Twitch DJ Profile – Beats Pacifik Guru (Canada)

Hailing from Vancouver Island in the Pacific Ocean, Beats Pacifik Guru has been shelling out massive sets on Twitch many times a week. Between his random pop-ups and weekly residencies on multiple raid trains, Guru has been showing the world how Western Canada holds it down. Fresh off a Flex Friday raid train set, I caught up with this hard-working DJ to pick his brain about what it’s like to be a Twitch staple.

Introduce yourself. Where are you from?

Hello, I’m Guru. I am originally from Calgary but now I’m in Victoria, British Columbia. I used to be called Self Cleaning Guru but promoters had a difficult time spelling that name so it eventually became just Guru.

Where have you played? What are your credentials? Brag about yourself.

I have played or had a residency at nearly every bar in Calgary. In 20+ years I’ve played many festivals including Shambhala, Fozzy Fest, Wicked Woods, Electric Sky, and Connect. I’ve definitely played a show or two.

How did you discover Twitch?

When the pandemic started, I started streaming on Facebook again. I already had the gear from streaming before the lockdowns. In the earlier days Facebook was OK with streaming drum and bass. But then they started cutting off music streams and fellow Twitch DJ Strange Manner suggested I try Twitch.

What inspired you to start streaming on your own channel?

A little bit of time and boredom. I had all these records, and I had all the gear from when I used to stream on Facebook in 2015. So it just made sense.

So you were an early adopter of online streaming back in 2015?

Even before that I was part of an online radio station called Rum and Bass Radio. It was a short lived project run by some friends. That’s when I truly started broadcasting.

What do you like about DJ’ing online?

The community is very open to all kinds of music. They are open to music that you can’t really dance to in a bar setting. I couldn’t play some Aphex Twin or Squarepusher in a club on a Friday night unless I was at the right club for it; and I don’t know where that is because there aren’t very many.

And dislike?

Streaming is something you need to be mentally prepared for. You do have that unfortunate ability to see how other people are doing versus your streams. You need to remember to not compare yourself with other DJ’s. That can be really hard and we all get sucked into that at one time or another.

Having scheduled streams can be a drawback. Some days I might not feel like streaming, but you’re on a schedule and you have to keep it up or viewership drops off and people stop following you.

How different do you find playing in real life compared to online?

There are some huge differences. When you’re playing a live show you can actually see things happening right in front of you. You can see people react. You can see them shut down or see them jump-up. You can play with that a lot easier in real life and you can’t do that online.

I used to play on the Calgary University radio station CJSW a long time ago. It was weird because you’re playing music, you know all these people are listening, but you’re standing in a room. You can’t see anybody. There wasn’t even a chat or emojis.

Being a long time streamer, did you find setting up your Twitch equipment difficult?

As long as it’s the equipment I am familiar with it’s no problem. I’m pretty good with equipment and it doesn’t take long to figure out. I’m a techy person.

What kind of streaming software do you use?

I use the Streamlabs version of OBS. A lot of people don’t like it and I get ridiculed for using it. I like it and am used to it. I do have regular OBS for streaming on other people’s channels so I don’t mess up the setting of my regular streams.

Some streamers prefer to strictly DJ, while others interact with their chat. What is your style?

I try to strike a balance between the two but for the most part I don’t chat too much. I don’t want to talk over good music but I will shout-out people and say hi back if I see them chatting. When I play reggae I try not to talk because the music is lyrical. 

Are you a member of any stream teams?

Yes. I am in 11:34, Junglists, United by Breakbeat, and Team Drum and Bass.

How do bits and subscriptions support your channel?

Massively. The lockdowns were tough on everyone including me. While Twitch income wasn’t some large sum, it helped out. Now that things are going back to normal, bits and subscriptions help the channel to buy new records and equipment. 

You play different genres on your channel. Do you find the different styles change the audience and/or viewership?

To a certain degree, yes. If I’m playing house, most drum and bass people won’t stick around. Playing reggae is also difficult. It’s also reflective of the pandemic restrictions being lifted, it’s just harder to keep the higher viewership numbers now.

You often play a seldom heard genre on Twitch, reggae. Tell me how reggae came into your life.

I guess it started with Jungle. I would hear all these reggae samples in the songs and I’d be curious about the origins. I would seek out the songs and I started building a small collection that way. Eventually I started hanging out at Recordland in Calgary. The owner brought me under his wing and taught me about reggae. I would go into his store looking for something new and he’d tell me ”you must own this reggae record, you don’t have a choice”.

You have a passion for vinyl. Do you find playing your record collection brings more or less people to your channel?

Playing records can influence people to watch a bit but as long as you’re playing good music most people don’t care what medium you’re playing.

You frequently participate in raid trains. What is the appeal of them to you?

I like that you can pick up different people along the raid trains and that it brings people to my channel. It’s kind of two-fold however. I am not a super popular channel but I do have my fair share of viewers. So I like that I can raid a smaller channel and help them out, too. Raids are a great idea —the fact you can take your whole audience to another channel is awesome.

Was Bronson (Guru’s dog) always meant to be part of the stream or was that a happy accident?

That was definitely a happy accident. He always sat in the background and he’s grown up around music. Nothing phases him at this point. He’s slept on many dance floors throughout the years— he’s a Junglist through-and-through. So when people would see him in the background of the stream, they’d ask for more of the dog they love. So I purchased a second, fish-eye lens camera and that became the dog-cam!

What would you say to somebody thinking of trying out streaming?

Absolutely do it. It’s a lot of fun but don’t get discouraged if you don’t see viewers right away. You have to set up a schedule, stick to that schedule, and the more time you can be on, the more people you will draw in. That being said, don’t wear yourself out because you can do that very easily.

Do you produce any of your own music or have other musical interests outside of DJing?

I used to play drums. I started when I was 12 years old and played in bands, etc. The drum kit hasn’t been set up for a few years but that might change soon. Drum and bass is very focused on the drums and that’s what got me into it.

Any last comments and/or shout-outs/promos?

Please check out my channel and website:

www.twitch.tv/beatspacifikguru

www.beatpacifikguru.com

Thank you very much Beats Pacifik Guru for taking the time to chat with us. If you have been sleeping on his channel, do go check him out — you never know what you might find this veteran DJ playing. Use some channel points to feed his dog a treat and tell ‘em INSIDE DNB sent ya!