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.

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.

Tom Swoon & Amba Shepherd – Not Too Late: BUY IT ON BEATPORT

Polish DJ/producer Tom Swoon teams up with vocalist Amba Shepherd to deliver this thrilling slice of progressive house goodness. Shepherd’s alluring, trance-like vocals mesh exquisitely with the rhythm on a track that’s custom-designed to drive the crowds absolutely wild at outdoor festivals. Which, by the way, is it summer yet? This one put me in an ecstatic daze, and I’m willing to bet it does the same for you.

Incidentally, you’ll want to check out the Bassnectar & PatrickReza dubstep remix as well as Maor Levi’s electro house version — both highly successful remixes!

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

Bring on the bass! Kelowna, B.C. dubstep demon DATSIK is the latest name to join the artist lineup for the DIGITAL DREAMS Music Festival. With UK dubstepper DOCTOR P also joining the roster, it’s safe to assume that DD will have its bass well covered come Canada Day.

Also revealed this past weekend: Spanish techno head PACO OSUNA will be playing the Echo Beach Stage. This lineup is insane!

Go HERE for Digital Dreams tix. Check out 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.

Flux Pavilion – Blow The Roof: BUY IT ON BEATPORT

English dubstep producer and DJ Joshua Steele (known professionally as Flux Pavilion) is one artist who — if you’ll pardon the play on the track title — really knows how to “Blow The Roof.” He’s best known for his 2011 single “Bass Cannon,” which I used as my alarm clock for quite some time. And I suspect this latest offering is going to become my new start to the day. It’s one of those tracks that will definitely “Blow The Roof” — sorry, had to go there again — off just about any club. Young Joshua’s career is in, you could say, a state of “Flux” — OK, I’ll stop now — and I am officially a fan!

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

The Prodigy – Breathe (Zeds Dead Remix): BUY IT ON BEATPORT

The Prodigy are beyond legendary. From rhythms to vocals, their songs are instantly recognizable to just about anyone who knows and appreciates good music. So it took a certain audacity for Toronto’s Zeds Dead to approach the classic track ‘Breathe” and put their own dub spin on it. All too often, these attempts at re-working iconic tracks end in worse than failure: they ruin the original for the listener. Miraculously, Zeds Dead have pulled it off, ripping apart the original big-beat anthem and turning it into a mind-blowing, body-pumping dubstep monster.

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

This one starts off a little questionable: all calm and mellow, very la-di-da … and then, at 43-second mark, it blows me away. The rhythm, the vocals — it’s all so seductive, so harmoniously sexual that I get goosebumps just listening to it. And I pressed repeat so many times I damn near broke the button. Close your eyes and give in fully to the ecstatic feeling.

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.

In which Toronto’s Warrior Music goes dubstep all over “Zia’s Theme,” a folky tune from the soundtrack of the video game Bastion, and makes vocalist Ashley Barrett‘s promise to “build that city on a hill” sound ominously like a threat. You can download for free at warriormusicbass.com. Level up!

Warrior Music- Bastion (Original Mix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Check out the original track:

Posted by Scott Willats

Here we go again. Back to Echo Beach — this time to see a man who hasn’t traveled to Toronto … scratch that, Canada … no, wait, scratch that, North America … in 12 years. Eric Prydz is headling the Identity Festival in Toronto on Saturday, and I am amped.

I really don’t know what to expect. We’re talking about one of the pioneers of this genre. Somebody who was bending boundaries in the studio before the term EDM had even been invented. Who was making his mark as a live performer when DJs were still mainly associated with hip-hop acts. Who’d established the pseudonymous Cirez D as a household name well before alter egos became all the rage in dance music. Basically: if you’re in Toronto this Saturday there is only one destination.

And the awesome doesn’t stop with Pryda. Other heavy names featured at Identity include none other than Nero — currently number one on the bpm:tv Hot 20 Dance Chart with their single “Must Be The Feeling.” It’s a while since I’ve seen this UK duo perform, and I’m excited about how their sound has evolved. The latest album, Welcome Reality, has been a massive success, I’m looking forward to this set — not just to see the crowd’s reaction, but to hear their choice of remixes. Should be a performance to remember.

Then there’s Madeon and Le Castle Vania: Both young, both heavy electro — and both awesome. The 18-year-old Frenchman Madeon has built a rep in Europe as something of a prodigy, as been a favorite on BBC Radio 1 for quite a while now. The Atlanta-based Le Castle Vania, meanwhile, is part of the tide of fresh blood from North America blood sweeping across face of the EDM world. Both should be great sets, so be sure to check them out.

And then there’s Excision. Canada, stand up! The dubstep demon from Kelowna, BC will definitely be excited to play such a high-profile fest in his home country. And whenever you get a bass DJ hype to play for you … well, consider your pants soiled. Be prepared to get grimy.

So with all that said, I think it only fair that this week’s Sweets should showcase the artists performing at Identity. Enjoy!

LE CASTLE VANIA

Kaskade – Turn It Down (Le Castle Vania Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Split & Jaxta-Roulette (Le Castle Vania Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

MADEON

Madeon – Finale

Pendulum – The Island (Madeon Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

EXCISION

Excision & Datsik – A Milli (Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Excision & Downlink – Crowd Control: LISTEN TO IT HERE

NERO

Nero – Innocence: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Nero-Promises: LISTEN TO IT HERE

BINGO PLAYERS

Bingo Players – Chop: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Bingo Players – Mode: LISTEN TO IT HERE

EVA SIMONS

Afrojack Feat. Eva Simons – Take Over Control (Original Mix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

ERIC PRYDZ

Eric Prydz Presents: EPIC Radio 002: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Pryda – Mirage: LISTEN TO IT HERE

 Follow Scott Willats (SAWStruck) on Twitter