Famous Vancouver DJ Felix Cartal takes fans on a run to preview new album

Vancouver DJ and producer Felix Cartal just proved that listening parties don’t always have to happen in clubs. Sometimes, they can happen mid-run.

Last week on Thursday, Aug. 21, Cartal invited fans to lace up their shoes and join him for a 53-minute jog around the city, soundtracked by his upcoming album, I, Sabotage (out Oct. 17).

Cartal (born Taelor Deitcher in New Westminster) has been a fixture in the electronic scene since his 2009 debut EP, “Skeleton,” on Dim Mak Records.

“I love running and was planning on going for a run anyway, so I figured I’d see if anyone wanted to join,” Cartal told Daily Hive. “Running was a way to overcome much of the clutter and self-doubt in my head. I used it as a tool while working through the years of creation and refinement on the album.”

Cartal’s friends followed with portable speakers so everyone could hear the full album while keeping an easy pace.

The group even paused halfway through to make sure it stayed light and fun.

“I never run with music… for me, it’s meditation, a break from all the noise,” he admitted. “But the tie-in between running and this album seemed too obvious not to share with others.”

The event was part workout, part listening party, and part community hangout.

 

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And it’s not the first time the DJ has experimented with non-traditional ways of connecting with fans. “I’ve been wanting to try some different experiences around the music since the pop-ups have been such a great time,” he said.

Vancouver DJ Felix Cartal hosted a spontaneous beach pop-up at Third Beach, drawing hundreds of fans for a sunset set. (Kyle Lee/Third Beach Vancouver)

“A run just seemed like a logical choice for me since running has become such an integral part of my life and process. I have some ideas for the future…”

When it comes to clearing his own head in Vancouver, Cartal doesn’t hesitate.

“The seawall is iconic,” he said. “After running all around the world on tour, I’ve really come to appreciate how phenomenal Vancouver running routes are. No stops!”

The run also offered a sneak peek at I, Sabotage, Cartal’s fifth album, which he calls “a love letter to that self-sabotaging voice in your head and learning to dance with it.”

“It’s unapologetically me,” he wrote when announcing the project on Instagram. “It’s darker, it’s sensitive, it’s different. It’s for my fellow overthinkers of the world.”

Fans can presave I, Sabotage ahead of its Oct. 17 release online.

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