre’s biggest European beasts, like David Guetta, Benny Benassi, and Tiesto. If his remixes and original productions are any indication, this up and coming young DJ and producer is set to take Canada’s EDM scene, and the rest of the world, by storm.

AUX: Where are you from and what’s the scene like for a DJ in your hometown?

DJ Stikman: I’m from Saskatoon Saskatchewan and if I had to sum it up in one word it would be “competitive”! All the DJs here get along with each other, but since we only have a handful of nightclubs and an overabundance of DJs here, competition is fierce. Everyone is fighting for gigs.

Who/what are your main influences, and why?

As an aspiring producer, I’d have to say guys like Calvin Harris, Tiesto, Benny Benassi, David Guetta. But the best production advice I got was from MSTRKRFT.  

Name 3 essential records/tracks that help set off a party.

It’s hard to name specific songs because no two crowds are the same, but if I had to name the 3 hottest dance floor fillers at the moment, they would be Calvin Harris’ “Sweet Nothing,” Swedish House Mafia’s “Don’t You Worry Child,” and I have to throw in Run-D.M.C.’s “It’s Like That” just because its such a party classic!

Best party you’ve ever been to and why?

It’s a tie between Bombs Away and Steve Aoki here in Saskatoon. The energy at both shows was just unbelievable!

Why is it important for Canada to have an event like Bud Light Sensation?

Canada needs more big festivals like [Bud Light] Sensation to open people’s eyes and introduce them to a wider variety of EDM! I’m so excited that our country finally gets a chance to host this event.

***Vote for DJ Stikman at BudLight.ca for your chance to win two tickets to Bud Light Sensation!***

AUX is partnering with Bud Light as they revolutionize what it means to party in Canada. We’ll be breaking down the elements of any successful party into an exact science, culminating in the most mathematically perfect party of the year, Bud Light Presents Sensation (seriously, the Partyodic Table doesn’t lie) at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on June 1. The eight-hour experience will see an estimated 30,000 fans Light It Up in ways they’ve never done before. Tickets are available now, but deluxe tickets have already sold out—so act fast! You must be 19 years or older to attend. Meet fellow revelers on Twitter via the Bud Light Presents Sensation hashtag: #budlightsensation.