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.

Maya Jane Coles @ The Hoxton, Toronto – April 12, 2013. Presented by Embrace & Platform

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.

Flume + EPROM @ The Hoxton, Toronto – April 4, 2013

Reviewed by Gosia Mrugala

Friday night, and the dance floor at The Hoxton was filling up rapidly, a crush of bodies thrumming with excitement and anticipation. You could feel it: the indefinable something in the air that says, “This is gonna be good.”

I’d be a liar if I said I had much prior familiarity with the music of Australian DJ/producer Flume or the artist who shared the bill with him, Portland, Oregon-based EPROM. But I can tell you that, after hearing them last week, I’ve rectified that situation. I couldn’t wait to start SoundClouding and Beatporting their stuff the minute I left the club.

EPROM is a techie terms that stands for erasable programmable read only memory — “a little memory chip thing,” he explained when we spoke after the show. When I asked him to describe his sound,  he termed it “electronic music grafted onto rap.”

I was captivated by his set. He communicated effortlessly with the crowd, hyping them into a frenzy, and his musical selection was positively orgasmic.  His passion for the job and for the music was palpable, both on stage and when we chatted later. This was his first time performing in Toronto, and when I asked for his reaction, he said: “Tonight was f*cken awesome! Super responsive crowd — everyone was giving me a really good vibe. which I feed off of when I play”

When Flume took the stage the crowd went wild, the dance floor devolving into a clusterf*ck of the musically enslaved. And the set that followed left me beyond words.

Flume describes his musical style as “experimental electronic music with a strong hip hop influence and lots of catchy melodies.” But that doesn’t do it justice. His sound that night was wonderfully grimey, with the kind of “underground” feel that is all too rare on the EDM scene nowadays. His energy, too, is awe-inspiring: when he played his track “Holding On,” the audience reaction was spine-tingling, climaxing with a burst of spontaneous applause.

Do yourself a favour and get to know these artists before they hit town again.

Special thanks to Francois and the Embrace team! Check out the Embrace Web site HERE to stay on top of upcoming events.

Some more pics from the show. All images courtesy of Embrace Presents:

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

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

Posted by Caelin Meredith

Day 5 action on the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest Electro Stage kicked off at 2 pm with a lineup that included Toronzo Cannon, Flight Distance, Lukas Nelson and Drastik (another Red Bull Thre3style finalist).

But it was local heroes A Tribe Called Red who really blew me away.

One of the benefits of a festival setting is the opportunity to discover an unknown act. Since hearing A Tribe Called Red perform live, I’ve become mildly obsessed, to the point of downloading their free album. For a taste of what these guys are like, CHECK OUT THEIR SOUNDCLOUD.

A Native Canadian trio, DJs  Bear Witness, Shub and NDN are into “mixing pow wow with contemporary club sounds,” as their Web site describes it — but that understates their impact. Performance-wise, they juxtapose politically charged visuals of First Nations culture against remixes of Adele and UK bass drops. All in all, a bass-heavy set with some truly organ-shifting moments.

“The set felt good, though very different from a club gig where you have four hours to get it going,” they told me afterward. Still, the crowd clearly appreciated their hard work. “The applause at the end was overwhelming; I had Goosebumps on my arms.”

On the other Bluesfest stages that day, the acts included Orgone …

… Down with Webster for the shrieking pre-teen set (a suitably PG-13 set with no thrown underwear) …

.. and Seal — who, for all his MOR rep, delivered an impressive performance and remixed a lot of his hits (but, thankfully, stayed true to “Crazy”).

Day 5 Electro Stage closer Chromeo turned in the BEST set I’ve heard all week — one that will go down as one of the standout performances of this festival. Sunday’s crowd showed no signs of fatigue and “raved” harder than previous nights.

Dave 1 and P-Thugg were generous in their selection and full-on with their performance, even coming around from behind the decks a few times to join the party. “When The Night Falls” and “Heads Will Roll” were big favorites, but it was the extended full mix of Duck Sauce’s “Big Bad Wolf,” with accompanying visuals, that had everyone jumping and howling.

Toward the last half-hour, the set shifted gears into “Ball So Hard” and a steady hip-hop interlude featuring the likes of Kanye, DJ Khaled and Rick Ross. It all wrapped up stunningly and had the crowd begging for an encore — a sentiment clearly appreciated by the band — but once again the strictly enforced injunction against music after 11 pm left those hopes dashed.

More Bluesfest Electro Stage recaps still to come …

Posted by Scott Willats

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!

Major Lazer – Get Free EP: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Grimes – Genesis: LISTEN TO IT HERE

Kill The Noise – Deal With It (KOAN Sound Remix): LISTEN TO IT HERE

Pretty Lights – Finally Moving: LISTEN TO IT HERE

 Follow Scott Willats (SAWStruck) on Twitter

Posted by Caelin Meredith

The weekend — which means the Bluesfest goes 10 hours a day. A nice, relaxing way to spend two days off work: milling around on a grassy knoll by the river and hearing some great music.

Rocking the Electro Stage: Nobody Beats The Drum, from the Netherlands. Despite the afternoon slot, they performed a high-octane set to a fair-sized crowd. Still, I wish I could say it was something like this:

Sjam and Jori from NBTD told me they have been on the road for the past eight weeks, playing shows and making music during the 16-hour van rides. Their current work, they said, is especially influenced by the landscape, as they’ve just completed a quintessential American road trip, starting in Alabama and heading up the west coast.

Ordinarily the band has a 27-foot screen to showcase their one-of-a-kind videos. Unfortunately, the stage specs at Bluesfest kept them from using it.  A small sample of what we missed out on:

Next up was France’s Mustard Pimp. “Christian rap/death metal/electro” is how he chooses to describe his music his on his Myspace page under “genre.”

Hard but crunchy beats with full basslines, featuring well-timed peaks and subsequent drops. Plus: a notable absence of dubstep! Not that I’m hating — it was just a refreshing change, since every other DJ has managed to incorporate some dubsteppery. CHECK OUT MUSTARD PIMP’S MUSIC ON SOUNDCLOUD.

Meanwhile, on the main stage… this was happening.

And that’s all we’re gonna say about that. Back to the Electro Stage, and the evening’s headliners: MSTRKFRT.

Jesse said the last time he was in town they played to more than 2,000 fans at an all-ages gig in Hull. The Bluesfest attendance was on par with that, and the crowd jumped non-stop for an hour and a half. An electro-and-dubstep-fueled, Moombahton mashup of hits, including Nero’s “Crush On You,” which got the calls for rewinds. The crowd surfing throughout this performance made it seem as much a rock show as a DJ set.

And FINALLY … an after-party! MSTRKRFT were there as guests of honour rather than working behind the decks, so DJ duties fell to local hero Mister P, who’d played the fest a couple days earlier. The music flowed at JunXion in the Market, as partiers reveled until dawn.

Posted by Caelin Meredith

Another gorgeous day — and The Weather Network says it’s gonna stay this way for the next 10 days: 28 and sunny. You couldn’t ask for better weather for an outdoor concert. Especially since we’re right on the river, so the evening brings fresh breezes — a bonus when you plan to be dancing for hours at a time.

Kid SL started the night. He’s an Ottawa native, and competed in last November’s Red Bull Thre3style Canadian Finals in Toronto.

A technically accomplished DJ, he played with flawless professionalism, even though the crowd seemed shy about dancing. That’s the drawback of having the first slot of the evening: you tend to get the “dinner or sunset set.” Still, that didn’t stop him from delivering a solid, high-octane performance — most notably dropping “Crush On You” with Mark Knight’s “Alright.”

Sacramento dance-punk outfit !!! (pronounced chk-chk-chk) followed — and what an amazing show they put on! A live band with heavy funk and percussive influence, they were an unusual programming choice, but it all worked brilliantly sandwiched between two DJ acts. The energetic live performance really got people primed as the sun went down.

Then there was front man Nic Offer: charismatic and kind of crazy, sporting garish Rolling Stones Some Girls shorts and dancing his way furiously through the hour-long set. He got the audience fully engaged by jumping into the crowd and performing a song on ground level — at one point holding a note for an astonishing 20 seconds.

Tommy Lee and DJ Aero closed things out on the Electro Stage that night.

Unlike the previous evening, which saw LMFAO performing at the same time as Paul Oakenfold on another, there was no competition for the EDM audience, so Tommy Lee and Aero got the kind of crowd numbers they’d hoped for — just shy of 1,700.

They played a progressive/electro hybrid, with 20 subwoofers added on stage to give a clear but distinctive sound.

It’s no surprise (considering Ottawa is such a rock town) that House Of Pain’s “Jump Around” got the biggest reaction. Then, Aero subtly dropped the “900 Number” by The 45 King, flirting just enough before pulling it back. This is a favorite of his so he only ever plays just a few bars, to keep it fresh.

The visuals — mostly well-endowed ladies — were well suited to the Mötley Crüe drummer, even though this was a family night for some. It took more than an hour of the set, I felt, before they really found their groove and came alive, pulling cheer after cheer from the crowd — all of which prompting Aero to grab the mic and say, “Ottawa goes off … we had no f**king idea!”

The dancing became less polite and more hedonistic as Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction” and some raunchy dubstep pumped from the speakers.

“We were at Tila Tequila in Ottawa in 2008,” Aero told me after the show. “Joel Zimmerman opened for us then — before he was you know who.” They were ready to keep going and locate some kind of after-party, despite having to fly to Aspen the next morning.

I’ve been surprised, actually, that there haven’t been any club gigs tacked on to the festival programming. I was expecting after-parties and club nights to be organized to take advantage of all the talent passing through, but so far the only “official” after-party is scheduled for Thursday, when Big Boi plays a DJ set after his main stage performance.

And so ended Day 3. Still to come: Mustard Pimp, MSTRKRFT, A Tribe Called Red, Chromeo and much more. Stay tuned.

Posted by Gosia Mrugala

PORTER ROBINSON / MAT ZO @ SOUND ACADEMY, TORONTO – JUNE 22, 2012

The lineup to get into the venue was insane. The crowd that swarmed the entrance was alive with anticipation, eager to experience one of EDM’s fastest-rising new talents.

Once you were inside, the bass could be felt streaming through the floor, up your legs and into every nerve fibre and cell of your body. Opening for Porter Robinson, 22-year-old British producer Mat Zo (a.k.a. Matan Zohar) dropped one mind-blowing track after another, taking full control of bodies and minds. The frenzied crowd was beyond pleased by this young artist’s impeccable track selection; his warmup set kept them dancing nonstop.

When the lights dimmed and Porter Robinson‘s “PR” logo appeared, the assembled multitudes went absolutely wild, sending his name bouncing around the room and over heads like a crowd-surfing fanatic. As Robinson stepped up to the decks, a whole new vibe took hold. Hands thrown in the air, utterly entranced, the crowd was overcome by sheer animalistic euphoria.

The success that this 19-year-old DJ/producer has achieved in such a short time is absolutely mind-boggling. I saw Porter Robinson for the first time last fall at The Hoxton, and I wouldn’t hesitate to see him again. If you haven’t yet had the chance to catch this crazy-brilliant artist live, I encourage you to make it a priority. This is a superstar in the making.

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

Interview by Gosia Mrugala

Neon Knights is the dynamic rock/electro duo of talented drummer Kane G and rocking guitarist Sean L – both noteworthy producers and DJs. Watching them live is wild beyond words. To call the pair unique performers would be an understatement: they mix DJing with live instruments in a rock-grimy style, creating a powerful vibe between themselves and the crowd that’s a rare pleasure to witness. They’re going to be rocking The Hoxton in Toronto this Friday June 29. I can’t think of a better venue for these guys, so consider the show STRONGLY recommended. Look forward to seeing you on the dancefloor!

IAMMUZYKA: What’s the story behind the alias “Neon Knights”?

SEAN: The name Neon Knights came from our background in rock music with the song “Neon Knights” by Black Sabbath. We thought this would be the perfect name for us, as we incorporate our rock influence with EDM and bring neon colours with our live instruments. Kane’s Glo kit is what really helped drive this name home for us. We hope to one day have futuristic knight suits that glow and tie into our neon theme.

IAMMUZYKA: Where did you meet and how did you guys start working together?

SEAN: We met in our first year at Ryerson in one of our business classes. We got along real well, had very similar musical interests and one day just decided to form Neon Knights. We haven’t looked back since!

IAMMUZYKA: Who are your biggest inspirations and what have you learned from them?

KANE: My biggest inspirations have to be drummers like Travis Barker, Neil Peart and Daniel Adair. These are the guys who inspired me to learn how to drum in the first place and I will always look up to them for the great musicians and role models they are. Through my high school days I would spend hours and hours improving my drum skills and it’s amazing to see where it has taken me today. Sean and I both look up to and respect Matt Jones and Pat Doody from the Sour DJs. They’ve helped us so much and we’re so happy they have taken us under their wing in the EDM scene.

SEAN: My biggest inspiration of all is Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin. He’s the reason I learned to play the guitar. The list could go on and on, but here are some more of my inspirations just to name a few: Angus Young, Jack White, Aerosmith, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Metallica. Artists like these inspired me to want to learn guitar, which I would practice for hours and hours. I used to stay home Friday and Saturday nights in high school to study and master the craft of guitar. I wanted to learn everything from shredding, classical, riffs, etc. Music inspires and motivates us, and if it wasn’t for my inspirations I would not be where I am today.

IAMMUZYKA: How would you describe the sound of Neon Knights?

KANE: Neon Knights’ sound can be summed up in a few words: aggressive, heavy riffed, high-energy, in-your-face music. We thrive off the high energy at every show and transfer that into the music we make.

IAMMUZYKA: Which producing software do you prefer and why?

SEAN: We use Logic for producing as Kane has been using it in the past for rock music and drum cover. We’ve been learning it more and more as time went on and it is the main software we use. We hope to learn how to use Ableton as well so we have a few programs we can use when creating music.

IAMMUZYKA: DJing or producing?

SEAN: We feel there must be a solid balance of both DJing and producing. There is nothing like DJing to an insane crowd where you can feel crazy energy in the room. You also need that time in the studio grinding out hours on end finding that perfect sound and producing an awesome track.

IAMMUZYKA: Top three tracks at the moment?

KANE: 1.Hirshee – Bang This 2. Horny Sanchez – Caliburn (The Sour DJs Remix) 3. Nero – Must Be The Feeling (Delta Heavy Remix)

SEAN: 1. Topher Jones – Brohammer 2. Tiësto & Swanky Tunes – Make Some Noise 3. Laidback Luke – 1234 feat. Chuckie & Martin Solveig

IAMMUZYKA: In your own words, what does EDM represent?

KANE: To me, EDM represents a culture in which electronic music is what brings everyone together. It doesn’t matter the style of dance music you like, whether it be acid house or dubstep — the appreciation and love of dance music is what ties everyone together. The love I see when I walk out in front of an audience of 5,000 people or 50 people is always the same. People are there for the love of the music and that is why we do what we do.

SEAN: EDM is simply any dance music that is electronic. There are so many styles, which makes it difficult to simply define EDM. To me the EDM scene is like a family in which whenever I meet someone that is into the EDM scene there is an instant bond. EDM is my life.

IAMMUZYKA: What are some projects you guys are currently working on that we can look forward to?

SEAN: We are currently in the works of releasing the Limp Bizkit -Breakstuff bootleg that we are a part of with The Sour DJs. There will be a video made shortly for Sol Republic headphones that will feature this track. Also, our first release on Beatport is coming up. We are featured on The Sour DJs’ new single titled “Your Mum,” which has remixes done by Donald Glaude, FTampa, Andy’s iLL, Obsidian and Unit 42. We are very excited for these releases!!

IAMMUZYKA: Where do you see Neon Knights in the next five years?

KANE: We hope to see ourselves on bigger stages, bigger festivals, bigger events and all around hope to take our music to the next level. We would like to collaborate with various artist and continue creating progressive music. We will always keep our “Neon Knights” sound and look forward to whatever the future brings.

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