Born in the wilds of Calgary in 1981, Tyler James Bohnet has been a staple of the techno scene since settlers first brought electricity to Alberta in the late 1990s. For the past 7 years, Bohnet, or DJ Anx as he's known when playing shows or prowling the streets of Gotham, has played across Canada, opening for such diverse acts as Richie Hawtin, Dave the Drummer, DJ Preach, Chris Liberator, Mark EG, Patrick DSP Ant and many others. Driven by a love of techno, Anx is booked for nearly every major, minor, and middling techno event in Calgary, and has also played gigs in Australia and Moonbase Alpha. With frequent shows at the Warehouse, the city's top electronic and after-hours club, DJ Anx has quickly become one of Calgary's favorite techno DJs.
An avid and clinically obsessive vinyl collector, Anx's myriad of influences have given birth to an extremely technical yet creative performance, one that encompasses funky techno, hard techno, minimal, breakbeat, electro, acid techno and whatever 'shranz' is. His on-stage attitude is rowdy, energetic, loud, and animated, and gets the crowd going just as surely as his varied and versatile sets. Intricate cuts, triple turntable action, and pounding energy not only sound like descriptions of a snuff film, but also are also integral parts of an Anx show. His mixes, most of which can be found @ myspace.com/anxxx , all incorporate a variety of different styles of techno to keep the listener raptly attentive, and, like Grand Theft Auto without the dead prostitutes, they have a high replay value.
But that's not all Anx is about. He also likes long walks on the beach, sunsets, phrenology and throwing huge bacchanalian techno parties. A founding member of the Rebel Sound System, Anx and his collective formed in 2000, and quickly began throwing creatively legal outdoor shows to help cure the summertime blues with music, dancing, and the ever-present threat of arrest. Inspired by the free squat parties thrown in Europe by the Liberators, these shows included generators, a kickass DJ booth, a giant army tent, shopping cart transporters, inter-dimensional portals to the Negative Zone, checkpoints, lots of beer, a Cylon guard squad, three of the Fantastic Four, and huge crowds of free party supporters. In 2003, the Rebel Sound System went reasonably legit, graduating to throwing local techno and club shows, raves, and outdoor festivals. More recently, the Rebels built a stage from the ground up at the Motion Notion festival, which hosted 1000 people for 2 nights of electronic excess. As well, the collective also threw the 4th annual I Love Techno party, which featured Londoner DJ Ant. An integral part of the Calgary techno scene, Tyler James Bohnet shows no signs of slowing down, as long as Alberta’s electricity stays on.
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