Guy Laliberté is the founder of global entertainment powerhouse, Cirque du Soleil. He began an amazing adventure in music some years ago, taking on his role as a DJ like he has with everything else in his life, with the goal of sharing emotions with people.

“I like music that transpires emotions and feelings.” This can be done in intimate settings or larger gatherings but the objective is the same. “I am a storyteller. I approach my sets as a journey I want to share. A story I want to tell.” With a distinctive intuitive approach, Guy adapts his story for his audience and the mood that is in place. A style he describes as deep ‘journey’ house. “I hope that I can share my passion with people. Positive passion can make the world better.”

We had the chance to interview the multi-talented artist about his experience as a DJ, his new project PY1 and more. You can enjoy it now while listening to the great set he has provided for our Select Cuts series.

 

WWD: Guy, thanks a lot for chatting with us today. Where are you in the world right now and what have you been up to this week?

I’ve been traveling and working on PY1, a new nomadic venue in Montreal, which opened on June 1st.

 

WWD: You’re renowned of course for the creation of Cirque Du Soleil, which itself holds music very highly. Where did your appreciation for music begin and how did it transition into performing as a DJ?

I come from a folk music family. My father used to play accordion, so music has always been part of my roots. It allowed me to achieve my dream of traveling all around the world. Whether with Cirque du Soleil or Lune Rouge – my new venture -, it continued to be important, being embedded in the artistic elements…

I followed the emergence of electro music pretty much since the beginning. DJ’ing was very casual for me at the time, but one of my objectives when I sold Cirque du Soleil in 2015 has been to play as an artist… so this is when I really decided to spend more time learning and practicing DJ’ing.

 

WWD: How would you describe your style as a DJ?

I can play lots of style depending on the crowd and the environment… It can go to deep chill music, to deep progressive world house (my club style)…

 

WWD: Can we expect some musical productions from you in the future? Do you enjoying getting in the studio?

Yes actually, I’m starting to look into producing some tracks… I just need to find time to do so amongst the zillion things I am working on at the same time! But yes, it’s definitely part of my personal goals… I just don’t know when I’ll do it!

 

WWD: You’ve played a lot of parties and clubs around the world from Burning Man to Montreal, Ibiza and Miami. Can you share with us some of your favourite moments behind the decks?

Playing at Robot Heart on their 10th anniversary night at the playa in 2017 was definitely memorable… Sensation-wise, when you offer a great performance to your crowd, the feeling is super. I also love having b-2-b sessions with a DJ I’ve never played with before; it creates magical moments, where we get to know each other through this powerful communication channel that is music.

 

WWD: What are your 3 all-time favorite tracks?

I can’t answer this without being unfair to all the other tracks I love… there are too many!

 

WWD: You’ve just created a new type of venue in ‘PY1’ that Montreal hosted for the last 4 months. Can you tell us a bit about this project?

PY1 is nomadic touring venue specifically designed for the presentation of multi-sensory shows and immersive experiences. The underlying premise is that we believe that through technology, we are able to tell stories, to build collective experiences, in a different way, to bring us all together.

We have a 1-hour multimedia show, Through the Echoes, that transports you on a technical odyssey through space and time. The original soundtrack combines music from a variety of genres.

We also have what we call PY1 Nights, which is a redefined nightlife experience through 7 thematic worlds, where we give the stage to local musical rich talents and we encourage guests to get costumed.

 

WWD: Best piece of advice you have received recently?

Sleep a little more!

 

WWD: Outside of music, what makes you happiest?

Everything! Sincerely, most of things I live in my life makes me happy.

 

WWD: Cheers for speaking to us today Guy, we’ll see you at PY1!