Reviewed by Gosia Mrugala

Over the Victoria Day long weekend, Torontonians mostly abandon the city — along with its horrible, horrible mayor — and flee to cottages and campgrounds. But music addicts always have reason to stick around — and that’s the one and only annual Freedom event at The Guvernment and Kool Haus complex. This year’s lineup, courtesy of Ink Events, was positively hype-worthy. Just check out the roster:

@ The Guvernment:

Gareth Emery | Arty | Nervo | Manzone & Strong

@ Kool Haus

Ferry Corsten | Tritonal | Bassjackers | Mark Oliver

 @ Chroma:

Borgore

One of the things I admire about the crowd at The Guvernment complex is that it’s incredibly diverse, yet strongly united. This really is a close-knit musical community, and it’s very satisfying thing to be part of that environment.

As for the evening itself, it was filled with some mind-blowing music. So many new tracks, such an animalistic frenzy on the dance floor: it was like finding yourself in some wild, harmonious jungle. It was quite the adventure to try cutting your way through the crowd, from the Kool Haus to Chroma to The Guvernment’s main dance floor and back again — but not matter which room you came to be in, you were welcomed by euphoric melodies and heart-stopping bass

Ink Events organizes many such annual events, but I have to say Freedom is always the one I most look forward to. If you haven’t experienced it yet, I can can assure you that you’re missing out. I love lazing on a beach at the cottage or toasting marshmallows by a bonfire as much as the next Torontonian — but come next Victoria Day, I’m pretty sure I’ll be lured back to The Guvernment and Kool Haus. You might want to succumb to the temptation yourself.

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Posted by Gosia Mrugala

Just two days left to show your support for DJs across Canada by voting to pick the winner of the Bud Light DJ Battle. You can listen to tracks by the contenders and cast your vote at the Bud Light Sensation home page. When you vote, you’re entered for the chance to win tickets to Bud Light presents Sensation — plus you give your chosen DJ the chance to receive the ultimate VIP treatment at this massive international dance event, which touches down at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on June 1.

So who are the DJs vying for the crown? Just click on the names below to find out who’s who.

EviCtion (Halifax)

Mister Parker (Ottawa)

Mashup Potatos (Quebec)

Adam Doubleyou (Quebec)

Royce&Tan (Montreal)

There’s still time to snap up tickets for Sensation, an epic-scale affair that will feature sets by Mr. White, 2000 and One, Otto Knows, Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano, and Fedde Le Grand — plus a rare Canadian appearance by Eric Prydz. Dress in white and help LIGHT IT UP June 1 at the Rogers Centre!

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Dzeko & Torres @ The Hoxton, Toronto – April 27, 2013. Presented by Embrace

Reviewed by Gosia Mrugala

While I’ve had occasion to listen to buzz-worthy Toronto duo DZEKO & TORRES in the comfort of my own home, it’s a sad fact that I’ve somehow never managed to catch them live. That situation, happily, was rectified recently at The Hoxton — a local venue where they’ve built something of a name for themselves. The pair brought their trademark big-room electric sound, driving the crowd into a full-on animalistic frenzy.

I had a few moments to chat with Julian Dzeko and Luis Torres at the show, and queried them about the benefits of working as duo. Torres told me: “It’s good because you have two creative minds bringing ideas to the table. That can also be tough at times, when two different ideas clash. But we work through it till we come to a conclusion that we’re both happy with.”

It’s awe-inspiring to watch these two play live — the way they work together seamlessly, mixing, complementing each other’s musical selections and shaping the set into a satisfying whole. Their mutual passion for the music is plainly evident on stage, just as it is in their studio work.

I wrapped up the conversation by asking the boys for their opinion on the music scene in Toronto. Dzeko replied: “The scene in Toronto has been pretty big for the past 10-15 years, but it has grown a little stronger in the U.S. Here in Canada,  especially in Toronto, the music scene didn’t just begin in the past two years — but as I said, the past 10-15 years. But I would say Toronto has a strong music scene and community.”

If you’ve been missing out on Dzeko & Torres, as I was, now’s the time to change that. Keep an eye on their gig schedule and mark your calendar when they come to town

Couple of new tracks:

Hurricane (feat Sarah McLeod) – BUY IT ON BEATPORT

Down to This (with Chuckie) – BUY IT ON BEATPORT

Check out some photos from the event below. Photographer: James Nahhas (@NAHSTEE)

Special thanks to CruelTO. (Follow them on Facebook HERE.)

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

We’ve had our eye on Atlanta trapstep/soulstep crew WATCH THE DUCK since they dropped the single “Poppin’ Off” last fall. The video gives you a real feel for their blend of muscular musicality and raw showmanship.

Given the astonishing array of massive musical talents that Atlanta has produced in the recent past — OutKast, Cee-Lo and Goodie Mob, Danger Mouse, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Waka Flocka Flama and, of course, Crunkmeister-in-chief Lil Jon — we’re inclined to lend an ear to just about anything beatwise that comes out the ATL. And Watch The Duck (better known to their mothers as Eddie Smith III, Jesse Rankins and Jonathan Wells) have definitely got the skillz to pay the billz. All three members play live instruments as well as DJing. If you want to get familiar with their soulful take on bass music, the Rub-A-Dub mixtape is the place to start:

You’ve also gotta love the touch of P-Funk flamboyance they bring to their act. Watch ‘em rock the tube socks in the new video for “Lost In It (Anatidaephobia Part 2)”

Besides which: dudes have a duck mascot, man. How hardcore is that?

Eddie, on the origin of the band’s name: “Everybody sees the duck traveling smoothly on top of the water. But nobody sees it kicking hard as hell under it, struggling to stay afloat. We would always say ‘Watch The Duck’ whenever we were in certain industry scenarios, when everyone’s your friend and is trying to be of importance. We say it to each other to kind of lighten each other’s mood.”

Download Watch The Duck’s “Girlfriend??” single for free:

Alvaro!

It is a scientific fact: every single Dutch person is a DJ. It is required by law and tradition. If you cannot DJ, you must leave the country.

Alvaro!

Who is Alvaro? Alvaro is a Dutch person, who is a DJ, who makes house music, who will be at the Digital Dreams Music Festival this Canada Day weekend.

Alvaro!

For DD tickets and info, click on the clicky thing HERE. For the DD Facebook page, click on THIS HERE clicky thing.

Alvaro!

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE. Alvaro!

Today’s new additions to the 2013 Digital Dreams Music Festival artist lineup: San Diego’s TJR (above left), whose signature sound is a self-described “brand of quirky, bouncy house that blur[s] the lines between house, techno and electro,” and Hungarian trance duo Myon & Shane 54 (above right), currently ranked 80th on the DJ Mag top 100. Look for both acts on the Dreams Stage.

‘sall for now. HERE be the link for tickets and info. HERE be the Digital Dreams Facebook.

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Most intriguing new addition to the artist lineup for this year’s Digital Dreams Music Festival: Toronto house duo Art Department, a collaboration between legendary local DJ Kenny Glasgow and Jonny White, the mastermind behind the No. 19 label. This spring finds them wrapping up the tour for their newest album, the mix compilation Social Experiment 003. Can’t wait to see them bring it to the Echo Beach Stage on June 29!

DD tix and info: HERE. DD Facebook: HERE

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Everything’s coming up bass today. British Columbia’s dean of dubstep Excision – who just wowed them at Coachella with his spectacular “Executioner” stage show — is the latest talent to be named to the 2013 Digital Dreams Music Festival lineup. He’ll be schoolin’ ‘em from the House of Boom stage on Saturday June 29.

Looking for tickets? GO HERE. Follow DD on Facebook HERE.

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Because there’s no such thing as too much bass: Electronic Nation today added Chicago-based trap duo Flosstradamus to the 2013 Digital Dreams Music Festival lineup. Check out the full artist roster HERE.

You know the drill: tix and whatnot HERE, Facebookishness HERE.

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.

Reviewed by Gosia Mrugala

ALL PHOTOS: James Drobik

I’ve been in love with the deep house sound of UK producer/DJ Maya Jane Coles ever since I heard her Low Key EP. The title track alone was “Low Key” is all it took to get me hooked.

This is one talented and prolific young artist. In addition to the house tracks she puts out under her own name, Coles records dubstep under the alias Nocturnal Sunshine, and has teamed up with vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Lena Cullen to form the electronic dub duo She Is Danger. Little wonder Rolling Stone ranked MJC number 14 last fall on its list of the world’s 25 most influential DJs.

Coles brought her distinctive sound to The Hoxton in Toronto last Friday — and what a night it was! The lineup outside wrapped right around the building, tickets at the door sold out in a heartbeat, and the joint was quickly filled wall-to-wall. The vibe was raw and had a delicious, underground feel. Coles’ artful production and unerring musical selection had the whole crowd swaying oceanically to those sweet, deep rhythms.

Keep an eye on MJC’s touring schedule HERE, and be ready to snap up tix quick if she’s gonna be in your neighbourhood.

More photos:

Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.