The frenetic world of electronic music is full of distractions and diversions, hindering the ability to find transcendent music. Let Oggie James be your guru and lead down the path to musical Enlightenment.
Album, song and event reviews, mixtapes, and radio shows, light the way to Enlightenment, conveyed by Oggie James.
New artist, or at least an artist with a newly minted name, NICOLAAS has wasted no time in tapping two of disco's finest to remix his debut single. Born Robert Bakker, but better known to us as Muneshine, NICOLAAS first appeared with Lucy Mason to open the month of March with sensational single "No Stranger Thing." A fabulously funky and fat joint, it's not hard to hear the Muneshine influence nor is it to imagine a whole heap of support for this strong single. However, as mentioned above, two remixes quickly followed with Pages and Louis La Roche delivering more divine disco. As readers of this blog will know I'm a huge LLR fan and absolutely had to use this opportunity to share his killer quality as an introduction to NICOLAAS for Bump In The Hump and Radio Humber alike.This is not the only disco track in tonight's episode, nor is Louis the only artist I first enjoyed over a decade ago, as A-Trak hits on both those counts with "Work It Out." As is always the case, there's a hearty helping of house, a look ahead to the weekend and a couple of artist debuts. The midtempo mania continues with a strong contingent that includes Slooze, KRILLA, Fera and more, plus the return of Thugli in the Fire Finale. Catch Bump In The Hump live from 7-9 PM EDT via Radio Humber or after the fact as cataloged on Mixcloud here.
After a week devoted entirely to house, Bump In The Hump is back with an all new hour of Canadian tunes with just about everything but house. There's dubstep, drum and bass, trap, future bass, techno and this gritty, stomping electro number from Krayysh. After wiping his socials clean and finally reappearing with "Underthinking Things" in March, Toronto's Krayysh is back again with a major splash. Remixing either Kill The Noise or Mat Zo is a tremendous accomplishment, but to be tapped to take on their collaborative effort Kill The Zo's "Part I," is quite the coup. As we saw with his previous production, this one is nearly impossible to define, it's a touch funky, definitely dark and dirty, and shows a strong affinity for futuristic electro feels. Despite its short runtime, it's clear why Kill The Zo's called on Krayysh.As promised above, I've got a host of hard hitting tracks from the likes of Lunice, Rezz, Rene LaVice, Vincent and ANGELZ. There's also some strong summer cuts from Thugli, Conro and CRaymak. Don't miss Bump In The Hump live Wednesday from 6-7 PM EDT only on Radio Humber.
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 BestivalIncrease 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.
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.
My most anticipated weekend of the summer has finally arrived. Ever since Bestival announced their day splits, the buzz has been all about the Saturday lineup, and I plan on taking advantage of every second of it. I'm hoping I can manage to get up and arrive at Woodbine Park for the opening set, as I've been wanting to see Maddmon for some time, and his forthcoming BADLQQK track "Diagnose That" has cemented his status as a must see. Obviously I'll be spending a lot of my Saturday under the Big Top, only leaving for Joris Voorn and a touch of Bestival founder Rob Da Bank's set. Following Maddmon, one of my favourite duos Smalltown DJs have been on fire as of late, and I wouldn't dare miss them. My love for Thugli is also well established and I'm tremendously excited to see how they handle the festival atmosphere. Following a brief respite with Rob Da Bank, I'll be taking in Giraffage in hopes he'll be this years surprise act, energizing us with a second wind. Having already seen Shaun Frank, I've made the tough decision to take in Joris Voorn in his stead, in part because of latest remix of Florian Kruse & Hendrik Burkhard's "The Ground." I'll be back under the Big Top for the three-headed monster of Malaa, Madeon and Porter Robinson. I've also got my fingers crossed that I'll be able to catch one of those three at The Hoxton's after-party, specifically Porter as I hope to relive last year's Monstercat Showcase DJ set (the last track in the playlist below).
Of course the Sunday can also boast a number of big names, Dubfire, Tchami and The Cure headlining their respective stages, but after the most jam-packed day of likely the whole summer, it's going to be interesting to see how early I can get back to Woodbine Park. I hope to start my day once again under the Big Top, with either HRMXNY or Pusher, two great Toronto talents that are poised to explode. After that I'll be looking to the Bollywood stage for some Catz 'N Dogz and Lee Foss. But if you've read my post when the lineup was first announced, it is The Cure, ahead of all electronic acts that I'm most excited for this weekend. Once again I leave you with a playlist, and The Cure's full set from Bestival on the Isle of Wight back in 2011.
Bestival's Canadian cousin returns for a second Toronto edition with it's new Woodbine Park location, June 11th-12th. Friday they announced The Cure and Tame Impala as headliners, while the additional 33+ were named today. Once again Bestival can boast one of the most forward thinking, cohesive combination of progressive, boundary pushing artists, spanning a number of genres, while managing to cultivate an exquisite overall aesthetic. Last years engrossing aura tied everything together in it's omnipresence and is the only thing I think may suffer from this mainland edition. Crossing to the island last year was a rite of passage, inevitably invoking an unconscious suspension of disbelief as one stepped off their boat onto the island. The lineup however remains a draw for many different musical subcultures, yet again rivaling any other festival in Canada.
After TRC made their predictions Thursday, I was determined to buy tickets if The Cure were announced. Despite being woefully unaware of The Cure, apart from what local radio and Hollywood had pushed, (Friday, I'm In Love and of course Robert Smith's Not In Love with Crystal Castles) I found I couldn't get enough of "Halo" after hearing it in a car one fateful afternoon. "Halo" seemed to strike a chord with me and quickly became one of my favourite songs, but for some reason I didn't venture any further into The Cure's massive library, at least until South Park suggested it.
Taking Stan's word I listened to Disintegration one night on the bus ride from St Catharines to Toronto, and despite being between waking and sleeping it instantly became familiar and spoke to me through its incredible arc. It's become my go-to, after-the-club, come-down music, as I ride the red vomit comet home. So obviously I'm dead excited to see The Cure live in person; fingers crossed they play some amount of Disintegration.
Despite not going to Digital Dreams, one of my favourite sets from last year was Porter Robinson at the Monstercat showcase at Tattoo. I was moments away from going to bed and shutting down my computer when the my final twitter check discovered a live stream from inside of Tattoo. I ended up raving to the light of my computer screen for the next hour and a half, assaulting my keyboard, punching in the endless tracklist of awesomeness Porter dropped deep into the night. And although Bestival says he's doing a live set this time (see here), you can relive last year's rainy-day respite below.
Then of course are those that I've already seen but know play amazing sets, Madeon, Tchami, Anna Lunoe, Shaun Frank, Thugli, Pusher and HRMXNY. Much like last year I'm sure I'll have to make tough choices as to who I see when, and bounce between stages. If the comparison to last year holds true, I can only hope the weather is more like the second day, not the first. That being said, as long it's not cancelled in some way, it will have beat both Veld and Digital Dreams. I sense there will be more names added to the list and since the price of tickets never go down, the earlier you act, the less of a financial commitment you'll have to make. I'd be surprised if word hasn't got out about how good last year was, and if the biggest headache (the ferrying) is out of the way, tickets will likely be moving quickly.
Tonight on Bump In The Hump, I'm glad to premiere Thugli's latest track "Sic Em." Just over a month ago, the Toronto duo of Pat Drastik and Tom Wrecks opened for NGHTMRE at The Hoxton, and it was this very track that they closed out their set with. Still unknown to that point, "Sic Em" was then premiered during their Quest Mix for Annie Nightingale on BBC Radio One twelve days later. Known for mixing with vinyl, the duo always deliver with their mixes, such as their Inflight mix which serves as a great introduction to the duo, but they've also delivered other quality mixes for BBC before (hear their Diplo & Friends mix from 2014). Their latest, Quest Mix, is yet another example of their amazing abilities, and wide swath of connections, showcasing fellow Canadians Keys N Krates, Grandtheft, Sleepy Tom, as well as dropping the forthcoming Autoerotique, Hunter Siegel collab "OTF" (On The Floor, live video here). Ironically, it was exactly two weeks ago as I was preparing Bump In The Hump, that their video appeared on Much, seemingly before it's official Feb 2nd, premiere. Now I'm using that same video to tease you, ahead of another all new episode of Bump In The Hump on Radio Humber. Catch the live feed from 11-midnite EST here, 96.9 FM if you're in Toronto, or check back to Enlightenment For Your Ears for the mixcloud upload later tonight.
THUGLI - Sic Em (Official Music Video)
THUGLI - Sic Em (Official Music Video)iTunes: https://itun.es/ca/SoPqab Spotify: https://spoti.fi/1WU4WmlSoundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thugli/sicemhttp://thugli.com/[ Produced with the financial assistance of MuchFACT, a division of Bell Media Inc. www.muchfact.ca ]
Posted by Thugli on Friday, 5 February 2016
Tonight is the highly anticipated debut of NGHTMRE at the Hoxton, with support from locals, Thugli and LUKAV. Here are six reasons why you simply need to brave the cold to embrace the heat, the speakers of the Hoxton will be blasting tonight, lighters optional.
As you ought to now know I have finished my life as host of Enlightenment For Your Ears, on CFBU 103.7 FM, and it couldn't have come at a better time. This being the first Friday following my massive grand finale show, I was allowed the freedom to attend one of the most highly anticipated shows in Toronto EDM history, the second annual Mad Decent Block Party. I can honestly say that it was entirely excellent despite what many would call a sub par line-up (especially when compared to other MDBPs around North America) as a result of the date coinciding with the biggest EDM festival the world has to offer, Tomorrowland happening simultaneously in Belgium. This for me was the reason we didn't get the likes of Dillon Francis, Baauer, Flosstradamus and many other brilliant Mad Decent members, again despite fact this I would called the 2013 Toronto version of the MDBP a huge success. With this post it is my intention to showcase the great local and Canadian talents that were present, as well as allow those of you who unfortunately missed out on this great event, to enjoy much of the music that was played and which has become ear-worms for myself. In the next paragraphs I will make my way though the lineup of those played and highlight tracks that I feel deserve a second look. Unfortunately, for those who are interested in Riff Raff and El Dusty, I have nothing substantive to say as I was not as interested in these acts and cannot accurately comment as to what they performed. Let us now dive into the first act I was mentally present and prepared for.
***Please make me aware of any links that may be wrong or have been downed, Thank You!***
THUGLI:
If you are a fan of EFYE you will immediately recognize this duo as local Torontonians Pat Drastik and Tom Wrecks. I am outwardly a huge fan and supporter of these two and despite being essentially the first act of the day put on an amazing set, which showcased a number of their own productions as well as some brilliant scratching skills. Many kudos to them for kicking off the day and preparing us for the massiveness to come. Below is a list of tracks (and links so you can listen to what) I can recall from their set:
A TRIBE CALLED RED:
Fans of EFYE may not be familiar with this brilliant trio hailing from Ottawa, made up of DJ NDN, DJ Shub and Bear Witness. I too had only heard of this group without having heard their music, and boy was I in for a pleasant surprise. These three as ATCR decribe their sound as Powwow-Step, which if you are a fan of EFYE you might want to imagine Dillon Francis with elements of First Nations music, particularly vocal chanting and drumming. Their music would work perfectly at a bonfire rave; it is perfect to lose yourself to music. I was so impressed with these three, as perhaps I ought to be as a result of there being three member allowing for more scratching, crowd involvement and more all around quality mixing and DJing. Not only was this set mind blowing for all of the thousand or so that were there early enough, but for someone of my specific age and generation, ATCR included some easter eggs from both their and my childhood. Absolutely brilliant mixing and sampling of the Sesame Street theme as well as the Reading Rainbow (as seen similarly HERE when they played in Detroit earlier this year). Once again below find those tracks I can clearly recall:
Again fans of EFYE will be very familiar with this great local Torontonian talent who rounded out three Canadian artists in a row, and played one of the greatest sets I have ever witnessed and perhaps one of the greatest sets Toronto has ever seen; I simply cannot say enough positive about this talent, his showmanship and producer-ship. I am so proud to be living in the same city and this genius and am so lucky to be alive at a time when he has begun his rise into worldwide stardom (deservedly so). If you follow music at all I'm sure you are aware of the twerking phenomenon happening throughout North America headed by the likes of Diplo, the don of Mad Decent, and championed by worldwide idol Miley Cyrus (Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C). Grandtheft has intelligently latched his star to the likes of the twerk and more specifically Miley's twerking in his most recent collaboration with Skratch Bastid entitled Miley; he even had someone dressed in a bunny suit, clearly referencing Miley first twerking video (see exhibit A above). Yet again it is time to make reference to the tracks he played out (at least to my recollection):
ZEDS DEAD:
This Torontonian duo followed Riff Raff and while I generally find their dubstep sound almost offensive to the ears I was again pleasantly surprised come the end of their set. To the best of my knowledge their set started with nearly all dubstep and this threw me off as for the most part MDBP was almost entirely a trap show. By the end of their set they had successful changed my cynical mind through featuring some great Canadian classics as well as some of their own originals from their past. Here we go again:
The much anticipated main event of the evening was thoroughly enjoyable from a musical standpoint although I must admit I was quite disappointed in the entirely absent DJing. It seemed as though each and every song was either cut short or spun back. The set was one of the most choppy set I've ever witnessed and were it not the case that I love nearly every Major Lazer track I would have been entirely disappointed. I understand that Diplo, Jillonaire & Walshy Fire were the headlining act for each stop of the tour (which would be quite tedious) and that they were missing out on Tomorrowland to play a much smaller set in Toronto, I can rationalize why they merely wanted to have fun and get the crowd involved, yet I feel that we ought to have had a better chance to hear some of their tracks played out in their entirety and as a DJ I would have really appreciated witnessing some true DJing skills. Nonetheless here is what I heard:
In conclusion I am very happy with the money spent in comparison to the previous event (Digital Dreams) and the fact that I was able to catch nearly the entire Block Party, although it wasn't much of a Block Party being that it was situated directly between the GO tracks and the Gardiner, yet that didn't end up being much of a deterrent. The venue was actually quite good and I thoroughly enjoyed not being surrounded by alcohol drinkers thus able to stay more clean and not sticky although I cannot say the same for my feet which ended up looking more like hooves than anything else by the end of the night; those who wore shoes didn't have this problem so I guess I only have myself to blame. Finally I'd grade this version of the Mad Decent Block Party as better than decent, it gets a solid A in my books with many pleasant surprises, all in all a great time!
Once again I urge you to stay tuned to this webpage in anticipation of the posting of DJ Dano Bordie's brilliant 40 minute EFYE review mix from the Grand Finale of EFYE. Follow myself @OggieJames and the Bordie Bros @BordieBros
