THE MONTREAL MIRROR  (Montreal, PQ)
July 21-27, 2005   Vol.21 No.5
Feature Story – by Danny Legare

“Babb, who hails from Toronto as well, has been going hard behind the decks ever since his noodle first started dripping with butter. Considered to be Canada's hardest working DJ, Deko-ze has played the world over. Montreal finally has a chance to be put under his spell as he weaves a musical tapestry of house grooves at every gig he plays at.”

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FUGUES  (Montreal, PQ)
July 20, 2005
 Par : André C. Passiour [20-07-2005]

“Après avoir fait les festivités de la Fierté de Toronto et joué au Folsom Fair North de la ville Reine, voici que DJ Deko-ze, un des meilleurs et des plus prometteurs DJ de Toronto, s'amène pour Divers/Cité.”

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ToBe MAGAZINE  (Montreal, PQ)
June 6, 2005
Feature Story – by Jarmila Dikladalova

“The double gift of flexibility and perceptiveness lies at the heart of   DJ Deko-ze’s rising popularity that has made him an important name on the Toronto music scene and most recently won him residency at Montréal’s Parking night Club.”

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NOW Weekly (Toronto, ON)
October 27 – Nov. 2, 2005
Cover Story – Best of Toronto (300 Reasons to Love Our City)

BEST FOUR-ON-THE-FLOOR: DJ Deko-ze
“He's as charismatic and energetic in a little bar as in front of thousands...”

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SCENESTER Magazine (Toronto, ON)
No. 2  Winter, 2005
Cover Story / DJ Report – by Miss Raquel

“The beat of this tribal rhythm makes me move.  I'm drenched in my own sweat; moving, bouncing; raising my hands in unison with the others.  We are all under a musical spell, controlled like puppets moving to commanding strings.  The figure from the podium is coming into full view.  He appears to be the leader of this cult.  As I move closer I get bumped so hard I fall to the sticky wet floor.  While lifting myself I feel a set of strong hands helping me up.  I look up to see who it is, noticing his eyes are welcoming and kind.  He smiles brightly at me, points to the figure on the podium and says one word, one name, “Deko-ze.”  From this moment on, house music touches me in a way like no other genre.  Deko-ze makes the music come alive.  He makes it visual and spiritual.  He is an inspiration to many.”

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ABOUT Magazine  (Buffalo, NY)
Vol. 1 - Issue 5  October - November, 2004
Feature Article - by Duane Booth


"The harder he works, the stronger his presence in both the gay and straight arenas, working with his big energy, big sound and big . . . (all three are why his residency at 5ive was originally dubbed as 'Hung.')"


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FAB Magazine  (Toronto, ON)
#251 — Sept 23 - Oct. 6, 2004
Cover Story - by Daniel Paquette


"The most versatile DJ on this list is also the busiest and most in-demand."

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THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT  (Vancouver, BC)
Volume 38 Number 1918  September 23 - 30, 2004
Club Column - by Martin Turenne

"On the solo tip, Deko-ze's next compilation will be an exclusive mix for CBC's Fashion File , an appropriate union given the DJ's famously outlandish tastes in personal attire.  Well-known for stripping down to his waist during sets, the Saskatchewan native took his trademark style one step further for a recent photo shoot, posing for the cover of Toronto's Xtra! magazine in a scarlet jockstrap."


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EYE Weekly (Toronto, ON)
June 24, 2004
Extended Play Column - by Denise Benson


"I love the fact that System has a gay element.  I love that at Lub, you see straight people coming by.  It really makes for an interesting energy in the room, a little bit of curiosity and question.  People seem hungry for these mixed nights."


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XTRA!  (Toronto, ON)
Issue #513 (Annual Pride Issue) — June 24, 2004
Cover Story - by Chaos McKenzie

"...versatility helped Deko-ze journey through the different scenes; he's considered a huge crossover hit, with loyal followings in gay, straight, raver and club worlds"

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GEORGIA STRAIGHT   (Vancouver, B.C.)
April 22, 2004
Feature Event Listing


"Born Michael Babb, DJ Deko-ze was raised in Saskatoon before moving on to Toronto, where he's established a reputation as one of Canada's premier house selectors."

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THE GOLDEN STAR   (Golden, BC)
December 24, 2003
Article - by Jennifer Saltman


"Described as Canada's hardest working  and most-booked DJ, Deko-ze has been spinning records since 1993..."

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XPANDER   (www.xpander.nl)
June, 2003
Article / Event Review - by Yuri Wuensch


"The Friday night was for 2F's monthly gay party, G5, which also happens to be one of Asia's biggest gay nights, as I understand it. Like many places, Taiwan's electronic dance scene has its roots in its gay scene and Taipei's gay club crowd is always up for a good time and a good party. Before Deko-ze even took to the decks, the energy level in the club was palpably electric — ready to go off! (Admittedly, the fact that the party was also called 'Sarongs For Men' and had a lot of sweaty guys in sheets didn't hurt) And Deko-ze certainly set them off. From the get-go, it was a tough and dirty ride and the place was going mental. I've been to 2F a number of times— and in various incarnations before it became 2F — and I have never seen it so crazy in there. Even in the furthest recesses of the club, people were dancing. Plenty of people were asking, 'Who the hell is this guy?' It's an old question, actually — one even headliners Deko-ze has opened for in the past have asked."

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FREAK ENTERTAINMENT (www.ad-freaks.com)
April, 2003
Article / Event Review - by MissRaquel


"A lot of DJs stand and place their vinyl on their slipmats and drop their needles without ever really feeling the music they are spinning. Part of the whole DJ experience is the mixing, the ups, the downs the energy that comes from the DJ and the vibe he or she creates within the room. Just as Donald Glaude or Carl Cox, Deko-ze also makes the whole room fill with this surreal energy that I find so enticing I never want his set to end."

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MARKETING Magazine (Toronto, ON)
September 3, 2001
"STREET talk" Column  - by Mark Etting



"..."Blast's animated GIF, "Simon" was so appealing to the Tribe group because one of the characters is awfully similar to Deko-ze , a popular DJ (above left)."  Rock Berniquez, senior project manager at Blast in Toronto, says that was done deliberately to reach the segment."

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ONAVERSAL (Ottawa, ON)
July, 2001
Interview - by Jen


"I asked Canada's hardest working DJ to recount some of his past adventures.  The good, the bad and the ugly..."
"About six months ago, I was booked to play at Club Ra in Las Vegas, Nevada.  I was greeted at the airport by an attractive young woman who was hired by the club to take care of me.  I got into the limo and was taken to my hotel. We got to the door of my room and when I opened it, she walked in and took her shoes off.  I didn't think too much of it until she took off her jacket and then began to get comfortable on my bed.  It then occurred to me that she really was designated to 'take care' of me."

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EYE Weekly (Toronto, ON)
November 16, 2000
DJ Profile - by Randy Chow


"If someone were to say, 'What would you be doing if you weren't doing music?'' I'd have no idea, because music is so important to me," he says.  "I love it.  There's always music in my head."

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SUBSONIC   (Ottawa, ON)
October / November, 2000
Interview - by Rob Solo


"What do you enjoy doing best?"
"Spinning of course; but also dancing to a kick ass set!  Yes:  I am a DJ, and I do Dance!!!"

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KLUBLIFE  (Toronto, ON)
Volume 4 Issue 7 - August, 2000
Feature Article - by Chris Courtney

"...I will leave you all with this exceptional quote from Deko-ze that really sums up his attitude and passion for all that he does.
"I love nothing more than seeing a crowd of friends shake their ass to a dirty funky house track, grind their teeth to some dark techno, or throw their hands in the air to an uplifting trance melody."

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OTTAWA X PRESS   (Ottawa, ON)
November 18, 1999
  Article - by Faria Khokhar


"I needed to be somewhere I could hear and dance to the music that I enjoyed.  I was out on the floor religiously every Saturday until the wee hours of the morning and became a part of a communtiy of like-minded people which, before then, I never knew existed."

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TRIBE Magazine   (Toronto, ON)
September,1999
Vancouer column - by Billy Boy


"I, like so many here, love the two main things he brings to a party and the are:  Pure fucking energy and a smiling face.  And all this time he's working a separate job and organizing large parties in his home town of Saskatoon...Definitely Canada's hardest working DJ."

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VUE Weekly   (Edmonton, AB)
April 8-14, 1999
Article - by Yuri Wuensch


"I venture a guess, comparing Deko-ze to a puppet master, pulling strings and manipulating people on the dance floor, exercising his powers of trance, house, and (as a poster for a party in Calgary put it) "everything phat". . . Wandering around with Deko-ze at that same Calgary party was like being part of a Hollywood entourage.  Kids screamed upon seeing him and scrambled to find their disposable cameras and paraphernalia for him to sign."

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TRIBE Magazine   (Toronto, ON)
Issue #54, October, 1998
Feature Interview - by Alex D.


"What made you want to be a DJ?
"In Grade 2 art class, I'd take my 'coool' records and unleash 'weird and wild' tunes by Madonna, Yello and Pet Shop Boys.  I knew then I wanted to make people go off, dance and smile!!"

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