Best DJ

Isobelrabbit

KittyBass, Best of Halifax 2022 gold winner of Best DJ

GOLD WINNER

SILVER WINNER

BRONZE WINNER

The road to gold for DJ KittyBass (AKA Katie Thomas) has been long—and paved in dubstep. To hear her tell it, after recording arts college and a stint in Toronto, “I got my first bar gig in Halifax at the Argyle—well, it’s The Pint now, but it used to be The Argyle. I played on the patio for like two hours and it was incredible. So much fun. I never looked back.” That was 2014, and now she’s the first woman to win gold Best DJ recognition in over a decade.

Thomas says the playlist she builds for a show can take anywhere from a few hours to a month to complete. The process starts with a nearly obsessive categorizing of genre and subgenre, building out from those classifications and their vibes. The ideal KittyBass set often sports some hip hop and dubstep to create a deep danceability. “I would say myself, [my style is] definitely a bit open format: I try not to do too many really niche things, because I am a lover of all music. When I first started DJing, I would play at house parties and stuff. So I learned how to play pop music and dance music first,” she adds. These days, of course, she’s swapped house parties for festival slots—and standing dates around town like the bi-monthly queer astrology dance party she hosts at The Foggy Goggle.

“I don't know where or what I'd be doing if I didn't have the amazing support that I have. And the amazing followers and family, friends, everybody who just voted. Yeah, I wouldn't be gold if nobody voted,” Thomas adds. “So I just appreciate everyone voting for me.”