Isis Graham has been played on NTS in shows including GETME! w/ Lixo, featured first on 19 December 2014. Songs played include Release Yourself.

In 1999 Calgary’s dance music scene was experiencing an unprecedented growth surge. Titanic raves that filled hockey arenas suddenly emerged and came to dominate the nightlife. The fare mainly consisted of hard, fast beats imported from the UK. Hardcore, hard House and trance dominated the nights.

While the edifice of stadium raves towered over the city’s late 90’s musical landscape, a figure that would become a luminary of Calgary electronic music was slowly establishing herself in its shadows.

Two years before this surge in rave popularity Isis Graham, then just 13-years-old, discovered Calgary’s rave scene after being introduced to it at a House party. Her mom was a rock singer, and the sounds of late 90’s dance music represented a radical departure from Isis’s rock upbringing.

“Dance music was a complete rebellion from my classic rock vintage,” says Isis.

“My mom tried to correct my behavior by telling me disco was dead already once.”

Isis immediately took to Calgary’s emerging rave scene and started working with local production companies that threw raves in community halls and warehouses. At this point raves were small, yet abundant, consisting of mainly House and Techno. Between 1997 and 1999 Isis organized a total of eight raves. One of them, “Submission,” drew 1600 people and ended in a 3a.m. riot.

It was in 1999, at the height of the boom, that Isis made the move to DJing. Although only 17, her natural skill caught the attention of The Techno Collective, a group headed by Arlen Cormack, the current owner of PK sound, and his brother Tyson. Their decision to give Isis headlining spots was instrumental in helping her establish herself.

“Their parties were organic, based around community sharing & building,” recounts Isis.

“They would be considered today's burner society back then-very grassroots, artistic and creative. I loved that. Their parties were always top notch.”

When Isis turned 18 Calgary was slowly shifting into its second “golden age” of House, and Isis brought her Chicago-influenced crates to some of the key venues associated with this era, namely the Embassy, Cherry Lounge, Manhattans, and the legendary Night Gallery.

In 2001 Calgary House pioneers Jon Delerious and Dom G invited Isis to open for them on Saturdays at Manhattans. This eventually morphed into “Blush Saturdays” at Cherry Lounge, a residency that continued until 2008 and cemented Isis as one of the leading women of Calgary House. “Blush was special,” reflects Isis.

“It was the best time of my life actually.

“The dance floor was warm sounding and the DJ was high up off the ground.

“I found I would get lost on the dance floor there. It was the only place in Calgary aside from Bamboo (later) where you could hear people African chanting in the late hours of the morning.

“I used to say ‘LETS GET RELIGIOUS,’ which was a weekly ceremony. Josh vN, Dylan Leroy and I always opened up the nights, and Jon D would always close the night.

“It just had this magical quality that I've never been able to find again in any residency or venue here.”

In 2003 Isis was approached by MollyFi to help start an all girl DJ crew “Girls on Decks.” This move would eventually become one of the defining moments of Isis’s career.

“We launched the night at Detours/Arena and hosted a few years of very successful nights there,” says Isis.

“The gay community embraced us with open arms at Arena. I think it was because at the time, they only had male DJs playing there every night.” Now in its ninth year, Girls on Decks continues to further the sense of solidarity among women in Calgary’s dance music scene. The night has also become an outlet to showcase emerging talent to a crowd of old and new House-heads.

“I think we are approaching our third golden era because dance floors are demanding a shift,” says Isis.

“People no longer necessarily want to hear funky music or classic ripped samples from House DJs. Music is more angular and expressive than it ever has been, synthesis and experimentation in production is being taken very seriously by many, and the by product is that we are getting these amazing sonic results-new tech House, really good deep House and a recap of some of the more early House sounds are all present right now.”

This angular blend can be seen in Isis’s original productions. Her key works-2008’s collaboration with Neighbor, 2011’s release on Tycho Recordings, and her 2012 indie album “In the Garden” all traverse a wide stylistic panorama that ranges from House to UK bass.

“I think it's the medicine that our dance floors have been craving.” Isis has seen the evolution of Calgary’s dance music scene through almost two decades, and now stands as one of the few people that can be truly regarded as a staple in Calgary House. Her longevity has filled her crate with the knowledge of multiple generations of House and now, in 2013, she’s poised to lead the charge into the next era.

Written by Jonathan Streethawk Crane