Denise Benson

music • words • passion

From childhood, music and words have ruled Denise’s world. The first turntable came as a bribe at the age of four. She stopped sucking her thumb, got hooked on Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock,” and a budding DJ was born. A teenage obsession with punk, goth, and experimental sounds ensured that gigs were hard to come by in the small town (Cobourg) where she attended high school, but then came The Move. Benson began mixing it up in Toronto in 1987 and has been dropping beats, pieces and ideas ever since, becoming one of the city’s most celebrated club and radio DJs.

For nineteen years, she has hosted and programmed ‘Mental Chatter’ on CKLN 88.1fm. The weekly, three-hour program has consistently been one of the station’s top-rated shows, and is one of Toronto’s most eminent, varied and respected sources of electronic/independent music and related information. Denise has also worked as a host, programmer, and correspondent for CBC Radio Two programs including Brave New Waves, RadioEscapade and RadioSonic.

Since ’87, Denise has also DJed her way into the hearts of music fans via thousands of club appearances in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, NYC and beyond. She believes in spinning edgy, sexy sounds as diverse and playful as the crowds shaking it up, blending house, tech, electro, rock, reggae, hip-hop, punk funk, dub, downtempo, and much more for ever expanding audiences. Creating forward thinking club nights, she has held residencies and played at a huge range of venues, including Nuts ‘n Bolts, the Caribou, Lizard Lounge, Claremont, Boom Boom Room, Boots, Catch 22, Roxy Blu, Una Mas, Guvernment, Gypsy Co-op, and dozens more. Her current residencies include SYNCHRO Fridays (open ears. open minds. open format) with co-DJ Andrew Allsgood, and the SAVOUR monthly, both at Andy Poolhall. Visit the DJ section of this site for more info about SYNCHRO and SAVOUR.

Since 1996, she has regularly been voted 'Toronto's Top DJ' in both NOW and Eye magazine reader's polls and was recognized by her peers as "Toronto’s most influential player" in Eye's 'Behind the Decks' industry poll (Nov. 2001). Other media coverage has come from sources including Toronto Life, Xtra!, MuchMusic, TVO, The New Music, CTV, Montreal Mirror, Hour, TorontoLife Fashion, and BlogTO.com.

On the flip, this music-obsessed grrrl has worked as a freelance music journalist since 1995, writing for publications including Exclaim!, Xtra, Fuse, and Peace. Since mid 1999, she has contributed two club culture columns, Extended Play and DB’s Best Bets, to Eye Weekly each week, becoming one of Toronto’s most looked-to sources for fresh tips, reliable info, and coverage of significant new artists. Additionally, Benson was CKLN’s Program and Music Director for five years, worked as a programmer for the JVC Groove and Urban Rhythm Festivals, and promoted underground releases while at Iron Music.

Denise believes firmly in spreading the word about gorgeous tunes ‘n such, working hard to connect with diverse audiences in print, via the airwaves, and on many a dancefloor.