And the JUNOS 2018 Winners were...

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By Sinejan Ozaydemir 

Congratulations to Nick Fiorucci and Rezz for their award wins this weekend! 

This year’s Electronic Album of the Year nominees were:

  • Tenderness – Blue Hawaii
  • Someone else – Cri
  • Two Hearts – Dabin
  • Music To Draw To: Satellite – Kid Koala ft. Emilíana Torrini
  • Mass Manipulation – Rezz

This year’s Dance Recording of the Year nominees were:

  • Not Going Home ft. Gia Koka & CMC$ – DVBBS
  • Get What You Give – Felix Cartal
  • Deeper – KAPRI
  • Closer ft. Laurell – Nick Fiorucci
  • Almost Home ft. Nadia Ali & Iro – Sultan + Shepard

The full list of winners in all the categories can be found here: http://www.cbc.ca/music/junos/news/junos-2018-the-complete-list-of-winners-so-far-1.4579405

Contact Festival 2017 Ryan's Top 6

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By Ryan Hayes

Contact 2017 was a festival interwoven with surprises, and upsets. I attempted to go to the event with an open mind, nonetheless I couldn't help head in to day one with a curated list of my favourite acts already picked out. By the end of day two however the majority of my preconceptions were proven false. Originally anticipating a day one blowout, four of my top six acts played during day two and the biggest letdown of Contact was formally a front runner for the festivals number one slot.

1. Cash Cash

Going in to Cash Cash I literally had no expectations—their set time was initially my planned food break. I knew I would recognize a handful of their tracks, but there wasn't a chance I could identify a single one by name. Despite my obvious disinterest I walked away a huge fan. Their set was energetic, accessible, fun, and packed full of catchy original productions. The duo never fell pray to the generic festival trope of dropping popular banger X right after announcing they were about to take the festival up a notch. Instead Cash Cash stuck to their arsenal of anthems (which I now know) including “Matches,” “Take Me Home,” and “All My Love.” Transition tracks were fun, light-hearted throwbacks the likes of Nelly's “Must Be The Money,” and Eiffel 65's “Blue.” I didn't leave to get food, and smiled the whole way through.

2. Rezz

Initially I was worried that Rezz would fall victim to the mountains of hype surrounding her rise; fortunately for all in attendance her set did not disappoint. Often her sound seems to be polarizing, with audiences either clambering for more or missing the party entirely. Luckily for Contact, Vancouver gets it. From the opening seconds “Relax” Mass Manipulation introduction edit I was transfixed. Slow, grinding, and oddly melodic—her hour on stage melted away in a mesmerizing daze. Selections from 2016's Somethings Wrong Here, and The Silence Is Deafening EP's including “Purple Gusher,” “Selector,” and “Edge” were standouts. But, it was “Diluted Brains” that really floored BC Place drowning a packed house under torrents of thick relentless bass. Rezz was at home on the big stage, and she surely left Contact with new fans. The Cult of Rezz is strong in BC.

3. Destructo

A coherent, well built set consisting predominantly of originals goes a long way. Much like Rezz, Destructo's set was a trip through a very specific soundscape, and the artistry that takes is always appreciated. With strong west coast G-House vibes Destructo took Contact through his aggressively laid back bass filled productions. From “Dare You 2 Move,” to “Catching Plays,” and “4 Real,” Destructo cruised through his set, spanning the breadth of his discography. Finishing with “Loaded,” his new single featuring Yo Gotti, Destructo left the stage easily elevating day two of Contact to an early high day one never attained.

4. Tchami

Having just come off a back to back tour with Malaa, Vancouver was treated to a very special set by Tchami. Not worrying about pandering to main stage pressures Tchami took his time and warmed up Vancouver with about thirty minutes of proper club music, keeping his heavy hitters for the second half of his set. Initially dropping tracks in line with “The Sermon,” Tchami worked his way towards a higher tempo, transitioning to,”Prophecy,” and “Summer 99,” vibes before delving into monster hits like “Promessess,” and “After Life.” His timing and progression were impeccable, solidifying day two of Contact as a platform for real dance music artists. Finishing with an extended cut of “Adieu” cleansed the audiences palate and was a perfect send off for his set.

5. Ekali/Alan Walker

There is one simple reason for the tie between Ekali and Alan Walker; of the entire festival these two sets felt most at home following one another. Ekali set the tone for Contact, filling the stadium early and eliciting a great reaction from the crowd, with his slow tempo, driving as it built a narrative. Alan Walker then took to the stage to knock down what Ekali had set up for him. Offering up a proper main stage set with loads of sing-along worthy originals. This was probably the most consistent two hours of both days of Contact.

6. Carnage

Let me start by prefacing Carnage spent most of his time on stage simply pumping his fists in the air and screaming nonsense into the microphone. His transitions were often awful, and sections of the set were borderline indistinguishable noise. That being said, I can't stop thinking about his set. He worked the crowd into a frenzy the likes of which I have never seen. From start to finish the entire stadium collectively lost their mind. After announcing that he was there to deliver “some loud ass obnoxious music,” that was exactly what he did. At times his set was nearly paint by numbers, but at other times it was genuinely surprising. It was jarring, abrasive, and arrogant—but that's what made it good? The crowd’s energy was infectious, and if you suspend all sense of musical taste, the set was loads of fun. Carnage left the stage with one final proclamation, “Contact 2017 RIP, I just murdered your ass.” I honestly don't know what to say...but I think he did?

Honourable Mention: Armin

Armin showcased the harder side of trance for his Contact audience, maybe because he was following up Carnage, or simply because he wanted to do something different. Either way, melodic trance is more my speed meaning this particular Armin set did not really sit well with me. Running through tracks like “If It Ain't Dutch,” and “You Are,” Armin dialed up the energy and hammered Contact. While it may have not been my style I recognize the artistry of a set expertly woven together. As always, Armin knows how to take on a main stage.

Biggest Disappointment: Marshmello

Because of the endless hype, my expectations for Marshmello were high, and sadly his set fell victim to over inflated promise. Keeping my disappointment in check, Marshmello did deliver about forty five minutes of music that plastered a smile on my face. He played his originals and that's what people wanted to hear. Outside of his trademark sound there was a lot that could have been trimmed from his set. It was evident that he was attempting to hype the audience up with a banger or two, but it was generic. It wasn't woven together particularly well, and it didn't fit the happy-mello persona I had come to know and love. Ultimately, for me, Marshmello fell short and left me wondering if his set was more suited for a one hour time slot.

Ryan Hayes is a Vancouver based writer who has contributed to many EDM publications over the past few years. You can follow him on Twitter: @VanCityDanceNrd.

Read Sinejan's top 6 of Contact Festival 2017! 

Contest: Win 2 tickets to see REZZ in Montreal at New City Gas on October 6th!

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Almost no one else has had a bigger year in the scene than REZZ. The 22 year-old Toronto artist has rocked all of the big Canadian festival stages while making doing more of the same in the United States. With her debut album "Mass Manipulation" recently released, REZZ has stuck true to her darker raw style and has consistently grown her fanbase. 

REZZ will be bringing her debut headlining tour to Montreal on Friday, October 6th at New City Gas and EDM Canada would like to give you a chance to win 2 tickets. Simply log into Instagram, follow @edm_canada, like the contest post, and you're in! You must be 19+ to enter, the contest is open now and will close on October 3rd and a winner will be selected soon after. Get on Instagram and enter now! 

Contest: Win 2 tickets to see REZZ in Toronto on October 7th!

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Almost no one else has had a bigger year in the scene than REZZ. The 22 year-old Toronto artist has rocked all of the big Canadian festival stages while making doing more of the same in the United States. With her debut album "Mass Manipulation" recently released, REZZ has stuck true to her darker raw style and has consistently grown her fanbase. 

REZZ will be bringing her debut headlining tour to Toronto on Saturday October 7th at the Danforth Music Hall and EDM Canada would like to give you a chance to win 2 tickets. Simply log into Instagram, find the post and like it - and follow @edm_canada on Instagram and you're in! You must be 19+ to enter, the contest is open now and will close on October 4th and a winner will be selected soon after. Get on Instagram and enter now! 

REZZ and RL Grime shined and 5 other impressions of RBC Bluesfest

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The 2017 edition of RBC Bluesfest just concluded this past weekend at Lebetron Flats in Ottawa, having given us 9 days of music on 3 stages, with artists emanating from a variety of genres. Fans of electronic dance music had a lot to be happy about as acts like REZZ, Flume, A Tribe Called, LCD Soundsystem and RL Grime put on shows to remember. The following are 7 impressions that were made from this year's RBC Bluesfest in Ottawa. 

REZZ

The sound system at Bluesfest in Ottawa got tested to the max as REZZ took control of the decks on Tuesday night. She started off the proceedings with "Warrior" by EPROM and G Jones, a personal favourite, due to its uncompromising distorted bass drop. The vast majority of the tracks played were from REZZ's own discography and the crowd loved her for it in return. The bass from the sound system was crisp, which allowed her best tracks like "Edge" to be properly showcased. With her debut album "Mass Manipulation" ready to come out on August 4th, the Canadian artist gave the crowd a sneak peek by playing a few tracks. The new stuff sounds like a continuation of her style but with certain aspects exhibiting a chunkier bass. REZZ's sound is part bass with hints of techno and dark industrial, but remixed into her own style and makes it fully into her own musical style and aesthetic. Expect a strong album and even bigger things from this quickly up and coming artist in the future.  

RL Grime

Following REZZ was RL Grime, who is no stranger to Bluesfest, and showed it by giving one of the best sets of 2017. By the time the L.A. artist took the stage the crowd was massive and went nuts every chance they've gotten. RL Grime has stepped up his game this year by playing mashups and edits galore, like mashing well known tracks like Galantis' "Runaway (U&I)" and Coolio's "Gangter's Paradise" with his own tracks. His set was fresh and clearly better than any other time I've seen him in the past. I was captivated with every track, every moment. Everything done during that set had purpose, like pieces of a puzzle when formed into a piece of art. The last track was his new single "Stay For It", a fitting end to one of the best moments of the year. 

LCD Soundsystem

The last time LCD Soundsystem toured, EDM Canada didn't exist. It's been a long seven years since they last toured, as I've been more accustomed to listing James Murphy DJ sets into the city calendars than the legendary band. The live layout of the band was elaborate as it sported a few synths, including a full modular synth, a trigger pad, live bass, a few drum kits and more. The full live instrumentals of the show were the most thrilling parts and even though LCD Soundsystem are among the OG acts in scene - it is these live aspects that new acts should emulate if they want to push the boundaries of EDM. James Murphy is a multi-talented artist that showed the full range of his vocals while sometimes venturing over to his own drum kit to help the crowd go into the LCD Soundsystem rabbit hole. I came to LCD Soundsystem with an open mind and left impressed by the ambition and the rock/synth/punk vibe sound environment that was created. 

Migos and the crowd controversy

Migos started their set 40 minutes late because the Atlanta trio attracted such a huge crowd that the organizers wanted fans waiting in huge lines outside the time necessary to get into the grounds to enjoy the show. With a 7 pm time slot, Migos had brought in the biggest crowd that I've ever seen for non-headlining act, which was a credit to the organizers. While waiting for the trio to get to the stage, I was in the photo pit area at the front and got a first hand view of the crowd. Security did a fantastic job at bringing out fans that couldn't take the heat and insanity of the crowd. Those that required medical attention were quickly taken care of and personally did not see anything untoward. 

Following the event various newspapers and blogs brought the Migos and Lil Yachty crowd up on Thursday night, with various reports of "more than 200 people" that were assessed, with fans reported of being "sexually assaulted, intoxicated, hurt after falls, or suffering from overdoses". I could not comment on these aspects as I was not a witness to these acts, but watching those kids on Thursday night reminded me back in the day when I was a fan clamoring for the front row during the Edgefest days at Lansdowne Park in the 90s. Back when Live, Collective Soul, The Tea Party, Green Day were the biggest acts of the moment, the crush from the crowds and the heat was extreme, sometimes feeling immense pressure from the crowd at the back pushing my ribs into the front row barricade. A lot of fans couldn't take it and had security help them out, just like as I saw on Thursday night for Migos and Lil Yachty. Bluesfest should be applauded for bringing in hip hop acts to Ottawa, just like they have been supporting EDM for the past several years. 

Flume

In terms of electronic dance music, Flume was the biggest name to be booked by Bluesfest this year as he finished off the night to headline the mainstage on Thursday night. The stage was simple but carried a big punch as the graphics were crisp, coinciding with the style of his smooth, driving, and emotional tracks. The Australian artist had a setup that allowed to manipulate his tracks on the fly including a drum machine, that he used with frequency. The whole set was a celebration of Flume's impressive discography as he showed it off with pride and left the crowd with more than a few goose bump moments.  

A Tribe Called Red

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Rain and thunderstorms played a major part on Friday's performances, including recent Polaris Music Prize shortlisted candidate and recent JUNO Award winner A Tribe Called Red scheduled time. As the threat of rain and thunderstorms temporarily shut down the festival, fans packed the blues tent, as they waited out the storm. Once organizers gave artists the all clear, A Tribe Called Red gave the crowd a huge bass and electric pow wow display that included a variety of dancers invited to perform on stage. Unfortunately just as they were hitting their stride with tracks like ATCR's own "NDN Stakes" and GTA's "Help Me!", thunderstorms shut down the night early. A shame, but at least the Ottawa trio introduced a lot of new fans to their unique electric pow wow sound. 

Night Lovell

Night Lovell is giving one of the best performances at Bluesfest right now

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Bluesfest invited some heavyweight hip hop talent at this year's edition, however, it was the local rapper Night Lovell that gave the crowd the most hype set of them all. He impressed the crowd with his boundless energy that the crowd fed off of and formed multiple mosh pits throughout the performance.  Originating from Ottawa, he told the crowd that he had been coming to Bluesfest as a fan and now he's on stage. To further his Ottawa rep, he had a faux OC Transpo 97 Bayshore bus prop on stage, to which he came out of with smoke emanating from it to start his set. It's not easy to outshine bigger acts, but Night Lovell managed to pull it off.