In the late 80s and early 90s Jay Tripwire was heavily influenced by the deep futuristic sounds coming from Detroit, the classic house sound from NYC and the early raw freshness of the Chicago sound that it became a fusion Jay would be known for. Living isolated in Vancouver, Canada gave Vancouver DJs their own sound and style of DJing. Tripwire honed his craft in the Vancouver underground scene, playing numerous warehouse parties, clubs, and afterhours events and making mixtapes alongside peers such as Tyler "Tbone" Stadius