Fractal Fantasy Hits Toronto

After unofficially entering club season with TroyBoi two weeks ago, the onslaught of awesome club shows continues as Sinjin Hawke and Zora Jones of Fractal Fantasy fame make their way to Toronto this week. First they'll be at Cooper Cole for a pop up shop & interactive installation Thursday evening (RSVP), then they take to the decks Friday for what promises to be an exceptional show. The location for the show remains a secret to those without tickets, but you can get tickets/details here.

Right from the "Onset" it was clear Sinjin Hawke's album was going to live up to it's lofty title, First Opus. While I'll leave it for my end of year wrap up, there's no question it's on the shortlist for album of the year. The epic journey he was able to craft is one thing, but the fact that it consists nearly entirely of "150 Kanye West Demos," makes the "Wolves" producer's dynamism even that much more inspired. But not only is his album all kinds of awesome, he's been busy working with Zora Jones remixing "Bodak Yellow," linking up for several cuts on Fractal Fantasy compilation Visceral Minds 2, and playing a brilliant, bass heavy and excellent experimental set for Boiler Room. Watch below.

Expect the combination of Jones' stunning sound design and captivating animations to make not just the pop up installation an eye opening experience, but the following set a can't miss affair. Adding to the already awesome bill is Toronto's own Eytan Tobin who never disappoints with his chameleon like abilities to blend into whatever lineup he's on. Just last week he opened for Jonah Baseball and Skylar Spence. So yeah, if you're not sold on any of this I'm not sure what more I can do, because I've been anxiously awaiting this night for months. Both Sinjin and Zora are masters of their crafts and truly have catalogs of nothing but quality. See their socials below and take in Fractal Fantasy this week.

UPDATE: The lineup has been expanded with Bambii x Paul Souljoyce and Nick Lazerface x Sunclef. The location has also been revealed to be 191 Geary Avenue.

FOLLOW FRACTAL FANTASY: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW SINJIN HAWKE: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW ZORA JONES: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER
FOLLOW EYTAN TOBIN: FACEBOOK SOUNDCLOUD TWITTER

9 new tracks from the long weekend

Whether you're Canadian and celebrated Thanksgiving, you're American and celebrated Columbus day, or you're neither, you may have missed some fresh new tracks from the likes of Bring The Noise, Lost Kings, and Skylar Spence among others. Classics from Nero and Porter Robinson/Madeon received bootleg remixes, but of course that's not all; I've highlighted 9 tracks that range from light and bubbly pop to dark electro bass. The first, and perhaps most disturbingly underplayed track of this weekend comes from Bring The Noise. Despite their near 15k followers on Facebook, "West Side" has only 23 plays at the time I write this. This is a travesty as it is an absolutely awesome production, dripping with dark vibes, playing with old school rap motifs while warbling bass throbs beneath, giving the impression that something immense is about to happen. It sets us up perfectly for the rest of the tracks to come. Obviously I'm a fan of Nero's "Crush On You," after having written about Animal HÖuse's remix of it last month. Now DJ duo DIV/IDE has put their own touch on the classic, relying on a piano driven lead and an awesome bass house drop. The groove is strong with this one, freely flowing, and utterly enjoyable. Changing course drastically, the next track is from one of the brightest duos in the game right now, Lost Kings. Their latest, "Phone Down" continues their tropical tilt alongside divine piano chords, and a powerful and poignant message from vocalist Emily Warren. Maybe the most alluring track in this nine pack (knowing my love for hyperactive bubbly pop tracks), comes from gupi, in the form of "Great Day." It's like if the Teletubbies took speed, went to Tommorowland, and this is the soundtrack to the montage video. "Wow, what a great day..." As deep and dark as the infinite abyss that is outer-space, where Moonzz and her track "Wonder" emanate from, this mix from DNMO ups the ante, injecting the original with rocketfuel. It refills the stasis chambers allowing the interstellar vehicle to travel further than ever imagined. Bursting at the seams, Pierce's track "What We're Looking For" is absolutely explosive. There's no way you can hear this track without feeling it's tremendous power, while brilliantly combining a number of sounds and styles. Like many of the above tracks it too can be downloaded for free. After seeing Skylar Spence at Bestival this summer, I knew I'd found someone special. The uplifting and groovy disco vibes he delivers are simply sublime. His latest, released on Carpark Records, maintains that delightfully dance-worthy energy and sentimentality. Of course Porter Robinson and Madeon's collaborative effort "Shelter" has been firmly entrenched in the minds of their thousands of fans, but save for Luca Lush's lift, there hasn't been a truly fitting remix. That is until now. soupandreas and Soflex seem to have been able to get into the mindset of the two veteran producers, reimagining "Shelter" as a more necessary reality, a hideout in an apocalyptic future. The last track in this collection of new, fresh productions comes from Ryan Hemsworth's Secret Songs collective, courtesy Rytmeklubben member, DJ Karaoke. His superb and saintly synth work soars with brilliant beauty alongside an angelic, ethereal choir. It too is available entirely free.

Bestival Recap

Via Bestival Toronto Facebook Page

My body is worse for wear, but my mind has never been so satisfied. This year's edition of Bestival exceeded even my grandest expectations. From Maddmon's opening set under the Big Top Saturday, to The Cure closing down the Main Stage Sunday, and all of the surprises in between, the ethos of Bestival Increase The Peace rang true throughout. I've never been to any festival that can rival Bestival's family-friendly inclusiveness, genius curation and undeniably loving atmosphere.

I was disappointed to leave the island venue, in spite of the frustrating ferry service, but Woodbine Park actually ended up being as good, if not better than last year. The stages were significantly closer than last year, with a little bit of sound bleeding from the Big Top to the Main Stage; enough to cause Robert Smith to have his headphones at maximum volume, so he could stay on beat. The Bollywood stage was a brilliant reprieve, removed from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the venue. Even further removed, in a quiet, wooded corner of Woodbine Park, the Sunday Best Balearic Beach Bar was the ultimate chill zone for people to relax, lie under the shade of the trees and refresh your soul with therapeutic, ecstasy inducing vibes. Rounding out the Bestival atmosphere were a Dr. Suess-esque bicycle with dozens of drums and noise makers for people to play, the infamous Inflatable Church and Cosmic Commune, which hosted plays and other intimate performances. Standing on the hill that held the I<3BESTIVAL sign, you could take in all three stages with Toronto's skyline in the distance.

Via Bestival Toronto Facebook Page

The sound system under the Big Top was quite simply bonkers, and although there were less 'bass acts' and less room under the tent (than the previous year), the lineup utilized it to the fullest with standout sets from locals Maddmon, Thugli, Shaun Frank, HRMXNY, and Pusher, legendary live performances from Porter Robinson and Madeon, banging bass from Smalltown DJs, 4B, Malaa, Unlike Pluto and Tchami, welcome changes of pace from Giraffage, Skylar Spence, Classixx and Thomas Jack.  But the standout performance from the Big Top came from Reeps One, who absolutely blew me away with his unfathomably awesome beat-boxing skills.

The Bollywood Stage's visual marvel was only surpassed by its monstrous musical magnitude. Throughout the weekend I found myself going back to Bollywood more often than I had planned; its open air allure was led by an anything goes, never-ending dance-off. On my first journey around, exploring the festival grounds, I caught the end of Jonathan Rosa's set and the beginning of Rob Da Bank's which, apart from Lee Foss dropping MK's "Reverse Skydiving" remix, was my Bollywood highlight. Welcoming the early crowd, the Bestival founder led off with Prince's "I Wanna Be Your Lover," in perhaps the most fitting set starter possible.

What sets Bestival apart from other festivals, is its unwavering commitment to fostering rising and local talents, and showcasing acts that otherwise would not play Toronto festivals, especially alongside electronic acts. The Main Stage saw alternative, rock, new-wave and cross over acts from Tame Impala, Odesza, Jamie XX, Grimes and The Cure. It would be nearly impossible to put together a lineup that so perfectly bridges the gap between the sounds of the Bollywood and Big Top stages, while maintaining a slightly more rock focus. I don't know that the real EDM heads would venture from their bubble, but I can say that those five acts mentioned above strike me as the perfect stepping stones, to a wider appreciation for music and art as a whole. For in the end that is what Bestival does best, showcasing the infinite possibilities of art in all its forms, and expanding your mind.

I went to Bestival to see The Cure, among a number of electronic acts, but came away having rekindled friendships, met dozens of like-minded music lovers, and sharing in the experiences of a lifetime. I cannot wait for next year's edition of Bestival; if there were such a thing, I'd buy a lifetime membership.