Here’s a quick rundown of the holiday specials we’ve got lined up for you through New Year’s Day. Enjoy!

DJ MARKY D’S CHRISTMAS DANCE PARTY
Dec. 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 @ 10 pm ET/PT
Just what you want to find under the tree: DJ Marky D wraps up three solid hours of the hottest club grooves for all the good little boys and girls, and puts a pretty bow on it. Visions of sugarplums won’t be the only things dancing.

BACK @ YA! MARATHON
Dec. 24: 9 am to 5 pm ET | Dec. 25: 8 am to 8 pm ET | Dec. 26:  10 am to 4 pm ET
Jorie Brown wants to spend her Christmas with you! Curl up in your favourite Forever Lazy with a cup of eggnog (and whatever you put in it), while the effervescent host of Canada’s only all-request dance hour plays the music you want to hear, from old-school grooves to big-room bangers.

BEST & WORST OF 2011
Dec. 24 & 26: 5 pm ET | Jan. 1: 5 pm & 7 pm ET
What was the sexiest dance music video of 2011? Which song had the worst lyrics? Who was the best dressed artist? The most overrated? (Could they be one and the same?) Join bpm:tv on a two-hour trip down short-term memory lane, as we walk you through the highest highs and lowest lows of the year that was in electronic music.

TOP 100 DJs OF 2011
Dec. 28: 3 pm to 7 pm ET | Dec. 31: 1 pm & 5 pm ET
From Above & Beyond (#5) to Pete Tha Zouk (#37), Bloody Beetroots (#86) to Laidback Luke (#20), we pay tribute to this year’s finishers in the definitive DJ Mag Top 100. It’s an honour just to be nominated — but it’s better to win.

XTENDAMIX MARATHON
Dec. 31: 10 pm to 4 am ET
No need to fuss over that playlist: we’ve got your definitive New Year’s Eve soundtrack right here: six nonstop hours of the year’s hottest dance tracks — killer beats to keep you dancing long after the champagne’s been drunk and the balloons all popped. Hello 2012!

Don’t forget: bpm:tv is available to all Rogers digital customers in free preview until Wednesday, Jan. 4. You can find us on channel 708. Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone!

Posted by Scott Willats

On to the summer now, as we continue with the best visuals of 2011 — a.k.a. the Year of the Wobbbbbbbble.

OK, so Electric Daisy Carnival and Ultra Music Festival are the prime electro events — but what about that grime? What about that nastiness? If this is your poison, WEMF had you covered in every aspect imaginable. 15,000 people take a long stroll through the woods until they reach South Algonquin Park. Once inside the confines of the park, they let loose in every way possible. What can I say? Canadians do it better — and this year we did it better than anyone else. Re-live the best of WEMF 2011 below. And the good news: Embrace Presents and Destiny Events have announced that they’re ready to roll in the same location next year, starting August 17th. BAM!

See WEMF through the eyes of Rusko, Destiny Events … and, of course, US!!!

Track of the festival: Though the man himself wasn’t there, thanks to a delayed flight that f***ed it up for everybody, Flux’s track made it into several sets.

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Continuing our tour of 2011′s best visuals, we head to Vegas for the Electric Daisy Carnival. Now, this festival has always been on the map, but something was different this year. Moving it from its usual home in southern California to Las Vegas was the perfect example of location, location LOCATION. The city and the festival brought out each other’s energy and insanity. This year brought the biggest crowds ever for Electric Daisy Carnival, and I expect that if it continues to be held in Vegas it will grow in stature. Hands down, the most amazing festival of 2011! See it here through the eyes of Avicii:

And the track of the festival ….

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After an incredible EDM weekend in Canada’s largest city, I think it’s safe to say that electronic dance music is bigger than it’s ever been before — and I can only see it growing  in 2012. This is an exciting time for all fans of the genre.

Best way to celebrate the year that was: a look back at some of the best festivals, videos and tracks of the year!

The Ultra Music Festival is always something to be seen. Miami plays host to this monster event in March, and bpm:tv was there this past spring to soak up some of the action. There was concern this year that things weren’t going to be the same, since Ultra and the Winter Music Conference planned their respective events a week apart. But Ultra has the DJs, so Ultra has the scene — simple as that. With luck, this coming year will be a little more organziee. But no matter what happens, WMC is a must for any EDM fan.

Let’s take a look at this year’s Miami extravaganza through the eyes of Kaskade, the Ultra team, Steve Aoki and the Dim Mak camp!

And the track of the festival …

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World-class DJ/producer Chris Lake was in Toronto last Friday and gave everybody at Maison Mercer a treat for their ears, seamlessly spinning new cuts and classic material. I also get to spend some time with him backstage, where we talked about the state of EDM, his label, and some of his favourite tracks. All of that content will be available in the new year, along with a look at Zeds Dead‘s Graveyard tour performance at Kool Haus, and much much more.

For now, here’s a quick teaser of Chris Lake at Maison Mercer, plus a couple of my snaps from the show. A big thanks to the team at Provoke. I urge everybody to check out their new Web site, launching soon!

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Check out this two-hour festive season mix from Canadian “electro ambassador” Tiga on BBC Radio 6. You can listen to it HERE.

TRACK LIST

Bok Bok & Tom Trago — Pathfinder [Sound Pellegrino]

ZZT — Work (Nautiluss Remix) [Turbo Recordings]

Blawan — Peaches (Melting Faces) [Clone Basement Series]

Untold — U 29[R&S]

Locked Groove — Different Paths [Turbo Records]

Agoria — Speechless (Gesaffelstein Remix) [Infiné]

Justice — Cannon (Tiga Remix) [Ed Banger]

Drums of Death — Tear the Box Apart [Civil Music]

A-Trak & DJ Zinc — Stingray [Fool's Gold]

Nina Kraviz — Ghetto Kraviz [Rekids]

Factory Floor — Two Different Ways (Original) [DFA]

Radio Over Moscow — Rush to the Capsule (Footprintz Cover Version) [Turbo Recordings]

Joey Beltram — Psychobass [R&S]

Adam Beyer — Second Surrounding [Truesoul]

Regis — Blood Witness [Downwards]

K.V.D. — Into the Night [Downwards]

Amadou & Mariam — Je Pense a Toi (Henrik Schwarz Remix) [Philomena 7:09]

Zomby — Trapdoor [4AD]

Zomby — Witchhunt [4AD]

Mickey Moonlight — Simulation Crocodile Skin Handbang [Ed Banger]

The Durutti Column — For Belgian Friends [Factory]

Robert Görl — Mit Dir [Mute]

Zola Jesus — Hikikomori [Sacred Bones]

Walls — Drunken Galleon [Kompakt]

Frankie Goes to Hollywood — Power of Love [Island Records]

Posted by Scott Willats

Chris Lake last night at Maison Mercer,  Zeds Dead tonight at Kool Haus. I think this weekend is taken care of quite nicely.

However, there’s one event that needs to be highlighted specially. Tonight, Wrongbar plays host to the third annual Producing For Presents EP release party. This event is the reason the Faceless management team, Embrace Presents and all these Toronto artists are the cream of the crop in class and talent. For three years, some of the best local DJs have been hitting the studio to create some gems on behalf of the less fortunate. It will be a warm atmosphere with some rich tuneage. John Roman, Poupon, Gold ‘n’ Grams, Prince Club and Meech will all be out, so be sure to pop in and check the event. An automatic place on Santa’s Nice list for those who attend.

CLICK HERE to hear/read more about the event! At least come out for the eggnog!

On to the Sweets….

My Favourite track off the PFP3 EP, VLSONN keeps it slanted and crisp with DX707 … boogie!

Vlsonn – dx707: LISTEN TO IT HERE

SOFI has a cult-like following. In some camps she’s a prodigy and the scond coming. In some other camps she’s not so well known. I feel she has what it takes to go to the next level — and songs like this are helping.

Noisia, Sofi – Again Sometime (Extended Mix): LISTEN TO IT HERE 

bpm Nation loves them some Tiësto. So this will be the biggest track to grab this week, as he takes on a classic. This tune will self destruct in five seconds!

Mission Impossible Theme (Tiësto Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Gigamesh has just given you your New Year’s Eve anthem. Thank him later.

Gigamesh – Burnin: LISTEN TO IT HERE 

A mini-mix second to none. Gain on Top have absolutely created a beast and deserve top prize on chemicaljump.com.

Gain on Top – “Gimme Five” Minimix: LISTEN TO IT HERE

If you know me then you know I love Kris Menace. Whether it’s him, BlackVan or his newest creation Stars on 33, the Menace man gets it done. With a litttle help from Lawrence Tompson and Radical Peterson this is “Keep on Dancing”!

Stars On 33 – Keep On Dancing: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Visual Candy

The visuals are available for Brodinski‘s smash “Let The Beat Control Your Body.” The teaser to the release of the Bromance EP makes producing bangers with Gesaffelstein look so effortless. It’s incredible to think how big this song could end up being.

Jonas Rathsman‘s “Tobago” has been a song that I play once a day. It lifts your spirit in a subtle way without you really knowing. He shot a perfect video to match the song: laid back on the islands. Classic.

If it ain’t broke … “Loca People” was everyone’s guilty pleasure it came out. Well, we’re back for round two, as audio porn meets meets visual guilt. Yeah, I watched it twice. OK, three times.

And that’s your sweets for this week. See you guys at the shows……………………….xx

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Posted by Scott Willats

After a string … no, scratch that, a rope of shows across North America, two of Toronto’s finest producers return home to celebrate a successful 2011. How do these two celebrate? By melting your face. Get grimy.

DC and Hooks, a.k.a. Zeds Dead, embody exactly what you think of when it comes to Toronto musicians. Humble, focused and swagged up. Humble in that they know luck as well as talent has played a part in their success: your songs coming out at the perfect moment; Skream and Kissy Sell Out both dropping your tracks on BBC Radio 1; the insane evolution of Bassmentality; and the fact that they and The Killabits have helped one another rise to prominence. Humble, too, in that they don’t take credit for creating a scene in one of Toronto’s most “over-scened” communities.

Blue Foundation – Eyes On Fire (Zeds Dead Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Focused in their dedication to their craft. The earlier Zed sounds had a hip-hop influence. Originally known as Mass Productions (2004 – 2008), they were the type of producers the real hip-hop heads loved. The DJ Premier type of feel, but with an ear for the new culture. They kept that urban feel and evolved it. I truly think that Zed’s tracks are so heavy because they are made for rappers. They are made for you to jump up and down, with lyrics going off in your head, like your Sean Price of Boot Camp Clik or Lil Fame of M.O.P. They got that “Ante Up” sound that keeps you energized and thirsty for blood. And even as they’ve evolved, that sound has stayed present.

“Keeping it real” is one of the most ridiculous phrases of our generation. Check out Dave Chappelle’s classic “When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong” to see the perfect example of how flawed that idea can be. But thetre are exceptions to the rule — and sticking to your roots is one of them. When it comes to their production, Zeds Dead keeps it real.

Zeds Dead – Coffee Break: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Swagged up. You don’t get this good without having a little skank in ya step. You have to believe there’s nobody out there who can rip the crowd apart like you do. When you’re in the studio, you have to be able to hear a finished-seeming track and know what it is you can add that will take it to the next level. You have to believe you’re doing something nobody else out there can do.

It’s a weird time for dubstep. With the emergence of Logic, Ableton and the millions of VST that you can find online, the process of creating these tracks has become extremely watered down. Zed’s Dead have been innovators of the dubstep movement, and they remain ahead of the pack because they don’t stick with the simple dub formula. They are creative and choose songs to remix that most others wouldn’t even think about. Most of all, they don’t strictly make dubstep; they strictly make good music.

Jason Falkner – Only You (Zeds Dead Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Let’s be straight: I don’t need to tell you how good these guys are because you’re Canadian — you already know. What most Canadian fans really seem to love about DC and Hooks is how proud they are to rep the maple leaf. They helped create a scene in Canada’s biggest city, and brought the hottest international acts to smaller venues at a time when the big clubs were overlooking these talents. (Now these selfsame acts are headlining the world’s biggest festivals and being nominated for Grammys.)

Zeds Dead mix for Rob Da Bank’s show on BBC1 2011/12/2: LISTEN TO IT HERE 

Saturday night at Kool Haus celebrates the fact that the boys made it — and brought everyone along with them.

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With Friday approaching and a very influential Scottish DJ on his way to Toronto, I think it’s time to put the bpm:tv spotlight on a producer who embodies the word originality: Chris Lake.

It seems like an awful long time ago that Chris came out with “Changes” featuring Laura V. So often you’ll hear an artist come out with a track of that stature, and then just ride it out until there’s no mileage left in it. That would have been the easier choice — and he would have enjoyed a lot of success just by linking his name with that type of sound. But not so fast: this is Chris Lake, and he can make tracks like “Changes” in his sleep. This is the same guy who, under the alias Cristophe D’Abuc, producer extraordinaire, bootleg remixed such tracks as the Eurythmics‘ “Sweet Dreams” and The Prodigy‘s “Climbatize” to great acclaim. “Changes” was just a simple way to get his name known, recognized and respected.

One of the biggest tracks ever! I’m serious…..EVER!

This is sick….

Fast forward to 2009, and Chris is in his zone. Traveling across North America and dropping killer sets. He makes his way to every town or city he can get to, showing the type of artist he is. No days off and no time for rest, you can sleep when your dead. The thing about Chris at this stage is, you can’t really pigeonhole his sound. He’s known for big room monsters, but just as likely to get “stuck in” at one of those tiny venues where the sweat bounces off the walls, back and forth, all night. At any given moment, he could go with an anthem that everybody — including your 12-year-old sister — knows by heart, or with a tune so dirty and deep that you start heading over to that sketchy dude by the pole with your hand and money out. “I’ll take a couple yellow ones please.”

2010 started off with Michael Woods remixing “I Said,” and that was the end of that: Chris Lake was officially a worldwide name. Of course, when you had Deadmau5 and Chris on the same track together it was always going to be huge. Add to that a series of remixes, each seeming to outdo the one previous, and you can see why he’s here to stay. The man is hungry, and there is nothing that seems to satisfy his appetite. Complacency just isn’t an option. And being one of Pete Tong‘s favourites doesn’t hurt either.

We get a chance to see him in the flesh this Friday at Toronto’s Maison Mercer. This is the perfect time to catch Chris, as he seems to be hitting his peak — which is incredible, since if you’d asked me a year ago, I would have said he was hitting it then. The recent release of “Sundown” is causing a huge wave in the blog world; it’s one of those tracks with true anthem status.

When the sun goes down on Friday, I strongly encourage you to venture to Maison on Mercer to catch Chris Lake in the kind of atmosphere he relishes. You can get tickets HERE or HERE.

Zeds Deads preview coming tomorrow: be here……………..xx

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Posted by Scott Willats

The festive time is approaching, and with the holiday season comes the annual barrage of year-end reviews. I’ve been seeing a lot of blogs posting their top 10 DJs or top 10 songs of 2011. I’m always torn when I see these posts. One the one hand, as a fan I’m always cheering for my favourite artists to make the cut. On the the other hand, it seems absolutely ridiculous that only 10 tracks or artists could possibly rank as the best of the year.

I was talking to a  fellow electro head the other night who told me he loves our “Sweets of the Week” posts because they place a great deal of importance on variety. Exactly! Every week, I try to deliver six or eight of the most original-sounding new tunes. Can u imagine if I just took ten from the whole year? Impossible.

Anyways, as you can see, I’m rambling a bit — because at the end of the day, I still do like these year-end reviews. The question is: do you? I have a couple of ideas for the coming weeks.  In addition to new tracks, in each post I’ll be dropping a song or two from this past year that should be remembered. However, if you are a fan of the top 10 format let me know — and tell me who you think should be on the list — and we’ll make something happen.

Until then, some tracks found over the weekend that I think you’ll enjoy …

A friend of mine organised an Adventure Club concert in Sudbury a couple of weeks ago. Apparently it got a little out of hand: unconfirmed eyewitness accounts suggest Leighton may have been running in his birthday suit through the Holiday Inn. This track caused a similar reaction in my house this weekend … and that’s all I’m gonna say. Emily Haines, u so fiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!

Metric – Collect Call (Adventure Club Dubstep Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Alert the crowd, Benga is on his remix tip. Evacuate immediately. BAM! Full volume …

A-Trak and Zinc – Stingray (Benga Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Heard this track on Annie Mac, Friday in my flat, figured it was beats from Jack. See what I did there? Forgive the corn. This is like a Fake Blood dubstep track … eaaaasy.

Jack Beats – End Of Love: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Brand spanking new. I’m a huge fan of DJ Kue, especially his B.O.B and Lady Gaga remixes. This is another track for the masses. Sometimes you gotta play this at the venue, and most of the time you end up liking it more than you wanted to. Trust me, this is a banger.

This sounds a li’l dirrrty… Dillon, get em!

Chuckie – Who Is Ready To Jump (Dillion Francis Remix) (Dirty): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Chris Lake, Zeds Dead and tons more this week, all at your favourite bookmark……….xx

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