Q&A: Meet Myst Milano, The Multi-Hyphenate Powerhouse Blending Ballroom, Rap and Everything In Between
“GOD IS A DJ LIFE IS A DANCEFLOOR LOVE IS A RHYTHM”—these words encapsulate the energy of Myst Milano. Hailing from Edmonton, and now Toronto-based, this genre-bending rapper, DJ, and producer reimagines the sound of their hometown, bringing it into an exploratory new context. They blend their influences — ballroom, punk, techno, rap — into an intoxicating sound that calls you to move your body. Their albums, Shapeshyfter and Beyond the Uncanny Valley, garnered much critical acclaim and led to back-to-back Polaris Music Prize nominations. However, Myst’s main concern is connecting with her community through dance, music, and rhymes.
Movement and dance are at the center of their artistry — they are a captivating performer, and the musical themes they play with are meant to provoke you to think, to dance, to feel, and to connect. It is no surprise, that their performances are highly coveted events. They’ve played with Tinashe, Kim Petras, Cupcakke, Lizzo, Rochelle Jordan, and Thundercat. This summer, in particular, was jam-packed for Myst. They toured around the world, performing shows and DJ sets throughout Canada, performing in Brussels, DJing for Kiosk Radio, opening up for Empress of at her Toronto show, and thriving on the stages of Oshega Festival Musique et Arts.Apart from being a dynamic performer, Myst Milano is a dedicated activist, who does not take their role as an artist lightly. The mantra, “No genre, no gender, no rules,” artistically guides them through life. It is a reminder of their commitment to breaking down barriers in the music industry and culture.
Luna sat down with Myst Milano to learn more about their projects, community, and inspirations. Read below to hear more about this talented genre-bender.
LUNA: Talk to us about the role of fashion in your music-making process, and DJing.
MYST MILANO: Your dress sense is so personal and can convey so much about you to the world. Clothing can also be so evocative of a time, geography, and scene. I guess my style has always pulled from a wide range just like my music; I don’t really feel like I look the same from day to day. I think it’s like an impulse I have to do whatever I want at that moment. So sometimes I’m flashy and feminine and sometimes I’m in baggy pants and big boots, sometimes I’m rave ready and sometimes I’m sporty, sometimes in designer pieces, often in swap meet stuff and thrifted items. I feel like my music is like that too. I’ve never felt tied down to one way of expressing myself.
LUNA: How do you keep yourself grounded in your art when you have so many avenues of expression? Do you ever feel overwhelmed balancing the many hats you wear?
MYST MILANO: I kind of don’t stay grounded? Haha. Last year when I toured for three months and was doing DJ sets, live sets, and rolling out an album it got hard, but you just handle it. Also, I feel like the amount of different stuff I do can kinda like get confusing for people. If you know me from the punk scene, or the ballroom scene, or the techno scene, and you come to see me DJing and I’m playing Jungle and Footwork or something, it can get kind of confusing. I’m starting a side project under a new alias to offset some of that.
LUNA: Collaboration is a key part of your art. What are the characteristics of your ideal collaborator?
MYST MILANO: The most fun I’ve ever had collaborating has been with people who were just down for whatever. I made a beat with someone I had met the night before in a laundromat once a couple of months ago, you know? When someone’s just excited about making stuff and open to see where things get taken, who shares and puts you on and gets put on, that energy is what I look for in collaborators. It should feel like you’re feeding each other.
LUNA: I noticed you are very community-oriented and take a lot of inspiration from where you grew up; who are some Canadian artists, rappers, DJs, or community organizers you would like to shout out?
MYST MILANO: Shoutout to my girl Litney, who is always for the people. Shoutout to the legend Bambii, who is always trying to uplift and do things to help the community. Shoutout to the Toronto Kiki Ballroom Alliance, who do a lot of grassroots work for Black LGBT people and who are holding it down in Toronto. And a shoutout to the Palestinian Youth Movement for their organizational work online and on the ground.
LUNA: The club music scene has experienced immense growth over the past few years. How can DJs, producers, and promoters preserve the essence of dance music and respect its origins while continuing to push the sound to new heights?
MYST MILANO: I honestly think crate digging at record shops is a great way to learn about dance music history and immerse yourself in the culture, rub shoulders with people already in the scene. Chances are there’s an oldhead in the record store who is dying to give someone a lecture on early 2000s house or '80s techno or 2010s club or whatever. Stay curious, respect the OGs, talk to people online, read articles and books, and watch documentaries. It’s all out there for you to get into.
LUNA: What is your favorite track to mix into your sets at the moment?
MYST MILANO: Unreleased music of mine under my new name. I’m also really loving WTCHCRFT - Jack Dough.
LUNA: What does your ideal live performance look like?
MYST MILANO: Crowd energy on one thousand, packed venue, great lighting, projections, insane costumes, dancers and choreography, everyone knowing the words and singing along, a mosh pit, a quiet introspective moment, hands clapping and bodies moving.
LUNA: Walk us through your pre-show ritual.
MYST MILANO: Beat my face, pace around manically a bit, vocal warmup, some jumping jacks, and a little sip of water. A muttered prayer to some vague entity too, maybe.
LUNA: What do you believe is the artists' role in society? And how do you embody this in your life?
MYST MILANO: I think art’s role in society is to help us to see ourselves, and the best art serves as kind of a mirror. And the artist often serves as a conduit or a channel for this recognition with ourselves, between people, or with society or history. I also think an artist’s role is to inspire. I hope people come to my shows and leave feeling like they can do or be anything they want. And that the future is in their hands.
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