Since the age of 15 Oliver Maynard-Langedijk has been spinning turntables as a queer DJ in Guelph known as OrangaDang.
Now, at 29, Maynard-Langedijk is bringing inclusive queer DJ spaces to Guelph so others can experience the magic of music he got to feel when introduced to the DJ scene in the city.
“I really want to inspire and empower those queer youth in the community to feel like they can get into this complicated art," said Maynard-Langedijk.
He described the club scene in Guelph to be a bit dark, “unsafe for women and queer people to walk home alone at night.”
He thinks if there is more of an inclusive space in the club scene it will empower people and make them feel safe.
There is a history of dance and electronic music with queer roots who founded disco, and house music genres, he said.
Maynard-Langedijk is on track to launch On Deck, Guelph’s queer, trans youth DJ club. It’s geared to 2SLGBTQIA+ youth aged 15 to 21 to learn DJ skills every other Monday at Onyx.
He describes a queer club night similar to a scene from the show Heartstopper, where the main character watches a lesbian couple dancing on the dance floor. “That scene is one of the most powerful scenes for me in that show because it perfectly encapsulates what it means to be queer and how you can be yourself in a space that’s full of gay people and full of life and happiness.”
Part of what inspired him to create inclusive music spaces like queer club nights and the On Deck club is to show youth they can be who they are and learn about music in a safe space.
“It’s okay to be yourself. I want people to know they should nurture those weird and queer parts of them. Our main society frowns upon or looks at you weird because those are the things that separate you from the crowd,” said Maynard-Langedijk.
He started to play around with music, equipment and software to get familiar with the intricacies of how to DJ. His mother Tannis, is part of The Funky Mamas, a children’s music band. Maynard-Langedijk grew up with music in his family so it was easy to get into music himself.
He worked at Salsateria when he was 18, his boss was also a DJ and gave Maynard-Langedijk his own DJ night at Van Gogh’s Ear.
A mentor and teacher for Maynard-Langedijk was DJ Junglecat, who is also queer, showed him the ropes.
Now, DJ Junglecat and DJ OrangaDang run FIERCE! a monthly queer and trans dance party for people ages 19 plus. FIERCE! Is kicking back up in September at Onyx.
“A lot of people have this conception that you download a Spotify playlist and then you can throw together two songs and it just sounds good, but there are so much more skills than that,” said Maynard-Langedijk.
The tempo, beats per minute, vibe and energy of a song are all things to consider when pairing it with a similar sounding song, he explained.
OrangaDang is a big fan of house, disco and funk music. He plays queer artists and to get the crowd going wild, every set he plays Soul Makossa by Yolanda Be Cool.
Often people being able to be themselves is something they take for granted, especially if they don’t have to come out or struggle with the challenges of being a queer person, he said.
“I’ve definitely experienced discrimination in the past. I’ve been out of the closet since I was in Grade 9 so I’ve been experiencing what it’s like to be a gay person for a very long time. It definitely doesn’t mean it’s without its challenges without people making assumptions about who you are.”
