Posted by Gosia Mrugala

WEMF: AUGUST 17-19, 2012 | SOUTH ALGONQUIN, ONTARIO

It’s a long, long drive down swerving roads, past trees, swamps and cottage country as you make your way to the grounds of Canada’s most famous electronic music festival: WEMF.

The security was very strict. And yes, that comes with the territory at big EDM events like this, but still: being stuck in a car lineup for three-plus hour made many WEMFers quite upset and brought some negativity to the environment. At the end of the day, though, the point of the security is to make sure the experience is safe and fun for everyone, so let’s just call it a necessary evil.

This year’s festival lineup wasn’t necessarily appealing to the “commercial” ear. It was tilted heavily toward the kind of raw, underground music that you tend not to hear on z103.5 or Virgin Radio. It was a fun experience, but with the two main stages dominated by dubstep artists, it felt a little lacking in variety, especially for those of us looking to hear more in the way of a trance or tech sound. At times, I found myself drawn away from the action at the Tower of Destiny and Time Stage, and drifting toward the community stages and the tent.

One artist who just blew me away was Moby. I’d never before had the pleasure of experiencing his music live, and at WEMF he delivered a mind-blowing, bass-filled DJ set that definitely left me feeling nostalgic. His interaction with the crowd was enthralling too.

Infected Mushroom was other act that made my jaw drop. Their futuristic set-up and musically hypnotic performance was entrancing to watch and experience.

There was talk of having a Ferris wheel towering above the grounds this year. And it would have been a truly psychedelic experience to ride aloft and take in the whole scene: the serene wilderness vista, the euphonious music. Alas, no Ferris wheel, much to the disappointment of many WEMFers.

The setup of the stages wasn’t ideal, either. With the Tower of Destiny, the Time Stage, and the Centre Camp all lined facing one another in a triangle, the music did clash a bit in some spots.

All in all, an enjoyable and memorable weekend. But given the huge expectations attached, I’m hoping there will be a few improvements next year to make this last of the summer’s big EDM festivals a more satisfying experience.

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

EDM has exploded onto the Canadian scene in the past few years, and this summer will almost certainly be remembered as a history-making moment, dominated by a series of electronic music tests that fans will be talking about for years.

Last weekend brought the inaugural VELD Music Festival and its mind-blowing lineup to Toronto’s Downsview Park, courtesy of INK Entertainment. An interesting name for a festival, no?

Veld – (noun) the open country, bearing grass, bushes, or shrubs…

The anticipation for this fest was absolutely mind-boggling, fed by a YouTube video designed to get you wanting more and the posters and billboards plastered all over the city. Happily, VELD went above and beyond expectations. I was blown away and left speechless. Just about every performance was noteworthy, but a few will stay permanently imprinted in my memory.

All praise to the brilliant Steve Aoki — a true performer. He rocked that crowd, delivering not only smashing tunes but a jaw-dropping show. From crowd-surfing in an inflatable boat to soaking the audience in champagne, he is by far one of the most commanding performers I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience.

I hadn’t had the chance before to see Krewella live, so I’m grateful to have experience their impressive performance in the Bacardi tent at VELD. The trio work harmoniously together, cranking out skin-crawlingly ecstatic tracks precision-tooled to galvanize the crowd.

Steve Angello turned in an awe-inspiring set. His music selection was absolutely infallible and kept the crowd moving in a frenzy.

VELD’s headlining acts were Deadmau5 on day one, and Avicii on day two. Deadmau5 dazzled the hometown crowd, even in the pouring rain, dropping a selection of his classic tracks along with some new beats that fell intriguingly on my music-hungry ears. But it was Avicii who surprised and impressed me, played some hard, bass-pumping stuff that left me hungry for more, even after two exhausting days.

All in all, VELD was a great success. INK did a phenomenal job with this event, and I’m excited to see what they will bring to the table in summer 2013. Till then, be sure to check out some of their other notable events, including CONTACT and Labour of Love at Toronto famed The Guvernment/Kool Haus complex.

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

So. VELD. Wow. That was just … wow. I mean, the music and the crowd and the spectacle … it was all just … you know … wow.

Screw it. There’s no easy way to describe an incredible experience like that. You know what they say about pictures and words? If you really want to know what last weekend at VELD was like, check out the massive photo gallery posted by fearless bpm:tv bloggeuse Gosia Mrugala.

VIEW THE ENTIRE VELD PHOTO GALLERY HERE.

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

Posted by Scott Willats

Something brand new for you and your crew. But first and foremost, a quick word on last weekend’s VELD extravaganza.

Naturally, it was a massive success. However, the fact that French electro kings Justice — one of the reasons that massive EDM events like this even exist — were playing at HARD, a completely different festival taking place at the same time on the other side of the city … well, missing that made the whole thing a bit bittersweet for me.

Now, judging by the reported turnout at both VELD and HARD, there were plenty of EDM fans to go around. But still — if we’re going to have festivals like this, why force fans to choose between competing events on the same weekend? Why not do as Rogers and Bell have done with Olympics coverage: establish a consortium and have a single event that the world will envy?

Just my opinion. Anyway, enough politics; more music.  We got something brand new-ish today from Dillon Francis and Jack Beats. Dillon and the Jack duo have both established their own signature sound over these past two years, winning followers one track at a time. This new offering is a little different, but just as sick.  I don’t know how to explain it except to say: it sounds like a perfect blending of both artists. Wicked.

Jack Beats Feat. Dillon Francis – Epidemic (Original Mix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

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Posted by Scott Willats

And here we go. Y’all getting sick of me talking about festivals? Well sorry, but tuff f***ing luck. Because this weekend Toronto the place in the world to be for EDM. Or any kind of music, actually.

Sure, Montreal has Osheaga happening, which promises to be nuts in its own right But Toronto is bringing the heavy, what with VELD and HARD both going down this weekend.

What’s HARD, you ask? Just a little gathering featuring the likes of M83, Buraka Som Sistema, Austra … oh, and Justice. Sorry, let me rephrase that: JUSTICE!!!! The French icons make their looooooooooooooong-awaited return to Canada in style. Fort York is a special place to be this weekend.

And then there’s VELD, the brainchild of Canada’s own EMD titan, Deadmau5. Check out this lineup: Avicii, Kill the Noise, Mord Fustang, Bassnectar, Cosmic Gate and soooooo many others are busy tearing Toronto’s Downsview Park a new one. Rain is in the forecast for Sunday, but it’s gonna get real messy long before that. Canada, this is our weekend!

And with that, it’s on to …. THE SWEETS!

This will get your weekend going just right. A free download that hits the spot.

Of Monsters & Men – Little Talks (The Knocks Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

In anticipation of Saturday’s main event: 5omething brand new from the Mau5.

Deadmau5 – There Might Be Coffee: LISTEN TO IT HERE

The second installment of Fools Gold‘s Clubhouse compilation series is just as heavy as the first. No point trying to pick a favourite: here’s the whole thing, amigos. Did I mention it’s FREE?!?

Fool’s Gold – Clubhouse Vol. 2: LISTEN TO IT HERE

I got news for you: this isn’t house.

Dream – This Isn’t House EP: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Big room time!

Zedd feat. Matthew Koma – Spectrum (3LAU Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Eddie Thoneick & Norman Doray – Celsius (Original Mix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

How can you not love Montreal’s Adventure Club? OK, maybe the sound is becoming just a tad predictable. But that in no way means it’s played out. And the fact that it’s free is an added attraction.

Adventure Club – Retro City: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Brand new Sound Remedy!

Ellie Goulding – Hanging On (Sound Remedy Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE 

So glad the full version of this is finally out. This is special.

VISUAL SWEETS

Already a huge fan of Dan Black, but this is trippy. I love it.

Nobody’s quite doing it like Calvin Harris right now. Anybody else thinking it’s time for him to do an album with Example?

August 10th. The Hoxton. You will find me there.

Justice flashback!

… and that’s it, kiddos. Be safe this weekend (but not too safe) and make sure you rep bpm:tv a llllllll weekend long!

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Posted by Scott Willats

Continuing with a look at some new videos, I have a treat for the trance addicts: a new one from Dennis Sheperd. This talented German has been busy these past five years establishing himself as a headliner, and  his newest track — featuring vocals from Molly Bancroft — shows exactly what he’s capable of: a satisfyingly rhythmic collection of keys, melodies and just enough bass to keep that smile on your face.

The video starts off a little awkward (check out the dancers in the background!), but the strength of the song really makes this one worth putting on repeat. You’ll be able to buy it on Beatport on August 13.

Enjoy. And stay tuned for the Sweets of the Week!

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Posted by Scott Willats

Canadians are more than lucky this year. Usually, festival season means having to venture to some distant location to see our favorite acts in the flesh. But not everybody can afford the cost of a trip to Coachella or Electric Daisy Carnival.

This year, happily, some of the best fests are taking place right in our own backyards. WEMF you know about already — an automatic must-see. Then we have Digital Dreams, which promises to be absolutely sick: Duck Sauce, Afrojack, Kaskade — ’nuff said. And, of course, there’s the much-publicized Full Flex Express cross-country train tour, featuring Skrillex, Pretty Lights, Diplo and Grimes.

Also on the agenda: HARD Toronto on August4, featuring M83 and Justice along with locals Austra. Another must-see, right? But wait! Turns out the VELD Music Festival , featuring Deadmau5 and Avicii, is going down the same day. R’uh r’oh!

So Toronto goes from having no electronic festivals to having too many — a great problem to have, right? I dunno. Sure, we’ve got a large number of EDM fans in the city and province — but enough to support two festivals on the same weekend?

Granted, the music on offer isn’t exactly the same. Justice appeals to more of a rugged, indie-based crowd, while the VELD fest lineup is the definition pure EDM. (I mean, the mau5 even made a song called “The Veld.”) But for most fans, it’s not going to be a question of preferring one over the other. It’s more of a scheduling conflict that could end up costing one or the other of these fests a lot of audience — not because the promoters failed to assemble a good show, but because your average EDM fan just can’t physically be in two places at once.

I kind of think this problem sucks — but I also figure it’s better to have too much choice than too little. Either, it’s going to be a helluva festival season. A lot of people will be wearing out their summer tires that first weekend in August, shuttling between Hard and VELD. And I’ll be one of them.

Follow Scott Willats (SAWStruck) on Twitter