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 great weekend in EDM has passed us by, but not without dropping some anthems to keep on repeat on our iPods and Pioneers. It was always going to be something special, what with the large number of shows happening from Van City to Halifax.
One measure of a good weekend? The quality of the BBC Radio 1 Friday dance party. Unfortunately, Annie Mac wasn’t able to host her regular Friday show — but the replacement she found was none other than the “inventor” of dubstep himself, Skream. Mister Skream stepped into the booth and put together one of the best Radio 1 Friday mixdowns we’ve heard in a while. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the show, CLICK HERE to listen. It might be worth downloading for those long shifts when your regular playlist just doesn’t cut it anymore. (Pete Tong was not to be outshone, by the way, as he also put together a wicked collection of the best big room house anthems on the globe right now.)
Another great part of the weekend was hearing Embrace Presents, the leader in bringing the best EDM talent to Canada, unveil its list of upcoming shows,which I’ve included below. Expect to see many of these reviewed in the weeks to come.
Some treats for you …
So we’ve all heard the rumours that a certain trio of Swedish DJs may not put together the most “authentic” mixes at their live shows. But when you have tracks this big, I don’t think it really matters anymore. Enjoy this one.
Nico Jaar is on fire! In his latest outing, he drops a typical Jaar 5am track that will leave you clinging to the dancefloor like a strung-out jabba wokkie! And yes that’s Demi Moore and Bruce Willis’s daughter delivering the vocals.
And, as promised, a list of the best Embrace shows in Toronto coming up over the next couple of months. See you tomorrow kiddies!
Saturday, January 28 - BASSJACKERS with Special Guests
The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst Street | Doors 9PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $10.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Saturday, January 28 - NIGHTBOX with THE BALCONIES & CHRISTIEN SUMMERS
Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen Street West | Doors 9PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $8.50 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This & Soundscapes
Wednesday, February 1 - Trouble & Bassmentality Present: DROP THE LIME with THE M MACHINE
Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $10.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Friday, February 3 – BENI with Special Guests
Supermarket, 268 Augusta Avenue | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $10.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Saturday, February 4 - SURKIN with Special Guests
Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $13.50 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Monday, February 6 - Presented in association with Drambuie: THE ASTEROIDS GALAXY TOUR with VACATIONER
The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst Street | Doors 8:30PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $16.50 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Thursday, February 9 - A-TRAK with Special Guests
The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst Street | Doors 9 PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $20.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Friday, February 10 - KEYS N KRATES with GRANDTHEFT
The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst Street | Doors 10 PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $15.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Tuesday, February 14 - DIE ANTWOORD with Special Guests
The Phoenix, 410 Sherbourne Street | Doors 8PM | All Ages Event
Adv. Tickets $29.00 (plus facility fee & s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Wednesday, February 15 – Bassmentality Presents: 12TH PLANET with FLINCH & CRIZZLY
Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $12.50 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Thursday, February 16 - JOHN DAHLBACK with Special Guests
The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst Street | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $15.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
** NEW DATE **Thursday, February 16 - THEOPHILIUS LONDON with Special Guests
Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $17.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Saturday, February 18 - Presented in association with Live Nation: SLEIGH BELLS with Special Guests
The Phoenix, 410 Sherbourne Street | Doors 8PM | All Ages Event
Adv. Tickets $24.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Saturday, February 18 - DJ KRUSH with THEVINYLKILLER
Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $16.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Wednesday, February 22 – Bassmentality Presents: TWO FRESH with NiT GriT
Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $12.50 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Saturday, February 25 - HOOK N SLING
The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst Street | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $12.50 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Wednesday, February 29 – Bassmentality Presents: DREAM & BOY KID CLOUD
Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $10.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Saturday, March 3 - TRUST with ELL V GORE
Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $10.50 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Tuesday, March 6 - An Evening with MOE.
The Mod Club, 722 College Street | Doors 8PM | All Ages Event
Adv. Tickets $29.00 (plus facility fee & s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Thursday, March 8 - BINGO PLAYERS with Special Guests
The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst Street | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $15.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
** NEW DATE ** Friday, March 16 - DEANER OF FUBAR with Special Guests
Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $15.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Saturday, March 24 - Presented in Association with Hospital Records, Destiny Events & Electronic Nation: HIGH CONTRAST, NETSKY, CAMO & KROOKED, MYSTICAL INFLUENCE, LUSH & HYDEE
Kool Haus, 132 Queens Quay East | Doors 10PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $35.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca & Play De Record
Monday, April 2 - METRONOMY with Special Guests
The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst Street | Doors 9PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $16.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
Wednesday, April 4 - FIRST AID KIT with Special Guests
The Great Hall, 1087 Queen Street West | Doors 9PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $18.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This & Soundscapes
Thursday, April 5 - HOWLER with Special Guests
The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen Street West | Doors 9PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $8.50 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This & Soundscapes
Friday, April 20 - HOCKEY TEETH
Wrongbar, 1279 Queen Street West | Doors 9PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $10.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This & Soundscapes
Tuesday, May 1 - Presented in Association with Live Nation: MIIKE SNOW with Special Guests
Sound Academy, 11 Polson Street | Doors 8PM | All Ages Event
Adv. Tickets $26.50 (plus s.c.) at ticketmaster.ca, Rotate This & Soundscapes
Wednesday, May 2 - SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS with Special Guests
The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst Street | Doors 9PM | 19+ Event
Adv. Tickets $15.00 (plus s.c.) at ticketweb.ca, Rotate This, Soundscapes & Play De Record
So 2012 is here, and I would say that already we’re off to a great start. The holiday season always lacks a little in the new music department. Artists seem to know that most of the attention in late December will be focused on the best songs of the past year. Why would you want to release a track that’s just going to get forgotten in the hoopla of the holiday season?
For a new music junkie like me, it was actually refreshing to step away from the blogs and podcasts and just enjoy the tunes that we’d heard this year. But that’s done — and it’s time now to get back into the new ish. I don’t have many for you today, but the ones I do have will knock your block off. Lezzzzzzgo!
The number one concert that I’m looking forward to in January is the return of Brodinski with his Bromance teammate Gesaffelstein — a tag-team event in Toronto on Jan. 21st at Wrongbar, brought to you by Embrace Presents. If you’re a frequent visitor to this page, you’ll know how much I adore this French duo. The leaked remix of Justice‘s On’n'On EP has dropped, and it’s looking to get the year started right. Brodinski’s track is the one I was able to get my hands on, but Tiga‘s is floating around out there as well. Do me a favour and find it! It’s heavy. Justice Remixed by Brodinski … doesn’t it feel like 2012 is gonna be BIG?
This track is one of those tunez you either love or hate. For those who hate, I simply state that it needs to be heard in the dark — preferably surrounded by zombies, as you fight with the last of your desperate strength the song’s insistence that you must LOSE YOUR SOUL! Melodramatic? Naw, just Afrojack baby!
Sometimes you look at the title and artist of a track, and before you even hit play you know it’s a bomb — especially when bomb is in the name. Fukkk Offf is back, and he comes bearing gifts of frankincense and bass. Of course, he has help in the form of the Dirty Disco Youth. Together they drop a massive payload of club megatonnage.
Ayayayi! Three tunes and three anthems. And I’ve left the best for last, kiddy kats. This tune should turn up your minus-15 day a few degrees. LAZRtag is here to drop another track — and this bomb is apocalyptic. I lost my lunch at the four minute mark. Words don’t do it justice. Just pick it up, amigo!
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.
They say you never know the true quality of a producer until you see him live, a phrase I have lived by for the past five years. On Saturday, thanks to Embrace Presents, I finally had my opportunity to see Porter Robinson in the flesh. And I can say with 100 percent conviction that the boy did not disappoint.
It was a good vibe all around. The crowd showed up by the hundreds with plenty of enthusiasm. The line was incredibly long but — as with all shows at The Hoxton, it moved really well. And once you got in the scene was perfectly balanced — a blend of knowledgeable fans, there to catch a memorable performance, and the requisite contingent of gorgeous girls. The chant of “Porter, Porter” rang out before Mr. Robinson approached the tables. Once the young man reached the platform … BAM! A surge of excitement from the crowd, and then it started.
One thing was obvious from the get-go: this kid loves him some Wolfgang Gartner. Many times he used slight remixes or re-edits of Gartner tracks, feeding the crowd perfectly. It’s something I’ve been preaching for a while now: this new wave of American artists take pride in where they come from, and really want to establish their own sound. The set had a strong North American feel — and right now that really is the sound of quality.
Without going into details on each song — because if you weren’t there I wouldn’t do it justice — I’ll just say that it was a proud moment to see how Toronto turned up for Porter. I believe it was his first show in TO, and the city really welcomed him, with a crowd response that would have pleased some of the world’s top DJs.
The concert was so good it took me an extra day to write this report. True story! Just another absolute beast of a show courtesy of Embrace Presents.
Check you tomorrow for some midweek Sweets!……………..xx
Friday Friday Friday! 11-11-11 is todays date, and a numeric coincidence this special needs to be an occasion. Carl Cox is playing tonight at Downsview Park, Studio 3. If you happen to be around, I would definitely advise you to take that in — Cox never disappoints. This Saturday, meanwhile, Toronto will get its first look at a man I’ve spoken highly of before: Porter Robinson. Porter the Prodigy is going to be playing at The Hoxton tomorrow, and I expect him to serenade the Big Smoke. Once again Embrace Presents is the machine making this possible, so if you’re in the Toronto area be sure to grab some tix and head down to Bathurst and King!
On to the rich stuff. I got a couple of bangers for you and your crew that should fill your craving. A brand new track from a brand new artist on Fake Blood’s cult symbol and ever addictive Blood Music label. I also have remixes by some pretty influential DJ’s and a mini-mix of epic proportions. A quick warning, however: too many sweets will leave you only craving our beats! Straight heat!
SWEETS
First comes from a man who is touring with Skrillex and almost stealing the show. 12th Planet released his new singles this week and they scratch that dark-dub-itch perfectly.
Next up is a track that will sound very familiar if you’ve checked my mini-mix already. Kaskade takes Zedd’s “Shave It” and makes it his own. Honestly, I don’t even think this should be called a remix — so polished!
Next up, on Fake Blood‘s Blood Music label is a young man named LeBreton. I have no idea who this guy is, but he sounds like the perfect fit for the label. His EP Glass was released on Tuesday but it’s “Ghoul” that had me wearing red all week. (Makes me wonder if this is a Fake Blood alias — and that’s a compliment.)
Who is GRiZ?!?! This mid-Michigan kid is an absolute beast on the boards. I’ve never heard a young producer drop so many soulful tracks. I guess that’s the Motown in him. This track is a therapeutic experience.
Adam Björnberg is a Swede who was born in … 1994! This is getting ridiculous. The Swedes are like the Detroit Red Wings of the EDM world: they just keep inventing new talent and staying at the top of the charts. Try this big room banger!
Back at the start of the spring, Tiësto blessed Toronto with a visit to the Ricoh Coliseum, drawing thousands of fans from all over Ontario. But it was the opening act that stole the show that night. Mr. Gartner was truly the spectacle of the evening.
Fast-forward to the middle of fall and Wolfgang Gartner has become a leader of the North American electro revolution. Precise, polished and perfect on his beats, he dropped his album at the end of September (coinciding with the premiere of hisbpm Spotlight episode) and so far the reviews — including ours — have been full of praise. And now he’s back in Toronto.
Tonight is going to be a show. He has basically been touring for the past five months — and he’s changed things up since his last Toronto visit to match his album release. Plus, at The Hoxton tonight you’ll see a much more intimate Wolfgang Gartner with a much more devoted crowd. This will be one for the books. So don’t waste any more time: get your tickets at Embrace Presents and I’ll see you there tonight.
Here are some of his besties …
A crowd favourite no matter the venue. I once saw Riva Starr turn a club upside down by playing this. No, I’m not joking: Riva Starr.
An absolutely huge collabo. You can really hear both artists in the track — but when it comes down to the nitty-gritty, I feel for some reason like this is more Gartner’s track than deadmau5′s. Either way, a colossal success.
This one was my absolute favourite when it came out — and somehow Wolfgang has made it better. No words do it justice … pump this right before you leave tonight!
Other huge tracks: “Push & Rise,” “5th Symphony” and, of course, “Space Junk.” By the way, check out as many of the “Space Junk” remixes as you can, especially the ones by Overwerk and Zhu. Just off the top of my head.
It feels like the long weekend just finished with a bang and already it’s Wednesday! What does Wednesday mean? Easy: time to get ready for another weekend! I’ll run down the three massive shows that take place tomorrow and Friday. But first lets get some of the bangers out of the way.
Number one is the dub guru known as Flux Pavilion (above), with a heater of the simplest form. It feels like we haven’t heard anything new from Britain’s Beast in awhile. So when I saw this track posted it was immediately the first I went to. Flux takes Example‘s “Midnight Run” and adds a heavier, upbeat feel to it. It works perfectly, leaving me to wonder why so many artists are having major success remixing Example’s tracks.
Continuing with another favourite pair, Crookers (above) are back, and they have dropped off their Dr. Gonzo album teaser. Now, when “Springer” came out back in early spring, I was hooked and absolutely loved the new direction they were taking their sound. Then came the release of the Dr. Gonzo Anthem EP, which left much to be desired from my perspective. But I now understand where they were going, and after seeing them perform at Labour of Love in August I can also see what they are trying to accomplish. And for a live show it works perrrrrrrrrrrrrrfectly. Enjoy this teaser.
Finally, a huge uptempo track from Modek. This Belgian DJ has taken Melente & Zero Cash’s “I’ll Be There” and laced it with grease and fat so thick you can feel your cholesterol levels growing as the tune bumps through your Bose speakers. The perfect song to play before you head out to the concerts this weekend.
And speaking of concerts: we’ve got Wolfgang Gartner in Toronto at The Hoxton tomorrow, Drop The Lime at the Mod Club on Friday, and Skrillex plus 12th Planet at Kool Haus on Saturday. Embrace Presents? They are truly gods amongst men. Pick up your tickets HERE.
I’ve been recovering from The Killabits show on Friday. There’s always something special when a group comes back home to perform for their friends and family. This was no different — in fact, this was better. Embrace Presentsbrought back home some of Toronto’s deadliest assassins, and they lived up to the hype.
It was always going to be a rather crazy affair, as Sam and Biz seemed to have a glow and purpose to them as the curtains opened. “It’s good to be hooooooooooooome” followed by screams and screams and screams were all you could hear — and then … slowly but surely: BASS.
I would do no justice to the show if I sat here and described it song by song. Instead, take a look at what the show was like through the innovative eyes of The New Toronto. They were on hand taking pics along with The SuperManiak, Maria Govea. Haven’t seen Maria’s yet but you can check out the fine work of Conrad and The New Toronto staff HERE.
The point of all this is that bpm:tv picked a great night to record a Live Sessions Canada, and those who couldn’t make it are in for a treat — especially with producer extraordinaires Middy and Declan O’Driscoll putting their editing touch on it.
Lots of shows to look forward to in the next couple of weeks: Dahlbeck, Skrillex, Gartner, 12th Planet … until then, here are my top tracks from over the weekend.
First up, a man who was just as good as the Killabits on Friday: Toronto’s new hope, Warrior Music.
Fragma- Toca’s Miracle (Warrior Music Remix)
Two of my fave producers from Scotland team up … kinda … sick though! Burns is a dude you should have saved! Tartan Army Stand Up!
Burns – Iced Out (Calvin Harris Remix)
Bonus Burns!
Burns – Kiss N Hold
And finally, a little album for you to feast on from Pretty Lights artist SuperVision(a.k.a. Richard Blake Hansen). The Pretty Lights Music team is becoming scary good.
SuperVision – Telescopic
Surrender to me your ears and I will show no mercy … xx
The weekend is here — and the first weekend of fall is usually accompanied by a rush to get the last bit of summer partyin’ in. The weather should be nice, and the number of artists playing across Canada is enough to keep you occupied.
The people at Embrace Presents never cease to amaze me. Whenever an artist is in high demand, they seem to have a way of getting them to come to Canada — and to their prize venues. Tonight is no different, as Toronto’s Mod Club will host UK riddim rocka Toddla T. T has been a buzzword for the last couple months with the release of his long-player Watch Me Dance. The album is everything you would expect: a lot of drum’n'bass-like backbeats to go along with some hard hitting dancehall vibez fit for a soundclash in Kingston, Jamaica. The thing about T is, he’s a showman — not quite a Steve Aoki, but I guarantee that if you’re at Wrongbar tonight, he’ll find away to send you home kissing your teeth and yelling “Bombahclottt!” to your local cabdriver. I expect it to be madness. Lots of tunes to choose from, but this track has been bumping throughout the bpm:tv offices for the past month.
Brand new video HERE for a track that I posted last week. Cutting edge vybez, uzeeemi!
It doesn’t end there. Remix king Alex Metric will be at The Hoxton on Saturday. He’s touching down in Toronto for the first time in a while, and it just might be the show of the weekend. Expect to hear one of your favourite songs completely changed into something more dance friendly. I’m really hoping to get five minutes with him, because I want to know what goes into his remix recipe. Song selection, vocals, synths, bpm … how does he make them all so effortlessly? Maybe these questions aren’t supposed to be answered. Like why is the sky blue? Why is blue blue? If a tree falls in the woods and nobody’s there to hear it, will Alex Metric remix it? You let me know. I hope to see you there!
