EDM has exploded onto the Canadian scene in the past few years, and this summer will almost certainly be remembered as a history-making moment, dominated by a series of electronic music tests that fans will be talking about for years.
Last weekend brought the inaugural VELD Music Festival and its mind-blowing lineup to Toronto’s Downsview Park, courtesy of INK Entertainment. An interesting name for a festival, no?
Veld – (noun) the open country, bearing grass, bushes, or shrubs…
The anticipation for this fest was absolutely mind-boggling, fed by a YouTube video designed to get you wanting more and the posters and billboards plastered all over the city. Happily, VELD went above and beyond expectations. I was blown away and left speechless. Just about every performance was noteworthy, but a few will stay permanently imprinted in my memory.
All praise to the brilliant Steve Aoki — a true performer. He rocked that crowd, delivering not only smashing tunes but a jaw-dropping show. From crowd-surfing in an inflatable boat to soaking the audience in champagne, he is by far one of the most commanding performers I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience.
I hadn’t had the chance before to see Krewella live, so I’m grateful to have experience their impressive performance in the Bacardi tent at VELD. The trio work harmoniously together, cranking out skin-crawlingly ecstatic tracks precision-tooled to galvanize the crowd.
Steve Angello turned in an awe-inspiring set. His music selection was absolutely infallible and kept the crowd moving in a frenzy.
VELD’s headlining acts were Deadmau5 on day one, and Avicii on day two. Deadmau5 dazzled the hometown crowd, even in the pouring rain, dropping a selection of his classic tracks along with some new beats that fell intriguingly on my music-hungry ears. But it was Avicii who surprised and impressed me, played some hard, bass-pumping stuff that left me hungry for more, even after two exhausting days.
All in all, VELD was a great success. INK did a phenomenal job with this event, and I’m excited to see what they will bring to the table in summer 2013. Till then, be sure to check out some of their other notable events, including CONTACT and Labour of Love at Toronto famed The Guvernment/Kool Haus complex.
Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.
So. VELD. Wow. That was just … wow. I mean, the music and the crowd and the spectacle … it was all just … you know … wow.
Screw it. There’s no easy way to describe an incredible experience like that. You know what they say about pictures and words? If you really want to know what last weekend at VELD was like, check out the massivephoto gallery posted by fearless bpm:tv bloggeuse Gosia Mrugala.
A very late-breaking edition of Sweets of the Week here, tendered with apologies: what with the jam-packed summer schedule of festivals and events, it can sometimes be tough to get the weekly playlist assembled in time for Friday. But don’t you stress — I will always provide for my homies.
This week we hear a massssssssive new big-room track from Laidback Luke, which has owned my iPod for the past couple of days, plus new stuff from Toronto’s Dzeko and Torres, Riva Starr and Butch Clancy, aaaaaand a sexy, sultry ballad from Ellie Goulding. These taste sooooo good! Have at it, kids!
Dunno about you, but this weekend feels like Christmas to me. The dance music season is in full swing, and Canada is playing host to the best parties in the world! Can you feel it?
This is our weekend. There’s Bassmentality — sorry a Super Bassmentality happening in Ottawa, along with the Escapade fest. As for Toronto … well, you may have heard about a little something called the Digital Dreams festival. Homie! Iz going down. I said, can you feel it?
In this spirit of celebration, I’ve put together an extra-special “Sweets” — not so difficult, when you consider that this has been one of the better weeks of 2012 in terms of new music. Special praise for The Knocks, Zeds Dead and, of course, Dillon Francis. CAN YOU FEEL IT?
THE SWEETS
I love Ryan Enzed. If ever there was producer who deserved to be famous worldwide — as in right this minute — it’s this guy.
Dillon Francis tweeted, while making this track, that it was creepy and awesome at the same time. Been waiting a while for a fresh Dillon track with quality — and man, is it good to have him back!
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.
It’s Friiiiiiiday — and not just any Friday. The bpm:tv Nation will be venturing into Knights territory to celebrate the premiere of Grand Benders at Cobra London.
The only downside is that I can’t be in two places at once, which means I’m going to have to miss Goldroom tonight at the Gladstone. This is a Pop Kult! event presented by Mansion, so you know the crowd will be knowledgeable, the drinks will be flowing and the music will be top-notch. If you find yourself in the dot this evening, head for Queen and Gladstone, homie.
I’m stoked for the trek to London. An hour’s drive means I need to get on my A-game and prep a road trip playlist with the freshest/flyest new beatz. And so, without further ado, your Sweets of the Week …
Start off with a brand new banger from the beatdown king. Aoki and Dimas go apeshit on this one.
I feel like I should be on the Blood Music payroll. I mean, any time I hear anything brand new from these guys, I’m all over it. Then again, I feel like I should be paying them for delivering such a steady supply of the baddest beats. So let’s maybe just call it even. Anyway, here’s a double dose: first with Ado, then LeBreton … ‘aaaaave it!
If you can’t make the Pup Kult! event tonight, then download this asap: it’s the closest you can get to actually being there. Josh Legg is in the creative zone right now, so look out for a Goldroom feature on the blog next week.
Track has barely been released and already the remixes are pouring in. This one employs my favourite recipe: one cup Wolf plus two scoops Disco. Go in boyz.
My progressive peeps: you know I always got you covered, right? Dyro & Rene Kuppens tackle you in full stride with this orgy of synth and bass sounds. Has the smell of summer all over it.
For many of us, May will be known as “Pryda Month.” The Swedish God of House Music is set to unleash his three-CD compilation Eric Prydz Presents Pryda on May 21. 3 CD’s of Eric is about enough to fill your sets for the next year. Doubtless this mammoth album will get leaked soon enough. In the meantime, we’ll just have to settle for this anthem.
Finally, this. Far from new, I realize, but sometimes you gotta bring a track back — backtrack, you dig? Jacques Lu Cont has been quietly making a return to glory of late. But it’s his take on a house classic that remains top of my iPod playlist. Hope this brings you back. U know i love you better …
Dada Life take the typical house video and put a spin on it. Careful, fellas — watch the whole thing before you comment.
It’s no secret that I have a serious Kris Menace obsession. This track is made for clubs, movie soundtracks and bus rides alike. Only Menace can pull that off.
Can’t just play one Menace. I mean, are you kidding me?
And that’s it for the week. Just a reminder, bpm:tv Nation is gonna be in London tonight — and trust me when I say “It’s going down.” We’ll be celebrating the launch of bpm:tv’s newest series, so come on out and meet the stars of Grand Benders. Lehhh go!
Released just two weeks ago on Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak label, Datsik‘s album Vitamin D is the banger his followers were primed for. The B.C. artist has described dubstep as “totally the punk rock of electronic music,” and on this debut LP he explores his limits, merging a wide range of musical inspirations — most notably Wu-Tang Clan and its MVPs RZA and Method Man. The album definitely captures something of the spirit of Wu-Tang, with its ominous, futuristic sound and gangster vibe.
My personal favourite here has to be “Complete Control” — but the whole of the album is a dark, euphonious mental roller coaster ride. Let’s break it down:
1. “Annihilate” – Definitely a track to entice the listener into playing the entire album. A perfect introduction to Vitamin D’s diversity of dark and captivating sounds.
2. “Fully Blown” (feat. Snak the Ripper) – Here, Datsik displays his affinity for hip-hop. He wastes no time on this one, jumping right in, without any buildup at all, and enlisting Snak The Ripper to provide some heavy-duty rap vocals.
3. “Syndrome” (with Downlink) – This track starts off with a classical vibe, then drops in some overwhelming bass. For me, it’s a standout for merging two such seemingly incompatible genres with surprising artfulness.
4. “Bonafide Hustler” – It’s almost like a biographical anthem for Datsik, the quintessential dubstep hustler. The sound is grimy yet cutting edge, pretty much ensuring that this will be a “bonafide” banger in the clubs and on the airwaves.
5. “Evilution” (with Infected Mushrooms & Jonathan Davis) – A collaboration with trip-hop duo Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani (a.k.a. Infected Mushroom) and Korn lead vocalist Jonathan Davis results in psychedelic/trance/electronic rock track that opens the darkest corners of the musical mind. I pressed replay more than a few times — as will you. It’s one of those tracks that invades the mind and refuses to leave.
6. “Need You” – This one sounds a bit like a mash-up of music and sound effects from old arcade games. It creates a certain musical clutter in the mind (a bit of everything all over the place) — but isn’t that what dubstep is? Mashed-up, unpredictable and a bit cluttered (in a good way)?
7. “Don’t Feel Right” – Here he starts with a playful electronic rhythm, then shifts into memorable sample from Shakedown‘s 2002 hit “At Night,” and from there into an overpoweringly grimy sound. Quite the mash-up, but definitely worth a replay or two.
8. “Light The Fuse” – A track with a very catchy, bob-your-head-along kind of kick to it. Dubstep usually conjures a dirty, borderline-rebellious feeling for me, but this one put me on a playground playing hopscotch — at least until it reached the 1:09 mark and it took on a different spin: grimy, anarchic and overpowering.
9. “Complete Control” – A fitting title for this superlative banger. With everything from intriguing build-ups to filthy drops, it takes you on a dark, fantastical. I put this one on repeat, letting Datsik take “complete control” of my mind.
10. “Punisher” (with Downlink) – Okay, the build-up was a little irritating, but the drop won back my attention. A daring, musically capricious piece of production that I can see entrancing listeners, whether on the dancefloor or chilling with headphones in the “grimy” comfort of one’s home.
11 “Napalm” (feat. Masinian) – The opening recalls the start of Skrillex‘s “First Year of (Equinox),” until the rap vocals swoop in and ambush the listener. Can’t say I was a big fan of this track or came away from it feeling the urge to press replay. But it does offer a unique sound.
12. “Double Trouble” (with DJ Z-Trip) – “We came here tonight to get started.” Except it kinda felt like it was taking a bit long to start. Still, once it revs up, this one repays your patience. A suitably filthy track from one of Canada’s brightest young bass music stars, this does what every good album-closer should: leaves the listener eager for more.
Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.
bpm:tv producer Declan O’Driscoll went to Miami last month and all we got was … this frickin’ awesome photo album. Check out Declan’s amazing behind-the-scenes images from WMC 2012, featuring the likes of Steve Aoki, Skrillex, Deadmau5, Calvin Harris, BT, Jes and many others — and stay tuned for a special Miami edition of bpm Spotlight, coming soon. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE PHOTO GALLERY.
First and foremost a Happy Good Friday and Easter Sunday to all of bpm nation. Amidst all your ragin’ this long weekend, try to take a few minutes to remember the meaning of the holiday.
Thursday is one of the biggest nights in the club world. Even the people who don’t enjoy clubbing — because of the crowds, because of the price it exacts on your wallet and your body — will be out and about tonight. I think it’s a great time to hit a club that has a resident DJ and see what he or she is playing. Are they sticking with the tried-and-true crowd-pleasers, or pushing the boundaries with some creative new sounds? All questions worth answering, while indulging in a few drinks and the occasional taste of eye candy.
With Coachella coming up, next week’s Sweets will be dedicated to that infamous festival, which showcases some of the best acts in the world in a three-day clusterf**k. Meantime, this week’s helping should hold you all the way to 4/20, when we will get high together. Figuratively speaking, of course .
And the awesome continues. (Who said April is the cruelest month? Oh, right: this guy.)
So anyway. Our long-awaited bpm:tv DANCE 2012 compilation CD hits the streets today, with a lineup that includes Deadmau5, Swedish House Mafia, Martin Solveig & Dragonette, Nervo featuring Afrojack & Steve Aoki, Sak Noel … and many more, as they say on the television. Mixed, as always, by the estimable DJ Marky D.
You can find bpm:tv DANCE 2012 at Best Buy, HMV and Walmart, or BUY IT ONLINE.
Own it!
TRACKLIST
INTERNATIONAL LOVE (CLINTON SPARKS & DISCO FRIES RADIO MIX) – PITBULL feat. CHRIS BROWN
BODY WORK (CLUB MIX EDIT) – MORGAN PAGE feat. TEGAN AND SARA
BIG IN JAPAN (DENZAL PARK REMIX) – MARTIN SOLVEIG & DRAGONETTE feat. IDOLING!!!
TURN THIS CLUB AROUND – R.I.O. feat. U-JEAN
PASO (THE NINI ANTHEM) – SAK NOEL
ANTIDOTE – SWEDISH HOUSE MAFIA VS. KNIFE PARTY
MUTATE (ORIGINAL EDIT) – SIDNEY SAMSON & LIL JON
AURAL PSYNAPSE – DEADMAU5
WE’RE ALL NO ONE – NERVO feat. AFROJACK AND STEVE AOKI
LONELY TONIGHT (ORIGINAL ENGLISH RADIO EDIT) – HOLD UP
I COULD STAY (CHR REMIX) – KREESHA TURNER
MR. KNOW IT ALL (BILLIONAIRE REMIX) – KELLY CLARKSON
Gosia Mrugala is a Toronto-based blogger and reviewer. You can read her blog HERE, and follow her on Twitter HERE.
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