DJ Mark Furukawa, and Dr. Disc, his record store, have become synonymous with the Hamilton music scene since he founded the downtown business in 1991 after having arrived in the city via Barrie where he grew up, and London where he attended the University of Western Ontario.
Two of the hallmarks of Mark have always been vinyl records and DJ culture, and for this reason, records have been and will always be a part of the store’s DNA. In fact, in the spring of 2017, Mark even re-opened the second floor of Dr. Disc and stocked it with DJ-friendly 12″ single vinyl of various “dance music” genres, including hip hop, house, techno, drum ‘n’ bass, and more. The store also has a full line of sales and rental A/V and lighting gear catering especially to the DJ.
Mark has always let his passion for music guide him, and from the time he started DJing in his teens, music became the focal point around which his life revolved. After a long, fruitful career as a DJ in London and then Hamilton which saw him DJing with the likes of John Acquaviva and Richie Hawtin, he seemingly retired and “hung up his headphones” in the mid-‘90s to focus on the store, but was drawn back to it in 2013 when he co-founded a carefully curated, vinyl-only DJ event called Discography which highlighted his DJing skills. Based on the success of this night (which became a monthly, vinyl-only event), requests for his services increased, and now he has two local DJ residencies:
- The Mule (41 King William St) for Tacos, Tequila, and Turntables most Friday and Saturday nights where he spins primarily old school hip hop and R&B tracks.
- The Casbah (306 King St W) for Risky Business, the area’s wildly popular retro ‘80s night, which occurs on the first Saturday of every month.
- The Capitol Bar (973 King St E), for Wax On, Wax Off!, a vinyl-only, open musical format evening at Hamilton’s best kept secret in the east end!
Over the years, Mark has personally promoted and showcased notable and eclectic artists such as Jello Biafra; BarenakedLadies; Douglas Coupland; and DJ Premier who he booked to play Hamilton at the 2006 DMC Canada DJ Finals, just to name a few. And Mark has displayed his DJ skills in various venues and events including Supercrawl, Seven Sundays in Gage Park, and at various events around the city.
Currently, Mark can be found most days in and around Dr. Disc, serving the store’s loyal customers, and also acting as a self-declared Hamilton ambassador to visitors and newcomers. When not at the store, you will find him DJing around Hamilton, and exploring all the amazing places and things the city has to offer.
DJ Mark Furukawa, and Dr. Disc, his record store, have become synonymous with the Hamilton music scene since he founded the downtown business in 1991 after having arrived in the city via Barrie where he grew up, and London where he attended the University of Western Ontario.
Two of the hallmarks of Mark have always been vinyl records and DJ culture, and for this reason, records have been and will always be a part of the store’s DNA. In fact, in the spring of 2017, Mark even re-opened the second floor of Dr. Disc and stocked it with DJ-friendly 12″ single vinyl of various “dance music” genres, including hip hop, house, techno, drum ‘n’ bass, and more. The store also has a full line of sales and rental A/V and lighting gear catering especially to the DJ.
Mark has always let his passion for music guide him, and from the time he started DJing in his teens, music became the focal point around which his life revolved. After a long, fruitful career as a DJ in London and then Hamilton which saw him DJing with the likes of John Acquaviva and Richie Hawtin, he seemingly retired and “hung up his headphones” in the mid-‘90s to focus on the store, but was drawn back to it in 2013 when he co-founded a carefully curated, vinyl-only event called Discography which highlighted his DJing skills. Based on the success of this night (which became a monthly, vinyl-only DJ event), requests for his DJ services increased, and now he has two local DJ residencies:
- The Mule (41 King William St) for Tacos, Tequila, and Turntables most Friday and Saturday nights where he spins primarily old school hip hop and R&B tracks.
- The Casbah (306 King St W) for Risky Business, the area’s wildly popular retro ‘80s night, which occurs on the first Saturday of every month.
Over the years, Mark has personally promoted and showcased notable and eclectic artists such as Jello Biafra; BarenakedLadies; Douglas Coupland; and DJ Premier who he booked to play Hamilton at the 2006 DMC Canada DJ Finals, just to name a few. And Mark has displayed his DJ skills in various venues and events including Supercrawl, Seven Sundays in Gage Park, and at various events around the city.
Currently, Mark can be found most days in and around Dr. Disc, serving the store’s loyal customers, and also acting as a self-declared Hamilton ambassador to visitors and newcomers. When not at the store, you will find him DJing around Hamilton, and exploring all the amazing places and things the city has to offer.