# DJ Champion > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/DJ_Champion > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/DJ_Champion.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Champion > Source revision: 1335338114 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Canadian electronic musician (born 1969)}} {{Redirect|Champion (musician)|the Seattle punk band|Champion (band)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist | background = person | name = DJ Champion | image = Place.des.festivals.DJ.Champion.07.09.09.jpg | landscape = yes | caption = DJ Champion performing in 2009 | birth_name = Maxime Morin | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|9|23|df=y}} | origin = [Montreal](/source/Montreal), Quebec, Canada | genre = {{hlist|[Electronica](/source/Electronica)|[rock](/source/Rock_music)|[trip hop](/source/trip_hop)|[big beat](/source/big_beat)}} | occupation = {{hlist|[Musician](/source/Musician)|[composer](/source/composer)|[songwriter](/source/songwriter)}} | instrument = {{hlist|Guitar|bass|[sequencer](/source/Music_sequencer)|drums|[sampler](/source/Sampler_(musical_instrument))}} | years_active = 1994–present | label = [Bonsound](/source/Bonsound) | website = {{URL|djchampion.ca}} }} '''Maxime Morin''' (born c. 1969),[http://www.voir.ca/publishing/article.aspx?zone=1§ion=6&article=39419 Martel, Stéphanie, "Le Monde est Chill", ''Voir'', Dec 8, 2005] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110627164456/http://www.voir.ca/publishing/article.aspx?zone=1§ion=6&article=39419 |date=27 June 2011 }} (French text) Last retrieved 8 January 2010 is a [Montreal](/source/Montreal)-based Canadian [multi-instrumentalist](/source/multi-instrumentalist), better known for his work in [electronic music](/source/electronic_music) under the name '''DJ Champion''', or simply '''Champion'''. ==Early music career== Maxime Morin began playing guitar at age 13, mostly specializing in [heavy metal music](/source/heavy_metal_music).[http://www.hour.ca/music/music.aspx?iIDArticle=4701 Lala, Steve, "Chillin' Them Softly with His Song", ''Hour'', Dec 14, 2004] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041213144156/http://www.hour.ca/music/music.aspx?iIDArticle=4701 |date=13 December 2004 }} Last retrieved 8 January 2010Benson, Denise, "Champion & His G-Strings", ''Eye Weekly'', 23 November 2006 He went on to play in a few [punk](/source/Punk_rock) and metal bands,Devlin, Mike, "Laptop loaded, DJ hits the road", ''Times Colonist'', 24 March 2007 but by the age of 25, he found himself moving away from metal and gravitating towards [techno](/source/techno). The transition was a gradual one: "Totally, I was like 'Dance music is crap!' So it was actually a big liberation, to lose my fear of dance music," said Morin in a 2004 interview. His girlfriend at the time took him to a warehouse show, and soon he began to attend techno Sundays at [Les Foufounes Électriques](/source/Les_Foufounes_%C3%89lectriques), a Montreal nightclub better known in the 1980s and 90s for booking punk and [alternative rock](/source/alternative_rock) acts. By 1994, Morin began producing his own dance music and was performing around the Montreal club scene under the names Le Max and Mad Max.[http://www.canada.com/cityguides/edmonton/story.html?id=a2b6cd14-3cb5-4a8d-a15e-32bd3248557d&k=97358 Sperounes, Sandra, "Montreal music scene holding strong", ''The Edmonton Journal'', Mar 27, 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107205140/http://www.canada.com/cityguides/edmonton/story.html?id=a2b6cd14-3cb5-4a8d-a15e-32bd3248557d&k=97358 |date=7 November 2012 }} Last retrieved 8 January 2010 By about age 27, he stopped playing guitar altogether. In the late 1990s, [Québécois](/source/French-speaking_Quebecer) composer [Benoît Charest](/source/Beno%C3%AEt_Charest) attended a Mad Max performance. After the show, he approached Morin with a business proposal; the two men went on to become co-owners of Ben & Max Studios—a company specializing in [jingles](/source/jingles) and soundtracks. While Ben & Max Studios became quite successful, in 2001, Morin sold his share to Charest in order to continue his own personal musical career. Even after leaving their business partnership, Morin remained in close contact with Charest, who was working on the score for the 2003 animated film ''[The Triplets of Belleville](/source/The_Triplets_of_Belleville)''. Morin would go on to record the bass and percussion on the song "[Belleville Rendez-vous](/source/Belleville_Rendez-vous_(song))", and he also performed the song live, along with Charest and vocalist [Béatrice Bonifassi](/source/B%C3%A9atrice_Bonifassi), at the [76th Academy Awards](/source/76th_Academy_Awards) ceremony in 2004—Morin played percussion on a bicycle during the live performance. One of the main protagonists in ''The Triplets of Belleville'' is an aspiring cyclist who happens to be named Champion; Morin has stated that he was already performing under that name before the film was created. ==DJ Champion== By 2001, Morin had become frustrated with commercial music work. As part owner of Ben & Max Studios, he was able to make a living producing music for advertising and film, but he also felt "empty". He thus decided to focus on making more personal music instead,[http://www.seemagazine.com/Issues/2007/0322/mus2.htm Ash, Amanda, "Heaven after all", ''SEE Magazine'', Mar 22, 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309122921/http://www.seemagazine.com/Issues/2007/0322/mus2.htm |date=9 March 2012 }} Last retrieved 8 January 2010 in a direction where he could combine "the two things that made [him] feel good: Live electronics and guitars{{nbsp}}..." He also chose to change his performance name from Mad Max to DJ Champion as a way to poke fun at the growing dance music scene and the resulting outbreak of DJs: "Everybody wanted to be a DJ and wanted to know 'Who's the best DJ?' I was like, 'I don't give a damn about all that crap now. I'm DJ Champion." The DJ Champion sound was formed by experimenting with the software music sequencer [Ableton Live](/source/Ableton_Live), which is specially designed for live DJing and arranging sounds. Morin would then layer the digitally produced beats and sounds with guitar loops.[http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/article.cfm?section=Arts&articleID=1640&month=3&day=27&year=2007 Gamotin, Desiree, "DJ Champion combines electro and guitar", ''The University of Western Ontario Gazette'', Mar 27, 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611183559/http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/article.cfm?section=Arts&articleID=1640&month=3&day=27&year=2007 |date=11 June 2011 }} Last retrieved 8 January 2010 During live performances, he and his live band would tour as "Champion et ses G Strings" ("Champion and his G Strings"). His live act often consisted of four guitarists, one bassist, a vocalist, and Morin working at his laptop and conducting the band. On occasion, he has also played live drums. ===''Chill'em All''=== 2005 saw the release of Champion's debut album, ''[Chill'em All](/source/Chill'em_All)''. It included the hit single "No Heaven"—a soulful and bluesy song set against heavy dance beats and noisy guitar riffs. Inspired by ''Negro Songs of Protest'', recorded by music collector [Lawrence Gellert](/source/Lawrence_Gellert), Béatrice Bonifassi (with whom Morin had previously collaborated on the ''Les Triplettes de Belleville'' soundtrack) sings a plaintive tune reminiscent of the [work songs](/source/work_songs) sung by the [chain gang](/source/chain_gang)s of the [American South](/source/American_South) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.[http://www.montrealmirror.com/2005/012705/cover_music.html Bottenburg, Rupert, "Personal Best >> Montreal's Champion goes for gold", ''Montreal Mirror'', Jan 27–Feb 2.2005 Vol. 20 No. 31] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203170928/http://www.montrealmirror.com/2005/012705/cover_music.html |date=3 December 2008 }} Last retrieved 9 January 2010 "I heard Betty singing those blues songs, and she was the girl for that job," said Morin. The single "No Heaven" was used in both a trailer and the ending credits of [Gearbox Software](/source/Gearbox_Software)'s 2009 video game, ''[Borderlands](/source/Borderlands_(video_game))''[http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-dj-champion-no-heaven/ ''Music Review: Dj Champion – No Heaven Borderlands'' from blogcritics.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015015519/http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-dj-champion-no-heaven/ |date=15 October 2010 }} Last retrieved 9 January 2010 as well as in the opening credits of the television series ''[The Line](/source/The_Line_(TV_series))'' and the ending credits of the game ''[Army of Two](/source/Army_of_Two)''.[http://www.reviewsproducts.com/video-game/borderlands-videos-3466.html Army of Two review on reviewsproducts.com] Last retrieved 9 January 2010 ''Chill'em All'' won the Album of the Year [Félix Award](/source/F%C3%A9lix_Award) in 2005 in the electronic/techno category and was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 2006 [Juno Award](/source/Juno_Award)s.[http://www.djchampion.net/info DJ Champion's bio on his official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100329070549/http://www.djchampion.net/info |date=29 March 2010 }} Last retrieved 9 January 2010 "No Heaven" was nominated at the 2006 [CASBY Award](/source/CASBY_Award)s in the category Favourite New Song and won the [SOCAN](/source/SOCAN) prize for Dance Music in 2007.[http://www.socan.ca/jsp/en/pub/news_events/Tor18_AnnualAwards.jsp 18th Annual SOCAN Award highlights from their official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090928213754/http://www.socan.ca/jsp/en/pub/news_events/Tor18_AnnualAwards.jsp |date=28 September 2009 }} Last retrieved 9 January 2010 The album went on to sell over 100,000 copies across Canada. ===''The Remix Album''=== In 2006, Champion released ''The Remix Album'', which featured remixes of tracks from ''Chill'em All'' by guest musicians including [Akufen](/source/Akufen) and [Patrick Watson](/source/Patrick_Watson_(musician)). The record garnered Morin another Félix Award for Show of the Year, and it was also nominated for [Dance Recording of the Year](/source/Juno_Award_for_Dance_Recording_of_the_Year) at the [2007 Juno Awards](/source/2007_Juno_Awards). Morin and Bonifassi worked together again on a version of the 1957 [Screamin' Jay Hawkins](/source/Screamin'_Jay_Hawkins) hit "[I Put a Spell on You](/source/I_Put_a_Spell_on_You)"; it was used as the theme song of the [Kim Nguyen](/source/Kim_Nguyen) film ''[Truffles](/source/Truffles_(film))'', which premiered at the [Fantasia Festival](/source/Fantasia_Festival) in January 2008.[http://www.showbizz.net/articles/20080416104207/truffe_sortira_salles_juillet.html Rhéaume, Julie, "Le film «Truffe» ouvrira le festival Fantasia le 3 juillet", ''Showbizz.net'', Apr 16, 2008] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821044340/http://www.showbizz.net/articles/20080416104207/truffe_sortira_salles_juillet.html |date=21 August 2008 }} (French text) Last retrieved 9 January 2010[http://www.lecinema.ca/nouvelle/7740/ "Truffe au Festival Fantasia", ''LeCinema.ca'', Apr 16, 2008] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407095253/http://www.lecinema.ca/nouvelle/7740/ |date=7 April 2010 }} (French text) Last retrieved 9 January 2010 ===''Resistance''=== In 2007, Champion composed the [soundtrack](/source/soundtrack) to the video game ''[Snakes Subsonic](/source/Snakes_Subsonic)''.{{cite news |last=Hearn |first=Rob |title=Hands on with Snakes Subsonic on N-Gage |date=5 March 2008 |url=https://www.pocketgamer.com/snakes-subsonic/hands-on-with-snakes-subsonic-on-n-gage/ |journal=[Pocket Gamer](/source/Pocket_Gamer) |access-date=29 March 2025 |archive-date=29 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250329224843/https://www.pocketgamer.com/snakes-subsonic/hands-on-with-snakes-subsonic-on-n-gage/ |url-status=live}} In 2008, after a long spate of touring and performing, Morin felt that his newer material was starting to sound too similar to the songs of ''Chill'em All'', and he decided to delete an entire studio recording in order to start fresh.[http://radio3.cbc.ca/bands/Champion DJ Champion bio page from CBC Radio 3]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Last retrieved on 1 June 2010[http://www.spinner.ca/2009/12/30/dj-champion-chooses-path-of-most-resistance/ Berner, Drew, "DJ Champion Chooses Path of Most Resistance", ''Spinner'', Dec 30, 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706203733/http://www.spinner.ca/2009/12/30/dj-champion-chooses-path-of-most-resistance/ |date=6 July 2011 }} Last retrieved 9 January 2010 He withdrew from the musical scene and began experimenting. He also recruited Pilou Côté, a young musician from Montreal, to provide vocals, replacing Bonifassi, who had since formed the [electronic music](/source/electronic_music) project [Beast](/source/Beast_(Canadian_band)) with [Jean-Philippe Goncalves](/source/Jean-Philippe_Goncalves).[https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Album+week+Champion+Resistance/2001013/story.html Dunlevy, T'Cha, "Album of the week Sept. 17: Champion's Resistance", ''The Montreal Gazette'', Sep 2009]{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Last retrieved 9 January 2010[https://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Resistance+futile+after+Champion+adapts+loss+lead+singer/1984407/story.html Dunlevy, T'Cha, "Resistance isn't futile, after all, as DJ Champion adapts to loss of lead singer", ''The Montreal Gazette'', Sep 11, 2009]{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Last retrieved 9 January 2010 ''Resistance'' was released on 15 September 2009, with "Alive Again" as its first single. ===''°1'', ''Best Seller''=== Champion published his third studio album, ''°1'', in 2013, and followed it in 2016 with ''Best Seller''. ===G Strings band members=== {{columns-start}} '''Current''' * Maxime Morin – main producer, keyboards * Barry Russell – guitar[http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-nouvelliste/week-end/200909/17/01-902785-dj-champion-resiste-a-la-tentation-de-la-repetition.php Montminy, Marie-Josée, "DJ Champion résiste à la tentation de la répétition", ''Le Nouvelliste'', Sep 19, 2009] (French text) Last retrieved 1 June 2010 * Sébastien Blais-Montpetit – guitar * Pierre-Philippe "Pilou" Côté – vocals * Stéphane Leclerc – guitar * Jean-Luc Huet – guitar * Louis Lalancette – bass[http://www.guttersnipenews.com/2009/11/08/dj-champion/ Conner, Shawn, "Interview – Champion", ''Guttersnipe'', Nov 8, 2009] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111000923/http://www.guttersnipenews.com/2009/11/08/dj-champion/ |date=11 January 2010 }} Last retrieved 1 June 2010 {{column}} '''Past''' * [Betty Bonifassi](/source/Betty_Bonifassi) – vocals * Manon Chaput – bass{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110607074656/http://www.chartattack.com/news/53559/beast-emerge-from-the-champion-camp Leijon, Erik, "Beast Emerge from the Champion Camp", ''CHARTattack'', Apr 9, 2008]}} Last retrieved 1 June 2010 * Blanche Baillargeon — Bass * Marie-Christine Depestre – vocals[http://www.mariechristinemusic.com/about-me Marie-Christine Depestre's bio on her official website.] Last retrieved 3 January 2023[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKiAJD_n0Kc Marie-Christine Depestre performing the song "No Heaven" with DJ Champion] on the [Radio-Canada](/source/Canadian_Broadcasting_Corporation) tv show ''[Tout le monde en parle](/source/Tout_le_monde_en_parle_(Quebec))'' in 2007. Last retrieved 15 June 2010 {{columns-end}} ==Illness and recovery== On 18 May 2010, it was announced on Champion's official website that all concert dates up to 3 July were cancelled due to a "health matter" that required him to "stop all activities in order to regain his strength".[http://www.djchampion.net/landing/view/602 May 18, 2010 tour date cancellation announcement on DJ Champion's official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725040512/http://www.djchampion.net/landing/view/602 |date=25 July 2010 }} Last retrieved 1 June 2010[https://thestarphoenix.com/entertainment/Worth+wait/3054700/story.html McKay, Stephanie, "Worth the wait", "The StarPhoenix", May 21, 2010]{{Dead link|date=January 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Last retrieved 1 June 2010[http://www.cyberpresse.ca/arts/musique/201005/18/01-4281413-loco-locass-cree-une-version-instrumentale-de-le-but.php Duchesne, André, "Loco Locass crée une version instrumentale de ''Le but''", ''La Presse'', May 18, 2010] (French text) Last retrieved 1 June 2010 On 7 June, an updated statement was added to his official website, confirming that he would be postponing all performances indefinitely.[http://www.journalmetro.com/culture/article/544809--dj-champion-annule-tous-les-spectacles-prevus-en-raison-d-ennuis-de-sante "DJ Champion annule tous les spectacles prévus en raison d'ennuis de santé", ''La Presse Canadienne'', June 7, 2010] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611072404/http://www.journalmetro.com/culture/article/544809--dj-champion-annule-tous-les-spectacles-prevus-en-raison-d-ennuis-de-sante |date=11 June 2010 }} (French text) Last retrieved 13 June 2010[http://www.cyberpresse.ca/la-tribune/arts-spectacles/201006/07/01-4287636-dj-champion-est-malade.php Plante, Claude, "DJ Champion est malade", ''La Tribune'', June 7, 2010] (French text) Last retrieved 13 June 2010 On 4 July, Champion's management company, [Bonsound](/source/Bonsound), officially announced to the press that Morin was suffering from [lymphoma](/source/lymphoma).[https://montrealgazette.com/health/Montreal+Champion+leukemia/3235058/story.html "Montreal's DJ Champion has leukemia", ''Montreal Gazette'', July 4, 2010] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708195419/http://www.montrealgazette.com/health/Montreal+Champion+leukemia/3235058/story.html |date=8 July 2010 }} Last retrieved 5 July 2010[http://www.cyberpresse.ca/arts/musique/201007/04/01-4295445-dj-champion-atteint-dun-cancer.php Journet, Paul, "DJ Champion atteint d'un cancer", ''La Presse'', July 4, 2010] (French text) Last retrieved 5 July 2010. On 27 January 2011, Champion posted an announcement, stating, "I ain't sick anymore", and on 13 April, another post stated that he would "gradually resume performing in the coming weeks". ==Discography== * ''[Chill'em All](/source/Chill'em_All)'' (2005) * ''[The Remix Album](/source/The_Remix_Album_(Champion_album))'' (2006) * ''[Live](/source/Live_(Champion_album))'' (2007) * ''Resistance'' (2009) * ''°1'' (2013) * ''Best Seller'' (2016) ==Singles chart positions== {| class="wikitable" |rowspan="2"| '''Year''' |rowspan="2"| '''Song''' |colspan="2"| '''Chart positions''' |rowspan="2"| '''Album''' |- | '''[CAN](/source/Canadian_Hot_100)''' | '''[CAN](/source/Canadian_Hot_100)'''
'''[Alt.](/source/Alt.)'''[http://americasmusiccharts.com/index.cgi?fmt=Z7 America's Music Charts: Canadian Alternative Rock] |- | 2007 | "No Heaven" |align="center"| 30 |align="center"| |rowspan="1"| ''Chill'em All'' |- | 2008 | "I Put a Spell on You" |align="center"| 96 |align="center"| |rowspan="1"| ''The Remix Album'' |- | 2009 | "Alive Again" |align="center"| – |align="center"| 13 |rowspan="2"| ''Resistance'' |- | 2010 | "Perfect in Between" |align="center"| – |align="center"| 18 |} ==References== {{Reflist|2}} ==External links== * {{official website|djchampion.ca}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Champion, DJ}} Category:Canadian electronic musicians Category:Musicians from Montreal Category:Living people Category:1969 births Category:Canadian electronic dance music DJs --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [DJ Champion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Champion) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Champion?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.