After many months of anonymity from the spotlight and bustle of the music world, Maxime Morin, aka DJ Champion, emerged from the shadows of his studio last September 2009 to present his highly anticipated new album Resistance on Saboteur Musique. After 2 pan-Canadian tours, 2 sold-out shows at the Métropolis in Montréal and a performance at the 2010 Olympic winter games in Vancouver, Champion and his G-Strings will continue to present the explosive tracks of Resistance for months to come.

Eager to expand his musical horizons beyond his highly acclaimed success Chill Em All, DJ Champion deliberately deleted an entire studio recording following his last tour in the winter of 2008 after realizing similarities with his previous record were too close for comfort.  In order to break the cycle and create a zone of artistic instability, DJ Champion retired entirely from the public scene and engaged in a secluded lifestyle. This state of solitude pushed Morin in a profound musical direction and Resistance began to take form.

Aware of the challenges of re-creating the energy of his live performances, DJ Champion chose to incorporate elements of rock to Resistance, thus allowing him to deliver the same energy he captures on the live stage. Strongly inspired by turn of the century worksongs, the DJ sat down for a moment and for the first time, wrote most of the lyrics on the record. To help relay his prose, DJ Champion recruited Pilou, a young prodige from the Montreal music scene who makes his debut appearance singing with fire and fierceness alongside DJ Champion’s signature electric guitar and electronic drum wizardry.

A strong album in its sonority with tracks that shines through the uplifting construction of the composition, Resistance, is the artist's inner struggle to avoid venturing down the same path creatively. “I could have gone back to where I am from”, says DJ Champion, “I could have made obscure electro, even more experimental, but for me there was no challenge in doing so!" Musical exploration has always been more important then the image projected for DJ Champion and this is made clear with Resistance’s eleven burning dance tracks that are just as contagious as any of his previous work.

Honors and distinctions

Félix for Electro Album of the year, ADISQ 2005
Félix for Best show of the year, ADISQ 2006
Socan Prize Dance Music, No Heaven, 2007
Nominated at the CASBY Awards, in the category Favorite New Song, 2006
Nominated at the Junos Awards in the category Best Dance Recording, 2006

Crew

• Maxime Morin : DJ, Leader
• Pilou : voice
• Barry Russell : guitar
• Stéphane "Fets" Leclerc : guitar
• Jean-Luc Huet : guitar
• Sébastien Blais-Montpetit : guitar
• Louis Lalancette : bass

Important Shows

Canada, United States, Mexico, France, Finlande, Germany

• Inauguration du Quartiers des spectacles (2009)
• Transmit Now // Rifflandia Festival (Vancouver 2009)
• Juno Awards (2007)
• Exclaim! Tour (2007)
• SXSW (2007)
• Transmission (Vancouver 2006)
• Toronto Film Festival (2006)
• M for Montreal (2006)
• The Great Escape Festival (UK, 2006)
• Paléo Festival (Switzerland 2006)
• CMW (2005)
• Transmusicales de Rennes (2005)
• Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (Las Vegas 2005)
• Montreal International Jazz Festival (2004-2005)
• Montreal Francofolies (2004)
• Academy Awards (2004) - Les Triplettes de Belleville

À PROPOS / ABOUT RESISTANCE...

But it was DJ Champion, performing with his G-Strings, who provoked the biggest crowd response of the weekend. The DJ, real name Maxime Morin, delivered a relentless performance, which included one near 15-minute epic.
Jason Gregory, Gigwise (UK)

The coolest thing of the night had to have been Champion and his G-Strings. Nothing livens up a DJ set like having him conduct five guitarists during his set"
Bill Pearis, Brooklyn Vegan (USA)

DJ Champion conducting a sextet of guitarists through euphoric, skyscraping hoops of axe-assisted loops.
Niall Doherty, The Fly (UK)

L’efficacité extraordinaire de Champion et ses G-Strings qui, en quelques minutes, quelques symphonies guitaristiques et quelques pyramides rythmiques, ont rendu la foule folle de joie –bras en l’air et jambes remuantes, hurlements de plaisir à chaque nouvelle strate de la fusée incandescente, Champion sait décidément y faire, et devrait à nouveau faire quelques ravages en Europe.
Thomas Burgel, Les Inrockuptibles (FR)

Resistance [...] correspond mieux à ce qu'on espérait du concept Champion. En plus d'y déployer une palette stylistique élargie, l'artiste se montre plus sérieux et audacieux dans ses croisements génétiques. Enfin , les guitares ont du grain et les trames, une troisième dimension. Enfin, on sent de belles modulations d'intensité. [...] Bref, Champion a gagné sur le front qu'il lui manquait.
Olivier Lalande, Nightlife Magazine, Septembre 2009

Betty Bonifassi, whose vocals ruled 2005's Chill 'em All, is busy with Beast now, and the multiple singers who make up for that further diversify a disc that struts, stomps, staggers -- but never stumbles. 8/10
Rupert Bottenberg, Mirror, 24 septembre 2009

...Champion arrive à un équilibre parfait dans Sannois Beach, un chef-d'oeuvre qui combine ses influences planantes et abrasives.
Olivier Robillard Laveaux, Voir Montréal, 17 septembre 2009

The title track with its danceable chorus, seductive hook and coquettish flirtation with the darkside could easily be a pop-rock hit. [...] Resistance is impossible.
Graham Rockingham, Journal Metro Canada, September 24th 2009

Backing Off comes close to Jack White territory, with its sweet slide riff, freaky guitar solos and unremitting heavy-blues drive. Sannois Beach, based on Leroy Carr's How Long, flies a troop of wailing guitars high above the vocal and the deep pulsing beats.
Robert Everett Green, The Globe and Mail, September 22nd 2009

Resistance est un bon album populaire à la réalisation impeccable dans lequel Champion, sans révolutionner sa signature musicale, a tout de même réussi à évoluer tout en gardant ses acquis. Les adeptes seront conquis et peut-être le son plus rock saura-t-il charmer ceux que l'électro laisse froids.
Élodie Gagnon, Bande-à-Part, Septembre 2009

 

À PROPOS / ABOUT CHILL' EM ALL...

Défi relevé avec brio, surtout qu’au délà de la formule, il y a le travail minutieux qui nous permet d’y découvrir de nouvelles subtilités à chaque écoute.
Philippe Renaud, La Presse

Champion n’a pas tardé à soulever la foule avec son heureux mélange de rythmes house et de guitares soniques.
Patrick Baillargeon, Ici Montréal

Champion and his G-Strings conquered the elements and the crowd last night, pulling off a veritable miracle for the jazz fest’s big free outdoor blowout […] Doing justice to his name, Champion built an ingenuously textured set…the beat never stopped nor did the vibe.
T’Cha Dunlevy, The Montreal Gazette

What he accomplished with the Champion ID, with Chill’EM All and with the G-Strings […] is a magnificent mix of minimal techno beats, piercing blues-based songs and layers of twinkling, groaning, howling, crunching guitars piled one on top of one another.
Rupert Bottenberg, Montreal Mirror

Champion is at the top of his game, coming out with blues-based, coed, guitar-laden techno tracks that merge many styles into one gutsy piece of work.
McGill Tribune

La révélation est venue d’un groupe trans-genres que personne n’avait vu venir, les Québécois de Champion. Ce groupe improbable repose sur le Montréalais Maxime Morin, DJ chef d’orchestre menant à la baguette une chanteuse et cinq guitaristes empilant les couches sonores. Leur mix de groove, rock, funk, house (un peu dans la veine des 2 Many Dj’S) s’avère détonant.
France 3, 27e édition des Transmusicales

Champion, c’est Champion! […] Parmi les révélations, une seule fait l’unanimité : les joyeux Québécois de Champion… Seul Champion, véritable machine à danser québécoise, entre guitares électriques, rythmes électro et voix jazzy, a emporté l’adhésion générale.
Ouest France, 27e édition des Transmusicales

Monday, March 8th, 2010
Canadian Music Week!

This picture is from Champion's twitter! If you would like to receive amazing photos like these or hilarious videos from their tours, follow them on Twitter by clicking here!

After playing at the Olympics and a couple shows in Western Canada, Champion and his G-Strings will be performing at CMW on Thursday March 11th! It will surely be a blast!

WOOT WOOT!

CHAMPION AND HIS G-STRINGS AT CMW
THURSDAY MARCH 11th
THE GUVERNMENT
Doors 8PM
Show 9PM
With Beast & Misstress Barbara
Bracelet 20$ or CMW pass

Friday, February 26th, 2010
Champion's back on the road!

© Barry Russell

That's it! After another sold-out Métropolis in Montreal, Champion and his G-Strings are back on the road across Western Canada once again for the Resistance album! Don't miss them in your town!

And you should be a part of SO BIG LIVE! During every show Pilou will film the crowd during So Big, we want to know which city will scream the hardest! You can watch the videos on Champion's youtube channel!

02/27/10 Whistler, BC // Whistler Village Square
03/03/10 Calgary, AB // The Gateway Bar - Sait Campus
03/04/10 Edmonton, AB // Starlite room
03/06/10 Vancouver, BC // The Venue
03/07/10 Victoria, BC // Sugar Nightclub
03/11/10 Toronto, ON // The Guvernment

Thursday, January 28th, 2010
Champion at the Métropolis on March 18th!

We wanted to make sure you had your tickets for tonight show at Métropolis, but OH... it's SOLD-OUT!! But don't worry, we just added a new date for Champion in Montreal at the Métropolis, March 18th! Be sure not to miss it and buy your tickets here! Quick! 

Meanwhile, watch this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYJuesWZTrw) of the Canadian Tour 2009! 

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
Champion at the Métropolis, again!

Champion au Métropolis // © Barry Russell

Don't miss Champion & his G-Strings at the Métropolis on January 28th! What? You don't have your tickets? It's almost SOLD-OUT! Quick!

Friday, November 20th, 2009
Champion made people bounced at the Métropolis!

© Barry Russell

Fidèle à lui-même, Champion s’est démené derrière sa console et ses portables, modelant les rythmes comme bon lui semble. Les corps massés n’auront affiché aucune résistance, laissant la musique et la vibe du moment les posséder.

Chaque prestation de Champion constitue une expérience en soi, faisant office de laboratoire expérimental où se produit immanquablement une explosion de textures musicales variées qui forment un tout plus que cohérent. La prestation de jeudi a une fois de plus confirmé la règle.

Marie-France Pellerin, November 20th 2009, 7jours.ca

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Friday, August 6th
Toronto, ON @ CNE Bandshell

Address: Canadian National Exhibition
Notes: CANCELED

Friday, August 13th
Trois-Rivières, QC @ Scène Le Temple

Notes: CANCELED