Almost at the of the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest, and for EDM fans in Ottawa this was to be their day. Strategically, the Electro Stage showcased hip-hop as the Full Flex Express took over the Main Stage.
An homage to the legendary 1970 Festival Express tour that sent Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and The Band rolling across Canada by rail, the Full Flex Express packed Skrillex, Diplo, Grimes and Pretty Lights aboard a specially outfitted Via Rail train to party their way from from Toronto to Vancouver.
The set started at 6 pm with Diplo playing in 34-degree heat to about 10,000 people. He was in a chatty mood, continuously introducing his tracks on the mic and joking, “I heard Ottawa was harder than Toronto — but I had no idea how much harder!” This latter met with screams and cheers.
He dropped AC/DC to a thoroughly crazed reaction — no surprise, given, as I’ve mentioned before, Ottawa’s classic rock roots. Plus “Roxanne” by The Police with a deep Moombahton flow. The other huge anthem: “Rack City” remixed in various flavours.
Diplo felt so at home here he spent the last minutes of his set crowd-surfing, holding the mic and chatting. DJs jumping into crowd: is there any lingering doubt they’ve become our new rock stars? Nobody can touch them right now (figuratively speaking).
Meanwhile, over on the Electro Stage, Tyga was in the process of sending Ottawa’s hip-hop lovers ballistic.
I honestly had no idea that the local “heads” were so f**king nuts for the Cash Money/southern ballers style. But they lost it from the moment he hit the stage. He slammed it non-stop, and I had to duck side-stage as soon I heard the first few bars of “Rack City” — I could feel they were gearing up to lose their shit.
Elsewhere, Skrillex’s fans were busy getting ready to freak out the f**k out.
Pretty Lights was next up on the Main stage, as the crowd continued to swell. His set was orchestral and massive, punctuated with tunes like this one: “I Know The Truth.”
And finally, the main event! Skirllex brought a larger and more elaborate show than he had the previous night in Toronto. The backstage was closed due to all the pyrotechnics, lasers and whatnot, which meant no photography. So I had to sneak these …
This was a full-fledged rock concert ordeal, on a par with or bigger than what any of the week’s other main stage headliners had delivered — and the record crowd of 30,000 freaked to every minute of it.
… and FINALLY, an after party!
With the train set to depart at 2:30 am, getting to the party felt a little rushed, but once everyone got to Ritual Nightclub and settled in, the only issue I could foresee was getting all the artists to leave on time.
After Koan Sound (who are also on the train) played a dubsteppy set (including ragga jungle licks like “Special Dedication”), it was down to the Don. Skrillex, having just performed a full-on concert, played another few hours at this intimate club venue.
And the crowd was right there with him, partying on just as hard.
He gave it everything he had, sweating profusely and never letting up — even taking the photographer’s camera and snapping pics of himself with the crowd. Steadfast and dedicated, he is without question the hardest-working DJ out there right now.
And with that, the Full Flex Express left Ottawa as quickly as it had come, leaving a trail of wondrous disaster in its wake.
Just a few hours now till the Full Flex Express hits Toronto’s Fort York: the first stop on a magical mystery tour that will be rolling on to Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg and Edmonton before finishing up in Vancouver on Sunday July 22. The folks at Embrace Presents have brought out the big guns for this cross-country juggernaut — and the biggest gun of all is some guy called … Skrillex? Possibly you have heard of him?
The last time Skrillex was in this neighbourhood was at WEMF 2011. Things have changed just a little since then. He has, simply put, become a worldwide star. Now many bpm:tv fans aren’t keen on dubstep. Fair enough. Many don’t like Skrillex’s music. Again, fair enough. But like him or not, you’ve gotta respect him as an artist. He has, more or less single-handedly, brought a sound to a completely new audience — and that serves all of us who love EDM fan. He’s also been completely honest and up-front about his strengths and limitations, admitting outright that he has learned only recently how to mix at live performances. Some of your favourite house DJs could afford to demonstrate that kind of candour and humility.
I’m not here to have a debate about “selling out,” whatever that’s supposed to mean. What I will say is this: when you have a chance to see a live performance by an artist who’s in such high demand, you should grasp that opportunity. I’ve seen Skrillex live on two occasions: the first a crazy show at The Phoenix before most had heard of him, the second at WEMF, by which time nearly everyone knew the glitches and wobbles in “Cinema” by heart. Both times he murdered the show. I expect he’ll do the same tonight at Fort York. And for DnB fans out there, his recent experimentation with drum ‘n’ bass might be added incentive to try catching up with the Full Flex Express.
Of course, Skrillex isn’t the only reason to snag a ticket. Diplo, Pretty Lights, KOAN Sound, Grimes and many more will be aboard the train as well — all headliners in their own right. Pretty Lights always delivers a great show, KOAN Sound has massive tunes, I have a major crush on Grimes and Diplo just crowd-surfed Digital Dreams in a giant f**king balloon. Festival season, is in full flight, and this one is a must-go!
Well, if you didn’t already know, it is GOING DOWN tonight at Sound Academy, as Embrace Presents brings Porter Robinson to the stage with guests The M Machine. Porter is a very busy man, so take full advantage of this opportunity and get your ass down to Polson Pier.
Of course, Porter isn’t the only one who’s been rocking the sh*t out of crowds over the past couple of weeks. Which brings us to this week’s Sweets of the Week. With the Digital Dreams fest just around the corner, the heat is on for DJs to find that elusive key to a killer set. Don’t be surprised if you hear a few of these heavy-duty tracks from your fave DJ this coming Canada Day weekend.
No need to go into detail about them — the sounds speak for themselves. Enjoy! I’ll see you tonight at Sound Academy!
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 Expresscross-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.
A quiet-ish week in terms of new releases — but that doesn’t mean what we do have lacks for quality.
A lot of the big DJs seem to be on a bit of a hiatus right now. There may be a couple of reasons for that. WMC wasn’t that long ago, and a lot of artists dropped their newest stuff at the conference. Plus, festival season is just around the corner, and many DJs like to wait and give new material a test-run in front of a live audience. I’ll admit I often prefer to hear new tracks for the first time at shows rather than on the blogs, so the more of this practice the better, as far as I’m concerned.
All that said, some of the heavy hitters are still leaking new material. In today’s post we’ve got some Pretty Lights, Benga and Digitalism, to name a few. Strap up!
Back like he never left. When we went to London, Ontario last week for the Grand Benders party I was hoping to cross paths with this hometown hero. But Overwerk, as it turned out, was busy tearing up Norway. By way of compensation, however, he’s given us something brand new — and it’s a banger!
Ma-Ma-Ma-Majoooooor Lazer! What more can you say? The boys are back in the groove, making beats of quality. Alex Clare is one lucky son of a bitch to get this all for himself! Huge!
This track reminds me of the late comic Mitch Hedberg’s classic line: “I remixed a remix until it became an original again.” Sound Remedy takes on Sound Remedy … proper. Finest tune of the week IMO.
Pretty Lights is back at it again, and it’s his pretty old self shining through: a mix of bass and hard drops on this peach of a tune. Feels like it’s been a while since we last heard from the Colorado giant. Let’s hope there’s more coming soon.
Goldroom seems to have attracted a news and different audience in recent months. I’m not usually one for fads, but this one is definitely worth climbing aboard. Love this track.
What do I keep saying about Germany? They seem to perfected some kind of magic potion, because EDM’s global centre of gravity is rapidly shifting from Sweden to Deutschland. And Digitalism is spearheading the takeover. Justice fans will eat this up!
I find Coyote Kisses something of an enigma. When I listen to one of their songs, there always comes a moment when I find myself thinking I would have chosen a different road in terms of sound choices. Yet by the end, I feel satisfied with the result. This new track is sheer genius, and makes me think the duo are ready at last for household name status.
HyperCrush seems to spark a love/hate reaction among EDM fans. Some find them too poppy, others say they get it just right. Personally, I think they are perfect party material.
In case you missed the earlier post: new Ruskooooooooooooo! Look out for a new bpm Spotlight episode on Rusko — coming very very soon!
The eve of Miami Music Week, and you always knew these sweets were going to be something special — so sit back my friend, because it’s about to get a little hectic. Got some exclusive brand new cuts here from big names and no-names, major players and underground movers. This time of year you can’t help but smile. Suddenly it feels like springtime outside, and that calls for a toast. Coincidentally it’s also St. Paddy’s Day this weekend — which means, for those who can’t make the trip to sunny Florida, there are green beverages to take the pain away.
Enough chit chat. Let’s get in to it — with Tiësto remixing Canada’s own Autoerotique! This is incredibly huge: biggest, baddest Tiësto tune since “Strings.” Yeah, I said it!
How many times can a song be remixed? At least one more, apparently. This take on Lana Del Rey‘s “Blue Jeans” has surpassed Kris Menace‘s mix as my fave. And wow — there is no label with more momentum than Bromance Records right now.
Iy-yi-yi … not gonna lie, I didn’t know much about Delta Heavy until about 27 hours ago, when this dropped. This is the kind of dubstep I love: not just smashing your face in, but doing it with a melodic touch. Enjoy!!!
Diplo is everywhere this week. Check out the new visuals for “Express Yourself.”
Swedish House Mafia are superheros. Not gonna lie — this video is pretty dope.
This, of course, is only the tip of the iceberg — many more songs will be released throughout the week. Be sure to check in every day, as this is the first place all those new tracks will be posted……xx
Stress. All weeks are not built the same, a point proven by this week. Plenty of grey-hair-causing, wrinkle-inducing. While I won’t bore you with the details of what gave rise to these symptoms, I will tell you the remedy. When a day, week or month really has you on the ropes, the best way to recover and rebuild is with a healthy soundtrack. This week I got ripped a new one, and these tracks helped keep the ship above water. Brand new tracks from Felix Cartal, FatRat and Vaski, plus some household names.
SWEETS
Pretty sure it’s safe to say that Nicky Romerois 2012. Probably my new favourite big room track. Smells like Miami.
Directly — as in minutes — before I heard this, I said “If I hear another Gotye remix, I’m never listening to that song again.” Then I heard this. What do they say about losing something? It’s always in the last place you look. Sidenote: The original version of this song just so happens to be the biggest track in the world — and if you’re a regular “Sweets” checker, you would’ve learned about it HERE back on Oct. 21. Plenty reason to booooooooookmark us!
First we speak of the original. Diplo really knows how to make a smooth r&b track. The way he massages the beat to Usher’s voice is something you’d expect from producers like Danger, Darkchild or Timbaland. Sick. Then Vaski just f**ks it all up. Nasty!
I don’t have a new video for you this week; if you’re searching for one, check yesterday’s Zeds Dead post. I do, however, have something a whole lot better: that latest instalment of Scott’s Selections. Six very very very heav tracks! Be sure to pick it up.
It’s Friday! TGIF! This weekend feels like one made for the inner socialite in all of us. Since the single people of the world had to endure the shame of being alone on Valentine’s Day, you can expect the clubs to be packed with people redoubling their search for Mr. or Ms. Right. And if that’s true, then the DJs best come correct with tunes to help you bolster the courage. On the other hand, if you’d prefere to keep it low-key with a house party or a small gathering, we’ve got you completely covered with this week’s best tracks. Have at it!
SWEETS
No hesitation about jumping into the warm waters with this one. Bingo Players have a banger with help from Heather Bright.
I am definitely not one to highlight an artist in the aftermath of his or her death. That has to be said. However, I am one to highlight anything that features Chromeo. Whitney had what may have been one of the best voices in the history of time — so we can hope that, among the truckload of remixes that will be doubtless appear over the coming weeks, we get more gems like this.
When I chatted with Chris Lake last year, all he could talk about was Tommy Trash. Tommy this and Tommy that … apparently he knew something the rest of us didn’t, cuz Tommy is killing it right now.
A little R&B twist on this one. Nothing says Valentine’s Day like a good break-up song. This beat is good — almost too good. Don’t go too far to the dark side, Diplo!
Enough of that soft and slow s**t — let’s get into the nitty-gritty. If you hear this song at the venue tonight, grab him / or her / or both and get to it. Your choice.
To those who live elsewhere in our beautiful country, I owe an apology for continuing to focus on Toronto shows. I appreciate that not all parts of the country are lucky enough to get the best in EDM on a weekly basis. For that reason, I try to give you something fresh and unheard in my Friday and Monday posts. But when an artist of the calibre of A-Trak comes to town, there’s no hiding my pure, unadulterated enthusiasm! After all, this man and his brother are among the best electronic artists we Canucks have ever produced.
Tonight at The Hoxton, Toronto gets an up-close look at the prodigal son — a man who’s been a crucial part of our EDM culture and a pioneer in every sense of the word. Possibly Quebec’s finest export since Patrick Roy, Alain Macklovitch is primed to drop one of his unforgettable sets for those lucky enough to be in attendance.
All right, background music in place? Perfect. Now, back to the question.
Who is A-Trak. Well, for starters, he is half of the ever stylish and trendy Duck Sauce, in partnership with Armand Van Helden. They’ve taken the EDM world by storm, mixing disco, house, electro and hip-hop sounds — all in the same four bars. But funky, always funky.
A-Trak is also founder and CEO of Fool’s Gold Records, a label whose roster includes names like Kid Sister, Kid Cudi, Jokers of the Scene, LA Riots, Donnis, Lil B and so, so many more. Fools Gold also has one of the best websites for finding everything fly. Fresh is what this label is all about. With a singular ability to keep reinventing itself, it stands to become a name that will live in infamy.
Oh, and A-Trak is also is the younger brother of Chromeo vocalist David Macklovitch. So it’s eveident that music .. excuse me, good music, runs through this man’s veins.
To put it in a nutshell: A-Trak is a perfect example of Canada’s dominance in EDM. Loved by all his peers, with an impeccable ear that serves as a window into the sounds of the future. More than just a producer, more than just a DJ, A-Trak is an icon. Before he was making smash hits and touring the world, he was winning DJ competitions (Vestax, DMC and ITF). Not just winning them — absolutely killing them. And doing it at the tender age of 15. A-Trak is, simply put, ahead of his time.
Sure, we all love “Barbara Streisand,” and “Big Bad Wolf” has a cult following. But it’s the remixes that have won the hearts of the purists. Check out this Boys Noize remix — you can hear him taking elements from the track and make them his own, while keeping it all fresh and unique.
Then, of course, there are those remixes where he touches up the song ever so slightly, yet somehow turns it into a club banger. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs already had a killer track in “Heads will Roll,” but it’s A-Trak’s re-work that has kept it in the clubs right up to this moment. The track is perfect.
I won’t sit here and write endless praise for A-Trak — I really don’t think I could fit all he deserves in the time allocated to finish this article. But I will say that this Montreal born, New York (BROOKLYN!!) based DJ is going to be be a major presence in the genre for a very, very long time. And here’s an important reason why: when he was touring as Kanye’s DJ, he could easilyhave put on his ego cape and snuffed the small crowds. He didn’t. After dropping hits with Duck Sauce, he could have shut down the radio mixes and started to charge people for them. He didn’t. Not his style. He remains behind the scenes, always listening for that next new sound.
Of course it doesn’t hurt to pop his head out occasionally — say, to grace the cover of Billboard alongside Mad Decent owner Diplo and DJ-in-demand Skrillex.
The other great thing about A-Trak, after all of that? He’s a Canadian, just like you and me. So what’s up?!?!
