Montreal ex-patA-Trak is one busy monsieur. On top of his Fool’s Gold record label, its new Williamsburg shop and his own musical productions, the Montrealer-turned-New Yorker also maintains a hectic DJ tour schedule that includes a stop at the 2012 edition of Igloofest.

To get an idea of how busy the 29-year-old is, check out his Fader magazine column, Around the World With A-Trak, which will no doubt be updated after his January 12 hometown gig at Igloofest.

“Montreal always feels like home to me,” said the DJ/producer, who was just nominated for a Best Dance Recording Grammy for his hit single Barbra Streisand with Armand Van Helden (the duo call themselves Duck Sauce). “When I go there, there’s a fondness and comfort. My parents are there, and it’s such a unique city – with active efforts to keep it that way. For me, it’s reassuring to still be able to get this hometown greeting when I go there.”

During these little hometown jaunts, the DJ formerly known as Alain Macklovitch spends most of his time hanging with family and old friends – call him A-Trak from the block. But he must satisfy his penchant for quality Chilean sandwiches, procured from a tiny shop on Rue Saint-Urbain called Barros Luco.

With its new storefront selling label merch and hosting in-store appearances and art openings, the Fool’s Gold brand has become a full-time lifestyle. “More and more people are doing it that way,” says A-Trak about the push towards merch and marketing. “It’s how the market is transforming — you can’t really rely on sales. Ever since the Myspace age, every artist has had to market themselves so much. Everybody’s got brands and logos, a full picture to present to fans. Fans expect it.”

In other escapades, Fool’s Gold signing Danny Brown was just named Rap Album of the Year by SPIN magazine. And Stingray, A-Trak’s new single with house music producer Zinc, is out now. Oh and check out Duck Sauce’s latest male-centric video here, Big Bad Wolf. It’s very bizarre and, in my humble opinion, reveals much about what dudes think about all day. Pretty funny, though.

A-Trak at Igloofest, January 12, 2012

Igloofest, January 12-28, 2012

Guest Blogger Simona Rabinovitch is a Montreal native who lives Brooklyn, New York. She covers arts, culture, travel and entertainment-type stuff for the Huffington Post, Globe & Mail, ELLE Canada, Lonely Planet, Zink, DazedDigital and more.

Photo: Terry Richardson

Reference: Montreal Tourism