It takes a lot to become self-taught at anything, let alone to make a career out of it. But the challenges that come with teaching yourself new things were part of the allure for Samantha Infusini, also known as Canabliss. A Toronto-based DJ and producer, Infusini has spent years crafting her own unique sound in a way that lets her stay true to only her vision, by teaching herself how to create music. 

With an upcoming set at North Coast Music Festival in her future, we had a quick chat with Canabliss to talk everything from new music to her favorite iHR pieces. You can catch her set at North Coast this Labor Day weekend in Bridgeview, Illinois. Grab tickets here! 

iHR: What is your production process for making a new track?

Canabliss: My production process is usually me experimenting with a bunch of different sounds until I make one that really inspires me to write a whole song. Usually, it just kind of clocks and I can immediately tell what else I need to add to make my vision come to life. Sometimes I start with drums, synths, or even something as small as an FX can inspire an entire song!

iHR: Tell us about your live shows. What can fans expect at North Coast?

C: The most important thing for me at my live shows is to make sure the attendees are having fun! I try my absolute best to carefully craft my sets in a way that keeps the good energy flowing while taking the crowd on a journey. I like to play a mix of mostly bass subgenres to keep it fresh and unpredictable. You can expect 140, high energy dubstep, drum n bass and more!

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iHR: Do you have any new music in the works that you can tell us about now?

C: I have a lot of exciting music I’m working on at the moment, but nothing I can share just yet! Keep a look out though!

iHR: What is your dream collab?

C: My dream collab would be artists like Ivy Lab, Rezz, and Liquid Stranger. I look up to their production skills tremendously and it would be amazing to work with them on a song one day!

iHR: What artists do you look to for inspiration?

C: The main way I find inspiration is by discovering cool, new songs on SoundCloud. There are so many amazing underground artists and hidden gems to be uncovered, they really spark my inspiration the most! I also think it's really cool to get inspired from completely different genres as well. I listen to a lot of indie music and I think it's apparent from some of the trippy-sounding synths in my latest song “Saudade.”

iHR: Tell us a bit about your festival style.

C: My festival style varies. Sometimes I like to wear dark, baggy clothes and feel super comfortable and other times, I like to dress up in more flattering, fun pieces! It really depends on the day and weather, of course?

iHR: What rave rave fashion trends are you most excited to see this festival season?

C: I think in general I love seeing everyone’s self expression and creativity. It’s amazing that everyone can be themselves and, in the end, it doesn’t matter if you’re following the trends or not! I love how festival culture celebrates individuality and freedom.

iHR: If you made a piece of kandi today what would it say?

C: If I made a piece of kandi, it would say “Casper,” which is my cat’s name! It would be perfect since I’m always missing him when I’m away at festivals.

iHR: Favorite festival memory?

C: It’s so hard to choose a favorite! A top moment for me has to be seeing Ivy Lab for the first time at an old cast during Outlook Festival in Croatia. It was so magical being in Europe for the first time and experiencing the scene out there. That specific festival also helped birth my love for the different kinds of bass music, which I’m super thankful for.