Night owls rejoice! Luke Kuchar, known by his moniker Mimsey Demon, celebrates the 10th anniversary of his show Interzone on CKCU FM this August. Bringing the latest in electronic, industrial, drum and bass, the local and underground scene, Luke provides the soundtrack for those braving the temptations of Nyx and Morpheus.
Luke’s background in radio can be found in the mid-90s. With growing interest in the industrial scene, he volunteered at CHUO FM in Ottawa, helping with shows and working on his own called Wednesday Night Hangover. Subsequently, this led him to branch out into other avenues and musical genres like sidetrance, electronic, experimental, and hardcore. Mimsey Demon’s show, Interzone, saw its inception when he was offered an overnight slot at CKCU FM by Dave Aardvark, the Program Director; and ten years later, Luke continues to share his passion for music with the city of Ottawa.
Strong connections and friendships that were forged early on in his time at CKCU have kept him going for the past decade. While an overnight show has sparse in-person contact, some members of the CKCU community like the hosts of Heat Wave and Jump Into Sports, frequently ran into Luke before and after doing his program when it was live in-studio from 2:00 am – 6:00 am pre-pandemic. Nowadays, Luke records his vocal segments before he goes live from his apartment, and oftentimes, he is joined by the angry-feathered co-host who rooms with him – his bird.
“Music has been one of the only positive constants in my life, and I want to share it with others who are also helped by it”, says Luke. Interzone fills the demand for electronic music, heavily emphasizing the local scene and events happening in Ottawa. The host has fine-tuned his program to cover the underrepresented genres such as drum and bass, dubstep, trance music, and more.
Over the years, Luke has felt the love of the community from all walks of life. From late night truckers calling in to thank him for keeping them going through long drives, to other night owls who dance the late hours away, Luke spreads awareness about local artists and provides the soundtrack for those who need an outlet to express themselves. Before the butcher, baker, and candlestick-maker begin their day, find CKCU’s friendly neighborhood Mimsey Demon working his magic on the airwaves.
-Ethan Arthorne