Growing up, Robert’s early connections with music started with his parents and older brother playing records. Naturally gravitating towards music, Andy was often found putting on headphones to explore their collections. Planting the seed for Andy’s foray into music. Andy has been in Canada’s House Music movement for over three decades. He has been a consistent presence, whether in the spotlight or behind the scenes, since the age of 16. Over the years, Andy has remained at the forefront of Canada’s DJ talent pool, earning recognition as one of the country’s top DJs.
In his role as a DJ, Andy has graced the stages of Canada’s premier house music venues and events, sharing the spotlight with some of the genre’s most esteemed local and international artists. Starting out his career in Mississauga playing alongside a young Starting from Scratch, DJ Jakes (Aristotle), and DJ Cartel, at Various venues and parties eventually making his way downtown via event promotors COD (Children of the Dark). Events of note during this time include playing alongside Roger Sanchez at 1087 Queen, and Fingers Inc for their legendary show on New Years at the Concert Hall. From these events, he was invited to be a regular guest Mitch Winthrops “Rhythm Method” radio show on 105.5 alongside other Toronto Lengends such as Nick Holder and Dave Campbell, this led him to Toronto’s clandestine warehouse scene during the early ’90s, collaborating with Mitch Winthrop, Dave Campbell, Dino and Terry, at iconic venues like the Actors Lab, Mr Pongs Warehouse, Lionheart Studios, and 180 Spadina. Andy’s evolution continued into Toronto’s rave scene, where he played a pivotal role in introducing the deeper side of house music to the rave community. His schedule was nothing short of demanding, consistently performing every weekend, sometimes participating in 2-3 events a night. He became a fixture in the front room of Toronto’s legendary 23 Hop venue. As the mid to late ’90s unfolded, Andy seamlessly transitioned into mainstream nightclubs, making his mark at renowned venues such as Buzz, Industry, Mad Bar, and Element. At one point, he was playing at five venues a week, including his legendary “Hard and Soul” residency at the now-defunct Living Room, where he presided over Sunday nights for four years, hosting esteemed Canadian and international guests.
During this period, Andy also delved into production, releasing his first project on Richie Hawtin’s and John Aquaviva’s Definitive Records Imprint in 1996. Subsequently, he produced numerous tracks and remixes for labels like Kult Records (notably Big Daddy Vibes and Sunny Muzik), Crash Records/Vinyl Peace (highlighted by the Mixed Signals EP and Blackbelt Roberts EP), and Stickmen/Aquarius Records (Mr. Roberts Neighborhood EP). In addition to his musical endeavors, Andy spent three years as a record reviewer for the National Music Magazine, Peace Magazine, and co-hosted the “Vinyl Frontiers” radio show for Iceberg Radio’s internet start-up, 1groove.com. In 2004, Andy founded Mixed Signals Music, drawing inspiration from his earlier work on the Mixed Signals EP with Crash Records. The label not only focused on producing quality music but also ventured into event promotion, hosting top DJs and producers at late-night events in unconventional settings, including the infamous 65 Elm Victorian house. The success of these events led to larger venues, such as Revival and the Mod Club, becoming regular hosts. Throughout this journey, Andy remained committed to elevating Mixed Signals Music to top-tier status, collaborating with longtime associates, respected peers, and emerging talents to shape the label’s distinctive sound.
Fast forward to 2023, Andy has been focused on family with a keen eye to restarting Mixed Signals Music, as well as a Sublabel called Signafied Trackworks taking on occasional remix work most recent remixes include a project for Manuscript Records out of Ukraine, Miguel Graca’s Pronto records out of Montreal with France’s LadyBird, and for a Roy Davis Jr. production with Robert Owens entitled Slide. WIth his focus primarily on production, Andy can still be heard occasionally Djing alongside Toronto’s finest at Toronto’s top venues.
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