Posted by Caelin Meredith

After going dark for a few days the Electro Stage came alive for the final weekend of the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest in Ottawa. And if you’ve been reading the recaps so far, you’ll know that the fest is definitely due for a name change, what with a lineup that includes headliners like Skrillex and metalheads Mastodon. Although perhaps distantly blues-inspired in some former lifetime, neither heavy metal nor dubstep could really be said to fit on the same bill as Howlin’ Wolf.

Toronto-based Grantdtheft was first up on the decks this Friday night. As a self-styled DJ/VJ, his forté is integrating video with his audio mixes. I thought he was doing this all in real time, and he assured me later that he was — but the real work lies in the gruelling studio process of synching video to audio. Once that’s uploaded (see “days of work”), then he mixes live as per usual.

Mad skills and loveable tunes that had the crowd singing along; hip-hop and reggae anthems and hooks like no other DJ  had summoned all week. And maybe a few guilty pleasures rolled up in there as well.

A festival generally means fewer rules than a club gig, more freedom and less pressure to bring the latest and greatest. You get to play in more of a relaxed, party atmosphere. So maybe the reason I ended up hearing the remix of “Fading Like A Flower” twice in one week!

Then … it was time for Drop The Lime.

LISTEN TO DROP THE LIME ON SOUNDCLOUD

The last time I’d seen him was with Major Lazer in Toronto at Sound Academy, and this was definitely one of the sets I was looking forward to most: he seems to plays all my favourite jams, with tight technical mixes.

A natural-born musician, he also took an opportunity to chat engagingly with the crowd. Definitely one of the house -ier sets of the week, it got the ladies onto the dance floor — and the guys quickly followed suit.

Red Bull + fire extinguisher = the perfect metaphor for his set. Pulsating rhythms and beats that grip the heart. Beautiful and classic vocals co-existing peacefully with dirty, grimy bass lines to whine your waist.

Here, the boys chill offstage and catch up. These festivals give you a chance to see old friends and get to know new ones.

A-Trak, the evening’s headliner, turned in an absolutely mental set, drawing a crowd even larger than Tommy Lee and Aero’s or Paul Oakenfold’s — no small feat.

A ton of Montrealers made the two-hour drive and placed themselves strategically in the crowd to cheering with fierce Canadian pride for their hometown hero — a onetime DMC champ who has toured with the likes of Kanye West.

A-Trak’s quiet demeanour offstage belies his onstage persona: the “Big Bad Wolf.” Can you guess, by the way, which track was the banger of the night? Here’s a hint.

No question, this was the perfect way to gear up the Electro Stage for the final weekend of the festival.

Check out Caelin Meredith’s site PUSH > PLAY.

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

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Posted by Scott Willats

The week before a Canada Day long weekend is always such a tease. Nobody wants to be at work, but the promise of an unforgettable holiday keeps us all slugging away.

This weekend, though, isn’t your typical Canada Day. The Digital Dreams Music Festival in Toronto will showcase some of the best EDM artists in the world. Think of it as the unofficial kick-off to Canada’s summer festival season.

As we gear up for this extravaganza (and if you’re one of bpm:tv’s contest winners, congrats!), I thought it would be good to do a quick background check on some of the headliners who will be packing the crowds at Ontario Place. We start with the Dutch giant known as Afrojack!

For many of us, Afrojack (a.k.a. Nick van de Wall) became a household name after he dropped “Take Over Control.” But there’s more to the man than monster hits. Long before this breakthrough single, he’d been putting in his time, playing small clubs, producing quality tracks without the support of a label, and assembling the kind of resume any DJ would be proud of.

Afrojack is the sort of DJ who was born to headline big fests like Digital Dreams. Beyond the stage showmanship and the relationship with Paris Hilton, there’s a gifted artist who produces anthem after anthem — not to mention a shrewd businessman who has built his label Wall Recordings — home to the likes of R3hab (also performing at Digital Dreams) and Sidney Samson — into an industry heavy-hitter.

So how do you go from small-club DJ to pop mogul? Hard work. Let’s take a look at the product of his labours.

It was evident right from the start that Afrojack was going to be several cuts above the average. Sure, this first track, “In Your Face,” has a few bobbles — but it’s still light-years beyond your typical debut release. That ear for the perfect groove, that innate ability to make the listener’s head bob and hips swivel — it’s not a plug-in you add to your track, it’s the soul of the producer.

This is a perfect track to play at your next party. I guarantee: at least half the people there won’t ever have heard it. It’s a tune that evokes a lot of emotion — and one that lays out clearly the template for Afrojack’s future success. (The B-side, “Waho,” is worth a listen as well.

This next track, “Drop Down” (Do My Dance) was his first real taste of success. Collaborating with The Partysquad helped him elevate his game and earn wider recognition. Here’s where Afrojack found the sound he would grab and hold onto — a sound that would be mimicked and copied for years to come: blending a hard drum line, evocative of UK garage, with crazy off-the-wall sonics. I can’t think of any other producer capable of pulling this off and making it sound good.

Was it the beat? Or Eva Simons? Or the remix by Adam F? All of the above? Or something else entirely. Nobody’s every put their finger on it precisely, but one way or another, “Take Over Control” was Afrojack’s statement: a track that made the dance floors go nuts. The combination of Eva’s angelic voice and that screaming synth: it was a sound DJs and ravers just couldn’t get enough of. And it still bangs!

Simply put, “No Beef” is an anthem. For a while last summer, it was every DJ’s go-to climax track. EVERY DJ. If you were in the big room, you were gonna hear this. While the vocals by Miss Palmer certainly didn’t hurt, it was the collision of Afrojack’s synth and Steve Aoki‘s keys that put this song in a class by itself.

So there you have it; four reasons Afrojack is a perennial DJ Mag Top 100 finisher, and one of 30 richest DJs in the world. If you like what you’ve seen and heard here, I recommend getting your ass to Ontario Place this weekend. Seriously, you haven’t heard “No Beef” till you hear Afrojack spin it live.

CLICK HERE FOR DIGITAL DREAMS TIX AND INFO.

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