And here we go. Y’all getting sick of me talking about festivals? Well sorry, but tuff f***ing luck. Because this weekend Toronto the place in the world to be for EDM. Or any kind of music, actually.
Sure, Montreal has Osheaga happening, which promises to be nuts in its own right But Toronto is bringing the heavy, what with VELD and HARDboth going down this weekend.
What’s HARD, you ask? Just a little gathering featuring the likes of M83, Buraka Som Sistema, Austra … oh, and Justice. Sorry, let me rephrase that: JUSTICE!!!! The French icons make their looooooooooooooong-awaited return to Canada in style. Fort York is a special place to be this weekend.
And then there’s VELD, the brainchild of Canada’s own EMD titan, Deadmau5. Check out this lineup: Avicii, Kill the Noise, Mord Fustang, Bassnectar, Cosmic Gate and soooooo many others are busy tearing Toronto’s Downsview Park a new one. Rain is in the forecast for Sunday, but it’s gonna get real messy long before that. Canada, this is our weekend!
And with that, it’s on to …. THE SWEETS!
This will get your weekend going just right. A free download that hits the spot.
The second installment of Fools Gold‘s Clubhouse compilation series is just as heavy as the first. No point trying to pick a favourite: here’s the whole thing, amigos. Did I mention it’s FREE?!?
How can you not love Montreal’s Adventure Club? OK, maybe the sound is becoming just a tad predictable. But that in no way means it’s played out. And the fact that it’s free is an added attraction.
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.
It’s no secret that Coachella, which kicks off today, is the festival all the “cool kids” swarm to. Maybe it’s the fact that no media are admitted, or just that the organizers somehow manage to book the best artists in the world year in and year out (many from our own EDM world) — whatever the reason, one thing is certain: this is definitely a box that needs to be checked off your bucket list.
Now, for those of you who can’t make the cross-continent voyage to that sunny valley in California — no worries, I got you covered. This week’s “Sweets” features tracks from some of the hottest acts set to smash up Coachella this year. Put on your cargo shorts, switch on the sun lamp and crank the tunes. Close your eyes and it’s almost like you’re there. OK, I said almost.
So what happened? Did Skrillex win a Grammy? No, please don’t answer that. The biggest sign of the EDM takeover isn’t the awards these artists are winning — it’s the sheer volume of buzz that gets uncorked when these awards go down. My Facebook and Twitter feeds were a veritable orgy of Skrillex and Deadmau5 praise on Sunday night, and that will always elicit a wry smile. But of course, congrats to Sonny for bagging three awards –and to all the other winners, too.
Let’s jump back into it, shall we? On Friday I was bemoaning what a slow week it had been for new releases, and the production gods must’ve heard, because on the weekend I came across an abundance of new tracks — enough material to be talking about for days. But It’s only Tuesday. Let’s just check ‘em out and discuss later. Highlights include Jacques Lu Cont, who is worth the price of admission to Coachella alone!
Today is the eve of Dillon Francis Day, which we’ll be celebrating by checking out his brand new EP. In the meantime, Dillon has a nice fresh remix for us. So sick!
After his huge night on Sunday, Skrillex served up a brand new joint with vocals. Seems about right. However this song is a litttttttle too emo for me.
Bitter cold throughout the city of Toronto this weekend, but that didn’t stop the concert and party scene. I, however, am the biggest wimp when it comes to minus-15 weather. So I grabbed a couple movies and a couple of mixtapes, some wine and steak sandwiches, and called it a hibernation weekend. It’s a shame, too, because Burakka Som Sistema had been calling my name for the past couple of weeks, but I just wasn’t up for it.
What I was up for was dedicating some time to finding new cuts you’ll love. And what I came up with was Steve Aoki remixing Bassnectar, Urban Noize brightening up Young Money‘s Tyga, and more. Take a taste and savour the flavour.
Bassnectar dropped the new Divergent Spectrums EP on Friday, and it features a host of remixes from some of our favourite names. I’m not sold on all of them, but the more I listen the more I hear pieces of a picture I admire. Plus when it’s free and it’s Bassnectar, you want to just snatch it up and worry about the fine details later.
Urban Noize‘s remix of Tyga‘s “Rack City” seems to have disappeared from Soundcloud. Here’s a link where, with luck, you’ll be able to find it. If not, be sure to check it on YouTube — it brings a different feel to a song that a lot of people are jumping on.
Forgive me for being tardy with this one. Our favourite Swedish electro duo F.O.O.L. (F**k Our Ordinary Lives) gave a way a free track for us last week and I missed it. The good news is, I’m all over it now — and it’s dark, which I find to be F.O.O.L’s best style. Pick it up!
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!
Yes, it’s only Thursday. But I have a special post for you tomorrow, so I thought I’d share what I’m feeling this week a day earlier rather than not at all.
First of all, this was a huge week for new releases. First comes from a duo out of France, who released the album people have been waiting some little while for. Audio, Video, Disco finally dropped on Tuesday– and unfortunately for our friends Justice, many people in Internetland had already gotten their paws on it weeks earlier. Without dissecting it at length (because there are plenty, and I mean plenty of “critics” doing that), I’ll just say: I think it’s a good album. Different, just like Cross was four years ago.
The other huge release comes from a bpm:tv staple and a personal favourite interview of mine: Kaskade dropped a double album, Fire & Ice — and if you know anything at all about Kas, you know it’s heavy and well thought-out.
The first disc is called Fire and features collaborations on every track. A lot of good vocals and catchy strings: everything that makes up today’s poppy sound — and that’s with nothing to be ashamed of. The second disc, Ice, is all songs remixed by Kaskade. Admittedly, two discs’ worth is a lot of Kaskade — but he’s earned it, and I can recommend picking it up. “Turn it Down (Fire Version)” is my fav track, but all of them have a big room sound. For the parties where there are more “top 40″ girls than you know what to do with, this is the album to play.
So without further delay, let’s get into the tracks I’ve been feeling this the week.
Kaskade’s remix of Kaskade’s track “Ice (Ice Version)”. Simple enough to understand, right?
Look, it was always going to be so easy to dislike the Justice album. Though the entirety isn’t my cup of tea, there are very special gems in there. This is more than a track to me. It’s elegance and sophistication that I would loooooooove to see live at a festival (which is what I think this whole album is meant for).
The Boomzers are back! And they have a heavy, loud and uptempo in-your-face track to prove it. If your not familiar with The Boomzers: they’re an Italian electro duo. Fans of Bloody Beetroots, Crookers, The “S” or Fare Soldi? You should pick this up, then.
Broooooooooooooklyn!!!! A special edition of Sweets of the Week brought to you from Williamsburg, Brooklyn New York City. As you can imagine, I’m running around to every record store I can find to hear tracks I’ve never heard before to lay on a silver platter for you. So I won’t have a long post today, but with the treats I’m leaving you I doubt you’ll mind. Let’s do it.
New artist, and this track is sooooooooo incredibly amazing — bump at full blast and listen to the whole track, ’cause it keeps getting better all the way to the end. Griz baby!
Round one of this week’s concert series came to an end last night, with Wolfgang Gartner going innnnn. Tonight, New York producer Luca Venezia, a.k.a. Drop The Lime, will be making a quick stop at The Mod Club to show off some of his new stuff. This man is talent in the purest form, and if you’re in the mood for a lot of jumping around and beats that hit you with precision and accuracy, The Mod Club is your spot tonight. Yet another beauty brought to you by Embrace Presents!
Since I don’t think I’ll be able to get a post up in time tomorrow, I should talk a little about the raveaggedon that is on tap at Kool Haus. The four-eyed assassin, Skrillex, is coming to town with a very special guest: 12th Planet! This show is for the all-ages type of crowd. Everyone is invited and everyone should come out to really appreciate what Skrillex has accomplished. I think this makes his fourth trip to Toronto in the past year, so it seems pretty obvious that we’ve become a favourite in his eyes.
12th Planet, meanwhile, is the artist I am truly excited to see tomorrow. Not only is this the first time I get to see him live, I will also be doing a web exclusive interview with him as well. So if you’ve got any questions for me to shoot his way, feel free to leave them in the comments.
Which leads me to my sweets. I’m gonna keep them simple this week because I suspect most have you have already clicked off the page to get your tickets. And can I blame you? Not in the slightest.
First one is for all the Ferry Corsten fans out there. A lot of my posts have the dubstep feel, so it’ll be refreshing to hear some big room form. Bassjackers, who are in another zone of late, have absolutely worked their magic on Ferry’s track. It’s heavy and exactly what you want to hear 30 minutes into your fav DJ’s set. This one can’t be listened to sitting down.
And of course, the mandatory new Justice track. Though I must say, this one is top quality. I think it’s so far my fav of the tracks I’ve heard. Smooth feel.
Weekend’s here! Unfortunately for a Caribbean-blooded soul like myself, the fall brings with it the beginning of the end. I know there are many — and since I’m talking to Canada — millions of people who anticipate the season of winter. And while there are many things to love about winter, it just isn’t the same as those summer nights that I adore. So in order to heat you up, I have some fire that will have you gathered around the iPod dock, leaving the campfire in the distance.
Jennifer Lopez: Papi (R3hab Remix) First track is a tune that sounds like it actually should have been released closer to the beginning of summer. It’s from the recently single (oh, US Weekly, how you clutter my brain with useless info) Jennifer Lopez. I must be honest, I haven’t heard the original — but this remix leads me to believe I will never need to hear the original. R3hab is an absolute remix machine lately, always taking it upon himself to remix hot top 40 tracks. Play this when the party is about to hit its peak. LISTEN ON SOUNDCLOUD.
Market Price x Jay-Z x Kanye West: Mark The Throne This one is a biggy. A duo of dustup DJs from LA known as Market Price did something everyone was thinking in a matter of weeks: remix the Watch The Throne album by Jay-Z and Kanye West and wickedly call it Mark the Throne. This was always going to be tricky, and an album of this quality rarely needs any improving, but we’re the dub generation — everything needs to be remixed, right? My fave track is “Why I Love You,” but give the whole album a listen. By the way, the whole album is free … what!?!?! Play this throughout the night. LISTEN ON SOUNDCLOUD
Toddla T: Take It Back (Dillon Francis Remix) + Echo Park: Fibreoptic (12th Planet & Flinch Remix) I’m going to send you two tracks to get the party going wherever you might be. Both are remixes, and both go hard. Dillon Francis, of course, giving us some moombahton flavor, though I wouldn’t exactly limit this track to that genre. 12th Planet gives you dubstep at its finest. Both remixes taken from Toddla T and Echo Park respectively. This might leave your party guests with soiled undergarments. Play this when everyone is, um, feeling nice.
Justice: Helix + DJ Mehdi – Signatune (T. Bangalter Edit) Lastly we have a brand new track from Justice. This track is really funky and has a strong disco feel and will grow on you rather than immediately resonate with you. Unfortunately any new release from the Ed Banger Records camp this week was going to be very much overshadowed by the untimely death of DJ Mehdi. I’m sure you have already heard that he died from falling from a roof and all that can be said is that the world lost a great smile. Let’s remember him for his talent and his style, because just like everyone else at Ed Banger, Mehdi was a trendsetter. “Signatune” was always my favorite of his tracks.
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